Quilt progress!

Finally two quilt tops done an done of them to be sent off to be quilted. In spite of the fact that work has been hectic I've also managed to keep working on a couple of additional applique projects. Fingers crossed that the progress continues

Quilt challenge

For some odd reason, even though I have a slew of unfinished quilt projects (18 and counting if you must know) I insist that a friend participate in a quilt challenge each year. The rules vary from year to year but basically we are to use a new technique, use a fabric choice we normally would never use etc.

To participate in a quilt challenge is insane for me as I hand piece and I know I will never finish anything in 365 days yet every January I optimistically assume that I will. Case in point – for our 2014 challenge we were to each use a selected piece of modern quilt fabric. I used a cute Riley Blake raccoon fabric and my friend got a print with large pineapples on it. I then decided I would further challenge myself by making an autobiographical sampler quilt with my raccoons. So, for example, I put in Dutchman’s puzzle as my mother’s family come from Dutch stock, there is a Colorado star for my birthplace etc. I should mention that I am still working on this quilt as hand piecing takes forever. My friend wisely chose a big block pattern and machine pieced it. I don’t think she has quilted it down yet so we both are not yet technically done but still…she is so much farther ahead than I am. I’m closing in though – just have to put on some borders….

Even though I never complete these things on time I do learn valuable lessons. For example, I learned two things from the 2014 challenge: the first being I should have really thought out my complementary color palate before starting, and after having figured out the palate to sticking with either solids or smaller prints that read as solid; the second being that working with different sized blocks can be very frustrating. I also probably shouldn't have used such traditional blocks but I'm on the fence about this. Other modern quilts do use traditional pieced blocks but on a smaller scale. I can say that I grew as a quilter from having participated in this particular challenge but I can also say that I probably won’t repeat trying to work with different sized blocks unless I have a predetermined pattern on how to use them. I will definitely try working with modern quilt fabrics again though but with a little more thought put into it this time. In the meanwhile I'm posting the quilt pre borders/sashing. I hope to have the completed quilt top posted soon.