Whirlpools

It is Friday again and I don't have a new finish to show but I did want to share with you a quilt that I finished before I started blogging that I call Whirlpool.  I'll share that momentarily but since I have not posted since Monday, wanted to share a brief (I said brief before I started writing. . . it's not exactly brief haha) update on the triangle quilt.  It has been what I consider slow going.  Others likely would not think that two weeks was a long time to finish a flimsy. . . I do :) A couple of things that have slowed down the progress:

1. I am figuring out color placement as I go.  I'm not sewing the blocks together and then trying to figure out a pleasing arrangement at the end.  I kind of like this process but it means that all of that agonizing I do at the end is now happening before I cut for each new block.  

2. Notice I said in #1 "before I cut each new block." Yup, I'm cutting as I go.  We all know it is much quicker to have everything cut (jelly rolls, charm packs, layer cakes anyone?) prior to sewing. 

3. See #1. . . really, it deserves two bullet points because it is slowing me down that much.  Which is more about me and my indecision!  I think this might not take as long the more I do it.  And yes, I will definitely do this again.

4.  Making the middle triangles different sizes.  This means I have to figure out with each triangle how big to make the strips.  In my previous post I showed a block that I had not cut the strips the right size for the outside round.  That has happened a couple more times - it is now a design element! LOL

I have 7 more triangles to make, one more row!  I am barely going to squeak by with the Oakshott in blues and purples, I may be adding some maroons/pinks.  I think it will look fine so I'm not sweating it in the least.  I also have decided that I am not going to do setting triangles at the ends!! I think I have figured out how I am going to bind it. . . Stay tuned cuz if this works, it is going to be spectacular! LOL  I don't have any good pictures to show of it on my design wall.  I'll be sharing the finished flimsy on a post next week - hopefully Monday :)

On to Whirlpool.  The inspiration for this quilt came from a pattern called Double Shot Star that I purchased at Connecting Threads.  The pattern did not include templates (which I likely would not have used anyway, you know me haha) so basically the blocks are not going to look exactly like the pattern.  The cool thing about this block is that it can be set in many different ways to come up with a COMPLETELY different quilt!  Here are the pictures!

This quilt was given to my Nephew so I needed manly colors :)

The curved piece in the center was a pretty gentle curve and not difficult to piece.  I echoed the curve in the quilting.

Close up of border quilting.

This was the first quilt that I added a little zip by piecing the back. . . and fell in love with it!

Now here are a couple of the different layouts.  I let my husband pick the final design.  Since the quilt was for a man, I decided I'd get a man's opinion and go with it :) Personally, I like the other layouts better :)

This was my favorite.  I might just have to make this quilt again!

Example of colors being 'mixed'

I learned a major lesson in making this quilt - be very CAREFUL with the scissors and rotary cutter! At some point in the process I clipped a V shaped cut in the border. . . and did not notice it until I was quilting the border. . . UGGHH!  My fix probably was not the best. . . I satin stitched over the cut.  It works.  Not the most beautiful fix but I'd call it functional. AND finished!! :) 

Stay tuned, I will be sharing the triangle flimsy on my next post!! Linking up with Richard and Tanya over at Richard and Tanya Quilts for LIFF,  Sew Giving, hosting TGIFF. Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get WHOOP WHOOP!, and Lindsey over at Fort Worth Fabric Studio for Fabric Frenzy Friday and Show It Off Saturday over at She Can Sew.  If you are here from there, welcome! If you haven't been to these linky parties, check them all out for a HUGE dose of inspiration and join the fun!! :)

Until next time, keep on quilting!