Halcyon - the Quilt

Halcyon is finished.

57" x 57"

Created during the Fall 2019 Granny Cabin QAL,

Halcyon is another in my series of Kitchen Table Quilts.

I like the top and its mix of colors,

 but I absolutely love the scrappy back.

Here's an overview of the whole back.

Quilted with Glide thread in Warm Grey 4

and my unmarked liberated free motion fans and flowers.

Marvelous texture.

The binding was made from 2.5" strips cut for binding

on a previous quilt but not used after I changed my mind

and went in a different direction.

I'm glad I did because it was perfect for Halcyon.

Even though this one is a tad on the smallish side,

it's going to look so good on the kitchen table.

(you can read more about this quilt's back-story 

by clicking on the labels at the bottom

and scrolling back through the various posts)

Quiltdivajulie

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“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.”  
M. Scott Peck

Halcyon - The Flimsy

The top for Halcyon is sewn together.

Here is a view of the back side . . .

And here is another view of the alternate block's back side.

(I made this in response to Then Came June's

Granny Cabin QAL - you can read my 

introductory post HERE)

Halcyon's flimsy measures 58" x 58"

and will be perfect (when quilted)

as a table topper for our round kitchen table.

I am so pleased that I decided to go with

the mix of scrappy light blues

for my background.

And I'm pleased with my color choices

for the two focal blocks in the quilt top.

I didn't follow the pattern's directions (gasp)

when it came time to assemble the top.

I sewed mine together in "rows" based on the 

assembled purple/pink and yellow/green blocks.

Some rows were block width while others

were the width of the larger light blue squares

and there was a bit of fancy dancing done

to make those rows coherent.

Why?  

Because I chose to use a scrappy background

and had laid it out on the design wall 

rather than using a single background fabric.

Halcyon's scrappy back is still on the other design wall

waiting for me to sew it together.

But in the meantime I've gotten sidetracked 

by another long-waiting project.

When I share For the Birds with you next,

it won't look anything at all like this photo.

And I'm pretty excited about that.

Quiltdivajulie

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"It would be wise to embrace your childlike wonder and see nature in all her glory anew.  For then you would renew your connection to the planet that sustains your very essence."
Akasha

Visible Progress

Amazing what gets done when 

there is nothing big on the calendar

so I could sit and sew.

This is how things looked after I added

the Block B (green and yellow) elements

and the small two-square connectors.

(background and lightest purple)

And this is how the design wall looked

after I added the scrappy background squares.

Rows 1 and 2 sewn and ready to be pressed.

(the stained and dirty ironing board fabric on the left 

will soon be replaced with the fabric on the right)

Here's a detail photo showing the corner of

Rows 1-4 sewn together.

(yes, some of the background squares

were cut from scrappy pieced sky strata

leftover from one of the barn quilts)

This shows the size difference between

 those four sewn rows and

the remaining five unsewn rows.

The final five rows have now been sewn 

and after they are pressed

I'll be able to finish assembling the quilt top.

(I'm not waiting for the rest of 

the Granny Cabin quilt along schedule -

I wasn't participating for the prizes anyway)

I cut three 12.5" squares from 

each of the twelve different fabrics.

I can already tell that I'm going 

to love Halcyon's scrappy back.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess.  Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best.”

Author Unknown

Moving Ahead

Work in progress on the Block A parts

for the Granny Cabin QAL.

(my quilt has been named Halcyon)

Five full blocks, four corners, 

and four half blocks were my goal for this past week.

And here they are on the design wall

in a very rough approximation 

of the layout for a 58" x 58" table topper.

This week's assignment hasn't been announced yet

but I'll be making the Block Bs using greens/yellows.

THEN the fun will begin with the scrappy background fill.

Away from the studio --

With the shifting seasons, 

it gets dark earlier day by day and

we haven't even hit the "fall back" point yet.

My solution is to string up our "winter lights"

along the back fence - they stay in place

until Valentine's Day or a little after.

(they're set up with a remote so I can

turn the lights on/off from inside the house)

Those little white lights in the back yard 

make me happy and help ease my S-A-D.

Here's another perspective of the lighted fence.

And for those who might be wondering,

the big green plants are coleus

 and they've utterly amazed us

with their growth this year.

(purchased at Costco - 

a variety we'd not seen before

but will surely look for again next year)

Quiltdivajulie

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“Wonder is one of the wildest elements and qualities on the massive scale of human experience.  Just a pinch of it stops time.  The world halts.  The eyes fill.  You become, for a small time, everything you truly are.” 
Victoria Erickson

The Granny Cabin QAL begins

This was my initial fabric pull for

Then Came June's Granny Cabin QAL.

I rarely play along with pattern-based QALs

but for some unknown reason,

this one appealed to me.

I knew my fabric combination wasn't "just right"

but it was a solid starting point.

Later that day I ran across this saved image

in my inspiration folder

and I knew what needed to happen.

The purple/green combo was too much like

the colors used in the 2017 series 

of Grape Pansy Caper quilts

(Quilt No. 1, Quilt No. 2, Runner, Baby quilt)

I added pinks and yellows to the mix and

replaced the stack of low volume background prints

with a scrappy assortment of light blues.

Test Block A

I have cut out all my pieces and parts

(although I will not be assembling mine

using the pattern's stitching instructions)

and have my A and B test blocks made.

Test Block B

These sets of colors make me happy

and that is a good indicator

that I will actually finish this quilt top

which I have named HALCYON

(meaning calm, peaceful, and happy)

Quiltdivajulie

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"The finest thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.  He who does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle."
Albert Einstein