Purple and grey quilt top!

Twelve squares sewn together!

I made one of these months ago, just to see what the log cabin pattern is like when you cut one colour group in two inch strips and the other in an inch and a quarter.

I knew this would produce an uneven distribution and that the main colour would form sort of circles, but I didn't quite appreciate that they really do?! Odd, right? It was fun to see it all take shape.

I was going to do a cushion cover with this square but had so much purple fabrics that I was very keen to use up. I'm amazed that I managed to do all eleven squares! This massive amount of sewing usually takes me lots longer.

Two of these fabrics are called Pansy by Fabric Freedom (I think it was the circle one?) and another was called Victoria, also by Fabric Freedom. I bought them separately but it's no wonder that I put the two together. The small pattern was a cotton fabric from a normal fabric shop. I don't recall where I got the batik fabric.

The grey fabrics are all Kona. Years ago I bought every single grey Kona I could find so I would know what they are like... with the logical result that there are some that I don't like very much. These are them. Except for the charcoal. I like that one a lot.

I thought the purple 'circles' would dominate and sort of pop out more than the grey crosses, - I may have chosen a slightly too dark colour for the darkest grey. This is Charcoal of the Kona Solid range (from Annie's Village Haberdasher in West Hampstead. I was very glad to be able to pick out a colour in person that went with all the others). On the other hand a lighter grey would have disappeared into the neighbouring stripes...

I'll need to figure out what to do with the free motion quilting to lift out the purple areas. It will be my first time free-motioning - I'm actually rather nervous about that.

I ended up using all sorts of odd grey fabrics for the outer stripe in the quarter squares - I totally ran out of the original fat quarter. I cut up remnants of wool fabric that I had made trousers from, and even a grey shirt with a pin stripe, both of which were roughly an okay weight and their colour fit well.

I fussy-cut the center squares: the heart of the log cabin. I know these are traditionally made from a red fabric because they signify the hearth fire of the log cabin but I didn't want to use red with these colours. Not even a brown or rusty colour.

I picked a fat quarter that had purple elements. I didn't at first appreciate how much of the background green would appear in these squares but I ended up really liking that accidental contribution to the quilt.

It adds a little something without overwhelming the other elements.

I already have the wadding (in fact I bought it a good 4-5 years ago. I'm so glad to use it), now I "just" need to spread it out, sling the patchwork top on it... and err... pin it I guess?  Not forgetting the backing fabric (which is also sitting in my stash).  I haven't looked at that one yet.

But I need to spread the quilt top out so I can see if is big enough.

Hey-ho!

Another thought on why I build up a stash

I am using some stash fabric in making a new quilt, that is the patchwork for its top. I don't intend to get this done any time soon, I just wanted to see what the blocks look like.

I saw this intriguing tutorial about sewing four strips together and cutting four triangles from each square. It does make a lovely pattern:

The busy looking navy is a cheap fabric I got from a Shephard's Bush shop several years ago for the purpose of mixing it with other navy fabrics for quilts. The assembly of this pattern was intriguing, I wanted to see for myself how this would turn out. I literally started without a plan. Can always make a baby quilt, right?

So of course I like this so much that I would love to make this into a big quilt and of course I am running out of these fabrics! That was kind of obvious, wasn'n it?  I like this patterned blue fabric so much that I want to run back to Shephard's Bush to check if there's more and then buy loads!

I think I may have had another insight on why I build up a stash and then have huge trouble to dip into it and use stuff up: when I sew with a fabric like this one, that I had been looking forward to using, only I had no idea on what yet...

...it means that I need to let go of something that seemed to have a lot of promise. I could maybe even make a top with it if the mood strikes! I'll make lovely quilts! I'll do this, I'll do that!

I am finding it so hard to use stash material because I might 'waste' it on something that won't look great (like it does in my head when I think about the potential) - it's like some fabrics are my favourites and it feels painful to see them graduate (to become part of a project), grow up (move from 'possibility' to 'actually being used') and then leave home (i.e. leave my stash).

I bought a great FQ once at Alexandra Palace (I used some of it for my Steampunk vibe skirt) - the seller said something like she was letting one of her kids go: because it was the last one of this pattern, and that she knows all her fat quarters so well that it feels like a loss when she sells some of them.

I finally know what she meant because I am experiencing it, just by putting the darn thing to the use it is intended for. I had some fabrics so long, they feel like part of the family now! Ach...

I really need to get over this. If I want to keep admiring fabrics then I should hang them on the wall like it's artwork. But I can't just keep them around in case I want to pull something out and sigh over it! I mean, come on!? That's beyond silly.

The issue with this specific fabric is also that it felt like a very versatile fabric: the pattern can be mixed with anything: similar navy shades or contrast colours. I feel a bit desolate that I narrowed it down to this one choice, and therefore it is 'versatile' no longer.

So looking at the whole thing from another angle: does that mean that most of my fabrics are not versatile enough to be easily applied to a pattern? Did I buy a lot of fabrics only because I liked them but they may be too difficult to use?  Is that another reason why I have so much stash?

I do find that it can be really difficult to try and find a suitable fabric when I want to start a project. I often wish I could go and buy new so I get to pick weight, colour, pattern and fibre in special dedication to the particular item. But when I did try and buy new for e.g. my waterfall collar jacket [I'll insert a link once I do post about it] I couldn't find a single thing I really liked - "making do" with something from my stash did then let me go ahead and start.

I may have to let some of my old fabrics go. To lighten the load. Or start with a fabric and decide on a project, that might work better. Oh crikey...

Sneak peak of the waterfall jacket (it needs a lot of fitting and adjustment work):

Assemblyline piecing

I am very happy to report that I managed to put together the remaining 16 blocks of my Hash Tag quilt on Sunday.

It was quite a bit of work and seemed to take a very long time, but they are assembled!

It really helped that I finally calculated the length of the strips I would need and went from there. You know, instead of cutting a bit, sewing a bit, and then needing to cut some more and some more and...  Rather tough going.

I didn't sew all the blocks to the very same stage, I did some quicker than others so it didn't feel like too much of a dreary and routine job.

The blocks are quite easy in that I put together a very long strip of grey, blue, wider grey, blue and grey again - then I sliced those into one wider and two standard cuts and inserted my 'across' lines of blue fabric by placing all units along a long blue strip that I then cut after pressing seams open.  That seemed to be the most efficient way.  I'm sure I could have cut the blue strips to the right length first - I have to weigh up which method is quicker next time.

What is left to do for the quilt top is to connect the blocks with grey sashing.  I uploaded a photo of my sample four block unit a couple of posts ago if you want to have a look.

I am hoping that I can post another update soon and that time I'll make sure to include a photo!

I love it when something comes together.