Remember this quilt top? I have had it completed since early January. I lacked motivation to complete it, mainly because I didn't want to finish a king sized quilt that I didn't L-O-V-E. I knew I wouldn't use it on my bed, so there it sat, in a basket for a long time. A few weeks ago I started ripping it apart to remove the white sashing. I could have just cut it all apart, but I would have lost 6.5" by cutting it apart at the seams, and the quilt would have been too skinny. I didn't want to make more colored strips, either. So I ripped. And ripped. And ripped some more.
Then I had to reinforce the beginning and ending of most of the seams because they were coming apart. It was quite tedious. (That is a gross understatement.)
During the past several days I have been plugging away on it. I am happy (and very relieved) to have it back in quilt top form.
It now measures 78" x 87" and I am back to being excited about it.
It's so good to know that all that stitch ripping paid off.
I can't wait to quilt it now. I plan to back it with cream colored fabric and then quilt each line with matching thread. So for the pink strips, pink thread on the front and back, for the green strip, green thread front and back, etc. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is smooth sailing from here on out-this quilt has given me more than enough trouble already.
ooooooooooooo it looks awesome. are you going to put it on the bedw with the stripes vertical? LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI think that of all your quilts, this is my favorite. I love the variety and colors!
ReplyDeleteI like I like!!! I liked it with the white sashing too!!! Is this a pattern? The graduating value of the colors is inspiring, I'd like to try it. (When is your original post on this quilt?)
ReplyDeleteI love it!!! It looks so great! And it really is an amazing difference between the two ways of using the strips!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! Looks great. I wouldn't know what to do with a king size quilt I wasn't going to use on my bed either. This is so much more practical.
ReplyDeleteAll your reverse stitching really paid off, this is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYou inspire me -
it's gorgeous, I mean I liked it before, but I'm so impressed with your dedication to make it just perfect, can't wait to see it quilted.
ReplyDeleteI love the color waves. It is so pleasing to the eye.
ReplyDeleteI love it and I think the idea for the quilting is very very nice, I'm looking forward to seeing it finished.
ReplyDeleteHoly moly you are dedicated. This will prove worth all the frogging (what we knitters call ripping out stitches...rip it rip it rip it). Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteThe original quilt is pretty fabulous, but then when I saw what it looks like without the white sashing - WOWZA!! Isn't it great how that inner voice keeps us from finishing projects before they're ready to be finished?
ReplyDeleteWhat a big change! I liked it before but I love it now. Can't wait to see it finished. You are just so amazing!!
ReplyDeletethat's allot of ripping! love it both ways personally lol. happy quilting!
ReplyDeleteThe tedious-ness of it all would have done me in a while ago. I love the concept, though! ;o) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteoh, i am in love. i love this quilt both wats. Sometimes time away from a project is all we need. Doesn't it feel good to pick it up again, and be excited? whenever i have an unfinished project, it stresses me out too much and i sometimes finish it without being in love with it. i should wait until I am in the mood again. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeletewow. You are so good. Can I borrow some of your energy and motivation? I have so many projects I need to move forward on and I find myself with no motivation. How do you do it?? {oh, it does look fabulous!}
ReplyDeleteI like the watercolory effect of it without the sashing! This will be so pretty when it is done!
ReplyDeleted spack-
ReplyDeletethis is not a pattern, just something that I made up with a strip of nearly every fabric that I owned at the time.
I posted about the quilt here:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/01/spectrum-quilt.html
and here:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2007/11/ive-created-monster.html
aj
carolyn cmb
ReplyDeleteif it goes on a bed, the stripes will be horizonal.
aj
Good for you! It's so much better to work on a quilt when you're liking it. I like this better too.
ReplyDeleteMy, you are one patient and driven woman! I'd like to think that I would have spent the time ripping and reinforcing until I got to the desired design, but I don't think I'd have had it in me. Good for you for not stopping until you got it right. The revised version is great - so much better than with the white sashes. Sweet payoff!
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea for quilting. The back will look amazing!
ReplyDeleteAll that ripping paid off big! It looks amazing - you should be really excited about finishing it =)
ReplyDeletethis is amazing! one day I dream of making a quilt like this! : )
ReplyDeleteI love it like this!
ReplyDeletei liked it the first way, but i LOVE it now!!! work well done dear friend!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! Thanks for sharing your work. I find that it helps to blog about our challenges, as much as our successes. Congrats on not settling until you find something you like.
ReplyDeleteps. I am starting on your quilt-a-long and am up to week 6. I will post a pic on my blog once I get there. I am a beginning quilter and this is the perfect project for me to work on.
Wow! You are so brave to do all that ripping! when do you find the time to do it?! Love the new look, though! Can hardly wait to see it finished!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone else - it looked good before but it looks even better now! It's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI liked it better the first way - but then you weren't asking for opinions. Just call me contrary.
ReplyDeleteWow! You are amazing. I loved the way you had it the first time, but think your redo is wonderful. I especially love your idea for quilting using thread to match each band of colour front and back. Now I can't wait to see how it looks quilted!
ReplyDeleteI love the new version! It looks beautiful! But I cannot believe you had the patience to undo/redo the whole thing! I would have just scrapped the whole thing, I just don't have the patience. But I'm so glad you did and you had the vision of what it could become. I'm in awe!
ReplyDeletei liked it before, but i think i like it better now!!! you are such a patient woman! or you must have been very bored :-)
ReplyDelete(hey! i just noticed the "teacher quilt" on the sidebar, but it doesn't have a link! are you going to share it????)
I LOVE it. It's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI think it looks great. Good luck with the quilting.
ReplyDeleteI like it much better now as well! I just bought some batting (the last component I needed) for my first quilt! I'm going to start working on it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI'm contrary, too--I liked it better the first way. But then again, that's because we're all different, ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, though, your patience is astounding!
Hi Amandajean, I have been following your blog for some time now. I am amazed at how fast you make a large quilt. You make it seem easy, while I am sure it is not. I had to send you a message. I really love this quilt. It is so beautiful. Can't wait to see it when it is ready.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Marianne.
It looked good with the sashings, but without them it has more movement and energy! Ripping certainly paid off.
ReplyDeleteIt is SOOOOO beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI like the colours and your idea for quilting is a great one! I can hardly wait ot see it done! You are amazing!
I really liked it the first way but both ways look nice now. You gotta do what you love.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. I want one.
ReplyDeleteWOW, how beautiful! Glad you're now happy with it and will be finished! All that time you spent un-stitching was really worth it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI think it looks great. I can't imagine how much time you put into cutting all the pieces and sewing the thin strips. It's very pretty with or without the borders!
ReplyDeleteI'm just letting you know that I've finally put up a photo of the quilt-a-long quilt I completed for my son. It's only a thumbnail size picture.... I've been having enormous trouble with Wordpress at home only putting up thumbnail sized photos, so in the end I thought I'd just put a tiny picture up and be done with it! He loves his quilt and it looks very effective.
ReplyDeleteit's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteRipping out stitching can be a pain, but it is usually worth it.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is really beautiful! I think I may have to make one similar to that! (once I get enough fabrics!!!) I love the stitching with same color thread, that will look really cool on the back! Wow - that's about all I can say for this one!
ReplyDeleteI Love it! Can you tell me what kind of batting you prefer?
ReplyDeletethat is a really beautiful quilt top. I would say good luck but i am sure you don't need it all your quits turnout beautifully
ReplyDeletedawnkristine,
ReplyDeleteI love warm and natural or warm and white cotton batting. I purchase it at Joann's.
amandajean
Thanks for your nice comment on my blog. And that's so neat that you and your sister are both July 4th babies! Happy Almost Birthday!
ReplyDeleteThe gradations of color look fabulous. It looks like a fun project too.
ReplyDeletei love your spectrum quilt - both ways! you've inspired me to begin collecting pieces for one. what was the original measurement of each of your colored strips?
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! What a difference that small change in design made...not to minimize the work involved.
ReplyDelete