Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Beginning and the End

I finished piecing my square dance quilt yesterday. The quilt ended up being 12 blocks by 15 blocks. That means I had to hand cut 180 blocks out of the original top. I have not hand cut pieces for a quilt since I first started quilting 20 years ago. I think that it came out pretty good, but working with so many bias edges on the outside of the block is a bit disconcerting. And there are still bias edges at the outside edge of the top!

Here’s what the top looked like after sewing of the 6.5 inch blue and white squares together.

squares

Here’s what the top looks like now after cutting out and sewing the 180 square dance blocks together. Each square dance block ends up being 4.5 inches.

squaredancetop

I think after I quilt it I will just bind it in a light blue/white fabric. My goal is to use up what is in my stash and I will use whatever I have. It probably will turn out to be more than one fabric for the binding. I also plan on piecing the back of the quilt to use up even more of my stash. The back will be a whatever I can find sewn together…..no planned pattern.

Chris

9 comments:

  1. wow--this is fabulous! i love the way it turned out. congratulations!

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  2. Wowza! Chris...this is wonderful! Your quilting skills amaze me! You do such beautiful work! Great job!

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  3. It looks great, Chris! If you're worried about the bias edges, why not add a narrow straight grain border of something - either same blue or contrast - before you go any further? Gives you a chance to iron out any problems now..

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  4. Oh my goodness!! That is a fabulous looking quilt! Where on earth did you find the pattern. I LOVE it!!

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  5. Mary Lu, I took a free class in my yahoo group (Learning Fiber Arts). I think there is a book on making the square dance quilt, too.

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  6. I'm so glad you showed a picture 'before and after' I'd seen a friend make one and it just looked like a lot of busy work for nothing special - NOT SO! It's stunning! Congratulations!

    Now I'm going to have to add it to my 'to do' list!

    doni @ Oregon coast

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  7. I love your Square Dance Quilt, I really like all the blue fabrics you chose.. they all work together so nicely. I wish I would have singed up to learn how to make that quilt, but I had other commitments and couldn't do it then. Maybe next time!

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  8. Wow! what a difference making this a square dance rather than a one patch! It is amazing! Your quilt looks great. And, I think a pieced binding will complement the top.

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  9. Hi Chris -- I love your 'square dance'
    I am so glad we had this class on
    the learningfa group . We will plan on teaching it again sometime either later this year or in 2010.

    YOu do excellent work. Shirley

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