Pansy Patch

Nothing like jumping into the deep end without really looking, right?

I'm a very beginner level quilter. But that doesn't stop me from taking on projects way beyond beginner level.

A few months ago my husband and I were walking through JoAnn Fabrics. He suggested I take a look at some of the quilting magazines. I figured it couldn't hurt. I was wrong.

I fell in love with a quilt. Not only that, but I was certain it would make the perfect gift. I ignored the fact that it was smaller pieces than I've ever attempted to sew. I've done a couple log cabin blocks before, but I've never done any complicated piecing or triangle work.

So, I bought the magazine, brought it home, and attempted a practice block.

I suppose it could have been worse.

Ouch.

Worse? That took me nearly 5 hours.

A few months later, I tried again. This time, armed with a rotary cutter, some better measuring tools, and a bit more knowledge.

It's better. Especially if you ignore the dual pink petals where I ran out of the right pink fabric. Most of my petal seams lined up this time, and two of the four green leaf diamonds turned out pretty close to square. I thought this one was close enough for a quick turn so I could practice that other thing I've never done before: hand quilting. In over my head? Why do you ask?

It's better, but still not the quality I want to give.

I mentioned my frustrations to a relative who quilts. In a matter of minutes she whipped this up:

Her square's back is prettier than either of my pansy fronts.

A few weeks later, she told me she had another version and a few tips.

In theory, I'm still working on it. In reality, I haven't had the hours in a row to dedicate to it, so maybe it'll be a Christmas gift. Or a Christmas 2015 gift.

I'm not giving up on it, but I am feeling a little beaten by it I just wanted to concentrate on some things more my skill level first. Also, I got distracted by another project. One I hope to talk about in a few days.