Quilter in Quarantine

The devastating news came through that the California State Fair was canceled. Scheduled for late July/August, it was my bellwether that everything just might be ok. Not. 

For two years I had been imagining how to construct this quilt, mainly the cubist quilter block. That section came together quickly, it was easier to piece it than to do applique. I pulled completed blocks from my orphan block stash, and incorporated them into the piece. One section kept nagging at me, good for another quilt but not this one.  

First flimsy

The inclusion of a house block kept niggling at me, I wanted one kinda log cabiney. The house block section I ripped out twice, unhappy with the quilt's composition.  

Second flimsy

Final flimsy

(Cancelled) State Fair Quilt glamour shots:

My work is much improved from two years ago. I bought the large spool of Coats turquoise thread, I wasn't about to run out on this special project!

It was the first time I had done a binding in scrappy solid colors. I really like the look so I will do that again. 

Fabric pull for 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" borders

I could not believe how incredibly fast this quilt came together. I intended on matchstick quilting but after I had marked lines and completed the first pass, starting from the middle and quilting out to the edges, it told me it was done. Quilts have a tendency to do that (quilters out there nodding their heads in agreement). 

I went through the whole creative process.
 
That one and where you start off great guns, then the hard work starts and you question whether your artistic vision is going the right direction. Then you turn the corner when it starts to come together, the piece might not be exactly as you envisioned it but has a beauty all its own. 

State Fair quilt would have been entered in the Needle and Fiber Arts Division as "Other Fiber Art." I won't be able to enter it next year as it won't be relevant. It will give me one more year to refine my technique. I also made a serious error in the quilt's backing. The material skewed and puckered. I should have learned my lesson to use a heavier quilting cotton in the backing. 

American Patchwork and Quilting Challenge on Facebook pulled the number 12. On one list, it is my black and white/dark blue quilt. I am not sure I am ready to work on darkness. One my second list, it is a coffee block quilt where I will "float" those blocks with a Moda jelly roll. 

I am going to turn my attention to my Retro quilt and start cutting squares for my Summer quilt now called Flamingos in the Cabana. I am hoping that will help assuage my disappointment on the fair cancellation. 

Linking up with Cynthia for quiltingismorefunthanhousework
for:

Here is one thing I bought thrift that I hesitated to list a few months ago. I haven't hesitated now, it is a perfect craft project for the times. https://www.ebay.com/itm/184275394527