Sea of HSTs - From the Beginning

This is the quilt that inspired Sea of HSTs . . . 

that and the fact that I was left with 

a large stack of leftover batik triangles

after making Someday is Now.

"Triangles in Squares"

Maker Unknown - Gee's Bend, Alabama - 1970s

76-3/8" x 76-1/2"

Part of the Ella King Torrey Collection 

of African American Quilts

at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Accession No. 2006-163-4

I've posted about the background work for this project

HERE and HERE and HERE.

This past week it was finally time

to start laying out parts on the design wall.

LOTS of experimentation was involved

including raiding the project box

for Lagniappe to swap out several fabrics.

By Friday the layout was settled

and a plan for the extra pieces devised.

Clearly this one is a challenge to take photos indoors.

(my design wall is NOT that pink)

The sewn-together center measured 

33" wide by 45" long.

Once the borders were sewn in place

the quilt top measured

45" x 57"

And then it was time to work with 

the leftover HST blocks.

I created two 67" long insert strips

to use in the quilt's back.

From the Outside In by Malka Dubrowsky 

and Typewriter Keys by Julia Rothman.

Both of these have been in the stash

waiting patiently for a long time.

The colors in the top in this outdoor photo

are closer to reality but now they look faded out.

The neatly folded top and back are headed

to the closet of waiting-to-be-quilted projects.

I hope they don't wait there too long

because I really like this one's quirky nature.

(I'm thinking August needs to be a month

for quilting and finishing . . . )

* * *

There were nine extra sets of 4 HTSs plus one single

left behind after making inserts for the back.

I'll share their fate next week -

and it did not involve the trash can.

Quiltdivajulie

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"You need to let little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you."

Andy Warhol