Inherited Crow Quilt

I promised I'd do a little more about this one, because I'm so in love with how it turned out.

I inherited these finished blocks from another quilter, along with some coordinating pieces that were probably intended for additional blocks. Without any directions, and with very little desire to make something like this rather country sampler, I used the scraps to finish the top and make a back.

Then it sat and waited a very long time. Mostly because I hate pinning the pieces together, but also because I had no idea what to do with it once it was ready to quilt.

Then in January of 2018, I realized I had something like 22 unfinished quilts in some level of progress, and decided to push myself to reduce that total number significantly.

And this was one of the first ones on my list.

I outsourced the pin basting to a friend who is good at it and doesn't seem to mind that step, then I was ready to dive in.

I started small, working one block at a time. One of the best accidents I stumbled upon was trying this arched echo (see the triangles above). It worked so well that I used it repeatedly throughout the sampler blocks -- and I can tell it's going to be a favorite for a while.

Once of the other best things I attempted is showcased above. I love the weave quilting I did on the strip blocks. I came across a similar image on pinterest and decided to try it out. The only thing I did was mark the center of the block with vanishing ink, then I free-handed the swoops (leaves or flower petals, I tend to think) and then filled in between them in that crossing echo. I love the outcome. This is another thing I'm looking for reasons to do again. It's time consuming on my domestic machine, but I love the way it turned out.

You can also see alittle of the intersecting stitches I did in the borders and sashing. Again, that's all free hand on a regular machine (with feed dogs) so it isn't as perfect as it could be on a quilting machine (or with a walking foot), but it really turned out beautifully.

I still consider myself a very beginner quilter, but this one feels like I might be approaching an intermediate level. I put a lot of work and time into it, and I'm so very pleased with the outcome. I'm very impatiently waiting for another chance to do some actual quilting to see what else I can do to really improve my skills.

This one was a great skill builder, because I honestly did not love this quilt and did not care how it turned out -- until I was part way into quilting it and realized how much I was enjoying the way it was turning out!