A Finished Top

So in my last post I might have suggested a finished top to show you and indeed I have such a beast - I give you, my Dog's Dinner.

I finished it about 10 days ago but waited for my lovely friends at my sewing group to assist with a photo. This quilt started life as the Today's Quilter Block of the Month, designed by Jen Kingwell. But, many months into the project it became clear that some of the required block numbers had led us a little astray and I found myself many blocks behind with the stuffing and momentum knocked out of me. That's when I went off piste a little. The centre of the medallion took on a different identity with a large block from my "collection" - it just needed a narrow border added to bring it up to the correct size. It had been pieced from a pile of HSTs given to me by a student many months ago along with some yardage which I decided to add into the remaining blocks that I had to do. The log cabin blocks that hug the corners of the centre panel were unpicked from a very old quilt top that had lingered in a drawer - I mentioned it in this post.

I had four 12" blocks to make for the centre positions on the outer rows and opted for simple nine patches. Almost as soon as I had cut and pieced them I wished I had cut the pieces just a little bigger and made them into Disappearing Nine Patch but that ship had sailed.

All that was left then was to make the four outer corner blocks and I knew I had planned to use Jo's Maple Leaf variation from her BOM currently running in Today's Quilter. I like the way they point outwards from each corner. The finished top measures 72" square.

I set out to make this a scrappy quilt using only fabric from my stash and this is exactly what I have done.

Despite my recent ramblings and reservations, I don't hate it, not sure if I love it. I think it might have cured me of scrappy. I enjoyed much of the process and am pleased to have completed it.

Not sure when it will transform properly into a quilt - I have just finished quilting and joining a 94" square monster and have been heard to mutter things like "I don't know if I have many more quilts left in me" but never say never eh?

Meanwhile, it's name - I shall free it from the shackles of Dog's Dinner.....as it's my first finish of 2017, I realise it is 19 years since I took up this craft so 19 it is. If it's good enough for Adele, it's good enough for me.

Have a good week folks.

PS. Lots of nice neutral Aurifil in stock