It's time for a virtual
Blogger's Quilt Festival organized by Amy Ellis from Amy's Creative Side.
To participate, you get to show off one or two of your favorite quilts! Today, I thank you for visiting, and share with you a quilt I finished early in the year, Adinkra. It is one of favorite quilts for many reasons.
It started out very slowly, one block a month in 2016. This really helped me during the times of the year I was incredibly busy, as it was easy to make a block (fusible, machine stitched) there was no guilt for not finishing a whole quilt. One block was a finish. The slow pace slowed me down on this quilt, and I took my time making each decision on this quilt without rushing through and accepting the first choice.
I changed the size of the applique blocks, and made a mistake in sizing the economy blocks so I lost the sharp points on the yellow, but that made the quilt turn out even better. I didn't have to fix my "mistake" and I really like how the same yellow fabric in these blocks looks like it is a different color. That open area in the intersections work to prove that it is the same fabric.
I was able to use my precious African fabrics that were waiting for just
the right quilt to use. Each of the fabrics worked so nicely together
too.
The quilting on the quilt was so incredibly fun. I learned about doodle quilting, and I did exactly that. Instead of making a plan for each area, I just doodled different designs as it came to me. The thread hides most of the stitching until you take a closer look.
I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt, and everything tended to work out on this quilt. As you can see in the picture above, even the join I had to make in the border worked well. The top of the head seamed nicely with the body on the next piece.
Even the binding went on well, with four sharp miters in the corners that look beautifully mitered.
All the pictures, and the rest of this post are from when I introduced it in February. Unfortunately, I haven't made a label for the quilt yet.
Quilt stats:
size: 44" x 44".
pattern: 2016 BOM by
Debby Kravotil. Thank you so much Debby!
fabric: variety of African fabrics, most of which are metallic
quilting: free motion echo stitching around motifs, doodle stitching throughout border and remaining blocks
what I learned:
- Expanding the definition of what "matches". This quilt has lots of combinations I wouldn't have thought to use together, but my limited selection of fabrics made me stretch, and I think the result is fabulous.
- I really enjoy combining applique with piecing. The applique and the quilting were my favorite parts.
- When I first learned about free motion quilting, I thought it looked like doodling on fabric, but then I learned rules about not crossing lines, and saw lots of videos about proper quilting designs, and breaking the quilt into sections and choosing a different design for each section and lost the fact that I could truly doodle. I truly doodled on this quilt and it was exhilarating!
I plan to make up a label that explains all the symbols on the quilt.
Linked with:
Friday Photo Fun