This is what I accomplished on my vacation. Not great, but I will take it. Between reading three entire novels, accompanying my husband on lunch dates where we ate great food while observing Lake Tahoe, and watching more sunsets than I thought strictly necessary, I did squeeze in a little sewing.
The good news is, I did complete the remainder of the quilt over the past weekend. We will have our big reveal later this week.
This quilt was not without its challenges. First off, I struggled mightily with my fabric selection for the yellow flower petals. Thelma and Lisa and I traded fabrics amongst one another so we would have more variety. My friends were using yellows that were much more in the orange family that I was comfortable with. They were correct to do this, because that orangey yellow is actually the true color of sunflowers.
I really wanted to go with a paler, more buttery shade of yellow, and ended up making my quilt smaller than the pattern because I had a limited supply of yellows in the color range I preferred. Turns out it was a blessing in disguise that I opted for a smaller version of this quilt.
I'm telling you there is a lot of piecing in this quilt. Tons of half square triangles for one thing. My friends made theirs larger and trimmed them down to 2 1/2 inches. I used the Easy Angle and made mine out of 2 1/2 inch strips. Easy Angle is a fast easy way to make a lot of half square triangles, but oh, how I wished I had made them larger and trimmed them down to precisely the exact size I needed. Things would have been SO much more accurate.
Then there were all those strip sets in browns and blacks that make up the sunflower centers. I do not know what to say about that, except that over the summer, apparently I lost the ability to sew a straight quarter inch seam. My sunflower centers were decidedly wonky, and I am very happy that this quilt will not go before any judges who will make any comments on my piecing. Due to a great iron and lots of steam, I think I was able to finally get nine sunflower centers that weren't a complete disgrace. I never would have had twenty blocks in me to complete the full size version of this quilt, as my dear friends were able to do.
I had one more epic fail with this quilt before all was said and done, and I will share that with you in another post.
32 responses to “Sunflower Sisters Progress Update”
I’m so sorry for the trials and tribulations, but I do think your color choice is inspired. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
I’m so sorry for the trials and tribulations, but I do think your color choice is inspired. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
I love the buttery yellows that you used. I’m sure that when it’s finished, it will be lovely and you’ll remember the troubles you had getting to the end.
I love the buttery yellows that you used. I’m sure that when it’s finished, it will be lovely and you’ll remember the troubles you had getting to the end.
Well Nicole, even with all your difficulties and foibles it looks beautiful! I think your yellows turned out great! Once it is all complete you will love it and it will be the perfect table topper for those fall table scapes!! Honestly I do think it looks great so far, I would love to put it on my table, imperfections and all! 🙂
Well Nicole, even with all your difficulties and foibles it looks beautiful! I think your yellows turned out great! Once it is all complete you will love it and it will be the perfect table topper for those fall table scapes!! Honestly I do think it looks great so far, I would love to put it on my table, imperfections and all! 🙂
Love the bit of your wonderful sunflower top that we can see!!!!!!! Your decisions about colors and size are just perfect and there is no wonkiness apparent.
As so may wise quilters have said for decades, “it will probably quilt out”. Whatever woes or mistakes there were in construction will look great in the beautiful overall glory of the quilt. It will be a joy to use for years to come!
Well done!
Hugs!
Love the bit of your wonderful sunflower top that we can see!!!!!!! Your decisions about colors and size are just perfect and there is no wonkiness apparent.
As so may wise quilters have said for decades, “it will probably quilt out”. Whatever woes or mistakes there were in construction will look great in the beautiful overall glory of the quilt. It will be a joy to use for years to come!
Well done!
Hugs!
It’s going to be a great quilt, friend. I am one who finds strip set quarter inch straight seams to be impossible.
It’s going to be a great quilt, friend. I am one who finds strip set quarter inch straight seams to be impossible.
It looks beautiful so far! But I love that you share your “epic fails” with us so that we can all commiserate together. Ha!
It looks beautiful so far! But I love that you share your “epic fails” with us so that we can all commiserate together. Ha!
It will still be beautiful! What novels did you read? I am looking for something GOOD to read. I am kind of at a dry spell.
It will still be beautiful! What novels did you read? I am looking for something GOOD to read. I am kind of at a dry spell.
I have decided that trimming is the only way I can indulge my love of using lots of HSTs and retaining my sanity during assembly. Even though perfection is overrated there IS a baseline and points are one of mine. Thanks for sharing the ups and downs!
I have decided that trimming is the only way I can indulge my love of using lots of HSTs and retaining my sanity during assembly. Even though perfection is overrated there IS a baseline and points are one of mine. Thanks for sharing the ups and downs!
Nicole –
I love your choice of yellow. I think your sunflowers are beautiful and I would be right there with you using the same colors! Sorry to hear it was a challenge to get it together though. It definitely looks like it was worth the effort.
Nicole –
I love your choice of yellow. I think your sunflowers are beautiful and I would be right there with you using the same colors! Sorry to hear it was a challenge to get it together though. It definitely looks like it was worth the effort.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure you did a fine job as always. We are always our worse critics! There are indeed sunflowers that are a light creamy color!
Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure you did a fine job as always. We are always our worse critics! There are indeed sunflowers that are a light creamy color!
It sounds like you were in the middle of filming a Cialis commercial on your vacation! LOL The table topper is looking very good and I had to laugh at the loss of a quarter inch seam. Use it or lose it I guess!
It sounds like you were in the middle of filming a Cialis commercial on your vacation! LOL The table topper is looking very good and I had to laugh at the loss of a quarter inch seam. Use it or lose it I guess!
Some times no matter what you do a quilt just does not co operate with its creator.
Some times no matter what you do a quilt just does not co operate with its creator.
Your peek at the sunflowers looks just fine to me! Epic fail? I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there…don’t be too hard on yourself!! It sounds like a very nice time away from home at Lake Tahoe!
Your peek at the sunflowers looks just fine to me! Epic fail? I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there…don’t be too hard on yourself!! It sounds like a very nice time away from home at Lake Tahoe!
Nicole, I am so envious of you that you realize the challenges and adjust (as in the size) and can still make a finish.
Would love to know what you read on vacation. Hope you and your hubby had a great time.
Nicole, I am so envious of you that you realize the challenges and adjust (as in the size) and can still make a finish.
Would love to know what you read on vacation. Hope you and your hubby had a great time.
Nicole, I’m sure you are being too hard on yourself. The blocks you posted look great to me. Some serious pressing with the iron and adjusting the very worst of the triangle points usually takes care of most of the problems. I still can’t wait to see the finished quilt!
Nicole, I’m sure you are being too hard on yourself. The blocks you posted look great to me. Some serious pressing with the iron and adjusting the very worst of the triangle points usually takes care of most of the problems. I still can’t wait to see the finished quilt!
Hilarious. I am going through the same trials with a quilt too. I’ve decided to just plow through and make it work. Wonky is in these days.
Hilarious. I am going through the same trials with a quilt too. I’ve decided to just plow through and make it work. Wonky is in these days.