Friday, June 05, 2015

Friday Finish - A Challenge!

You know how I love a challenge... especially one with free fabric! When the Mothership throws down the gauntlet, I take it up (well... sometimes!) This quilt, 668 Triangles: A Redux, was made as part of the MQG's 2015 Fabric Challenge with Riley Blake Designs.

The challenge was controversial in the MQG world. The available free fabric was gone VERY quickly and it was tough to find more of the prints since The Cottage Garden line is not a new one. I was one of the lucky ones who signed up quickly.
  The rules?
- Make something fantastic that is quilted. CHECK!
- Make something you have never done before. CHECK! Well, sort of.
- Challenge yourself to learn something new. Hmmm... maybe.
- Use only Riley Blake The Cottage Garden fabrics and Riley Blake coordinating basics & solids. NOPE. (We'll come back to that)

We received fat eights of Cottage Main Grey, Cottage Aster White, Cottage Birds Grey, Cottage Newsprint Teal, Cottage Wallpaper Teal, and Cottage Wallpaper Grey. 
 I opted to vote the little birds off the island... their fuschia legs & eyes just didn't work in my palette!
I subbed in Kona White, Aqua, and Lemon. I would have preferred to play by the rules and use Riley Blake solids. But they're just not readily available. I wasn't able to find any Canadian on-line shops that carried a full range and with rate of exchange, duty, and shipping, I wasn't ordering from the US. So I'm officially a rule breaker!
I cut as many triangles as I could from the challenge fabric using my trusty Hex n' More ruler. This is the second time that I've opted to use it on a pattern that isn't by Jaybird Quilts (the ruler's creator). Boy, if I had one of these back in the day, my (many) Thousand Pyramid quilts would have gone much more quickly!
I even used the blunt ends of the ruler to trim the tips from my triangles... it made accurate piecing so much easier. I won't say there aren't any blunt triangles, but there are far fewer than in past projects!
 Careful matching of those blunt corners gave me the seam allowance needed to sew the rows together!
I didn't sketch this one out ahead of time... it grew on the design wall. I knew I wanted an asymmetrical design and that the finished product should be a functional baby quilt.
It's a little strange for me to have so much of the process in a Finish post, but I started this piece on Friday and finished it on Tuesday. That just doesn't happen often around here!
For the quilting, I used a medium teal (Gutterman 670). I quilted a ¼ inch on either side of the triangle seams and carried the lines of stitching into the negative space, creating ghost triangles. I used a similar technique when I quilted Honey. This was my second time using a Hera marker to mark lines instead of my trusty Frixion pen. I could get used to this!
I opted for a scrappy binding in the triangle section and a white binding in the negative space. I wanted the binding to blend and not stand out on either section and this seemed the only way to go about it. This side even played along and matched up well! We won't dwell on the other side...
I used as much of those fat eights as I could... even including a few leftover triangles and my offcuts in the pieced back. I also used a big chunk of Kona Ash and Riley Blake In the Ocean print (Ocean Bubbles Teal) coordinating basic that I managed to rustle up at my LQS.
Whilst strollin' the neighbourhood with DT (and snapping quilt pics), we passed by some of our urban art. Our city commissioned artists to paint all sorts of utility boxes that were prone to vandalism. Love em!
The colours of those fishies would make a great quilt. Oh wait... I think I've already made a few quilts in those colours!
Since it's springtime in Nova Scotia, there are lots of lovely things to see (and smell). Apple blossoms.... mmmm.
And because I am shameless, I encourage you to pop over to the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild's blog and vote for your favourite in our Viewer's Choice Awards. It doesn't HAVE to me mine! Unless you're related to me... ☺
The Deets
Title:  468 Triangles: A Redux
Size: 28 by 35½ inches
Konas Used: Aqua, Ash, Lemon, White
Prints Used: Cottage Main Grey, Cottage Aster White, Cottage Newsprint Teal, Cottage Wallpaper Teal, and Cottage Wallpaper Grey from Riley Blake's The Cottage Garden
Quilting: Straight line in medium of teal (Gutterman 670) 
Binding: Kona White and scrappy section, Hand stitched with matching threads 
Backing: Kona Ash and Riley Blake's Ocean Bubbles Teal
Favourite Part(s): Creating something from my imagination and making it up as I went along, using only material from my stash, knowing that this quilt will travel halfway around the world to keep a special little girl warm

Since it's Friday, I'm linking up with Finish Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, as well as TGIFF, hosted this week by Quokka Quilts.

J

19 comments:

  1. I love this quilt! Great decision using the teal thread! Also, I don't blame you for breaking the rules one bit. Riley Blake solids are hard to find (even in the US!) I wish the MQG would include some solids with the fabrics they want us to use in these challenges, it would be helpful.

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  2. I love this quilt and it's colors including the story behind them... I love that you're a rule breaker but had REALLY good reason to! That's what we all tell the officers, right? haha. I need to try triangles... they appear scarier to me than curves!

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  3. I love your take on this challenge (and I'm not surprised you managed to work in some Kona, you rule breaker!). I think I love the pieced back the most!

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  4. Man, I ordered some Riley Blake white fabric for this challenge over 3 months ago and I think I might receive it in the next week. I hope I have time to get it finished by the deadline... Your finish is delightful and what an amazing and fast finish! Now to check out what this voting thing is all about...

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  5. it's a fab quilt. I love the asymmetricalness (yes, that is a word) of it and the ghost triangles. Great colours too. I wish they'd send free fabric to British quilters for challenges like this too!

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  6. The triangles pattern really worked well for this challenge since they give you fat eighths. Love your modern take on a classic design. I used Kona Lemon in my challenge project too. Of course I had to get a whole meter, just in case ;)

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  7. Those prints are gorgeous and your selection of solids is perfect. Love the pops of Lemon! The matched binding is super sweet and makes for a really pro finish. That teal quilting is spot on, too. Thanks for sharing the pics of your neighbourhood. What an all around pretty post!

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  8. A truly gorgeous quilt! I'm not sure I could have resisted adding the birdies, but I think your decision to hold them back was, aesthetically, a wise one!

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  9. A great challenge quilt! I want to try one of these hera markers too..I always wondered....

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  10. I love this! The teal thread for quilting was an awesome choice, it really takes this piece to the next level I feel like. :) And I love the painted utility box, those little fish are so cute!

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  11. Beautiful! Your quilting is daring with the teal :) And the scrappy binding fits perfectly!

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  12. I love it!!!! And how the binding lined up is nothing short of miraculous! A triangle quilt had been on my list for a minimum of 2 years-even have a triangle ruler and have not yet cut a single triangle! Anyhow, I voted-didn't participate in the challenge but will throw my opinion around! Good luck.

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  13. You've done such a great job. I really like how you have quilted this. The asymmetrical design and ghost blocks . Very nice. Visiting from FIUF.

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  14. I'm a very distant Italian relative ;) and I really like your quilt so you got my vote!

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  15. Your challenge quilt is awesome! Love it so much! Love everything about it!

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  16. I need more information about this Hera marker. Love the triangle idea...you sure you weren't in my head. LOL

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  17. I really like this. I have an Art Gallery bundle in similarish colours. Hmmm ...
    I just tried to vote and would have picked yours (with Lesley's as a close second) but the only option was to vote for the tops, not the finishes.

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  18. Beautifully done, you little rule breaker!! The touch of yellow is a very welcome sight with the other colors. SO fresh! I adore it and I'm sure that little girl will too! I'm one who had a hard time with this fabric bundle, its great to see you didn't and that it can be done!! Everyone should have a Hera Marker, you will use it every chance you get!

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