Two donated quilts for Quilt of Valour

Happy Canada Day!

Here are two more quilts that I recently finished.  This first one was originally intended for someone.  However these fabrics are not my colours and I kept dragging my feet to try to finish it.  I started it in Nov/2014, almost 8yrs sitting mostly in a container.  I had to do something to get this one done.  This is not the original layout, but when I unpacked this container I had to be true to me.  To be truthful, I really don't like this colour combination.  I don't mind the red squares that make a chain throughout the quilt, but that taupe/beige I just cannot handle.  Here in the picture it looks lighter and not bad, but the true colour it's pretty drab.  I know that a lot of people may like it, but I just could not handle sewing so many block with it.

The original design was to have double the black blocks and they were to be the alternating squares, instead of the plain taupe squares seen here.  There was to be another border in the same taupe which had appliqué flowers in the corners and along the sides, surrounded on each side by black squares on point.  However, when I opened the container, I decided that this person that it was intended for, is going to have to get something else.  I couldn't finish it.

So, being someone that does not waste, I looked at what I had already done, and tried to come up with something fast and easy that I could get this done.  Part of the reason I also didn't like it, where this was going, was because the person that requested her quilt, asked for something feminine.  The flower appliqué border would have helped, but I don't know, I guess I felt the recipient wouldn't like it, that it would not be what she intended as feminine.  There is nothing worst than doing all that work, for it not to be liked, even though these were her wedding colours and the taupe her neutral that she used in her home on the walls.

Either way it got changed into this version and is being given to Quilt of Valour (QOV). I have this picture, but forgot to take the completed quilted picture. 

This second quilt, came about to use up the batiks I had accumulated and some I just recently received from a donation box.  I love batiks, but for some reason, I don't buy them.  Based on my calculations and the size of quilt I needed for QOV, I knew I needed a few more though and a background fabric.  I went out and purchased a few 1/2 meter pieces plus the light batik for the other half of the log cabin block.  

I like how this quilt turned out.  The colours are a bit brighter than what you see in this picture, that was taken in my basement.  I'll have to remember for future pictures that, those taken in the basement do not turn out well and washout the true colours.  It too was not quilted when i took this picture and I forgot to get a picture of the finished quilt.  Just so that you can understand how off the colours are, the first small border is the same red colour as the center square of the log cabin block.  Here it looks magenta.

 

Two more down and a bunch more to share with you soon.  Now before I share this next bit of information, I am going to ask you not to judge me, because as I said in a previous post, I do tend to be all over the place and work on many things at once.  

Some stats:  

I started the year Jan/2022 with 24 UFOs (quilts started and waiting to be completed).

So far this year from January to July 1st/2022, I started 28 new quilts (mostly small NICU quilts).

Which brings me to 52 items on my list.

Of those items, I have completed 19 so far.

Which leaves me now with 33 left to complete.

Lol...so yes, I am kind of going in the wrong direction.  I should be going down instead of up, but the year is not done yet.  I would like to end the year with no more than I started, or even better, with less...

The reason I have so many new starts is because of my goal when unpacking.  There were at least eight that came from stuff my daughter was trying out, that didn't turn out and got abandoned.  When I unpacked them, she gave me permission to use the parts to make NICU quilts to donate.  Some stuff was due to being part of the guild with the BOM samples and the 30th anniversary quilt.  And...well...I can keep going on about why so many were added, but I won't...it is what it is...and I am ok with that. 

Have a great long weekend everyone!  Enjoy your Canada Day and catch some fireworks if you can!