It’s been a busy few months since my last post, unfortunately not all “good busy.” October put me behind my self imposed schedule since I was sick almost the whole month. November was my catch-up month and December was my “get the labels on” before Christmas! So I am going to start from the last thing I gifted.
This is the gift that began with no plan. I purchased the Songbook panel with the large words first. Then I found a jelly roll on sale and figured I could do something with the two things. Before I started I also found the smaller Songbook panels, surely they could also be useful. So it started like this.
It was fairly easy to border the panel blocks. I got them as close to the same size as I could, but they weren’t all the same. I didn’t want to chop off ANY of the design, although I think I could have trimmed more off now that I look at them.
Trying to figure out a nice layout for these “not the same sized blocks” was challenging. Since it was early November at this point, I would browse my books and patterns, just for ideas. Nothing was grabbing me. It’s not supposed to be this hard. This quilt was important because I was making it for my husband. Finally one evening the idea of a braid type of block came to me.
The next step was figuring out a sashing for between the rows. I auditioned several, planning to order yardage. Nothing was working. Finally I went to my LQS and got some great advice. I don’t know why I couldn’t see it on my own, sometimes one just needs new eyes. The rows are the length of the quilt instead of across. They were too skinny without sashing so I definitely needed to figure this out.
I also needed to add some length to the rows. Not a lot, but something. I was watching a quilt video and the square in a square foundation papers were mentioned. I ordered two sizes and went with the 3” finished ones. Another awesome place to use the pretty colors. I ended up making mini rows of 5 little blocks. Love them!
Here are the auditioned sashings.
Like I said, friends at the local quilt shop pointed me in the direction of “matchy matchy.” In quilting, this is my comfy place. I seldom use fabric from only one collection for a quilt. If I’m making a baby quilt, I choose fabrics very carefully. If it doesn’t “go” in my mind, it doesn’t make the cut. To limit myself to the collection is not my usual route, but for this quilt, I did with the exception of the Grunge.
So using the Grunge for the sashing was the suggestion. It was such a “DUH” moment for me. It was perfect! I could’ve hugged them! Another thing that I should’ve thought of but didn’t. Thank goodness for friends at Blue Willow Mercantile.
So here ⬆️ it is all completed. I used the light cream floral as planned for the first border and the hashtag-like fabric for the final border. The quilt is LARGE, especially when one has to quilt it at home. I don’t recall the exact size, but it took three or four separate sit downs at the machine to quilt it. I tried to outline the Songbook panels and just fill in on the grunge. I quilted the swirl hook in the border, it’s one of my favorites. I used two colors of thread, cream and navy. The back of the quilt is a navy floral from the fabric line.
The binding is scrappy. With so many interesting colors within the quilt, then the subdued cream and blue for borders, I felt the final edge needed to be colorful. My favorite color is pink, and there is pink in the line, but I didn’t want to over use it, so it’s definitely in the binding.
So this quilt was under the Christmas tree just two days before the big day. That happens to be my birthday so completing it was truly how I wanted to spend my day. I believe he loved this quilt. He is a song leader at our church, so the songs in the panels mean something to both of us.
My next post will be soon.
Happy New Year friends!
LL
All Pressing Matters 