For some of us, not everything we make is going to be fabulous. And that's okay. I love it when I'm working on something that feels fresh and new--so exciting and rewarding on a personal level! But then there are times that my mission is different, such as with this quilt.
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| 6 out of 12 blocks with coping strips added |
I'm not a quilter that likes to make quilts for other people if there are strings attached, colors chosen and special patterns required. It makes me feel tired and cranky, maybe even bored with the process. Now, if it's entirely my idea to be doing the making and/or giving? I can
absolutely (and cheerfully) work within a much more narrow range of elements than I'd normally be comfortable with.
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| Working on the other 6 blocks |
And why not? It actually becomes a challenge of sorts, which is the first step to pulling me in. How much of my old stash can I dig up and incorporate into this quilt? Woohoo! That's always a bonus. Is there any way to make people notice the
quilt first, bears/deer & wolves second? lol I can only try. Can I make something that will be warm, cozy and inviting enough to curl up on a couch with? That would be success.*wink
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| Squaring the blocks up |
Sewing with a stack of blocks made from other quilters is also a big challenge because the finished sizes are all over the place. One of the easiest ways to deal with that is to add a coping strip onto each block. {A large one.} And then cut them all down to size. I usually clear the ironing board etc. off of my large cutting mat. Much easier to mark my reference points and get to squaring things up. In this quilt, the finished size of my blocks with added coping strips will be 16". I like even numbers. So much easier to work with for a pieced sashing.
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| Cutting the green fabric into strips for sashing |
Which will be made out of alternating green and red strips of fabric--kind of a string quilt look. Haven't got the red strips cut out yet, but that will come soon enough. One little thing at a time in these crazy, chaotic days of mine!
