Here's an update on my current WIP (work in progress for those who are wondering). I have gone back to my scrappy bargello (link to Bonnie Hunter's tutorial). I am piecing this quilt with the scraps from all of my batik quilts. I have thrown in a couple of fabrics that are not batiks but have the look. I have all of the strips cut for the quilt and they have been hanging on my design wall (taking up much needed space!) for months.... So this should go quick right? I spent several hours yesterday pulling strips to make the 'perfect' panel!! That is not how this process is supposed to go, scrappy is in the title of the quilt! Needless to say, I did not make a lot of progress yesterday. I have about half of the 16" strips sewn together to make the panel. In my estimation, I could have had a panel completed yesterday. Well, that is if I had taken the advice from the tutorial and just taken strips and started sewing! This quilt is going to be huge. The panels, without borders, will be 96" x 96." Here is a picture of the first two panels:
I don't know yet what my 'style' is going to be.... or even if I am going to have a style :) I do however know what my style is not. I do not like flowery 'country' looking fabrics and I am not at all into cutesy. There, I've said it! So the quilt I made after my dad's really tested my resolve to finish a project! The quilt was made from a Giggles layer cake (purchased from Missouri Star Quilt Co.) and yardage for the backing and border from LQSs. I used flannel for the back and tried out a 'pieced' back for the first time. This quilt is made from the same tutorial as my dad's, Double Slice Layer Cake Quilt. Here are some pics (again, cell phone pics but unfortunately that's all I have)
of the quilt:
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| I FMQ the baby's name, Lucy, around the boarder with hearts and notice that scrappy border :) |
There were a couple very big lessons learned in the making of this quilt. First, I do not like working with this style of fabric! :) Second, when using flannel, use a high quality flannel! Imagine my horror when I washed this quilt and the flannel was pilled!! I can't even describe my disappointment.... What does one do at that point?? This quilt was originally commissioned but I had decided early in the process that I was going to give my friend the quilt as her baby gift. Honestly, if this had been a quilt for which I was paid, I would have started all over. The pilling was that bad and that was after just the first wash! I did let the LQS, where I purchased the flannel, know how badly the flannel pilled. She did write it down and said she wouldn't order it again but the bolts were full and I know there are lots of other people out there that bought flannel from those bolts and were as disappointed as I was :( My friend loved the quilt and did not seem bothered by it but it still bothers me.
This was a long post! Congratulations if you hung in there with me til the end! So a question for you, have you decided what your 'style' is? How long did it take you to find it? I would love to hear your thoughts on the process of finding your quilty style!
Until next time, keep on quilting!!
One of my first quilts was a jean quilt with flannel on the back. I had the same problem and it made me sick every time I looked at it. So I gave it to my sister when she bought her first home. She and her husband have used it and loved it so much for years. I learned a lesson about quality fabric, too. I think this quilt will still be used and loved, but I would have a hard time selling it.
ReplyDeleteMy quilting style is still under development and I'm anxious to figure it out. I'm finding that I prefer bright, clear, crisp colors with some black or white for high contrast. Also, I really like plaids, stripes and polka dots. More importantly, I never want to make a quilt from a kit or where a pattern is followed exactly--I like different! I look forward to, someday, when my style is so distinctive that quilters will know my work, just by looking at it.
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