Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Drinking the scrappy, trippy KoolAid

I woke up on Sunday morning and logged onto Instagram, and it seemed that overnight all my quilting Instagram buddies were making these amazing Trip Around the World quilts. Out of scraps.

"Insane people", I thought. This quilt would require 2.5 inch squares, and accurate piecing.  Not being one for small fiddly squares of fabric, and an acknowledged abuser of the 1/4 inch foot, I wasn't at all tempted.

Until I took a closer look at the blocks they were making. And a peek at the instructions. And that's when I totally drank the KoolAid.

Fabric selection

I chose a jelly roll (Just Wing It by Momo) from my stash, as well as some gorgeous hexagons fabric by Curlypops. Later on I would hit the scrap shelf - hard - to add extra fabrics to the mix.

First two blocks

I finished the first two blocks quickly and realised THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT! I was addicted.

After day 1

By the end of the first day I had 4 5/6 blocks. 5/6 because someone didn't cut correctly and came up short. Lucky I found some scraps to fix it with.

I worked on it a little more on New Year's Eve. I was just slowly plugging away in between gardening and my daily swim, and yet these blocks kept materialising. So much fun. We're not ones for celebrating New Years around here, but at midnight last night, there I was at the sewing machine, Gregory Porter on the stereo, Baileys on ice at hand, sewing happily.

How I spent New Year's Eve - photo taken at midnight

Tonight I finished all the blocks and set to arranging. You like? I like.

Scrappy Trip Around the World

On sewing them together I started thinking I had done something awfully wrong. But I couldn't put my finger on it. And then, after sewing two rows and pinning them both to sew together it hit me.

Ooops

I hadn't squared the blocks and bugger me if they all weren't different variations of 12 1/2 inches square.

I shall plug on. Still having fun. Always.

15 comments:

  1. It looks amazing! Like a kaleiodoscope of trippy kool aid colour.

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  2. I so want to desperately participate in this, but I have a wedding quilt to finish (which I may need your assistance with if you've got time and the inclination). As always I love the magic you've made!

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  3. Looks great! You've just about tempted me to jump in if it's that easy to use a jelly roll :)

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  4. I'm soooo tempted- but have a lot of clothes I want to make before I do another quilt! So I may just drink the Kool Aid when everyone else has forgotten about it- is that non-Hipster of me?

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  5. Your blocks look amazing! I am always inspired to sew when I see what you've been doing!
    X

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  6. Loving your blocks so much! Can't wait to jump in when we get back home.

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  7. I love it. I want to do one of these, but have promised myself that I need to finish at least 5 WIP quilts before I start another one. I am inspired to get sewing. Thanks and Happy New Year.

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  8. That looks amazing! And that construction method - so clever! I would never have imagined it was made like that.

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  9. aaaa.. now I am into it. really, really want to make it... must stay up tonight..LOL.. love yours!!! gorgeous.

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  10. I'm hoping the box of scraps I have here at the shack will get me started, was looking at the pattern yesterday on Bonnie's site! serendipitous!

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  11. Wow Michelle, that's looking fantastic. Ooh so tempted to try one myself. Thanks.

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