The Ugly Quilt

I'm back working on what is affectionately called, "The Ugly Quilt."

While traipsing across NW Oregon with my Mom during the Snowflakes and Stitches Shop Hop earlier this year, a jelly roll caught caught my eye. Ombre dots, a fabric series by Quilting Treasures, was busy, modern and enticing.

After completing all the squares from the shop hop, I was eager to start another project. Looking at various projects online, the possibility of paralysis was palpable -- I could look for that perfect project forever. Chances are, the choice would be a project that would then require more learning, more tools, more fabric... and ultimately just be one more thing that would never see completion.

Opening the (already growing) fabric stash drawer, I perused things for a moment, then just grabbed the roll, unfurled it, and started sewing strips together.

Like the kid that bellies up to the ice cream counter and asks for a scoop of everything WITH all the different sprinkles, too, I quickly found that too much of a good thing is, indeed, just too much. All that color, the busy dots, the fades... just TOO much. It almost causes motion sickness, I'm not joking.

But... I was committed. Besides, how does one learn from mistakes, unless you go boldly into and then through them? Deciding to make two square variations, each of five colors, the strips were cut down into large blocks. Opening up Illustrator, I played with some layouts and grid sizes. The aim was not for a specific size, just something big enough for a couch blanket.

On the one hand, I have no idea what I'm doing. On the other... I did it.

Fast forward until the next time my Mom was here... four months later. She, Scot and I went to Fabric Depot, and my goal was to find a fabric to flow between the blocks. Something sturdy enough to stand up to it, but not add to the cacophony. In my mind was a strong idea; but, as usual, Scot had a better eye than I did, and made a suggestion that I didn't quite see, but, frankly, trusted more than my own.

One step at a time.

It was put away, just stacked squares and the hunk of whatever-it-is-you-call-between-the-squares, until today. My craft room continues to be -- slowly -- cleaned out and organized. All "Projects Yet to Be Done" are stored in the open, in a special little basket. (OK, so it isn't that little; it's a laundry basket.) Approaching the basket, a voice reminded me to do the projects in the order they were received. Which, meant The Ugly Quilt was up.

Today, three rows. In another short evening, those will be married together, and the border completed. At that point I'll have a quilt top. A very busy, ugly, but well loved quilt top.

Then, backing, sandwiching, quilting and binding. All things I've never done. Yet.