While my blog has been quiet this week, I have been alternating between headaches and quilting. With so many quilts on my to-do list, I decided to bend one of my 'rules' towards breaking point. I don't like to make 2 quilts the same, but decided to make 2 maverick star baby play quilts in one go, all using blues for the points and the same black on white swirls as the background.
I designed the quilts in a 4x4 layout, and made the requisite 32 blocks in a couple of evenings, using different fabrics for the star centres for each quit. It wasn't until I was laying them out that I realised I'd made 12in blocks instead of the 9in blocks I'd had in mind! The original idea has also been to add a couple of borders, but these were huge without. I tried a 3x3 layout, but it just didn't work, so I called Simon in, and actually followed his suggestion of a 3x4 layout; I'd been so stuck on square I hadn't considered it, though all my quilts were rectangular until 18 months ago, when I 'discovered' the advantages of making some square.
I put them together quickly, and quilted one through the week. Then last night I did a late-night quilt-along with a
few EB friends (although those WA girls made a poor showing!) and got the other sandwiched and quilted (a different quilting design, in the vain hope it might make them less the same!), and the binding added to both, ready to be handsewn on the back later.
That left me with 3 quilts at this stage, including this mini surprise, which may look vaguely familiar as well:
Tonight I've handsewn the binding on one, but am giving my hands some variation and am having a break doing some knitting (just a quick scarf using chunky 'wool') for James, before I start the next.
Hmm, I may have broken my 'rule' twice right there!
I designed the quilts in a 4x4 layout, and made the requisite 32 blocks in a couple of evenings, using different fabrics for the star centres for each quit. It wasn't until I was laying them out that I realised I'd made 12in blocks instead of the 9in blocks I'd had in mind! The original idea has also been to add a couple of borders, but these were huge without. I tried a 3x3 layout, but it just didn't work, so I called Simon in, and actually followed his suggestion of a 3x4 layout; I'd been so stuck on square I hadn't considered it, though all my quilts were rectangular until 18 months ago, when I 'discovered' the advantages of making some square.
I put them together quickly, and quilted one through the week. Then last night I did a late-night quilt-along with a few EB friends (although those WA girls made a poor showing!) and got the other sandwiched and quilted (a different quilting design, in the vain hope it might make them less the same!), and the binding added to both, ready to be handsewn on the back later.
That left me with 3 quilts at this stage, including this mini surprise, which may look vaguely familiar as well:
Tonight I've handsewn the binding on one, but am giving my hands some variation and am having a break doing some knitting (just a quick scarf using chunky 'wool') for James, before I start the next.
Hmm, I may have broken my 'rule' twice right there!
4 comments:
Welcome to the world of square quilts! Love the white/black swirl background.
Almost humorous to hear of you knitting scarves when our weather is finally warm & sunny!
Cheers-
Oh wow those stars are just fantastic. Just beautiful!
Love the star quilt! My fav pieced block!
x Sarah
www.ptachworksplus.com.au
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