Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Yay or Nay

As I shared in a previous post, this project had a confident beginning, a debatable middle, and finally, I can tell you now, a satisfactory conclusion. Can't complain about that, now can I?


It all started with a yard of fabric from The Denim Studio by Art GalleryFabrics. I'd bought it on a whim a while back, and reached for it when I needed a new project, even though I didn't really have a plan at that point. I perused my Pinterest boards a bit, hatched a beginning of a plan, and went back to the stash looking for a solid I could pair with the denim. And that would be Kaufman Kona Cotton Solid in Silver, which just might be my new favorite gray. And that denim? Delightful fabric. It is so soft - just an all-around delight to work with.

Anyway, I started with an 18" x 28" length of the denim, sliced and inserted 1" strips of the silver, and created my first over-sized 'block'.


I loved it so much, I created another, cut them both up, sewed them back together again, and started in on making some improv X blocks. 


And this is where my dilemma really began. As I debated yay or nay on the Xs, I knew (dare I say, "in my heart?") that I wanted them and more. And in the end, that's exactly the way I went, adding an improv square offset 'border' with both of the blue denims, and then finally, adding a simple border on the opposite sides. My thought was to decrease the density  and mix up the fabric combinations as I traveled from section to section. 


For quilting, I used Aurifil 50wt #2600 (light gray) and did a very dense organic grid, dense meaning 1/4" to 1/2" between lines. Eight bobbins for a 48" square dense. oh yeah. 


I'd kept the backing simple, since I found a perfect stashed silver gray metallic print from the Steel Collection by Gerri Robinson/Planted Seed Designs, and boy did the quilting and subsequent texture show up well there.


So, for not knowing where I wanted to end up, I'm really happy where I've arrived. It was definitely worth heeding Karen Lewis' words, "Don't be afraid of getting it wrong." I'm glad I wasn't.


Linking up with Finish It Up Friday!

36 comments:

  1. Looks fabulous.....I love not knowing where I'm going. It keeps the interest level right up there. Thanks for sharing your process.

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  2. All that quilting...whoa! Turned out great, Deb!

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  3. Yep...that is how it is done! love it!!!

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  4. Perfection for sure. I love everything about this quilt. Well done!!!

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  5. Beautiful finish, Debbie! I like this one a lot!! ❤❤❤

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  7. Debbie, that final border is the perfect finish! Well done!

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  8. You did it again...knocked it out of the park!

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  9. I'm glad you continued. I love the end result especially that little piece in the bottom

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  10. This turned out beautifully. I really love the extension of the dashed line into the final border at the bottom.

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  11. it's awesome. and next to that blue door? stunning

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  12. Distinctive and delightful. Well done!

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  13. Distinctive and delightful. Well done!

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  14. I absolutely love how this turned out. I'm so glad you didn't give in to the worries and let this quilt follow the path it wanted to take!

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  15. What a great mantra! Just do it. The results in this case are stunning.

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  16. Hey, it worked out in the end quite well. I love the little middle of the road tracks that extend into the final border.

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    1. This is the COOLEST quilt ever! I LOVE it! It is an inspiration!

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  17. I love everything about this quilt, colour choice, design and quilting ! Your mix of simple / pieced borders is absolutely great.

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  18. Lovely finish! Thank you so much for sharing the process; it's very encouraging.

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  19. I fell in love at the first picture! You have outdone yourself again!

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  20. This is amazing Debbie! Love the mix of denim with the silver - this would be a great combo for a new bag:)

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  21. You are such a great artist Debbie, thank you for sharing your process!
    Myrto

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  22. You certainly didn't get it wrong! I'm so glad you went with your gut on this one, it's amazing! And the quilting...perfect! I don't know how many projects I've started that I thought were awful, but kept going and going always knowing that you never know...in the end it could be amazing! After all...it's only fabric!

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  23. Nice!! Especially like the single block in the border. I see most others do too!

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  24. This is awesome - love how you started and reached the conclusion.

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  25. I love the result of this experiment. It reminds me of a very expensive modern designer rug I once saw in a rather fancy shop. Your quilt encourages me to go more bold and brave with my quilting 😊.

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  26. I love knowing the process you went through to achieve this great finish. I don't think I know how to talk to myself like that - or listen to myself either! But it's apparent you have that gift too. So glad you went with what felt right because it sure is. I think you're getting better and better at improv.

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  27. This is so cool and so creative! I so admire your design sense... your confidence in starting something when you're not sure how it's going to end and pushing through even when you're not positive about where the project is going. Another amazing finish for sure!

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  28. Pretty cool! Those fabrics looks really nice. Well done.

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  29. This is truly original art! Love the quilting.

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  30. I liked it with the first picture. Very cool quilt!

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  31. All I can say is "You did it again, bravo"!

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