24,948 total inches (including bobbin) / 2080 feet of thread
Scrap, traditional, and modern quilts, they each stir something within me.
Most of the modern/improv. quilts (rather than traditional) that I had seen were comprised of solid fabrics.
After finishing the top for Playing Minecraft, I wanted to make use of all the remaining scraps.
Prior to making the Minecraft quilt, I didn't have many solids in my stash. Since it was made with only solid fabrics, my supply of solids in a variety of colors had suddenly grown, and I had the "seeds" for a future modern quilt.
I perused different images on Pinterest and watched several YouTube videos to see how one goes about making an improv. quilt.
I chose to add a strip of black and of white into each block. Regardless of the colors I incorporated, I felt the black and white element would bring continuity between the blocks. The quilt was framed first with a white inner border, and next with a 3 1/2" black outer border.
As I continued to sew scraps together and the scrap chunks were growing, my enthusiasm for this project grew. What was so fun, was the "anything goes" attitude. It was like Christmas when you have a pile of Christmas gifts but don't know what each box holds until it is opened. I didn't know how the blocks would look until they were finished.
For the backing, I used a lime green paisley fabric found on the clearance table.
This quilt brought to mind my mother who lives "out of the box", artistic, and completely unique. I asked her if she liked it, and she immediately responded with an exuberant -"I love it!" I knew then I would gift it to her.
When I sent a photo to Tiffany to show her what I created, she said, "Mom, it looks an art gallery wall." So, I've named this quilt "Art Gallery".
Because of the many Christmas orders for quilts during November and December 2022, this was another project that got put onto the back burner.
Last weekend, I finally was able to quilt it. A modern quilt needed a modern quilting motif, and I chose to do matchstick quilting. I haven't done this before and read many articles/blogs on how to do matchstick.
This type of quilting is a long process and uses a lot of thread. This was not a problem because I had been gifted several large thread spools that were waiting to be used.
I used a tan thread in the bobbin for all the stitching. Although not the same color as the green paisley, it was close enough that it would be a complement.
For the top, I chose a variety of colors (purple, gold, red, green, salmon, blue, etc.) from my thread supply.
I began by establishing "registration lines". Since I had straight seams from the block layout, I stitched in the ditch vertically moving from the quilt center and outward.
Next, I measured with a 6" ruler from this seam line and used painter's tape for my stitching guide. I used the edge of my pressure foot and moving my needle position to sew the next lines. I moved my needle position from row to row so there was some differentiation between the stitching.
I used one thread color for each of the 1st set of lines moving across the quilt. I would then change my thread color to do the next set of lines (ex. one pressure foot away from each line - 1/4" +-), stitch across the entire quilt, change thread again, and continue the process. In the places where the gap between colored thread seemed larger than 1/2", I would add another colored thread.
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I really liked the effect that the many thread colors had on the black outer border.
I read somewhere about what when straight line quilting becomes matchstick. I saw this happen as the stitching came closer with each pass across the quilt.
Once all of the colored thread lines were stitched, I added white thread between the 1/4" inch lines. There were a few places where the gap was larger than I liked, and I would add an additional line of white thread.
The backing was a delightful chartreuse paisley green I found on the flat fold table. I love it!!!!
I hand sewed the binding while I was on the March Madness Shop Hop with my friends. We made it to 10 quilting stores by the time the day was completed.
This makes 6 quilts finished so far in 2023 (and 7 since Christmas). I'm making progress on getting my UFO's completed this year and it is only March!
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Every quilt tells a story. This is the story of making my first improv quilt and doing matchstick quilting. 24,948 inches is a lot of thread! I have a feeling I will be making another improv. quilt one day.
Every Quilt Tells A Story
Whether it is the fabrics chosen, the design, the colors, the occasion, the recipient, or the people I quilt with, every quilt tells a story. This blog captures in images and words what has been created for others and for my own home through the hum and stitching of my sewing machine.
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