Over the Holidays, I set out to challenge myself to make a new quilt for the bed. Our current quilt, a batik split rail fence, is getting worn and tattered. Dusty, the cat, has also taken his toll on it. It’s been in use every day since it was made over five years ago.
During the early days of the pandemic, I was in a panic because I didn’t have much of a stash any more. The majority of what I had left for fabrics was rapidly being turned into masks for friends, relatives, coworkers and the rare person I would encounter in the real world.
I purchased the Ombre Fairy Dust Metallic Fat Quarter Bundle online:
Photos, above and below, courtesy of Missouri Star Quilt Co
The original inspiration when I first got the fabric in hand was to make a square Mariner’s Compass quilt, and make a test template and block.
My ironing board works as an extra design table:
The finished test block, below, and I hated it. And, to think, I was going to make 15 of these! Too much. It’ll make a nice pillow or wall hanging, so all is not lost.
At that point, I was slightly discouraged and almost threw everything into the Time Out bin under the sewing desk. Not wanting to admit defeat, it was time to reinvent the direction and persevered. It had been a while since a tumbling block quilt passed under my presser foot, and the ombre would become the perfect option.
Sewing commenced at breakneck speeds during the Holidays. It was all about the organization. Each fat quarter was turned into the three colors for each tumbling block: light, medium and dark.
My design wall was becoming quite the vibrant and happy place:
The main quilt is pieced and waiting for inspiration for the outer blocks for finishing:
A comical situation, pin-basting it on the kitchen floor while it was cold and snowing:
The actual quilting is something I struggle with. I wanted to stitch in the ditch, but I’m honestly not a fan. You can see in the lower right of the photo below where I started stitching in the ditch and opted not to go any further. Free motion quilting always amazes me. I absolutely love how tightly is pulls it all together.
The back, below, with some of the earlier stitch in the ditch quilting, all over-run with free motion quilting. I put hearts everywhere and wrote words and things. Hidden secrets in the quilt.
The final quilt, before washing.
And, this was how it all got quilted: all while watching Ancient Aliens. It seemed appropriate!
