Kaleidoscope quilt


A new quilt in the shop today.  I pieced this one last summer, entirely out of my scrap bag.  (And I didn't nearly deplete my supplies of red and pink scraps!)


It's strip-pieced using the paper-piecing method.  The only structured part of the piecing was the white strip down the diagonal of each block.  Everything else -- width of strips, placement of colours -- is pretty much random.


These last few quilts are making me realise that I'm pretty ambivalent about the pieced quilt tops, mostly.  I like the process of making them, but when the top is finished I'm a bit underwhelmed.  But then I start quilting, stitching the patchwork top to the batting and the backing, and suddenly I'm in love.  This one is quilted along the diagonals of the large squares (parallel with the white lattice) and then along the edges of the large squares, which outlines the lattice on the back.


(I'm also in love with the bright red binding against the subdued grey-and-white stripes of the backing, which is a thrifted sheet.)


This finishes off the last quilt top I had hanging around, so it may be a while until another one shows up here.  For now, I have elephants to knit.


Comments

  1. I love quilts. If I weren't such a knitter, I'd be a quilter. Ever thought of knitting a kaleidoscope blanket using a bias dishcloth pattern in garter stitch with stash yarn? Mmmmm, snuggly.

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    1. Mmmm, that could be really fun! A good way to use up scraps, too. I'll have to keep that idea in mind :) And I love quilts, too. I got into quilting because I have so many scraps from all the sewing I do... and then I sort of got addicted :D

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  2. I'll trade you. I really really get a kick out of piecing tops. I love the thrill of seeing it develop as each block part gets added on... then each block to the other... then finally the top. Quilting to me is so ho-hum; the puzzle is already put together. That's probably why Gracie's quilt has been half-quilted for well over a year now and I have a stack of unquilted tops waiting for me in my stash.

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    1. Oh, I love the process of piecing, too. It's just once the top is pieced I never am in love with it until I add the extra dimension of the quilting... I'm not sure why? I've also decided I don't like machine quilting, but I love hand-quilting.

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