Twice as Nice Quilt ( aka: the Quilt of Insanity)Complete

Last year, Julie, of Jaybird Quilts designed and organized this Hexagon Quilt Along Online. I thought: How cool! And I jumped in enthusiastically. I bought a Summer's Basket of Flowers jelly roll, the 60° ruler from Creative Grids, and let the rotary cutter fly! Then I perched behind my sewing machine and stitched triangles into hexagons with glee. Before I knew it, I had completed the top...and I hated it. Now, I didn't hate the quilt a long. In fact, Julie did a marvelous job of explaining everything and I still loved the idea of a hexagon quilt, but my fabrics just didn't look like I thought they should...or could. I hemmed and hawed and even groveled for help as to what to do here .
I got lots of advice and the consenses was that I would be crazy to rip the whole top apart and reconstruct it. Well, you know what they say, if the shoe fits.... so insane I must be. But those of you that know me, probably reached that conclusion long ago, so I'm sure it came as no surprise. I ripped it all out. It was a long, long process and it was a slow, slow one as well. I had to be careful not to distort the fabrics since they were all cut on the bias.

But looking back, I am glad I did it because I LOVE it now!

 

So thanks Julie!

P.S. Just a heads up. If you click on the photo for a larger shot, please disregard the sad looking lawn. That is not grass. It is a yard full of weeds, but they are green and since we haven't seen a drop of rain since September, they are staying. The 115°+ temps have not been kind to anything attempting to grow this summer. If you squint from afar, it looks like grass and until the good Lord sends some rain (which I know He will) that's good enough for me.

It amazes me that just rearranging the fabrics made them come alive. It's 68x64. A more seasoned quilter would have made this quilt and it would have been square, but seeing as I am not a member of that group, we have a wonky quilt, but it's a good size to cuddle under and I really like the scrappy, piano key border. I backed it in a red print from the same line, mostly because I found it on a wide backing width on sale. I hesitated only briefly about backing it in red because of the possibility that it would run. Shout Color Catcher Sheets to the rescue! Have y'all heard of these things? I am SO sold on this product! They look like the softener sheets you use in the dryer, but you throw them in the wash. This is the end result:

Can you believe that?! Without them, I'm pretty sure the quilt would have been ruined and there would have been sad tears. So I applaud the Shout people who either concocted this fabulous product, or sat up and took notice when someone brought it to them.

When I picked the quilt up from my Longarm quilter she said that if I ever wanted to sell it, she had a number of people who wanted it, but I have become too attached to it. And although I'm working on a quilt for DD to take to college, I'll have to check her luggage when she leaves, because she seems to be forming a bond with this one too. I don't know about this kid. She steals her Papa's horses, her brother's clothes, and her Mama's quilts. Good thing we love her!