Conchalea

Beautiful panel, Krisb! I might have caved, too, for that one.

Teen

Krisb....That panel rocks! it will look awesome with OBW surrounding it. I've not done the OBW yet but I want to try one day when I find the right fabric for it.

We are days away from moving into our new home. Sewing will be put aside as we settle in but i will have 3 quilt tops to quilt, which are a priority. Did fairly well with the stash I had access to and made some lovely things for new home...but I'm ready to unpack and set up sewing room for sure..

SusieQOH

Teen, I've missed your posts. You always inspire me.
Good luck on the move. You must be so excited!!! Be sure to show us your sewing room

This has been a really bad year for me buying fabric. But I blame it all on my precious new granddaughter

Iceblossom

Surely there is a grandbaby exemption? If you can apply those new fabrics to grandbaby anyway

Down to the last couple of seams to put the Scrap Metal together, I think 3, and then trim the edges and put on the border.

I'll save my thoughts until I post the picture but I always learn things from each quilt, often they are more about me than quilting...

Iceblossom

Presenting Scrap Metal, I still have to put on one more round of the sashing for the border.

Part 1 -- The Project

This was the project that inspired me, 2nd photo first post.
my quilting this summer

First off, I've really gotten attached to this project and while it was not the intent when I started it, I decided to keep it as one of my own.

It was made using precut 6" squares that were given me, and when those ran out I went into my Y2K era metallic swapping squares and stash. I started boldly by taking out any metallic embellished fabrics, I used glitter, frost, foil, gold, silver -- the rule was "if it shines, it is mine" and slicing them in half along the diagonal. Didn't know that the block size would turn out to 7.5" raw/7" finished until I made a few. I do prefer using 6.5" squares and trimming them down, but the 6" worked just fine. Some of the fabrics I used were pretty awful ugly and I'd say most I'd classify as "hard to use".

Each block takes 2 squares of fabric, there are 72 blocks. Each setting triangle is the equivalent of 1 square, 22 of those. 4 corner triangles equals 2 more precuts. That's a total of 168 precut squares should you go that route.

I really wanted to use the fabric I had for sashing and my scrap which was "flag" shaped (a long stem and a short flag of WoF) was another challenge, especially wanting to change the directions on the cuts so that it would all be the same direction in the end... Had to bring out my old geometry knowledge and quickly realized that the 2.5" cut/2" finished sashing I wanted wasn't possible, but I had plenty for 2" cut/1.5" finished. As I designed it with 2" sashing it would have been 80x93, as it is, that 1/2" difference makes 76x88" inches. An additional border of some sort like Mim showed would make it a more standard size.

I tried to make this project as random as possible. I did the final layout in about 15 minutes, the tags I put on show the stage where I randomly put blocks together in groups of two. I think I have learned tricks about working with scraps over the years and I think I did good. There is a part of me (more in post 2) that wants to lay out each piece to precision and effect, but heck -- as the hubby said "wow, there's a lot going on there". I'm pretty sure a couple of pieces got moved when I was putting on the row labels. /shrug -- who can tell?

One of the way I judge my projects is "Does my mental image match the final product", this gets a 10 out of 10 for that.

So picture 1 is the top, picture 2 is a detail of the sashing and what that final border will look like. In my case I used the same foiled fabric for all four corners.

Iceblossom

Part 2 -- What I learned about me in this project.

Yesterday I was wearing my "Quilting is my Therapy" t-shirt. I chose that one over "I quilt because choking people is frowned upon" but they both mean about the same thing. But it's true, while quilting I think about things and people and ponder myself and the universe, it is a form of meditation or therapy for me.

I'm really trying to change some things in my life as I face my declining vision. The "old" me would have made something very similar yet elevated and made a quilt more easily appreciated by others. I'd still use scraps but each of the squares would be carefully chosen and would make faceted gems scattered across the top, with movement and flow to the colors, and I would have put in a little black attic window to make them look like they were floating above the background. It would have taken significantly more time to do, but something 3D is on my list of things to do.

But this project was about using precut squares stash and not doing it as planned and letting it happen, which is not the way I usually work. I got distracted a couple of times from both this one and the Confetti quilt (which both came from the same box of precuts) that the goal was to use fabrics that were otherwise hard to use.

I've been working really hard at using my stash -- some of know that is easier said than done. Instead of waiting for the perfect project for each piece, I'm trying to consider that whatever I'm doing is the time to use that fabric.

But the reality is that I am dealing with vision issues and sometimes that is in the forefront of my mind. In addition, there was the loss of my sweet little dog Sandy and so while bright there is a darkness to this quilt. I do feel a pressure and that my time is running out. Although I hate to use the phrase, "this one time at band camp" we played a modern piece that was written as the composer was dying, there were these strident little SOS signals (three short/three long/three short) that would come in and out of the theme. It was sort of lost on me 40 years ago but in many ways this quilt was like that for me.

I've never really been visually oriented, not a picture taker or picture looker but I do record my life in terms of music. If I hear "Band on the Run" by Wings as an example, it takes me right back to the summer of 1974, what I was doing and what I looked like and what was on TV, etc. As a poster, my theme song is Ice Ice Baby This quilt's theme was Make Your Own Kind of Music by Mama Cass Elliot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbSM02_1k34

My fabric collection was once described by a good friend as "the humane society of fabric" and I think that's a pretty good description. It was partly because of Sandy that I was so intent on using the "worst" fabrics.

But this project is not sad, it is a process. And in that process I learned that I can still do what I can, and that is pretty darn good even if not what it once was.

And here's a picture of Sandy a couple of years ago. When I tried posting it right side up it came up sideways -- every now and then I get that. So here it is sideways.

grann of 6

I'm not normally a big fan of sparkles/metallics, but yours looks great. Although, I have found the metallics and sparkles of late aren't like the old ones that shed all over the place, and tarnished when washed. And the old ones you had to iron from the backside, or they would stick to the iron. I recently made a lap quilt for the cancer center that was a kit, and when it came it had metallic dots and flourishes on every fabric. It turned out very nice, even though I wasn't sure I would like it. I guess it has changed my opinion of metallic fabrics.

There is a new collection from Moda called Painted Meadow.... I am seriously falling in love with it, was considering buying the FQ collection, but so far I have held back, not sure how long that will last. Someone, please convince me that it would be an unwise purchase. I have long ago used my birthday exemption, but maybe it could be a celebration of my 5 year anniversary of being cancer free.

grann of 6

What a cute dog, Iceblossom, and what nice memories.

oksewglad

And quilting is "my therapy" to so many of us...Thanks for the insight ladies...Now for some therapy...

Judith1005

Iceblossom, I love your metallic quilt. I've always been a "too much" quilter. The more variety the better. Your quilt calls to me in that way. There is always something new to see.

I can also see my quilting is changing over time. And, have been trying to come down my "too much" tendencies. Too achieve and try out some different styles as well.

I am so sorry over the loss of your Sandy.

It's kinda funny that your puppy's are snuggled in on a "Cat" quilt. lol