a Finish!

The {dreaded}sampler quilt is complete.  Complete, complete, complete.  (And, look!  I even made matching pillow cases.)

This quilt began with the blue and red fabric.  I picked it up on my brother's wedding day six years ago.    Over time, I accumulated coordinating fabrics.  They weren't my most favorite palette (I love brighter), but still, the colors were pleasing and I intended to use them.  And they sat, and sat, and sat.

My original plan was a slew of 6" blocks, joined into sets of four and quilted in the quilt-as-you-go style.  Nope, that didn't float my boat.  And it sat.

Last year, when the "Just Takes 2" quilt began, I thought that was the solution.  I would make the assigned blocks in red and blue rather than just one color, and by the end of the year, I could assemble a  quilt and go on.  This never worked out for several reasons: I was frustrated with the tweaking that was done to directions in the early days, as sometimes, I had already made the blocks and... they were wrong.  Then, I hated all the paper piecing. Yes, hated it.  Dreaded it.  Was NOT a fan.  AND, terrible morning sickness and moving came along.  So, it sat.

Until the Short List.  This quilt went on the short list.  I pulled out my book of 500 rotary cut blocks, made a plan that would assimilate 6", 9", and 12" finished blocks (with an added 3"x9" strip), counted up how many of each, and hit the road.

Cutting out multiple blocks at once proved to be the key to getting over my frustrations with this quilt.  I'm a cut-it-all, sew-it-all kinda gal.  I also like repetition, so the sampler nature of this quilt (only three or four blocks have a like block in the quilt) jarred with my preferred MO.

Because I might have a touch of OCD, I separated my colors, with one "mixed color" row in the center.  Now I wish I had made all the blocks a combo of the blue and red, as the colors just sing.  C'est la vie.

I had to buy more fabric for the backing, as not enough red remained.  I think it works (the dark blue on the sides is new).

I quilted each row with a different free-motion pattern.  My tension needs work, but with such a small throat space, I may just need to start saving for a new machine.  (I can dream, can't I?)

The quilt finished about 90" x 100".  I have a bad habit of making quilt tops "just" big enough, which backfires once I quilt and wash it.  Then it's too small.  This one should be plenty big!

 The Assistant even gives her seal of approval.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.