Grandmother's Choice Top is Finished!

I finished the top for the Grandmother's Choice a week or so after the final block was posted.  I was so excited to see if my plan would work!  And it did!  Here's the sketch I made about two thirds of the way through the project to which I later added cutting measurements for the sashing/borders.  The numbers in the blocks do not correspond to the weeks, rather were used for me to keep track of which block went where once I had placed them on my design board.

Once I had the setting established, I also decided on a couple of other "rules" for myself.  The groups of three blocks have red in each of those blocks. The center block of each group of nine blocks also has red.  Further, each block horizontally next to the center block in the groups of nine use only blue and white/cream fabrics.  The remainder of the blocks are blue, black and white/cream. I think in the end this helped me distribute the colors evenly.

Once the blocks were done, I had to measure each one because they did not all finish at 8.5"!  (I did get more accurate later in the project.)  For the ones that did not measure up, I added small "frames" or strips around the outside of the block.  (I now understand these are "coping" strips - still learning the terminology of this art form.) These generally measured 1/4" finished.  I wanted the blocks perfectly 8.5" square since my setting required accuracy to pull off the look. I toyed with the ideas of using contrasting fabric for these little frames, but took my friend Suzanne's advice and made them blend into the blocks:

Once the blocks were all 8.5" and the sizes of the sashing and borders was established (another design wall exercise with lots of sample cuts) it was pretty quick to put together.  I finished it by working intently over 3 or 4 days. The quilt finished at 80" square.

I am very pleased with the result of my first Sampler Quilt and I am so very grateful to my quilting colleagues who cheered me on and helped with details from time to time! And listened to my whining from time to time as well.

The finished top:

I tend to jump around with the type of things I enjoy doing, but I think Becky nailed my quilting aesthetic with this comment from the Grandmother's Choice flickr group: "Your color choices give a contemporary spin to very traditional blocks".  Have I found my niche?  Time will tell.

Now I have to figure out how I want it quilted!  And select a binding!  And then finish the darn thing!
 
Yay for quilting!

It's August Already!

I have been incredibly busy this summer including a wonderful trip to a wedding in Cabo San Lucas and a few business trips.

That has not kept me from keeping up with my various projects and starting new ones.  I'll catch up with documenting them at some point!

We have finished the last block for the Grandmother's Choice Block of the Week by Barbara Brackman.  I learned so much about both construction and design on top of all the great stories and history on women and the vote.

Here are my 49 blocks:

They are not quite in order because I redid a couple, an one has been redone yet again. And how about that purple background?  I forgot to change it to black when I made the collage. But you get the gist!

Here is my start at my setting - sashing of a group of 9:

There is more to come but I'm off on a business trip all week.  I am currently deciding how thick I want the sashing to be around that group of 9.  The same size as what separates the blocks or a bit wider. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I hope to work on this next weekend when I return.  Until then, I'll check in on the Flickr site to see what folks are up to.