It’s a Quilt Top!

This top is from a kit I won from a quilting web site back in 2005 or 2006. The kit is called Building Blocks and the fabrics are from Nancy Halvorsen True Friends line.  The kit came with pre-cut pieces and provided several options.  It measures approximately 50″ x 60″.

So what’s next?

I can either take another stab at sandwiching the Crossword Puzzle quilt, go a head and sandwich and quilt this quilt, add the borders on the Christmas Row Quilt or work on this:

Check back to see what I work on.  I’m guessing it will be a combination of all of the above.

Admittedly the top is not quite finished, but it’s never to early to think about backing and binding.  I dug through my stash and found two fabrics that I think work with this quilt.  The green on the top right is what I originally pulled for the backing and binding.  Then I discovered I don’t have enough of it for both, so I dug deeper to find something to stretch it.

I came up with a yard of the peach on the top left.  Now I’m wondering if I instead of using the green for the binding and stretching the backing with the peach, I’ll just use the peach for the binding.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t dream and obsess over it.

Today I picked up the October 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.  It seems every time I’m at the store I gravitate to this issue.  Occasionally, I pick it up and flip through it, only to set it back down.  I don’t need to start another quilt.  I don’t really want to start another quilt.  But today that didn’t stop me from buying the magazine.

There’s something about the cover quilt — well, the quilt on the cover of my copy of the Oct issue.  It seems there are two different covers.  The quilt I’m drooling over is Star Formation.  It’s simple, scrappy and stunning.  I’m not sure if it’s the color – love the blue and gold – or the quilting.  Whatever it is, I want to make that quilt!

OK, now that I have that off my chest, I’ll go back to work on True Friends.  I finished the extra 5 blocks I needed and have the first two rows sewn together.  I may have even found something to use for the backing or binding.  There’s not enough for both.

Since I can’t make a decision on the Christmas Row Quilt, I decided to pull another slip from my “UFO Quilt Steps” bag.  I’m not sure this is really what I want to work on, but on the other hand, if I get the top assembled, it can come off my design wall.

This is what is on the wall right now. I think I need to make five more blocks so the quilt will be 50 x 60 — unless I try to extend the quilt with the leftover fabric.  There is nothing in my stash that I can use for a border — at least I don’t think there is.  I guess I’ll cross that bridge after I get the center assembled, but first I’ve got blocks to piece.

The center of the row quilt is complete.  Now I need to decide how wide to make my spacer white border.  I think I want a bit of separation between the edge of the red squares and the inner green border.  The outer border will be the same fabric as the red squares.

These blocks are from a block swap I participated in back in November 2008 on the Quilt in A Day forum.  Unless someone in the family claims it when it’s done, I think I’ll use it on our bed.  Believe it or not, I don’t have a bed size Christmas quilt.  Of course, who know when it will get quilted.  But first I’ve got that decision to make.

The theme for this week’s Quilting Gallery contest is Beach and See Quilts.

I entered my Neutral Strip Twist because when I finished it I was looking for a name with “sand”  in the title.  I never did get a name on the quilt before I gave it to my nephew and his wife, but for this contest it’s called “Sand Twists”.  This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern that is available HERE.

Check out the other quilts entered this week and then vote for your favorite.

Actually, this will be row 3.  4 more rows to go.

I’m on a roll.  My challenge was to make 18 of the 36 red and white square in a square blocks.  These will be the cornerstones in my Christmas Row Quilt.  When I was writing out the steps I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to do 18 twice or to do all 36.  I decided to go with 18 because I can’t make a good Square in a Square block without a lot of ripping, muttering and finally deciding ‘that will just have to do’.

Clearly I can’t say that any more.  I followed Bonnie Hunter’s Square in a Square Tutorial and the blocks came out nearly perfect.  Thank you Bonnie!

Since I’m on this roll, I think I’ll keep working on this quilt top.  I’ll save my bag of UFO Quilt Steps until I need a change.