Phew, it feels good to finally finish this quilt - it's been a long time in the making! Dream On by Urban Chiks was one of those lines that came out right around when I started quilting, and while I really liked the watercolor, vintage feel of the line, I had no idea what I was going to do with it, so I just started collecting it. Ultimately I wound up with several half-yards, four charm packs, and still no plan.
Fast forward to earlier this year when I was packing for
The Stash Bash...I had decided that I wanted to start using the collections that I've been just hoarding for the last few years, like this one, and so I grabbed some of those charm packs, cut up some of the half yards into charms, and brought them with me to The Stash Bash, planning to make a larger version of
Jeni's patchwork chevron quilt. I was aiming for something simple where I could use larger pieces and finish it quickly.
At the Stash Bash, I plowed through making my nine patch blocks pretty quickly, and stocked up on a blue solid to use as my background fabric. Admittedly, I kind of hate this shade of cornflower blue. It's just too...dusty, I think, for my liking, but it does work well with the charms, so that was it. I started making my half-square triangles, only to find I was one nine-patch block short. So I improvised, and used some complementary fabrics from friends to make one extra nine-patch block. It doesn't stick out the way I worried it might, thankfully.
By the time I left Atlanta, I had a finished quilt top, which was an awesome feeling. I then got home and spent a few days unpacking, thinking about how to quilt it, and feeling quite stumped. I made a back using a patchwork cheater print from Dream On as well as some of my leftover fabrics, and basted it, then let it sit. And sit some more.
Right before I left for Quilt Market, I decided to sit down and get started. I decided I wanted to do some heavier quilting in the solid areas, using some different FMQ stitches, and then do a simple echo straight line in the patchwork. I found a blue thread that matched pretty well and got to work. I managed to finish one solid chevron before I left. Then, when I came home, I got back to it, but it took a while. I got bored really easily working on this one, which isn't like me, so it took a while to get through all of the solid chevrons, then no time at all to straight line the patchwork.
Quilt stats
name: Dream On Chevron
size: 84" x 108"
fabrics: Dream On by Urban Chiks
pattern:
Patchwork Chevron by Jeni of In Color Order
quilting: various FMQ stitches, including swirls, loops, and a stipple in 50 wt Aurifil color #2805; straight-line echo quilting on patchwork chevrons in white 50 wt Aurifil
binding: Dream On stripes in pink
backing: mish-mash of leftover Dream On prints
I'm happy with how it all came together, and I'm going to be happy to give this quilt to someone later this year when her birthday comes up. These fabrics just remind me of her, so I really think she's going to love it. Next, I want to try to think about what to do with my Wonderland stash. Wonderland is the first collection I ever hoarded, so it's kind of extra special to me. I definitely want to do something special with it, but I'm just not sure what yet. Time for my thinking cap.
note: this is a really old picture of my Wonderland collection - I think it's even bigger now!
What about you - do you hoard collections and then stare at them and wonder what to do with them, or is it just me? Have a great weekend everybody! And
Lucky Stars BOM subscribers, check your inbox tomorrow for the June Lucky Stars block!
I love your Chevron patchwork quilt! I think the "cornflower blue" is just lovely with the patchwork fabrics. It looks like happiness in a blue sky! Can't wait to see what you do with your Wonderland hoard! Yesterday I came into about 100 yards of fat quarters - Yay! I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but it's so lovely going through it all, folding, and finding places for them in my studio. Have a super day!
ReplyDeleteit looks very nice! i like how varied the quilting is especially. i'm trying to be more creative with my FMQ and your work is inspiring.
ReplyDeletei envy your wonderland stash. that's one line i missed out on, unfortunately.
I absolutely buy fabric because I just can't live without it and then after I have made one quilt with it, I am tired of it!! So I have precuts and yardages left. sometimes I just sell them on ebay and move on, sometimes I find pictures of inspiration on google images when I google the fabric and see how different it looks with someone else's creativity and pattern. I have so much Breakfast at Tiffany's and have made 3 quilts - time to hoard something else!! I have plans for the same quilt you made with some of my charm packs though because I still love the chevron thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoarding Nicey Jane right now. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, I just know I love the collection!
ReplyDeleteHey-oh!!!! You got it done. It looks great Elizabeth. Glad I got to see part of this int he making :-) And also - your post the other day about what you've accomplished health wise was fantastic. Congratu-fucking-lations Woman! That's something to be damn proud of.
ReplyDeleteYes I am guilty of hoarding collections and whenever I frequent other quilt shops and find FQ's I pick them up and tuck away. some lines I can not seem to get enough of because they could play nice with other collections, but waiting for the right pattern..Or I see new lines by same designer coming out later in the year so I save for them all to play nice with each other.Ugh.. am I an addict?
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt!! I have one made with that pattern that I still need to machine quilt - just not sure HOW!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I hoard collections - 1974, Patisserie, Bliss and that is just for starters!!
Love your quilt, it came out beautiful. I love the colors.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am a fabric hoarder, there I have said it. I particularly hoard Kaffe Fassett, I took a workshop from him last year, and I have now cut into my hoard.
So far a diamond quilt in process and I have just started using the scraps in a appliqué and pieced quilt from Jen Kingwell called "Green Tea and Sweet Beans".
It looks even better as a quilt!
Fabric holic myself.. I am afraid to be without.....
ReplyDeleteThis looks great, and I know my gran would love this combo! I don't intentionally hoard things, I just don't have enough time in the day to work on everything I want to (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...)
ReplyDeleteHi! I know it's off topic, but I'm a new quilter and am looking to upgrade from my simple Singer sewing machine and am wondering if you'd have any recommendations for me? I'd like something that's smooth and works well for quilting larger pieces at home. Thanks for any advice!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis turned out lovely, love the quilting. I find that if I don't use fabrics reasonably quickly I then can go off them as my taste changes! So lately I have stopped buying precut bundles etc, and I tend to pick and choose only a small number of prints from a line that I really love. Except charm packs, you can never have too many of those ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy to see this one finished up! I do think the blue works really well, even if it is a little cornflowery. :) The quilting turned out really cool!
ReplyDeleteit's not only you. I have some collections sitting here and waiting for me to finally cut into them...
ReplyDelete