Wednesday, February 4, 2015

I shouldn't have...but I did...

I shouldn't have started a new quilt project, but I couldn't resist. Here are the blocks I completed.


This is my version of the American Patchwork & Quilting 2015 QAL: Go Four It! I am completely over the moon for Moda Lissa's quilt called Rainbow Rows.

This picture came from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

I read about this QAL over a week ago and thought about going ahead and cutting pieces out then, but I didn't have the time. My copy of AP&Q arrived last Thursday and I eagerly poured over the magazine to look at the cutting directions... and then I saw it. The block size for this quilt is only SIX INCHES finished! Oh my goodness, no wonder you need 162 blocks! I'm sure that lots of you are going to make this pattern per the instructions. You are a better man than I am! I LOVE this quilt but I know my quilter's ADHD will never get me through 162 blocks. Soooooo... I'm making 9" finished blocks. Not a huge change in size but it will allow me to make a double/queen sized quilt with only 85 blocks. That I can manage... I think!

So I sat down to do the math for my version.


I figure for the background I need 376  3.5" cut squares and 778 2" cut squares. And for the colorful squares I need 778 2" cut squares. I plan on using 8 different colors  and if you divide 778 by 8 it comes to 97.25 squares per color. I'm going to round to 100, and use 10 different fabrics for each color and cut 10 squares from each. I'll have extras to choose from.   All in all this is a LOT of cutting - 1,932 squares and here's what I've completed so far.


I still have a long way to go. But I am liking what I have so far. I have a healthy stash of polka dot fabrics on white backgrounds, but I didn't have any other fabrics on white backgrounds that would work for this quilt. So I took a trip to Fabric Shack and came home with a lovely stack of 1/3 yd cuts. It the amount I purchase when I'm stash building. Now I went shopping with the idea of getting low volume prints but I'm not sure I'm capable of low volume. My choices are a bit on the loud side, but I think it will make for an interesting quilt.


Here are some of the new pieces I added to my stash. I do love that print with the little girl and the dog! And the typography piece in the middle 4 patch makes me smile!


Some of these prints are a bit noisy but I hope they will all play together nicely! LOL

As for the quilt project I should be working on,  I did get two more rows sewn to the top... seven rows down, 6 rows to go! Past the half way point! I love this fabric from the Quiltmaker's Gift.


It takes me about 30 minutes to sew one row on. Lots of pinning and adjustments and then I press the whole seam open. Not a quick process but the points meet nicely when I take my time. So, 6 more rows means at least 3 more hours of work on this, and then onto the borders.

I'm not sure if there is a link up today on Freshly Pieced. However if one shows up  I will be linking up with WIP Wednesday on Freshly Pieced. Go check out what everyone else is doing. I love looking at what other quilters are up to, I just don't need to find another new project... but I probably will!

happy stitching-
carol fun


8 comments:

  1. Wow! That is such a beautiful quilt top! I think yours will be just as gorgeous and that your colors will indeed play nicely with each other.

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  2. It looks like it will be a wonderful quilt - well worth adding something new to your to-sew list!! :)

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  3. Lovely blocks... it's going to be a great quilt! and I think the larger size blocks are fine, it seems do-able! Linda

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  4. What a fun looking quilt! It's crisp and cheery! I liked it so much that I almost checked out the QAL before I remembered I don't like sewing and don't know how to quilt. Who am I kidding! But it's so pretty...

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  5. What a wonderful quilt. You are going to have so many beautiful quilts by the Spring!

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  6. Oh I really like this design. Might have to add it to my list.

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  7. Fun! I waited for the issue too, my heart set on the one by Edyta Sitar. Her pieces are even smaller, the cutting directions say 1 1/4 strips. Yikes! I have plenty of 1.5" strips and squares to use instead. I am NOT going to figure how many 4 patches I need. Too scary!

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