On the Madrona Road

The Modern Quilt Guild's winter challenge uses the fabric line Madrona Road by designer Violet Craft for Michael Miller.

The deadline to be considered by Violet Craft and Michael Miller for QuiltCon is January 31.  Our local Modern Guild received our fabric packets on January 19, due to not having a meeting in December.  Eleven days to complete.  Now, for our local guild we have until March to complete, which is a more realistic time line.  

I am going to hit the January 31 deadline.  Even if it kills me, which it is coming close to doing.

 The fabrics, luckily one of the LQS carried some of the line, and I was able to get more than the fat quarters provided by TMQG.  

What to do?  That took me a day to brainstorm.

Making the sample block took another day and a half.

After completing the sample, I decided to change a few pieces in the block to make the gradation flow evenly.  

I made 5 blocks - which I was going to consider my 'complex' blocks for the quilt.  I did not even have a plan on how the rest of the quilt would go, just a vague idea after these blocks were completed.  

That is 320 little cut 1 1/2" squares, 1" finished.  With 3/4" cut white Kona strips, 1/4" finished.  

I was close to losing my mind yesterday.  

I measured wrong, sewed strips together wrong, and cut wrong.  Once my machine went ballistic and I thought I would cry.  When I had refilled the bobbin, I undid part of the top thread, and it wouldn't sew a seam.  It took about half an hour to figure it out, and when I saw it, it was so obvious.

I forbade anyone to disturb me.

I had a bagel and apple slices for dinner.  

There was no time for anything but tiny tiny squares.

At this point, I was so close to having the blocks finished.  Other days I would have stopped and come back another day. But with the fast approaching deadline, I pushed through and completed all 5 of these blocks.  It was a very long sew day.  

When I started playing with the blocks and the other fabrics to find a good placement, I did something I had not even considered.  I liked the medallion feel of this layout, but laying the blocks together I needed to add something to have them the same size - I added the yellow strips.  

This will be the center of the quilt, using 4 of the blocks I completed.  I have an idea for the rest of the quilt, building on the yellow strips, and  after thinking about it half the night.  

And I now have 3 days to finish the top, make the back, quilt and get the photo into the Flickr pool for consideration by Michael Miller.  I will be done.  I may have to apologize, drink and crash afterwards - but I will be done.  There are quilts and pillows and bags already in the pool, some great pieces, go have a look.