Saturday, January 9, 2016

Floating Squares Finished

The top was pinned before Thanksgiving but I finally quilted it just before the new year. Very simple straight lines with a walking foot. Again I chose to square up the edges with the ruler.

I liked the challenge of using scraps to make the blocks and finding a way to put them together. One diagonal is roughly red/pink; the other green. I have several ideas about blending the edges of the blocks next time.

Floating Squares

There was almost enough of a brown and pink print for the binding. It needed a foot of light pink leftover from the Chinese Coins string to complete. You can see it at the top left of the photo below. Machine sewed on one side, hand stitched on the other.

Floating Squares, view of quilt back

The back used vintage yardage from my stash with 12.5" string block squares that were leftover from another project. I love using up the scraps. :-)


Quilt Details
Size: 60"(H) x 56"(W)
Pattern: Floating Squares from Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton
Thread: Gutermann 50 wt. cotton thread in pink (800 m spool)
Quilting: Walking foot on a Bernina 1230

This is a perfect size for a toddler, lap, or picnic quilt. Just waiting for a home...

Previous posts:
1. Floating Squares Begun
2. Floating Squares Top Complete

Enjoy the day, Ann

18 comments:

LA Paylor said...

Hi Ann. I get your posts by email and forget to come comment... sorry! Great work here. LeeAnna

Mystic Quilter said...

Great finish Ann and I like the large piece of dark green with red dots in the centre there - really catches the eye!

Monica said...

I don't know why, but this quilt really makes me laugh. It's like being tickled! I think it's driving the OCD part of my brain crazy. :D I almost want to buy the book to find out how it's made. Almost...

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

You have been so busy.......I have been a slug. I need to get in and clean up my room. I just can't do anything in there when it is barely able to be entered. Clean, I intended to do it last year......

glen

Ann said...

Thanks, LeeAnna. Getting posts by email is smart; it's good to hear from you. There are many things I'd change next time around. Isn't it interesting how different quilts look when finished?

Ann said...

Thanks, Maureen. That was a piece of Marimekko. I meant to quilt in circles starting there... but forgot. Anyway, it's done.

Ann said...

Thanks, Monica. They are happy fabrics, put together randomly. Very unsophisticated. There are loads of these quilts on Sherri's Facebook page. You can find lots more inspiration there.

Ann said...

Not a slug. And all it will do is get messy again. But it was good to sort and clear and clean. Soon I will have to step very carefully or clean up again, too... :-)

Kaja said...

Great start to the year! I like the way this quilt has the wild improv of Floating Squares contained within a more traditional block format - it's a really interesting juxtapostion!

Ann said...

It takes "outsider" eyes to see that, Kaja. That's exactly how I made it and I never could figure out why it was so different from everyone else's. Each block was a stand-alone floating square with separate trio of fabrics. I tried to use all the fabrics I'd cut for each block, then realized there was nothing left to join them. Next time I'd like to work on permeability which means either saving some fabric or using the same background filler for all.
Thanks for pointing this out!
It was also completely from the scrap bag or fabrics I'd winnowed out as having stuck around too long.

Janie said...

Scrappy and fun and lots of color movement, great finish.

Cathy said...

I love using scraps too. I'm sure it will be in a good home soon.

And honestly?? I like this more than I thought I would when you first started on it.

Ann said...

It is very scrappy. Didn't turn out as I thought it might but I sure learned a lot. Since it's not too precious, it should be a useable quilt. Just need to find a home for it.

Ann said...

I agree with you, Cathy. This seemed like a hot mess when I started. I think squaring the edges helped. Not my favorite but I like it more than I thought I would.

Nifty Quilts said...

It's wonderful! I love the unlikely combinations of blocks. Bold and beautiful.

Ann said...

How kind of you. They certainly are unlikely combinations - either ungainly or unexpected depending on your point of view. Thanks!

Stephie said...

It looks fantastic finished up Ann - I really love the green/red spiral in the centre, I hadn't noticed how strong it was before :)

Ann said...

It is pretty strong. It was a scrap; I'm glad I cut it into three bits. Just wish I'd remembered to spiral quilt from there as I'd planned.