up, up and away – from concept to quilt top

I was torn on whether to share this quilt in its quilt top state. It has been such a fun, fun quilt to make, that I’ve barely put it down to take pictures. But I’ve decided to go for it.

I’m a relatively new member of the VMQG. One of the first challenge projects that I’ve had a chance to participate in is the Basics Challenge with Riley Blake Designs. I was so excited when I picked up my fabrics at last months meeting.

I had absolutely no idea what to make so I laid them out on my sewing desk, and while working on other things, I let the ideas percolate.
Then I went to the drawing board. I toyed with doing something using a pattern from a designer, but in the end, decided to be brave and design something myself.

This is a win win project. This is my challenge entry and it will also be my baby’s first “big boy quilt”. It’s a bit early to make him one, but he really is a big boy, and the baby quilts I made him when he was tiny are so easily kicked off and more often than not, he sleeps uncovered in his crib. I wanted to make this quilt “un-kickable”.

It took a day or two to hash out a plan and do the math, in between all the other things moms do.
I have to say how much I LOVED this process. (This is new to me, so I wasn’t expecting that.)

Then I did a few test blocks. These are some of the bits left over. (They are so pretty.)

I decided to throw in a tiny little accent. I fiddled with some flying geese blocks and made this tiny little sequence. I love it. It measures around 2 inches by 1 inch, per unit.

The background fabric is a Moda Bella grey that I love and just might have bought a bolt of… The bits of color are solid scraps from my collection.

After some sewing and trimming and pressing, there was a quilt top. I apologize for the quality of photos. I didn’t stop to take proper pictures during this process (just Ipad pics). I didn’t expect it to move so quickly. 

The finished top has so many things I love about it. I love the color and the motion, and how the bits of the challenge fabrics play so well with everyone else.

This quilt wouldn’t have had a backing so quickly if it weren’t for my amazing hubby. He left work early to hit the fabric store (nearer to him than to me) before it closed and found me the perfect backing fabric AND binding fabric, that matched the guidelines for the MQG challenge. Yes, it probably took 30 minutes on the phone and quite a bit of hunting on his part, but he did it. And they were so much better than I imagined. (But you’ll have to wait for finished pictures to see it … in color.)

When laying out the backing and trying to determine my piecing plan, my little guy found his quilt. And boy was he pleased with it. It was a swirly, wrinkly mess in 30 seconds flat. He LOVED it. And it wasn’t even done.

One more nap for him and it was basted. This just might be my favorite quilt ever. At least until the next favorite one.

Linking up for finish it up Friday with Amanda Jean.