I had such grand plans in the beginning. I'd make one block each month in a different color. Well......let's say I skipped a few months along the way. But, back at it again....here's aqua.
Now I have five finished. Seven more to go.
The pattern is called Soul Searching and is by Kathy Doughty in her book, "Making Quilts."
I've pulled the fabrics for my next block. It will be the blue one because I've been wearing a lot of K.C. Royal's Blue lately and it just seemed the right thing to do.
As I write this, game seven of the World Series is about to begin and I'm getting nervous! If you are a baseball fan, you know what I'm talking about. The last time that our team was in the Series was 1985 and we really, really want to win. Kansas City has Royal's fever right now and our family is not excluded. Look at these cute shirts that Lula designed and her mother made!
Honestly, there were times when I wondered if I'd ever finish sewing blocks for this quilt! But, oh, I am so glad that I didn't quit!
There are a lot of seams, let me tell you. Most are pressed open. Sigh. Enough said!
For those who wonder, the quilt top is made up of 195 six inch-churn dash blocks, plus 5 twelve-inch blocks and one large eighteen-inch churn dash.
The bright orange, pink, red, yellow and white scrappy fabrics look stunning and cheerful posing among the fall pumpkins, don't you think!
Many of the blocks were made for me by my talented bee-mates in the Mid-Century Modern Bee. Begun in 2013, the gals tolerated making the churn dash blocks, not just once, but twice, when my month as the Queen Bee rolled around. I can never thank you enough ladies!
I can already tell that this is going to be among my top favorite quilts of all time!
Now, to choose a backing and get the quilting done. Winter is on the way!
If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you probably know that I grew up in the beautiful state of Colorado. I try to visit at least once every year. The photo below was taken within an a hour's drive of my childhood home.
With that soft spot in my heart, it was not difficult for me to say yes to Katie when she asked if I would test her new pattern called, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado".
The 66" x 81" quilt would look great as a wall hanging or even on a twin bed. It can be viewed vertically, as if you are standing looking at a sunset behind the mountain range or horizontally, where it represents the plains, mountains, and mesas of the state of Colorado.
Because of the many pieces and the angles that need to be cut to make the design, the pattern is best suited to intermediate or advanced quilters. With accurate seam allowances and good labeling of the pieces, this makes for a fun project, though, once the cutting is finished. It's like putting together a puzzle!
Welcome to Colorful Colorado is available for download on Craftsy. You can find it here.
The cutting is straightforward and easily achieved by following the clear directions. Katie has included tips for sewing everything together successfully as well as some quilting ideas that can be achieved on your home sewing machine. (I haven't gotten to that quilting part yet, as you can see.)
The quilt really is like a piece of art and I'm looking forward to seeing mine hung on a wall! If you love working with solid fabrics, this might just be an idea for your next project. I used Kona but Katie's version is lovely using Oakshot Cottons.
Since childhood I have had an unquenchable love of fabric. For years now my addiction has been directed toward quilts and, especially, the creation of them. I have the stash to prove it! Fred, my wonderful husband, supports and encourages my hobby. My 3 grown children and their families will never be cold, let's just say. I have a degree in home economics education and worked in a public library until a few years ago. Many days you will find me playing with one or more of my nine beautiful grandchildren.