Plank Quilt

This has been a frustrating few days  and a productive one.

The productive part was making the binding and backing for the streaky city quilt.  The binding is the same taupe as the borders, and the backing is a strong aqua just perfect for the strong brights in the quilt.  I found the aqua in my stash that I inherited from mama - there are about 8 yards of it so I guess she was planning for a backing too.

I saw on blogs beautiful plank or jellyroll quilts and thought I'd try it.  I didn't use a jellyroll, but cut all florals that I liked and a small dark floral for spacers.

It isn't difficult but took a really long time to sew all those strips!  I chose a medium dark floral for the 5 inch border.

The thing is - now that I made it, I don't like it and I don't know quite why.  I like all the fabrics.

There are a lot of places on the quilt that mirror the strips near it and the ones I see on blogs don't do that.  The lighter fabrics ended mostly in the middle too.

Another possible problem is not using the same value for the strips.  It makes me feel that I'm not at all good at selecting fabrics for a project.

There's no use in finishing and adding borders to this quilt.  I'd like to make another one - I could make it from a pre-made jellyroll, but I'd like to grow in my ability to select fabrics on my own for a project.

I'm not sure what project I'll attack next, but I hope it turns out better than this one!

Lost City

I feel very productive!  In the last 2 weeks I have finished 2 quilt tops!

This UFO was begun about 7 years ago, and now the last bit - the borders - are done too.  I'm very pleased with it!  I will quilt each edge of the blue sashing, and am still undecided if I need to quilt at all inside the 5x8 monster blocks.

 I spent a little time machine quilting a block - part of the Lovebird Lane hanging - also a UFO.  Lots of quilting to do yet.






I began this throw (55x55) a week ago.  It's not a UFO - just part of my quilting chronicle.  It's Cuzco Lost City by Kate Spain, made during CutLoose class at Sewing Party.  My design wall was essential placing these blocks.






Now trying to decide my next challenge.

More work on the monster quilt

This week I have almost finished the top of my monster quilt UFO.

 I had felt that the cornerstoned sashing produced a flare between the rows.  This indecision kept me from working on it for a week or so.

looking again the sashing does fit, and the additional solid stashing helps keep any slight flare in line. 

I had thought of breaking up the quilt into smaller ones - that maybe the smaller quilts would be more usable.  This again made me put off continuing work on it.  But looking again at the pattern picture, I still like that twin size.

I also picked up velcro to close the doors instead of the buttons called for.  Small hands can then more easily open those doors to see the monsters inside.



Now here's my question - how to quilt it.  I'm thinking straight stitching on both sides of the blue sashing  and the blue horizontal line in the wall.  The monster square is 5"x8" and should probably have something, but I'm afraid to take away from those monsters.  I used 80/20 poly cotton batting - and hope that will be enough to keep the bat from shifting.  I can't imagine quilting around each monster in the square!