CQG Spiderweb Quilt -- Decision time.

So, my local quilting group has been working together on a little quilt something like this:

I thought we were done making triangles. I promised the group we were.

To be a twin size, it really needs one more row and one more column.

That's about 11 more squares (or 44 triangles).

I thought I could do it myself over the last few weeks, because I'm so tired of hearing about how everyone else is tired of working on these blocks.

I haven't gotten them made. I got parts of them made, but I'm out of white fabric in large enough chunks to make the needed triangles/squares and...

I could add a border around the outside once the rest of the top is completed. It would have to be about 12-15 inches (total, not per side) to get enough total top to actually cover a person in a twin size bed -- which seems like a massive border to me. That said, it would be so much easier, and require no more fabric being purchased.

I have a few pieces of fabric big enough to do some bordering out of -- or I could make a scrappy border out of the precut strips we have left. Or some of both.

It would look better with another set of stars, but I'm with the rest of the group, I'm done with this.

I don't have to rationalize my decision, but it's also too hot to work on it at my house (it's over 90 outside, and I'm not sure it is any cooler inside -- so turning on my iron for an hour is the last thing I want to do).

I think our next group project ought to be one where we each make 1-2 big blocks and then are done.

Confetti and Blogging Behind

I'm fighting to get things onto the blog these days. Not only because my progress tends to happen one block per day or slower, but it's taking me multiple days to get the pictures from my phone to my computer (and for whatever reason, I can't blog from my phone). That's making Instagram (my latest social media join, what can I say, I'm slow to take on new things) the easier place to update. I'm not giving up on here -- I like being able to type so much, more for journal reasons than anything else -- but I'm afraid it is increasingly behind.

Here's an attempt at catching up:

I've been working on this for a few months, one and off as I'd like. Mostly not working on it. But I pulled it out again recently and thought I would get it working again. I started building blocks and thought I was happy with it.

Until I tried it on a design wall.

Not quite what I wanted at all. Interesting how the change in lighting -- and surface background -- can change how things look and feel.

I sat on it for a couple days, debating solutions and taking opinions. Most opinions suggested adding a darker border between the existing blocks. My gut said I needed to chop up the existing blocks -- that each pop of color was too big.

I took a two prong approach to solving my problem: I chopped them up and added some low volume borders -- low volume that is more 'medium' compared to the white and white-on-white I'd been using thus far.

It's hard to see the majority of the low volume additions, but I promise they are there -- and that it has made a huge difference.  Not quite every block got an addition, and some got 2 or 3, which makes it easier to begin thinking about turning my newly-small blocks back into bigger blocks.

The boldest low-volume additions include gold metalics, and two of them additions are more 'cream,' but my favorite ones are white with cream -- although they are significantly harder to see in these pictures.

I'm debating whether this will be a wall hanging in the kiddo's room, or whether it will hang on my design wall area when nothing else is. I think by the time it is put together, it will be too small for a baby quilt. I do have more low volume whites and white fabrics, so I could add a little bit of a border around the outside if it's close to baby quilt sized by the time I'm done.

Truthfully, I'm just playing, and enjoying the break from using my brain too much. Even if that sometimes leads to me needing to use my brain more. I've got a lot of work ahead of me to begin piecing these little blocks into larger and larger blocks, but that's the kind of work I love.

Welcome Baby Bridesmaid!

I told myself that this would be a small package, but truthfully, as always, it grew beyond what I was planning on.

Of course I included a quilt:

A hooded towel and coordinating bib. ( And can I gush for a moment about how perfectly these stash-pulled Ardently Austen charms worked with the coral-pink towel! Memory says this charm pack was a daily special purchase, something I picked up just because it was very on sale.)

Only three little outfits -- which shows great restraint.

Un-pictured, there are also a few toys, a book, and a couple of 'wish I'd had these' kind of additions. The big box ought to arrive this week -- and the little girl ought to arrive in about 9 more weeks.

I can't wait to see my friend as a parent. She's going to be great!

Quilt 32: For the Bridesmaid's Baby

I'm the very first to admit that this quilt has not turned out like I planned. The moment I heard she was expecting, I had visions of flying geese in a scrappy low volume background. I was certain it would be fairly do-able. I was... not right. Flying geese triangles aren't the easiest for me. They are do-able, but not in the amount of time I had to do it.

So, after a total rethink of the project -- after buying fabric -- I wound up with a split rail inspired top, and a very happy baby quilt.

This came together so, so quickly, but the result? I absolutely love.

Sharp eyes will catch the spot where the binding didn't quite catch the top. I've since fixed it. Yet another reason why washing and taking photos -- and processing them -- are part of the 'pre-finish' action. Sometimes I see things in the photos that I completely missed when I check every edge in person!

Have I ever been the kind of quilter to talk about texture? Because I am now. This quilt looks so ready to snuggle now that it's wrinkled up a bit more! I love it. Quilting around those pop blocks was a challenge -- nothing I'd do on a domestic machine with a larger quilt, but the result was exactly what I wanted. I'm so glad I pushed on through it.

I felt like I was taking a little bit of a risk with this amazing Cotton + Steel Wonderland backing, but with the addition of red binding, it's a perfect finish. The fabric is incredibly fun to look at, and I love the extra touch the little bit of gold gives it. Fun without being particularly 'nursery' looking.

 I'm just in love. I hope the new mom and her little one will like it half as much as I do.

The finished size is just about 40 inches square, which I think is a perfect size for those newborn months.

Now, to put a snap in a bib, take a photo of the whole package put together, and get it in the mail asap! I'm so excited to get to 'meet' this baby when she arrives. And more excited for my friend to get to be a parent (it is so not for everyone, it's hard, but it is also so much fun -- I could gush about my kid for an hour solid if I get started).