Playing with the Adults

You probably remember the plus playtime quilt a long.

 I kept thinking of playtime with extras, playing with the adults. This was a qal based on a quilt Sandra of mmmquilts designed for the Modern By The Yard ezine.

I decided to do mine with spots. I love spotty fabrics. And just by chance, Sandra had sent me some of her scraps. I love other people's scraps. These were scraps left over from this very magazine cover quilt. And some of the fabrics had spots! It was serendipity.

 

I started off working from top left using Sandra's scraps along with some white kona. Then for my background plus I used blue kona left from the two wedding quilts, the behemoth and the Belfast bulletin. I actually used two blues, believe it or not, this was intentional. When I had used up Sandra's scraps, I turned to my own mostly spotty fabrics.

At one stage, I felt the balance was wrong, two small pluses next to each other jarred with each other and spoiled the whole balance of the thing.

Sandra to the rescue again. She sent me just enough fabric for 2 pluses, I chose which one I wanted to use, and the unpicking began. The difference in the balance of the  quilt was incredible. It was just how I envisioned it.

 

Next we moved along to the backing. Now, this was a conundrum. I have finally worked out how to change the sewing foot on my machine to the free machine quilting foot. Now, I can do more than just straight line quilting. And this made the problem.

My head told me to use a neutral fabric so the quilting wouldn't show up too much on the backing, if it was all a bit skew wiff.

My heart told me to use something bright and spotty.

This pink spot as opposed to the offcuts of pale blue and yellow check given to me many years ago was undoubtedly my favourite.

Eventually I went with the strips of check. Following along the ethos that this had turned into an other people's scraps quilt, I had to use the neutral checks.

  I have had them for ages, my friend Val gave them to me when she stopped sewing. Luckily I got another sunny day for basting in the garden. So much easier on the back, and when I get fed up, I sit and read for a while then start again.

And so I started quilting. Along each of the segments of the large blue plus, I looped a strip of loopy loops. And then I sort of looped more loopy loops in between. And that is as far as I have got. I even went and bought quilting thread for this. I found ordinary sewing thread didn't cut the mustard. And that was as far as I have got.

 

As it turns out, so far I am happy with the quilting on the reverse, but I am glad I am going the scrappy route after all. I hereby rename this quilt Sandra's Scraps.

 



We are expecting visitors from overseas soon. Like all good hosts, I am in a frenzy of cleaning. No I am not, I am mainly shifting stuff from one room to another room. And weeding. And cleaning windows. And scrapbooking. Very important the scrapbooking. I have been scrapbooking my son and new daughter in law's recent wedding. I have scrapbooked so much my shoulders are positively aching. All so the visitors can say, what a wonderful mother in law you are, what a wonderful scrapbook!

This weekend my other daughter in law is graduating and we are spending time being granny and granda. Great fun. So, there will be no more added quilting in the horizon for this week.

So, take it as you find it.

 Once again I am linking up in the final parade with a nearly finish rather than a finish.

That's ok. I will enjoy it all the more when it is finished. My husband did ask his usual, What is this? Where is this for? Followed up by, It is very bright. I think that means he likes it. Always a good sign.

And by not finishing it, I can link it up in my Finish A Long for the next quarter! Always a silver lining!

Helen x
linking up with Sandra mmmquilts
linking up with Lorna sew fresh quilts