Finished Block of the Month Quilt!

So I thought about it for a while. I didn’t want to waste the setting triangles I’d already cut out because many of them came from some precious bits of fabric. So out came the seam ripper.

I decided to try putting one color (even though the fabrics were different) setting triangles around each block.  That alone made a big difference. But the quilt was still too busy. There was no place for the eye to rest. Adding the sashing made the biggest difference. I chose a really pale blue dot as the sashing. I like that it’s neutral and spaces out the color, but because there’s a subtle pattern, it gives that ‘white’ space some texture. Then I added the red corner stones. They were the perfect punch of color to keep things lively. I think I squealed when it came together. (And I’m not normally a squeal-y person.) A HUGE improvement.

So lessons to share:
– Don’t be afraid to pull out the seam ripper. It was a pain in the moment (a lot of times I’m too lazy) but I’m so glad I did. The outcome is much improved.
– Neutral sashing can really tone down and unify a lot of busy prints and colors.

 The quilting was done by Melissa of Sew Shabby Quilting. I mainly wanted an all-over stipple since the fabric and quilt design was already so busy.  Melissa embellished with some cute flowers that tied it all together.

It’s fun to look at something so cheery now that blah, gray January is here. Fortunately this quilt lives close by so I can visit it often.

I’ve had thoughts of doing a similar project for a kind of Quilt-a-long from picking fabrics to finish. Obviously the pieced blocks would be different, but maybe a similar layout. Thoughts?