After seeing scrappy versions of quilts made of "Arkansas Crossroads" blocks, I wanted to make one of my own. It's been in the works for a while. I'm not really even sure how long ago I started... Maybe a couple of years back?
There are a couple of ways to make this quilt. Slightly different results, but a similar look overall. I used Lori Holt's tutorial to make mine.
For the colorful portions of the quilt, I used a variety of different FMQ "texture doodles". Some are used more than once-- just whatever struck my fancy at the moment.
I put the ruler base back on the machine for this quilt, so I could give rulerwork another try. I outlined each... diamond-square (whatever it is) of colorful fabric with stitch-in-the-(vicinity of the)-ditch. Sometimes I got pretty close. Other times... not. It's fine. I can see the value in rulers for certain types of quilting, and I'd like to get better with using them for SITD, but I find FMQ more enjoyable. Precision isn't as much fun to create as free-flowing swoops and curls.
As in other recent blog posts, the first photos here are "before washing", followed by "after washing". The post-wash "cotton crinkle" tells you which are which.
There are a couple of ways to make this quilt. Slightly different results, but a similar look overall. I used Lori Holt's tutorial to make mine.
(One thing you'll notice in these photos is that the points don't always match. The seams of the squares don't always line up. I know that nothing is perfect, but this one's really not perfect. I could do better, and maybe one day I will, but... at the moment, I'm just not willing to agonize over it. I'm not entering my quilts in shows, nor are they destined to be family heirlooms, so as long as I'm satisfied, it's good enough.)
There's not a lot to say about this quilt.
--The piecing is fairly straightforward. Nothing advanced. Just four-patches and some stitch-and-flip corners on plain squares. (I used the "bonus HSTs" from the trimmed-off corners in the "Bars and Crumbs" quilt from a recent blog post.)
--The fabric is a scrappy mix of tonals, solids, and fun prints.
--The backing is pink-and-white striped flannel, because it was in the stash. I thought it worked well, color-wise, with the quilt top. Once cut in half and sewn together, it wasn't as wide as I'd have liked-- a little too close for comfort on the sides of the quilt sandwich-- but it all worked out. "Thread chicken" is child's play. If you really want to sweat it out, try "backing chicken"!
--The batting is 100% cotton with polyester scrim.
--The binding is leftover hot pink sheet. I've gotten a backing and two bindings out of it, so far, and there are quite a few strings of it in the stash, too. (I know: Some people don't think you should use sheets... They may be right, but... I don't care! Not caring is so liberating. I intend to care a little less every day.)
--The piecing is fairly straightforward. Nothing advanced. Just four-patches and some stitch-and-flip corners on plain squares. (I used the "bonus HSTs" from the trimmed-off corners in the "Bars and Crumbs" quilt from a recent blog post.)
--The fabric is a scrappy mix of tonals, solids, and fun prints.
--The backing is pink-and-white striped flannel, because it was in the stash. I thought it worked well, color-wise, with the quilt top. Once cut in half and sewn together, it wasn't as wide as I'd have liked-- a little too close for comfort on the sides of the quilt sandwich-- but it all worked out. "Thread chicken" is child's play. If you really want to sweat it out, try "backing chicken"!
--The batting is 100% cotton with polyester scrim.
--The binding is leftover hot pink sheet. I've gotten a backing and two bindings out of it, so far, and there are quite a few strings of it in the stash, too. (I know: Some people don't think you should use sheets... They may be right, but... I don't care! Not caring is so liberating. I intend to care a little less every day.)
--This is what I'd consider a large lap-sized quilt. Washed, it's about 59.5 inches by 44.5 inches.
I got the basic idea for how to quilt the "X"s (the negative space) from a photo of another Arkansas Crossroads quilt I saw online, only that person did a more precise, detailed job, and mine turned out a bit on the wild and unruly side. Each quadrant of the X contains a string of pebbles (or bubbles, or pearls) roughly echoed with scallops on either side. (I need more practice, but it was also a conscious decision to not even attempt strict uniformity. Not sure I'd do it that way again, but at least it's quilted.)
For the colorful portions of the quilt, I used a variety of different FMQ "texture doodles". Some are used more than once-- just whatever struck my fancy at the moment.
I put the ruler base back on the machine for this quilt, so I could give rulerwork another try. I outlined each... diamond-square (whatever it is) of colorful fabric with stitch-in-the-(vicinity of the)-ditch. Sometimes I got pretty close. Other times... not. It's fine. I can see the value in rulers for certain types of quilting, and I'd like to get better with using them for SITD, but I find FMQ more enjoyable. Precision isn't as much fun to create as free-flowing swoops and curls.
As in other recent blog posts, the first photos here are "before washing", followed by "after washing". The post-wash "cotton crinkle" tells you which are which.
Another one quilted and done!