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Sunday, February 9, 2014

Midwinter Blues Flimsy

From Lori's most recent SAL at Humble Quilts blog.
This finish presented a small challenge for me. I found what I thought was the perfect fabric for the sashing. From this fabric in the Barbara Brackman Battle Hymn collection, I fussy-cut the blue stripes.
 They were exactly the width needed, but the small piece in my scraps only yielded 13 sashings and I needed 16. I told Lori I was trying to decide whether to search for more fabric, or just settle for something else.
Her "Humble Quilt" philosophy brought me down to earth. "Find something close," she said, "and make it work."  Though I love "make-do" quilts, my obsessive nature makes it difficult for me to make them. Well, Lori, I did it--kind of! I couldn't just make three sashing pieces different from the rest. It would have kept me up nights. I had to make it symmetrical, so the 4 corner sashing pieces were from a similar colored blue. Anyone need one piece of leftover striped sashing? : )
Thanks for another fun SAL, Lori!!

Until next time, Janet O.

(Don't anyone go into shock over the length of this post.)

46 comments:

  1. It looks great. If you hadn't have said anything I would have thought you had meant to have two different sashings xxx

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  2. Good job, and I didn't notice that 2 fabrics were used for smashing until I read your post, and went back to the picture to see. Perfect!

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  3. I meant sashing instead of smashing. Gotta love that autocorrect feature! But, really, your sashing is smashing!

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  4. Exactly right....you picked a great supplement fabric. It does not stand out or detract from you wonderful strip sashings. More like the bread to the sandwich.....all the good stuff is on the inside! Great problem solving. And great small one too!

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  5. ooohh very nice indeed! i have some of that stripe too...it's gorgeous and i love how you used it....

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  6. You make me smile!!! (Of course I'm "laughing" at myself, because I'm the same way!!! LOL) But Lori is great inspiration and your little flimsy is darling and so YOU!!

    Blessings

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  7. The "make do" fabric you selected is perfect. Love your quilt!

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  8. It looks like you planned it that way! Even though our stashes are nearly interchangeable - I don't think I have that stripe - so I couldn't have helped!

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  9. your QAL turned out great. The lattice solution looks wonderful. I have to get busy on mine!

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  10. It's gorgeous... but I'm chuckling at your OCD-like tendencies, which closely resemble mine. :D

    Perfect solution to have the striped fabric in the center... congratulations on a great finish and getting outside your comfort zone!

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  11. I LOVE it! Just beautiful. I love the way your sashing worked out. The fussy cutting is lovely but the different pieces add a lot of interest.

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  12. Perfect finish - just like you planned it!

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  13. It turned out VERY cute! I am so glad you "made do!"

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  14. I gasped when I saw your picture post on my sidebar, and seriously couldn't click on the button fast enough to get a better look! LOVE IT!!! The sashing is wonderful, and your symmetrical solution is perfect!!! (I'm giggling because I think symmetrical too!)

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  15. Symmetrical, yes, that is me. But it's OK to loosen up a bit. At a camp I attended as a youth one motto was: It's a mark of leadership to adjust. You adjusted very well. Keep up the good work.

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  16. LOL! I am one of those obsessive quilters too, so this would have driven me nuts too!! I wish I could just "go" with it like many quilters (I love how their quilts turn out) but I can't. I love, love, love your quilt! It turned out just beautifully and your fabric solution was just perfect!!!! Well done!!

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  17. I try to be scrappy too, but in an organized way. LOL! So I know where you are coming from. I LoVe the result. It is adorable!

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  18. Janet I know just how you feel. I wasn't happy with the fabric for my border but it is growing on me. I really don't want to buy more fabric this year....well I really shouldn't buy any more fabric. I love how your Midwinter Blues look. Fussy cutting paid off. Hugs

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  19. Love it! I, too, never noticed the odd (odd different not odd weird) sashing on the corners. Perhaps I was noticing the familiar fabrics???? LOL Glad they came to such a good use. It looks wonderful. Can't wait to begin mine...maybe we'll have twins.

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  20. I personally feel like it looks better this way. It's like you are framing the rest of the quilt.

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  21. WooHoo! You're quick! You started after me, and finished BEFORE me! And it looks just great! I think the two different fabrics add to the whole feel of the quilt and makes it even better...... Nice job!

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  22. Great save, I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out.

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  23. You did good putting them out on the outer edges where they don't scream out. I love all your BLUES! I'm making more quilts with blue this year. Such a soothing color. I might have to go and save this pattern to use up some of my CW fabrics. Cleaning in my Quilt Zone I found a bunch of 30's and CW fabrics that were hiding. You might not want to read my Blog Next Wednesday...just warning you.

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  24. You had to mention the sashind, didn't you???? Lol!! Wouldn't have noticed it otherwise??

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  25. iPad has a mind of its own for 'correcting' what it thinks are misspelled words.

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  26. I think it looks great! You have a wonderful assortment of blues.

    Have a wonderful and Blessed day
    Kristie

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  27. You're so like me ... I would have never been happy with 3 random dissimilar sashings ... your solution was genius! I just love your finished quilt ... gorgeous!

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  28. Love it, Janet! I think it's the unexpected that makes a quilt interesting. Have fun with the quilting!

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  29. Excellent decision!! It turned out perfectly - love all the blues and yes it would definitely be an Olympic finish. Good for you!!!

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  30. This is so beautiful Mom! I love it. And your solution to your problem was perfect :)

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  31. I love how your little quilt came out!~ I'm going to do it, too.

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  32. What a lovely thought ... and it made for a lovely, lovely quilt! I love the fussy-cut stripes -- beautiful! :)

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  33. Absolutely perfect!!!! Actually, I like it much better this way than if all the sashing strips had matched. It adds more interest and kind of serves as an inner "frame" for the blocks. Lori definitely led you in the right direction :) Great job "making it work!"

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  34. Sweet little quilt. TTF, yes you do love symmetry.

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  35. The sashing fabric caught my eye first thing and I did not notice that you had another fabric in the mix. Your placement of the second fabric is such a good solution.

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  36. OK, now that I've picked myself up off the floor...I think the 4 corner sashings was a great make do solution. They look fantastic as does the entire quilt. The blues are so soothing.

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  37. Really beautiful solution to the problem and like in the old days, you made do with what you had.it adds charm to you cute little quilt.

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  38. It's wonderful Janet, and because of where you placed those four sashing strips, it looks planned. I didn't notice them until you mentioned it.

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  39. W-a-y to go girl!! I can relate….I too suffer with this type of obsession! I am getting better about it though, and now after seeing you are overcoming it as well I know there is hope for us!!
    Good job with the placements!!

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  40. I feel like those three little missing strips!! How did I miss this post?? Am I so obsessed wtih my job that I no longer pay attention to the things and people I love?? Well, my dear, I do love your solution and from my point of view, it looks just like you planned the outside sashings to be "just a bit" different!! Good job!!

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  41. I'm with LuAnn above. Till I read your explanation, I didn't notice the 4 different strips. They DO look planned in your pretty little version of MidWinter Blues.
    Bless the premise behind Lori and "Humble Quilts." Often when I'm obsessing over what to put where, and do I have enough, and should I pick another fabric, I lighten up, go with what I have, and let it go. I let it go. Vivian, let it go. I need to keep telling myself that.
    I grew up with everything matchy-matchy, and everything in the proper place. I have to ignore that with my quilting. Your post reminds me of that. Thank you!

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