After getting the Potato Chip charity quilt blocks dropped off at the post office on Monday, I pulled out the Rainbow Improv blocks and placed them back on my design wall. Over 3 afternoons, I was able to make pretty good progress getting the blocks assembled.
Rainbow Improv Assembly Progress
In each corner, 4 blocks are sewn together. The top and bottom rows also have a single column of two blocks sewn together which is now ready to join the corner blocks. And the center row is fully pieced together. With each seam requiring 3 seams (the joining seam, then the top stitch seam on either side) and a variety of thread changes to match thread to fabric for the top stitching, the seams take a bit of time and I can usually muster about 1.5 – 2 hours of work before I start to tire of the thread changing. I’ve sewn 54 seams and have 18 to go, although the last 6 seams that will connect the rows together will be the longest/most time consuming due to the number of thread changes required.
Rainbow Improv Assembly Progress – Corner Detail
After my last blog post, I made a more careful evaluation of how large the quilt might finish. It’s actually looking like it might be around 50″ square. Given the size is larger than a standard width of fabric and the bulk of the seams on the top of the quilt, I opted to purchase a cream colored wideback from BackSide Fabrics: I ordered 108″ Spritz Wide Back in Crystal. Maybe with another 3 days of sewing this week, I’ll be ready to baste the quilt. Fingers crossed!
What are you working on this week?
Want to read more about this quilt’s evolution? Previous blog posts (in chronological order):
Oh golly, that is so much work! But the results are so unique! Christmas in July starts tomorrow on my blog, and I haven’t finished all the projects, so I’ll be sewing like a crazy woman this week.
This is such a fun quilt. The exposed seams all look so good, you’ve definitely perfected that technique.
This is such a fun and awesome quilt, Yvonne! You’ve done so much work on it and it is a masterpiece! I hope you’ll enter it in a show as it is so unique and well done. I love it! I don’t have a lot planned this week as we have our guild picnic today and am headed to the Gulf tomorrow to enjoy some fresh seafood! Have a great week.
A wideback was a great solution. The quilt looks so good but those thread changes must drive you crazy!
Such good progress! I’m still in awe how large it will be. A good candidate for a wideback, and I like the one you chose for it.
Stunning. Your work is truly original.
While it’s a lot of work, I bet it is pretty satisfying as well. I sure hope you get the time to work on it this week and can finish it!
Pretty intense stuff but I feel that it maybe is a welcome (relaxing?!) counterpoint to your paid job!
Pretty intense stuff, but I feel it makes for a nice (relaxing?!) rewarding counterpoint to your day job!
It is fun seeing it come together, however, I am most impressed with how intense this really is to make – all the seams and all the thread changes.