Threads

Alas, I get to share my latest pride and joy!  I started with one thing in mind, and it quickly had me wandering down a slightly different path.  Quilts have a way of doing that, especially when there is Improv involved.  

THREADS
47 1/2" x 62"

Scraps.  It turned out I had roughly a million and 74 gray scraps.  Here's a few.  They were from bindings, borders, blocks, end of fabric chunks.  Light gray, dark gray and every thing in between.  I was determined to use every last piece...and I did just that and then some!

Once I found inspiration (this quilt by Debbie @ A Quilter's Table was it!), my plan became clearer.  

I roughly cut my strips the same length, overlapped my pieces, grabbed my ruler and sliced! No math and perfectly perfect was not allowed.  Pairs and pieces were strip pieced over and over and over again.  

Still there were scraps!  Left over bits from the first step that would surly not be forgotten. I was looking for something more, something to bring the design together.  Plus, the quilt needed to be larger, different, unique.  

That's when I decided a center panel would be the way to go.  Bust the scraps and solve the problem!

My monochromatic quilt was becoming a reality.  And then...this overwhelming, uncontrollable, forceful urge for color barraged my brain and wouldn't let up!  I succumbed. I surrendered.  What?!  One color?  No color?  I couldn't help myself and in the end I went with a variety of color!  Just a touch here and there, a smidge, a minuscule amount.  Enough to see, but not enough to over take the design.

The layout was coming together.  Piece by piece.  Chunk by chunk!  I could now straighten up my pieces and put this top together!  

The first step was to make the pieces in to blocks.  This way I could add a strip here and there for length and then the panels could easily become one.  

Which it did!  With flying colors!  I cannot tell you how happy I was when the entire top was finished!  I felt like I received my first A+ in math, won the lottery or talked myself out of a speeding ticket!  I was a proud Mama!    

Of course we all know this wasn't the end.  There was the million dollar question of how to quilt it.  Make it or break it, as they say.  The fear.  

Was short lived.  This quilt screamed random, organic, funky and imperfection.  I used a variety of grays in the beginning and then went back and added a line of color.  Not a lot, just enough.  The center panel was the only section that has both vertical and horizontal lines. There wasn't a path to follow, a direction or line.  Keep with the vibe!

I am beyond pleased with adding color.  To me, it was just enough in both the piecing and the quilting with out being hugely prominent.  

With filaments of color intertwined throughout, I decided to name this quilt 'Threads'.

The initial idea was monochromatic using only scraps.  The scrap part...I did use every single one, but did have to bust out more non-scrap fabric.  It still qualifies as monochromatic, right?  

LINKING:

Sew Cute Tuesday

Let's Bee Social
TGIFF
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop