What do you think? I've been working on a sampler quilt using some blocks from The Anniversary Sampler Quilt book by Donna Lynn Thomas. A group with the Country Piecemakers guild decided to make a quilt together in 2019. I joined the effort late. I purchased the ebook and pulled up the directions on my iPad. It worked pretty well for me actually.
The quilt I was planning would have the 6" finished blocks with a 1.5" sashing around each block. I had a piece of fabric I bought over 20 years ago picked for the sashing and pulled and purchased batiks to go with it. Fast forward to 2020 when I had quite a few blocks finished and sashed. Take a look...
Um, no I don't like it at all. Too distracting. Too busy. Just too much. So I removed the sashing pieces and continued to make blocks. Then a friend brought me a quilt to do that had a lovely light blue batik backing. Hum, would a light blue work better with these blocks? My thought is it would be better but it isn't perfect. Too pale I think. What do you think? Any suggestions I should look at? So, one of these days I'll take a road trip to a quilt store and see if I can find the perfect fabric for the sashing. I will audition a bunch of different fabrics -- batiks and tone on tones and possible prints. I'm sure the right one will be obvious.
My plan now is to make one more block that will work in the right bottom corner. I've put green blocks with more weight in the other corners so I'll try to find one equal to them. I'm thinking of not using the block on the bottom row, second from the left. It just looks way too different from the rest. I also need to do the math to see if these blocks and sashing will come to the size I want. We hang a quilt over the fireplace, that we never use, every month or so. So I'm trying to get a few more quilts made for more variety.
I will still use the floral fabric for the backing though. A back story about the fabric. I was either picking up or dropping off a child at a church camp or a music camp in western North Carolina when we lived in Atlanta. On the way I found a children's dress manufacturer having a fabric sale. I ended up stopping and buying a few pieces of fabric. It was relatively inexpensive and cotton. It seemed like a perfect buy. I was able to use the other piece(s) without too much difficulty. (Yep, I don't remember how many pieces I actually bought but I do know this is the last of the pieces.) I think I have 5 yards of this floral print. So, I'll have plenty for the backing of the batik quilt and possible enough for another quilt back. Time will tell.
If you remember my goal list from last week you know I was going to work on the anniversary quilt. Here's last week's goals...
2/28/20221
Make a couple masks ☑️ 1 for each of us done
More Anniversary blocks ☑️
Quilt a charity quilt for FCQ☑️ one done, 2 to go
Make 3 or 4 more blocks for FCQ Equilters ☑️. Ready to sign and send them to Oregon
Pull out the Chunky Churn Dash blocks to see if I need more blocks & make some as needed☑️ Several blocks made, deciding layout and fabric needs now
Now what I'll be working on this week.
3/8/2021
Begin March table runner
Quilt customer’s quilt
Start a flannel quilt using some pink and purple flannel mostly from stash
Finish planning the Chunky Churn Dash blocks
I don't know if I'll stick just with these 4 goals but they're enough for now. The flannel quilt is a new project I've added to use up several pieces of flannel I have hanging around. I purchased 3/8th of a yard at JoAnns -- they are trying to get rid of flannels so the price was great! Did you notice that odd amount I bought? I'm cutting 6.5" squares and sewing them into the quilt.... hopefully I won't have much left after I make this quilt!
We're a week into March and I haven't announced my fabric usage for February. Let's just say I am continuing the trend of using more fabric than I am buying! YEA!
2021 | Fabric In Month | Fabric In Year | Fabric Out Month | Fabric Out Year | Total In or Out Year |
Feb | 1.00 | 9.00 | 6.75 | 12.25 | 5.75 |
** Side note -- I copy and paste this chart from Word. Every other time I've done this I've been able to resize it. But not this month. So, sorry that it's so large. Who knows whether it will be this size or smaller next month!
On that note, I'm going to list the linky parties I'm joining and then post my blog! Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. I hope you'll spend some time checking out the blogs listed on these linky parties. (I must be ahead of the game as only Oh Scrap is available Sunday evening. You know I'll link up later with the rest.)
Happy Quilting All! Bonnie
why not try a pale pink print or batik for the sashing....i did like the first one....very spring like...or maybe a very pale green? lots to audition....
ReplyDeleteI like the overall effect of the original print, but I see what's bothering you--when it's cut up it gets blotchy. You know I like a little busy-ness so I'd look for a smaller-scale busy print. Something like a light colorway of a Kaffe Millefiori, for example. I do have trouble with samplers and getting the block density arranged to my liking.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your blocks coming together and it is fun to audition fabrics for the sashing. I am working from stash too and it is always fun and sometimes a challenge to find the right piece of fabric. I can not wait to see your progression on this darling quilt. Happy quilting.
ReplyDeleteSince the fabric in the blocks are a variety of colors, you might consider framing each block. Alternate the frame colors in the setting, i.e. pale blue on one block, pale green on the next, etc. I think you’d be happier with the frames than the same fabric as a sashing.
ReplyDeleteI love the floral fabric and yes I think it will be perfect for backing. As for sashing, maybe darker shade solid will make a great frame, because the blocks are in lighter color. I am thinking of purple/lavender or maybe green. But I am sure whatever you decide, it will be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI like the light blue for the sashing. The blocks don't seem to stand out against either sashing fabric and I'm not sure changing colors would help. What if you added a 1" border around each block in the darker greens, blues and purples and maybe a pop of yellow here and then, the blocks would have more depth when paired with either sashing fabric.
ReplyDelete