Saturday, January 18, 2014

City Sampler Quilt Along :: Unlocked

Nearly 8 months after starting my City Sampler blocks, I have a finished quilt top! I began with some trepidation, but amazingly was able to keep up every step of the way. I began using stash fabrics following the colorways in the book, but it wasn't long before I began collecting more Tula Pink fabrics. A few charm packs, my proceeds from the Tula Pink charm swap, and a fat-eighth bundle of Acacia made up the bulk of my fabric. I added stash solids and other miscellaneous fabrics as inspired, all along planning on using the Gridlock layout. But the more blocks I added to my block grid, the more I liked the blocks nestled together edge to edge. So in the end, I sewed them together just like that and came up with my own Gridlock variation: "Unlocked."
There was one block that just was not 'right' in its original placement - a very purple block in the middle of some reds - so I swapped it with another. Otherwise, for better or worse, the blocks were placed according to the placement for the Gridlock layout. 

As I pieced each block, I placed it in my book for safe-keeping. Then all these months later as I sewed rows together, I pulled blocks from the book as they were called for. And happily, my book is in great shape, surviving to inspire another day.

70 comments:

  1. Wow, Debbie, I am so impressed. I love everything about your quilt top. Can't wait to see it finished.

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  2. So so fabulous Debbie. I don't know how you keep the pace you do. It's so pretty!
    It inspires me to keep going on mine

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  3. This is a fantastic variation on the Gridlock design! (In fact I like it better…sshhhh!) The colours flow so well from one to the next! Brilliant!

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  4. Debbie. it's beautiful. I love it without sashing and it flows together so well :)

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  5. When I saw the block appearing I did not like them but all together just look stunning! This top is amazing

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  6. This is so lovely! I like the way of the colours goes.

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  7. WOW Congratulations! That is stunning

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  8. Absolutely stunning! Well done!

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  9. I just love the riot of colour in this, fabulous!

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  10. This has been so fun to follow and the end result is breathtaking - and I mean that! Thank you so much for allowing us to week by week watch the progress of this quilt. I'm sure the finish will be amazing too.

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  11. So absolutely dripping with saturated color! A modern quilt for sure :) I like your "unlocked" variation.

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  12. Debbie, it turned out stunning. It's been so much fun following the progress and seeing your book bulging with new blocks.

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  13. Wow that is a massive quilt. LOVE how it turned out.

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  14. It was fun to watch the progress of your quilt. It turned out beautiful as expected. Well done.

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  15. Congratulations! I have just started this task and I have t tell you I am not in love with all the little piecing...may abandon, but you are inspiring me to continue

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  16. You did it! It looks great! It will be an interesting one to quilt. Will you do it? Long arm?

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  17. what a fantastic quilt Debbie. It looks amazing.

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  18. This quilt is so full of colour and geometric lines, I love it. I think all the solid bits you included really make this layout work as there are places to rest in all the riot of colour.

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  19. Really amazing quilt! What a fantastic layout and use of color - congrats!

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  20. this is really quite breathtaking. It's always nice to see all of that hard work really pay off!

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  21. I love how it finished up - the colors are wonderful. You did great with your fabric selections and they look remarkably different to the other quilts being created out there !! Congrats on the finish

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  22. I love these! such a perfect way to use scraps and your stash.

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  23. This turned out fantastic!

    I was also thinking of doing my (now derailed) quilt with sashing, but seeing this and a few others unsashed might sway me to forgo the sashing. Of course, I only have about 75 blocks to go and don't actually live in the same country as my sewing machine right now, but those are just details ;).

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  24. Go Debbie go! You continue to amaze me. This top is beautiful and I know it will finish even better.

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  25. What a beautiful quilt Debbie!! Incredible to look at. I could stare at that all day!

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  26. Amazingly good! Congratulations on another stunner!

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  27. Well who wants to sit in gridlock anyway? Gorgeous top! And glad the book's spine came through the project okay. ;)

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  28. Gorgeous! The placement of the blocks is perfect! I am collecting Tula fabric and coordinating solids so I can jump in with momentum!

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  29. Awesome the way you made this quilt! Such fun colors and neat blocks!

    Susie

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  30. Yippee! I can't wait to see it quilted.

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  31. So beautiful! Your fussy cutting looks awesome and I love your layout!

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  32. Absolutely gorgeous, I love your variation from the original.

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  33. Fantastic job, Debbie! Way to stick with it. It was so fun to watch it come together. You must be thrilled!

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  34. Too fun, Debbie. I love blocks banging up against each other, too, as they bring an energy and tension to a quilt top. This is really beautiful. Well done!

    Elizabeth

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  35. Congrats on finishing the top. Looks great. And I can hardly believe the book held together as full as it was stuffed.

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  36. Debbie, you quilt is just wonderful...the setting better than the original, imho!

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  37. This is really stunning! Do you think you will do another? Maybe in prints other than Tula Pink? Just curious if you think the book is worthwhile. Nettestudio23@blogspit.com

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  38. Congratulations on an admirable finish! So many wonderful places for the eye to go :o)

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  39. Just gorgeous! I love it without any sashing! The colors are so vibrant and fun!

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  40. Beautiful quilt! I received Tula's book for Christmas and plan to make some blocks. Don't know if I'm up to the whole book though!

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  41. Absolutely stunning! I love this quilt without the sashing! It puts all the focus on those beautiful, saturated colors. The mix of solids and prints is perfect.

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  42. It is GORGEOUS! Amazing that you only had to move one block, that is so cool!

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  43. Apparently, I was away from my computer longer than I thought! I love, love, love how your blocks came together. What an inspiration. I was thinking this morning that I need to get going on my blocks. Priorities here kept me away from my book too long. Today I think I will put some more blocks together. Beautiful quilt top Debbie!

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  44. It's incredible, Debbie! Have you decided how you're going to quilt it?

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  45. Absolutely stunning Debbie - such a great achievement to have it all together!

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  46. Absolutely amazing, Debbie! <3 I am hoping to start my version in the next few weeks. Yours is inspiring!

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  47. This is stunning! Wonderful work! I'm about to start my own city sampler and yours is such great inspiration!

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  48. So great - congrats on the finish!

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  49. Congratulations!!!! It is incredible!

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  50. Absolutely gorgeous top Debbie, well done!

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  51. Looks great! Congrats on finishing it!

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  52. Stopping by from WIP, sharing the love..

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  53. Love your version with no sashing. I also joined in the quilt along and found doing the three blocks per week a perfect goal. I still need to finish attaching sashing... but getting there.

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  54. Congratulations!! I just really love your version.

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  55. WOW Congratulations! That is stunning

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