quilt along

I am a sucker for a sampler quilt. I have actually finished a couple of them too… they aren’t all like the Dear Jane WIP that is languishing in a box somewhere, there is one on a bed in Eldest’s room (confession, it needs binding), there is the original sampler quilt I made as a beginner (confession, it is hidden away and will never see the light of day)… okay so I am crap at finishing sampler quilts (confession, there is a reason why I call this blog Katie Quilts Sometimes).

So in an attempt to A) finish a sampler quilt, and B) continue my year of redefining by connecting with the online quilting world… I have a plan (confession, I thought this up while I was very sick so it may be a tad questionable and is subject to change).

Enter: The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt (I got mine from The Book Depository during the 48 hours where the stresses of work had lead me to a period of “buy all the things”, which then led to three weeks of “waiting for all of the things to arrive”)

Now there are 99 blocks in this one, all of them 6″ in size… I *could* try and work with one of the quilt-a-longs that is going to be happening (Angie is running one starting at the end of September, and Kerry’s starts on September 14th), but honestly, I don’t know if I could commit to making all of them. I did think about making one that is more lap sized, just something for me to have for myself, but I have a few of that sized quilt about now and I really need something new for my bed… so I had an idea… I am going to go big.

I want a new king sized quilt for my bed. I was planning to make a Swoon Quilt using some Tula Pink Moonshine I picked up from Massdrop, but I think I am going to change that plan a little.

My Farmer’s Wife Sampler quilt blocks are going to be upsized a little… to 20 inches (I think). There will be 13 whole blocks (I think), but I am not sure if I am going to do the half blocks to make up the other parts, or leave it plain (one of the mysteries of life I suppose).

To make this something of a challenge for me, I want to upscale the blocks using EQ7 – I say a challenge, because while I open the program often, I don’t get to the bit where I am happy with what I have designed.

So there we are, I am kind of going to participate in the quilt-a-longs, but I am also going to do something which *may* be more achievable for me.

Of course this could also become a series of cushions, so I guess time will tell.

The Modern Medallion continues…

There was a moment about a week ago when I had the four sections of the Medallion centre done and it was up on the kind of design wall, one of the Offspring came into the sewing room [kitchen] and told me that it was a lovely Stargate. So of course now it is called The Stargate Quilt. I like it.

So the three other sections of the centre came together quite nicely, and then there were the wonky geese. I really enjoyed sewing them. They were absolutely perfect little geese… until I took to them with a rotary cutter. Eighty of the little things flying every which way they can.

But then the quilt top went on an adventure…

I took it to my quilt group for advice on what to do with the wonky borders… I don’t think I have ever seen so much pain in the faces of people… “but they don’t match”, “why, why have you done this?”, and “this really is a challenge for us all you know”… I have found in making things deliberately wonky and not quite matching, I have been sewing more accurately than I ever have before. In order to break things, I have had to plan it to the smallest detail… and then comes the waving not drowning border. I’m not doing it.

I had planned to – I even have the outer border fabric cut out and ready to go. But because I am refusing to buy any new fabric for this quilt, I am having to use what I already have so I have pieced the border ready to be made wavy – and then liked the piecing, so I am going to leave it there and move onto the crosses… which I am really looking forward to as well.

Now all I need is the time to get cross…