7.10.2008

Red, White & Romantic (UFO Reveal #1)

I can't believe how long ago I started this quilt... the magazine is dated February 2003, so it was one of my first quilting projects. Several members of the quilting.about.com forum swapped red and white fabrics to make this quilt... I wonder if anyone ever did?!

Red, White & Romantic - American P&Q cover

I started... and sewed 54 of these 6" Double X blocks. Some of them use just three fabrics, others have lots (maybe too many!). I know I sewed a lot of these hanging out with some friends in Albany, back in the day. Here are just a few of the blocks:

Red, White & Romantic - some blocks

Weird thing #1: I made 54 of these, but the pattern only calls for 42. The pattern makes a queen-sized quilt. What was I thinking?

Weird thing #2: I've had a terrible time finding the right red fabric for the setting. I've bought fabric three times, I think, but none of them ever felt quite right when I got them home with the blocks. Part of my problem is that I used both white and cream fabrics.

Just for fun, here's another way to set these blocks, which could also be called Anvil blocks, with the dark centers:

Red, White & Romantic - four blocks

So why is this a UFO when I obviously love red and white, I love the pattern and the process holds memories? See weird thing #2 above. And, unfortunately, the blocks aren't that well made, and I'm not looking forward to working with them. I haven't even tried to square them up -- I'm afraid of what I'll find!

There are three more projects in this box... My self-imposed rule is that I have to show you everything in the box before I can move on to the next box... there are 4 or 5 total boxes this size, plus a couple of one or two gallon ziplocs. That should keep us busy for a while ;)

2 comments:

Lorraine said...

love that quilt....just forget about what you might find when you get started and .... get started...you might be surprised and if you have to ditch a few blocks you have extras!!

Dorothy said...

What were you thinking? You were thinking " I need to make 2 more of these then I'll have enough to surprise Dorothy with a King sized beauty. (My birthday's in January, just FYI)

As for those setting squares, Amy, the rest of the quilt is scrappy, make those scrappy too. If you've bought fabric 3 times, you've already got a good start. And I'll bet if you dig deep enough you could find another red or two in your stash.