Gateway Quilts & Stuff: 2019-01-13

This blog hop's theme is Getaway. Since I don't do appliqué or theme quilts very well I decided to say that making this quilt was a journey for me. The journey involved designing the quilt.

I was given the fabric collection (of course from Island Batiks) called Soul Song. It was in my surprise package that I wasn't able to use until now. The collection was unusual in that it had two completely different looks. Ten of the fabrics were small dots in all different colors and ten were tans and blacks with geometric shapes on them. What do I do with two fabrics that to me didn't go together at all even though they were in the same collection?

Here is a sampling of what the fabrics looked like.

I started like I usually do and open EQ8 and think about doing a log cabin block. Being rushed for time, I decided that I didn't have time to make a lap size quilt of log cabins. So I did something I haven't done before. I made it up as I went a long!

Luck would have it that I received a wonderful package from FedEx labeled Accuquilt that same week. I found out that Accuquilt graciously gave the ambassadors an Accuquilt Go

with some dies! Perfect timing! In that package was a die for 2-1/2" strips. I also had a die for 1", 1-1/2" and 2" strips so I decided to use my new toy to cut strips. I cut the tan and black strips with the smaller die and the colored strips with the 2-1/2" die.

I then cut them into sections. The fastest way to cut a lot of different strips is to line them up and cut them all at the same size. (I had to use two rulers to get the size I wanted. I don't use my mat to measure.)

I thought maybe a type of Rail Fence quilt would work so I sewed them together alternating the colored fabrics and tan fabrics.

I then laid a few of the blocks out in a Rail Fence design and stood back and looked at it.

Too boring! So I decided to cut them in half diagonally.

Now the tricky part. How do I cut the second piece so that they fit together? It took me a couple tries but finally figured it out. (Luckily I was able to use the ones that I cut wrong since there are only a couple different ways to cut them.)

I put them together. I liked the look but decided that I didn't want to take the time to match all of those seams!

So I cut a thin strip of one of the fabrics in the collection that I hadn't used yet to put in the middle of the block. Now I was happy with the block!

So I continued with all of the strips and laid it out on my design wall.

I decided that a border was not necessary so I pieced the backing with my leftover fabrics,

used some wonderful Hobbs Tuscany Cotton/Wool batting,

that was given to me in my Island Batik box, and put it on my quilting machine. That is where I am right now since I had to get this blog out! Have to figure out how to quilt it now (the hardest part for me). Any suggestions? I always start by quilting in the ditch (with the Aurifil Monofilament thread that I was also given) on each side of the diagonal strips. I'm thinking some type of curves since the quilt lines are all straight.

I was pretty pleased with myself! Not only did I design something that I had no idea what it would look like when I finished but also that I made a scrappy quilt (which is hard for me since I am so predictable and uptight about knowing what my finished project should look like).

Well as usual I am late getting this out, which has been a pattern for me lately.

I will be having a give away of five fat eighths of some Island Batik fabrics (not from this collection since I used most of it). If you want to be in the drawing be sure to leave a comment and your email address so I can contact you if you win. Also if you have any suggestions for quilting this let me know and if you are interested in a pattern on how to make this quilt with the measurements I would like to know that too. I will be choosing a winner when the blog concludes in the first week in February.

Be sure to follow all of the other Ambassadors blogs on the collections that they received and enter the drawing from Island Batik's blog for 20 FAT QUARTERS!

ISLAND BATIK GIVEAWAY

As always: Do what you love and love what you do. Thanks for reading and please share with your quilting friends.

WEEK 1

Monday, January 7 - Crystal Ball

Maryellen McAuliffe- Mary Mack’s Blog

Sandra Walker- mmm! quilts

Tuesday, January 8 - Ditty

Stephanie Jacobson - Steph Jacobson Designs

Michelle Roberts - Creative Blonde

Wednesday, January 9 - Elk Lodge

Connie Campbell - Free Motion by the River

Anna Branch- Ark Angel Creations

Thursday, January 10 - Feline Fine

Bea Lee- Bea Quilter