Graphic Patchwork and Comments Always Appreciated

My last post, The Lowly Nine Patch Goes Mod, 
was about cutting into my Allison Glass 
FQ bundle. I had taken most of the bundle 
plus half a dozen Kona solids, and made 9 
patch blocks with them. They're bright, a 
little wild, and this is a quilt I'd love to have.
These square were first intended to go
into that quilt, but it became too busy.
So I separated them into 2 quilts.

I had finally decided on this grey background,

and was headed for bed when I got a couple 

comments on my email about the grey. I laid 
there thinking, "Maybe they're right." I couldn't 
go over to check it out either. It was the middle 
of the night! One drawback of not being in the 

downstairs any longer.

This morning I looked at it with fresh eyes,

then packed it up to get some other folks'

opinions. We tried lighter backgrounds,

and they were okay, but they weren't 

powerful. I texted friends for their take 

on it. I looked at some of the sites that the 
posters suggested, but I hesitated because this 
was supposed to be a quickie quilt. I didn't 
want to put that much extra time into a quilt I 
intended to sell. There is a line where all the 
extra time spent cutting, piecing and sewing will 
eat up even more than you can recoup. So I went 

back to my original Plan A you see above.

I still like it the best.

I just want you all to know that I value your

opinions when you give them, and I consider

them seriously because I think it helps 

me grow as a quilter--even if it doesn't

change my mind in the end. So, thank you,

and feel welcome to keep leaving me advice
and suggestions. I'm never offended.

After that little top was sewn up, I pulled
out the triangle quilt from my UFO pile. I've
been SO frustrated with this hot mess. I
tried redoing the backing and batting twice
already, and it was still a wreck.

I started by tearing the whole thing apart
--again. I squared the backing first, then
 I trimmed the side of the backing adding 
it to the top to give it more length. FMQ 
will take up backing, and I was pushing it here. 
I steamed it with a vertical iron because 
it was still sticky with 505, and taped it to my
ping pong table. Then I laid the top on it with
the batting which was also still sticky with 505.
I recalled how Late Night Quilter had posted
a tutorial on how to use your long ruler to
smooth out backing, but I think that was 
without 505. I will tell you it worked like
magic, even with all the stickiness! My hero!
Just lift, smooth, and reset. Check the back,
and repeat until it looks good.

It took several tries before I had things smooth
enough to satisfy me, and then I just used
regular large safey pins to pin it together. To 
save my table surface, I slid my rotary cutter 
mat underneath the area I was working with.

The wind has been howling today, so I put
on some low music, and quilted away. This quilt
reminds me of ocean water, so I did waves.

I didn't have the exact color of thread I
might have chosen if I had shopped for it,
but this pale blue was fine. It's the first
time I've quilted with Iris Ultra.

It shows up pretty next to the teal backing.
I hope to have it all done for a Friday
Finish to show you.

Last week we started a new blog hop
called Creative Space Tag. I tagged
Maryse at Maryse Makes Things, and 
she's on the ball! Pop in to see the
bright and beautiful room she works in.

Do you want to be involved in our 
creative space hop? It doesn't matter
if you work in your kitchen, your
bedroom... darn, I know someone 
who relocates to a porch when the
weather warms up. 

Be proud of it! 

Show us how you make it work 
for you, and inspire those people who 
say they have nowhere to sew. 

Send me an email, and I'll add
you to our growing list. You'll
have advance notice if you need it.

We had a treat from Mother Nature last night.
This rainbow was up close and gorgeous.

Can you see the double

off to the right?

Within a few minutes, this was all that was left.
Glorious color!

Until we visit again~
May all your days feel like they
end with a rainbow.

Come on, Doxie Girls.
Let's go sew.

Linking up with~
My Quilt Infatuation
who also featured me today!
Thank you, Kelly.
Quilty Thankful Thursday
Freshly Pieced
A Quilting Life
Sew Fresh Quilts

The Lowly Nine Patch Goes Mod

I have a few favorite blogs I frequent,

and one is Sew Can She. I've learned so much

by reading the different tutorials, and am

excited every month when a new

Classic Quilt Block comes out. Many I've done

before, but more than a few times I've learned 

a technique that really was quite helpful.This 

month's block was the 9 Patch, and I wanted to 

link up with one I'd done to her Facebook page so 

I was entered in the contest for the month. There's 

always a free giveaway, and that's free fun.

I was brave, and cut into my Allison

Glass stash of fat quarters I'd gotten a few

months ago. One 9 patch easily turned into many 

more, and soon I had a small pile I thought would 

make a wonderful throw quilt. What I thought

would work was this, and before you look, it

 Did Not.

You know how much I like print with print, 

but this even made me a little nauseous.

So then I tried this.

It was still pretty awful. I threw in some

slate colored sheeting, and it was getting 

better. It gave the eye somewhere to rest,

but also allowed the brilliant colors to shine.

I still wasn't happy with the layout, though.

Next try here, and I thought it was cleaner,

and simplified. I could now walk away for the 

day, and look tomorrow with fresh eyes.

Coming back this morning, it still made me 

smile, so I plugged on making more 9 patches.

Some were dark/light/dark, others opposite,

and some just had a funky-cool look so I 

went with the combination.

Did I say that I'd already cut out 50 blocks

6.5" square the night before? Yes, I did! So as to 

not waste the fabric or my energy, I tried this.

Again, very simple, but wouldn't it look a

little more glamourous with a stacked coin

border around the whole perimeter?

That's two days of sewing work for me. I also

did a little gardening, and mowed everything 

from north to south. Each morning brings

something else into bloom, and it's

really pretty exciting if you're into it like

I am.

Bleeding hearts

Magnolias, and to the right a clump of

a double narcissus 'Erlicheer' that you 

can smell 20 feet away at times!

My 2 pink dogwoods will be out by

morning I'll bet, but look like fairy

trees today.

Pansies greet us at the front door now.

And look what surprised me! I had no

idea it was going to bloom after all

these years.

I hope you're enjoying spring as much as I am.

Thank you to everyone who linked up to the

Pet Project Show #16 this weekend. It runs

through midnight Monday, April 20th.

When you link up, you are automatically

entered in the drawing May 2 for the

quilted pillow. Follow the directions in the

link below for other ways to enter.

Variable Star within a Star Pillow Giveaway

Come on, Doxie Girls.

I have another idea to try.

Let's go sew.

Linking up today with~
Val's Archives
Quilt Story
Freemotion by the River
Late Night Quilter
Blossom Heart Quilts
Show and Tell Monday with Bambi
Sew Many Ways
Design Wall Mondays
Main Crush Monday
Monday Makers at Hug-a-Bit Quilts
Monday Makers

Thank you for the linking opportunity!