My Blog Hop Day: Pink Explosion

Hello!

Welcome to my blog hop day!

Back in October, I posted a video on my YouTube channel where I showed the African Ankara fabric I had just bought. When I folded them into bolts and got them ready to take upstairs, one of the bolts wound up sitting next to another fabric I wanted to take upstairs.

I really liked the combination of the Ankara fabric and the pink fabric and thought that the combination would look good in a quilt.

But I was about to start my daily videos with the 15 Minutes to Quilt challenge where I worked on existing UFOs, so I went ahead and put them away.

I resisted starting any new quilts in December, but the idea of combining that Ankara fabric with the pink fabric still stayed in my mind.

The challenge for the blog hop this month is Love. 

This challenge is to show us what you LOVE. Moose of course are optional!

I was almost planning another quilt for the Moose Be Love blog hop, and was tempted to use a Moose, but I realized that the pink fabric would actually meet the Love theme, so I decided I could combine this blog hop with my idea of using the pink fabric with the black and white Ankara fabric.

Although I had a month to make this quilt since the last blog hop day, the Project Quilting challenges which happened every other week meant that I only had two weeks to make this quilt. I decided that I wanted to make a big quilt instead of a small one. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish a quilt from start to finish, but decided I could at least finish a quilt top by that time.

I'm not sure that I combined the right fabrics, since this Ankara fabric doesn't appear to be in the stack of fabrics in the pile in the top picture, but these work so I am not going to worry about it. I added another pink and a purple fabric to go with the pink and the black and white fabric.

I decided that if I cut properly and sew properly, I will not have to trim the blocks. I cut very carefully. I drew carefully straight lines. Then I zipped them through the sewing machine in what was not straight lines.

Since I had promised myself that I didn't have to trim blocks to make this quilt, I decided the piecing is going to have to be improvised to work.

I placed them randomly on the design wall but it didn't really impress me. This is my first quilt using a design wall and I decided to do some designing, so I placed the triangles in alternating directions. I like how it forms diamonds and pinwheels shapes and keep your eye moving throughout the quilt.

I combined the blocks into four patches, then sewed the columns together. Since this is my quilt using a design wall, I still have a lot to learn about how to use it properly. I understand the concept of webbing blocks in theory, but it will take some practice for me to figure it out in reality. I think the fact that these are improv blocks and not all the same size created more of a challenge in webbing.

It is amazing how much room the seam allowance takes up. 

I thought I would have to add coping strips or do more cutting to get the columns to fit, but they fit all right.

So here it is, my finished quilt top. I sewed one of the columns incorrectly, but I actually like the break in the pattern so I am keeping it that way. It is a nice way for me to combine my original chaotic plan and the more planned design wall strategy.

I am glad I was able to get the top finished for my blog hop day. There is a little bit of waviness which I might have to fix before I quilt it, but I have chosen the backing and hope to get this in the quilting stage soon. I am going to slow down at this stage and be more mindful so that the quilt gets a good finish.  I will post a YouTube video about this quilt on Sunday. I have already posted a couple of videos with leftover fabric from this quilt.

This is Project Quilting Week so I will have to fit that in as well.

Thank you for visiting my blog on this blog hop. Thank you for forgiving me for not completing and for not planning a completed project for my blog hop day. I am trying to be a gentler boss of myself.

The previous post has all of the other people who are participating in the blog hop. I hope you will visit them as well.

Here is the video about this quilt top.

Quilt Festival Fall 2018

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

Quilt Reveal: Adinkra

My latest finish is Adinkra.

I took it outside to photograph since the sun is shining, but the pictures still came out dark and I had to correct them with the photo editor.  They are pretty close though.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt. It was fun to make the blocks once a month. The blocks were easy to applique and the anticipation for the next block was fun.

The economy blocks had a problem with the size, but that made it easier because the sharp points were guaranteed.

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.

The doodle quilting was freeing and went on smoothly.  The fabric is busy enough that the flaws, if any, are easy to ignore.

Even the binding went on well, with four sharp miters in the corners.

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 to:
WIP Linkup at Silly Mama Quilts