Monday, March 2, 2015

My QST Rainbow Quilt

   
I have a few things that I would really like to do, two of which are to have something published in a magazine (money and glory!) and have a quilt in a quilt show (but once that happens I will probably want to win a prize or something).  I recently had a quilt accepted for publication and it should be coming out soon (!!!) and decided that I wanted to make another "magazine quilt" and this quarter square triangle rainbow quilt was going to be it.

It all started with a stack of Micheal Miller Cotton Couture  that I got on sale at Pink Castle Fabric.  I had recently seen this quilt and knew that I also wanted to make a quilt with solid fabric with a rainbow gradation.  I decided to make it with quarter square triangles (QST) instead of half square triangles (HST).

I knew it was going to be totally cool and had visions of the magazine wanting to make kits for it or something, but then I got lazy while chain piecing the QSTs.  I thought, "No big deal if the seams aren't totally perfect.  I'm going to trim them down to size anyway."  What I had forgotten is that trimming works when you are working with HSTs, but QSTs have two diagonal seams and it is almost impossible to line up the seams at all four points if your piecing is sloppy.  Really, if I had want to submit something to a magazine I shouldn't have be sloppy at all, but I was.  So....some of the points are 1/4" off (or more!  ouch!)

And that is really embarrassing to admit but at the same time it was really freeing to realize that I wasn't going to try to make something perfect to submit.  It made the trimming easier (I had frozen when I realized that trimming wasn't going to make the QSTs perfect) and now I am less stressed about doing cool quilting.  It is rather nice to not have to be perfect, but embarrassing to admit that I am not perfect.  Not that anyone (including myself) thought I was.

I already have the backing - some cool coral floral flannel (say that 5 times fast!).   I am excited to finish it up.  I love how the colors play together.

Waiting on the banister to be quilted.
8 inch blocks
56" x 72"

7 comments:

  1. Your quilt is lovely! This post had perfect timing because I've been stressing about my points for a Lori Holt QAL. I changed the measurements so I could use some monkey squares I precut for a quilt for my daughter. Well, it has been both stressful and imperfect! But ultimately the result is a lovely quilt she will love. Who will get your pretty creation?

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  2. Looks awesome! Can't wait to see it finished and to see your published quilt!

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  3. Oh this is such an awesome quilt! It is a rainbow of colors and I think it's Beautiful!! I made pinwheel blocks and had to cut them down but they are ok. I love your quilt!!

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  4. I'm doing an improv piece w/ challenge fabrics. My points are usually good but not in one of the blocks. So I cut & made a whole new one. We're talking 16 HST squares that finish at 1 1/4". Small! So the second block was WORSE than the first. Humbling..... :-)

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