QA #19 Making a Modern Quilt Top

Quilt Along # 19 Making a Modern Quilt Top

To be posted on QA June 27, 2012

This week our QA with Leah is taking us on a new adventure !   We are creating a "Modern" style quilt top !  Quilting is my favorite of all stitching workmanship, and this Modern Quilting is a whole new area I am stepping out into!  Love that quilting is ever-changing, keeping it new and fresh and exciting!

Working in greens~ my squared up blocks are pressed, seams open, except on the lightest blocks

Having worked with fibers for over 40 years (closer to 50 than 40 even), where the focus was to have threads match or have symmetry or design to a pattern; this Modern quilting is unusual for me, where the expected outcome of workmanship to piecing this quilt top is to NOT match up! I have so much to learn about this new style. 

Adding a little wonky to the first strip

With the usual goal when creating a top that was pleasing to the eye as ones point of vision ebbed and flowed over the piece, this "Modern" style is the opposite of that; a style where viewing the top is not to be a smooth transition, but to be unexpected, with little to none uniformity, where you will have to think about where your eye will rest next before moving your vision on.  I even tore my strips to get the straight of grain as I was working from a very long piece of yardage, so had a straight place to wonky-off from :)

Adding even more wonky to the second background strip

Most of my blocks I pressed the seams opened, except for the very lightest of greens, as I did not want the seam allowance to show through. Throughout the summer we will be quilting this top using some of the FMQ patterns we have learned, and I believe the quilting will bring the movement that the eyes will enjoy tieing our quilt all together.
 This QA has been a challenge, to think outside the box of normal, but enjoyed the challenge thus far.  Thank you Leah! 

Questions sure did arise for me?

• The first strip I put on was a width of  about 4 inches, and the second one about 2.5 inches… Wonder how much this will matter later on when putting the top together?  or does it not matter at all?  will find out next week when I put it together...

• If I should apply a little "wonky" as I apply the first strip? and if I should do it again with the second strip?  Will that be too much wonkiness to the block?  I did some this way, so we will see when it goes together…  

• When I square up, should I square up with more wonky too?  Will that be too much fun/wonkiness ?  We will find out, because I did this to some of the blocks as well. 

 Oh are we going to learn so much on this weeks quilt along :)  Love learning new things!

*Update on my applique` quilt…

I am now beading the borders, almost a finish.  Two more flowers and the first of the  three borders is done ~ in the meantime making this baby quilt for a young momma!  While I had the privilege to teach Sharon how to sew and quilt, one project we made was a queen size BOM quilt for her bed.  All the while we were making it, I was collecting fabrics, making purchases in secret, to hopefully make her a baby quilt one day… What joy, she did marry a wonderful man and they are now having a baby due this summer.  This is the center of her baby scrap quilt I am designing, (to match her bed quilt she made) for  the baby while sleeping in their room.  Love you my friend; my joy to have taught you sewing and quilting!

Ready to be quilted tomorrow morning

The backing is the plaid flannel, and the green paisley will be the binding I will add tomorrow night, Lord willing, the shower is Saturday morning... oh my, don't like cutting it this close :)

Thanks Leah ~ enjoying quilting along with  you!

Godspeed,
mary