The Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild is trying something new to help raise money towards dues for joining the national Modern Quilt Guild - a block lottery! A block design and color scheme are chosen for the group. If you feel like making a block, go for it - for each block you make, you donate $1 (a real bargain). Each block is one entry into the lottery. The winner gets all the blocks!
Samantha chose Greenleaf Goods' wonky pinwheel design with this gorgeous color scheme:
(Have you heard of this site Design Seeds? It was a revelation to me and I instantly fell in love and lined up colors for countless potential quilts!)
I love this color scheme. LOVE. Needless to say, I wanted to make more than one block to increase my chances of winning in the lottery, so I chose more than enough fabric for 2-3 blocks. All my fabrics lined up and looking lovely...
Instead of mass producing blocks, I wanted to go ahead and make just enough for one block and it moved along pretty quickly. I ended up referring a lot to this layout grid within the tutorial. This was a mistake because the grid is actually slightly different than what the finished block looks like.
So my finished block looked like this:
When it should have looked like this:
(Don't immediately see the difference? Hint: mine has 5 wonky pinwheels total and the correct block should have 4)
Some of the SMQG ladies suggested that I just move the last row to the top. I looked pretty carefully at it and was going to do it because that would make the block have only 4 pinwheels. But look at the direction of the neutral triangles. They would still be pointing in the opposite direction and when my block is joined with everyone else's, the half pinwheels along the edges won't match up.
Oh well. I'm going to take the glass half full approach - I can easily make this block into a pillow if I don't feel like sitting down for a long visit with the seam ripper. Plus, I think that my lightest shade of green didn't provide nearly enough contrast with the neutrals, so I'm diving back into the stash for a proper replacement. And I might nix the darkest shade of purple.
So there are things to improve...but I still made something pretty. And I did end up feeling better.
Linking up:
I can't even tell you how many sewing mistakes I have been this week so don't feel bad. It's funny because 2 things in this post reminds me of BMQG members - we have one member (Gillian?) who worked to create the Design Seed software and the tutorial you used for the black is done by Natalie. How fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun idea! I really like your block and would never have known the mistake!
ReplyDeleteI really like the block! I would not have noticed that mistake.
ReplyDeleteI love those colors that were from the design seed software - that is cool. I would look on the positive....it is a great improv block and worthy of a pillow cover or beginning of a mini quilt :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for the block lottery! Still a lovely block even if not quite what was intended originally!
ReplyDeleteThe colors are absolutely amazing! I think we've all been where you are...it's still a fun block. =) Visiting from Let's Get Acquainted. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteto tell you the truth, it wasn't until I had put MY blocks together that I realized that the layout would make a difference in how all the blocks connected! When I made this quilt with my bee, a few blocks I received also had the same layout as yours, and I used them separately in the quilt back. I'm sorry this wasn't more clear!
ReplyDeleteI do like your block, looks great!
ReplyDelete