Quilting Finished for OMG August Goal!

Whew! I thought my goal was to have this quilt completely finished. And I panicked because I didn't have enough fabric for the binding, and I've had to order it.

But then I reread my goals, and I was foresighted enough to put down that I would just get the quilting done on this king-sized quilt. Mission accomplished!

This quilt comes from the six month process of following along with Pat Sloan's 182 Solstice Challenge QAL. Every two weeks we received a new block to piece. It was truly a mystery quilt, because we didn't know what the finished product would look like. So that was difficult to select fabrics for the quilt.

My goal was to use only what fabrics I had in my stash. And, as it turned out, I had a good variety of Joel Dewberry's Atrium line. I paired those with some good coordinating solids, and wha-la! A finished quilt.


         I've quilted this using an edge-to-edge pattern called Petal Pushers by Lisa H. Calle. It was such a fun design to quilt, and I think it matches the playfulness of this quilt perfectly!

I just received the binding fabric, so my new goal for September will be to get this bound! I'm bound to accomplish that one, eh?

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

OMG

Fast Forward My Sampler Quilt to the August OMG

The best laid plans . . .

Summer seems to scurry by in a flurry of activities, and so I didn't quite make my July OMG goal. I actually reached my goal to have this quilt top pieced together yesterday, August 1. A day late and a dollar short - that's me!

But the good news is that I really don't care because now I have the quilt top done. Almost. I decided to add a sashing and border to tie it all together and to make it just a bit bigger so it can fit over a bed comfortably. Without the borders, it's 86x86. And of course, I didn't have enough fabric in my stash for the final outside border, so I had to order another yard.

If you follow me on Instagram, I have been posting these blocks this winter and spring. This was a Quilt Along with Pat Sloan - the 182 Day Solstice Challenge.  It was a mystery QAL, and we didn't know what the finished quilt would look like. So I selected my stash of Joel Dewberry's Atrium collection, added in some solids here and there, and came up with this.

It was all a labor of trust, because my fabrics are so bright and varied, that I didn't know how it would look once I got them all together. But you know, I think it was a good exercise because this quilt has grown on me, and I like it quite a bit.

I especially had a difficult time deciding on which colors to use for the checkerboard sashings and filler blocks. With the help of a local quilty friend, I chose white and a light, speckled gray, and I think that was just the ticket!

So, my goal for August will be to get the sashing and border on. I'd love to say I'll get it quilted and bound, too, but with all my other quilting orders for customers this month, I don't think that will happen. Trying to be realistic!

It great to be quilting with a smile,

Barb

Linking up with:
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OMG
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Catching Up On Solstice Blocks

We were fortunate enough to take a little vacation in February and get out of the snow and the cold for awhile. It was wonderful! But the downside was that I got behind on my BOMs.  Now I'm playing Catch Up!

Here are the 182 Day Solstice Challenge Blocks 14 and 15.  Both were fun to make. I machine zig-zagged around the edge of the petal appliques. In retrospect, I'm afraid I didn't read the instructions closely enough to know if we were supposed to needle turn the petals? Or not?  So I just did what was most enjoyable for me, and that was machine stitching them.

We are progressing quite nicely on this quilt. It's going to be a HUGE one!  But that's okay with me. It's great to end up with a bed-sized quilt after all this work.

But wait! There's more. I guess I hadn't posted the 13th block, Studio Time. I took the time (and fabric) to fussy cut the center blocks, and I think that gives it a nice effect.

 I must say I have been looking forward to each of Pat Sloan's new blocks - we get a new one every two weeks. They are larger than what I'm used to working with (most are 12.5 inch blocks), and they are relatively easy to complete and don't take a lot of time. I do believe this will be the first sampler quilt I'll actually complete. Go, me!

What have you been working on this week?

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linking up with:
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Solstice Challenge Update

Just wanted to make a quick post to show the latest in my blocks for the 182 Solstice Challenge.  Here is the last block that Pat Sloan gave us. It's HUGE! About 36" square, but pretty!

The pattern called for the same fabrics in the center star as the outer points, but I switched it up a bit with the yellow center star. Not sure I like that. I'm actually thinking of removing the four floral squares in the center and replacing it with four white squares. Than I can do some fancy quilting in it. What do you think? Would you leave it, or change it to white so it shows up better?

Then, just for jiggles, I threw up all the blocks I've made so far. One is a duplicate, but I put it there anyway.

Seeing all the blocks up on the board will help make my future fabric choices easier!

Looking forward to the next blocks, but not before we get to spend a little R 'n R in sunny, warm Arizona! I am SO looking forward to that.  Especially after we spent the past two days shoveling more than six feet (yes, that's 6 Feet of solid packed) snow off the decks and around the base of our cabin in the Sawtooth Mountains. SO looking forward to warm!!!

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linky Tuesday

Lesson In Contrasting Fabrics

I'm participating in Pat Sloan's 182 Day Solstice Challenge. I figured I could do half a year, and when summer hits, I'd be finished and ready for other projects. A win-win for me!

One of the great lessons I've learned in this brief amount of time (it started the beginning of January) is the difference color, hue, tone and saturation have on the outcome of a block. Take for example the block I constructed the second week, the Day Into Night block.

This blocks 'works', but I kept thinking about how the light fabric blended away into the darker fabric because of the business of the floral design.  It bugged me right from the start, but I had the block made, so I thought, "Just go with it, Barb. It will look okay when you get more blocks around it."

This is what it looks like with more blocks around it:

Hmmm....okay, but not 'outstanding'.

To calm my muddled brain, I searched through my stash to find a nice white fabric with a background print (doesn't show up in the photo though), and I remade the block. And I'm so glad I did!

Here are the two blocks, side by side. Don't  you think the pink and white block look better than the pink and floral block?

Yes, I was much happier with the pink and white block.  And as an added benefit, I have an orphan block for my Orphanage Collection that I am starting!

The fourth block is the Cobblestone block, and I used a yellow solid with a colorful print.

 I'm liking the way these blocks are coming together, and can't wait for Pat to issue the next block. Great fun for a winter's day.

And speaking of winter, I thought I'd add a photo of our mailbox.

Ordinarily, when I go to retrieve the mail and newspaper, the box sits chest-high to me. Now, with all the snow we've had, and even though the road is plowed out, I have to reach down to get the mail. Ah, this winter in Idaho is one for the record books! We've had four feet of snow that isn't going anywhere, and another 12-18 inches expected this week. After shoveling and plowing, what a great time for quilting!!!

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linking up to:
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182 Day Solstice Challenge Off to Good Start

With the new year comes new projects. It's a rule!

So, I have chosen three projects to work on with my online quilting community.

The first is the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club. This group

aims to challenge my brain to 'think' about what I'm doing as I piece and quilt. Very excited as I get started with the first month's segment hosted by Lucky Spool Media. Each month the presenter is a noteworthy quilter/blogger. Learning from the best!

The next project I am undertaking is Pat Sloan's 182 Day Solstice Challenge. We're making 12.5 inch blocks, so they are coming together quite easily. And best of all, I'm using up a fat quarter bundle of Joel Dewberry's Atrium collection that has been sitting in my closet for more than a year. Go, me!

Here are a couple of shots of the first blocks.

Churndash Block for 182 Day Solstice Challenge

 The Day Into Night Star could have been better if I had used a less-busy light fabric. Ah, well. Maybe it will look okay in the finished quilt.

Day Into Night Star for 182 Day Solstice Challenge

Tide Pool Block for 182 Day Solstice Challenge

This is what all 3 blocks look like together.

And the final project I'm tackling this year is the Chocolatier Block of the Month from  Annemarie Chany of GenX Quilters. I have signed up and have immediately gotten 'stuck' trying to pick out fabrics for this gorgeous quilt. That one simple fact caused me to reflect on the other projects that I have signed up for in the past, only to go nowhere with them because I couldn't get the perfect fabrics together. What? Silly brain of mine.

Since 2017 is my Year of Tenacity, I cannot let this slide. So I am going to my local quilt shop this afternoon and select fabrics. Hopefully.  I just cannot 'not' do this again!

What are you working on so far this year?  Doh - I just remembered that I said I'd participate in our quilt guild's Mystery BOM, too.  Good thing I'm 'retired'!

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linking up to:
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