Still Looking Up

From the day I thought of using "Looking Up" as a Bee Sewcial prompt, I loved it, and there was no looking back. A stall, perhaps, but no looking back.

Looking Up :: 75" X 60"

I spent weeks looking up and taking inspiration photos, though I knew my bee-mates would easily find their own, just by taking a moment to look up wherever they might be. And of course, they did!

In the photo above you'll see [top to bottom, left to right]: "Storm" by Leanne/@shecanquilt, "Perception" by Silvia/@astrangerview, "Bridge" by M-R/@quiltmatters, "Dormant" by Stephanie/@spontaneousthreads, "Timber!" by Hillary/@entrophyalwayswins, "Ceiling" by Felicity/@felicityquilts, my own "Swinging", "Fascinating" by Marci/@marci_girl, "Aspire" by Anne/@playcrafts, and "Redwoods" by Karen/@capitolaquilter. Each block so unique and individually inspired.... I've spent alot of time looking at them and appreciating them.

I also spent alot of time fretting over how to puzzle the blocks into a whole, and at long last settled on an improvisational sashing using Kona Overcast, which besides being the perfect color, just added to the sentiment of the design prompt.

For quilting, I used Aurifil 50wt #2600 (light gray) to create a free-form mesh inspired by the power lines on our street. So mostly there are groupings of parallel lines angling across the quilt, grounded occasionally by a trio of vertical 'poles'. It was one more aspect in keeping with the theme, and I love the idea still, though the execution left some empty spaces larger than I would have liked, many of which were secured by just following the lines of the fabric. It all worked well enough for me to be satisfied for trying it, knowing just the same that another choice might have been better. I can live with that.

This one called to be horizontally oblong, and why not? Measuring 75" X 60", I finished it off with a faced binding. Though pulling my bee-mates' remarkable blocks into a cohesive whole nearly did me in this round, I love the finish for the thoughtfulness that went into it, for the admission (by me) that indeed, the struggle can be real, and especially for the reminder, as always, to pause for just a bit.... and look up.

This project was on my 2018 Finish-A-Long Q1 list.
Linking up with Finish It Up Friday and 2018 Finish-A-Long Q1 Finishes!