Blue is My Love

Blue is my favorite color, both in the garden, and at the sewing machine.

Two years ago, I cut up my scrap basket blue floral dresses from as far back as 1978 into 2-inch strips so I could make a jumper and wear some of my favorite fabrics all over again. I had enough strips left over to make at least one quilt top. I've been trying to finish up some of my existing WIPs ever since so I could begin playing with the blue floral strips again.


With last week's finish of my Snowbike quilt, I finally rewarded myself by playing with fun projects instead of anything deadline-related!


I picked up the peacock fabric perhaps a year ago because it was on sale. Not quite a yard remained. My idea when I first saw that peacock was to make one of the full peacocks into a panel and surround it with my blue floral leftover strips. Of the yard of fabric, only two of the four peacock images show the whole peacock. Which means I still get to make one more of these down the road if I want...

Before I finished Snowbike, I stumbled across another blue floral panel that called out to me. It was the end of the bolt, and the markdown was so awesome, I couldn't leave it behind. When I got home and unfolded it, I found out why it was so cheap.


I pulled on the two corners and tried to stretch the piece back into shape. I made a little progress, but it still had a nasty curve. I wasn't sure I'd be able to use it after all.

I turned once again to the benevolent quilters of Ravelry and asked what they would do to try to save the piece. One suggested stretching from the corners, and another suggested pinning and misting, just like I would a shawl. Or a snowflake...

Brilliant! It took a week to find time to test the suggestion. I pinned the panel on my bed before work one morning, with my cutting board (which is smaller) beneath but sticking out on one long side so I could tug the piece into the shape I wanted. I misted the fabric and went to work. When I came home, I pulled out the pins and pinned the panel to the wall again, and voila! It worked!


Initially, I'd wanted to use the blue floral leftover strips around this panel, too, if I could straighten it, but after successfully squaring the panel, I'm not so sure my plan will work. I think it might be too busy.

To test my theory, I finished the Peacock Blues quilt top, and although I still don't know for sure if I'm going to box in Wisteria with my blue floral strips, I think this new quilt top is awesome! I love the colors. I loved remembering each of the dresses from whence the strips came. I absolutely adore this quilt top. I had planned to give it away when quilted, but I don't think I can now. I love it too much!


Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

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