This quilt started out as a way to use up Halloween fabric scraps left from at least three other projects I made for friends -- specifically, sisters who are my good friends and whose birthdays are just before Halloween, making them big fans of the holiday.
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| Microwave bowl holders |
I wanted a project that would be easy and pretty mindless to sew while using scraps in a variety of different sizes, including some triangles I'd cut for the pillow above and not used. It's been a while since I've done any economy blocks, aka square in a square, so I found a free foundation paper piecing template for 6" finished squares and printed out some copies. I sewed, pressed and trimmed over and over while watching Netflix, and soon I had used up all the scraps that were big enough and fit my general color placement plans.
I had an idea along the way that I would give this quilt to my friend Bethany (one of the sisters) as a birthday present, but her personal style is more edgy and dark than what I would normally reflect in a quilt, so I needed to keep this quilt moody. I pulled out a bolt of Michael Miller Cotton Couture in Ocean that I bought a while back when I could occasionally get good deals on bolts of solids. The hand is so silky, and the color was a perfect complement to the colors in the blocks.
After planning out the sashing, I moved on to borders. To keep things looking more modern, I decided to use wide borders in varying widths so that the panel of blocks would be off-center. I built the design in EQ8 (it took forever!) and played around with the dimensions until I had something I liked. I tweaked this plan a little when it came to cutting the strips, deciding to make the quilt a little bigger with wider borders. Having a whole bolt of solid border fabric on hand was very convenient, as I knew I wouldn't run out of fabric!
For the backing, I bought a black and gray text print (in German) at my local quilt shop, but there was not quite enough to cover the whole pieced back, so I had to add a bit to the bottom corner. I auditioned a few options but ended up using a piece of haunted houses that appeared in a few of the economy blocks.
I tried a new local longarmer and chose an allover design that, to me, looks like swirling smoke. It looks so good in the wide border fabric and adds just the right amount of texture and movement. The quilter used dark gray thread, and I used more of the MM Ocean solid as binding for a clean, seamless finish on the front.
I took photos outside before and after washing and drying the quilt to compare the crinkling. Unfortunately, the post-wash photos are marred by the shadow of a tree in my backyard! Needing to get this gift in the mail to arrive in time for my friend's birthday, I couldn't wait for an overcast day to try again, so the photos that follow are unwashed. The finished size is approximately 60 x 70".
