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pirate_girl

Latest Charity Efforts - large piece for me

pirate_girl
10 years ago

Hello everybody,

Dropping by for a bit. Hoping everybody's been well, especially with all the recent bizarre weather.

Realizing I hadn't posted here much so in updating my Quilt Blog (if interested, pls. see my Member Page for the addy), I thought I'd share a bit here as well.

Here's a top I just finished making, to donate to Charity through my Quilt Guild. I call it Romantic Florals, Old and New.

Here it is on my King-size bed, 2nd biggest top I've made to date, slightly scary.

another angle

corner squares

I've asked the Guild to have it long armed & hopefully I'll get a photo update when it's completed.

It's an amazing design challenge to work w/ donated fabrics in other peoples' color palettes. I haven't like pink since I was a little girl, but I rather like it here.

Comments (8)

  • nanajayne
    10 years ago

    Congratulations on a job well done. Interesting pattern and I agree the pink works will with the brown. Good to have you back, don't stay away so long. lol.

  • msmeow
    10 years ago

    Congrats on getting that big top done! Who does your guild donate to? Most charity quilts I've seen haven't been that big!

    I'm glad to hear you didn't have too much trouble from H. Sandy.

    Donna

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    10 years ago

    I think big tops are scary, too! Every time I'm pushing one through my machine I say never again! And, those aren't really huge ones like this is.

    I agree that it's a challenge to work with another persons colorway, but that's how we expand our quilting experiences. You did well!

    SharonG/FL

  • day2day
    10 years ago

    Congrats on getting it finished. I like the pink/brown combo.
    TFS.

    ~Geraldine

  • pirate_girl
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hello Ladies,

    Thanks for the nice words Nanajayne, yes, I DO feel it's quite an accomplishment.

    It's bigger really than I can accommodate at home (more like on the ironing board, hence the lack of pressing, sorry for the wrinkles),

    To save some re-typing, if you don't mind, it'll answer some questions / comments if I quote from my Blog.

    Oh, my Guild is donating quilts to hospitals / homeless shelters & those damaged / displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

    "The center panel is composed of a group of 6 1/2â squares which I cut by rotary cutter and candlelight, after Hurricane Sandy. In my apartment which had no heat, nor electricity and IâÂÂd come home from work and find it was still early, maybe 7- 8:00 PM. So since I wasnâÂÂt going to bed that early, what to do? Listening to the transistor radio, I started looking at these fabrics and seeing how well they all went together. So I cut a few squares of each of several floral prints. Over the weekends when I was able to be home during the day, I starting playing around with the resultant 25 squares and changing their arrangement.

    (unfortunately dark shot, sorry),

    "When I heard at the Guild that larger sized quilts were needed, larger than lap sized, I decided to grow this quilt larger and began making a border comprised of blocks made from 1/2 square triangles and almost 1/4 square triangles to surround the center panel. Then I added some corner squares for good measure.

    I later heard the larger sizes are for teens & then adults too.

    "Then to grow it further I added another couple of rows, top and bottom using a setting of Roman Rail. After speaking with several of the more experienced Quilters in my Guild, on the Service Committee, I'd learned some recommended bed quilt sizes and suggested border sizes. Then consulted with them further on setting more corner squares.

    The border /inner sashing border fabric (also donated) had been suggested as a backing, but as I grew the quilt I started using it there instead. So I'll be nicely surprised (I hope) to see what's done w/ it & what gets used for backing.

    Beyond the initial difficulties, a fun adventure. I ended up w/ it out in the hall of my apmt bldg, w/ spread out on the floor, so I could pin & baste the outer borders as this ended up a bit bigger than my design wall. Kinda clinched it for me, I can't do work quite this big or bigger!

  • calliope
    10 years ago

    Hi! You've been busy, haven't you? LIked your blog page. Yes, this is a particularly pleasing union of browns and pinks. They do play well together, don't they? Nice quilt.

  • magothyrivergirl
    10 years ago

    Well done.
    I'm sure the challenge of making this large quilt helped your soul in Sandy's wake.

  • bev2009
    10 years ago

    I like the story of the evolution of the design. You created a very pretty quilt. If you had sat down to design it all at once, it probably wouldn't be this quilt. Kind of like cooking, where you end up adding a little of this and a little of that as you go and the results end up delicious.

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