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Monday, July 18, 2011

Top to Bottom, Front to Back!

Yesterday in a round of silliness, we had a very funny discussion on our facebook Quiltville Friends Page!

My Question was--- If a Quilt TOP is called a TOP, why is the backing not called the BOTTOM? And the silliness got more hilarious from there…but my most favorite response of all came from Laura V who said:

“Is that like --Why do they call them control TOP panty hose when that's not what's in them?????”

<<<GUFFAWWW!!!>>>

Oh, how I love these Quilters! hehehehe!

And all of this came about because I went back and forth about really wanting to piece a backing from a stack of orphan blocks for the quilt for the German magazine, instead of just slapping some ole thing on there and calling it good. I mean --- Why use 6 yards of ONE THING --- When you can clear out a bunch of old stuff, have a great time doing it, and really make something one-of-a-kind wonderful, right?

In the end, the orphan block digging won out!

And I found myself on the floor, with a bin of stuff around me, digging for anything that would fit the color scheme of the quilt ---Mostly looking for Pinks & Purples, but those all seemed to come with Lime green attached…Which is okay by me. And it is also okay to throw in some blue and a bit of yellow, and well, you know how color just takes over in my world…so Here we go!

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Here I’ve got the blocks assembled into rows down the length of the quilt. The rows aren't sewn together yet...I was just measuring to see how things would look. Was I big enough? I like to group “like things” together…for one thing, it helps that they are usually the same size as each other….so separating by style and size works for me.

Row 1….not quite enough blocks in that size to finish the row, but if I added fabric at each end it would work, and that excess fabric was the “over hang” that the backing needed anyway.

Row 2…started with that big tie-dye looking star…16.5”! So that set the size width for that column, and I set about making all the other odd blocks fit that 16” width.

Row 3….Well THIS was easy breezy beautiful! A whole row of orphan Scrappy Trips blocks! I thought I was setting them zig-zag fashion, but I screwed that up with the top two blocks…they are chaining the same direction. Did I want to pick it out? Nope! It stays!

Row 4….Someone had gifted me these batik star and 9 patch hour glass blocks, and the stars were not the same size as the hour glass blocks and needed trimming down, and I lost some points in the process, but it is a happy pink & purple mess --- and I like it!

Row 5…..a bit more of everything….and we sew it all together!

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I needed to add a bit more to the sides to give me the excess backing width I needed….so here we are! Doesn’t this look fun?

And I turned it around so you could see the Top ((Or the Bottom, or the End of the Back, or the Bottom…you get the picture!)) Here:

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I’m really happy with how it turned out and what I was able to use in here…and just because I was in a “Gotta get this stuff out of here” mode….I pieced the batting too! ((Though I don’t know which end is the Top, The Bottom, The Front, or The Back!))

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Yeah, it’s a wrinkly mess, but it hung out over night to relax a bit more. That box of batting scraps is pretty much empty of everything bigger than placemat size! Maybe I SHOULD get into doing small quilts to use them up? ;c)

I can’t show the top just yet for this one --- When the Magazine is released I will. In the mean time, I’ve been having a lot of fun with a gently scalloped binding on it. LOVE this soft and subtle curved edge!

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37 comments:

  1. I love the idea of using orphan blocks for the backing of a quilt... hate letting the blocks sit in a box somewhere! The back looks great to me...

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  2. OK! Now I know what to do with all those left over blocks hiding in a container on the shelf. I love what you have done for this backing/bottom :) You are my inspiration!!

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  4. Can't wait to see the front now - or is it the top? :-)

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  5. Bonnie, that is lovely. It reminds me of the poster the music teacher has up in her window at work....."There is no harmony if we all sing the same note". Your back/bottom really sings....and it is a song of joy!!!!

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  6. hello Bonnie - that quilt backing is superb!!! It really looks lovely - I'd love to get a quilt top like that!!

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  7. i really LOVE the magenta in the border, that makes it really zing

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  8. To boldly go where no quilter has gone before! Hope the magazine can tell which side of the quilt they are to feature! : ) This looks great to me.

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  9. Ya know...I have a whole tote full of orphan blocks and I keep meaning to use them for backings. I really like your idea of using them like that. And after I go through my older UFO's I'm sure I will be adding even more orphan blocks to the pile.
    Kristie

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  10. I love the "wackiness" if it were music it would be funky jazz. Does machine quilting get tricky with all of the seams?

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  11. Yes! It's Russian Roulette with the seams when you do a pieced backing. I press open where I can, that helps..but mostly...you just gotta keep fingers crossed that the seams from one intersection on the top aren't going to align with the seams from a deadly thick pinwheel on the back and break a needle. Is it worth it? Yep!

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  12. I see some string blocks peeking through in that one photo ;c) Exciting stuff!!!

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  13. this looks very good! Isn't it interesting and exciting to use all kind of blocks? The bright pink borders on the side are working very well!I just finished a quilt with different blocks (a few from classes I had from Lucy from Holland)and liked working on it very much too.
    Groetjes
    Annemieke

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  14. my kind of quilt. the attention deficient unite. :>)

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  15. That back is beautiful, much more interesting than one plain fabric!

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  16. Michelle A12:43 PM EDT

    Love the back/bottom, it came out great. I think piecing the batting is a great idea too but have a question about that. What do you do about the bulk of the seams?
    stamppedlr@aol.com

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  17. I like the way you think!

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  18. I've used the soft curved binding on my last two quilts and love it!

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  19. What a great back. I have been trying to use what I have to make backs, but yours are so much better. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I can't wait to see the whole quilt! I love the back!

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  21. Love the pieced back! My friend, Joyce, has been doing this for about 24 years -- her backs are as much fun as the front of the quilts. I've been doing it some for the past 7 or 8 years, but sometimes I'm in too big a hurry to get a quilt done to piece the back as well.

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  22. When I finish a quilt top, I use all the scraps from making it to help make the back, this way I don't add to the scrap pile, and it all coordinates, and then it is a one of a kind quilt too!

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  23. What a great "bottom" you made for your quilt...and what a fun blogpost to read!

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  24. I love pieced backs. They are so much more fun!

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  25. I'd call this a "reversible" quilt: it's a two-fer! I'm sure the top (front?) is wonderful, but it's got a real challenge from the back (bottom?)!!

    Jory

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  26. I am lovin' the back of the quilt!! (or bottom!!!) It is just so pretty. Now, I won't give someone my orphan blks like I was thinking - I am going to make enough of them to do a backing too!!
    When you do not have that many, and they are in colours that are NOT to your liking (from a BOM at the LQS - just yucky!!!) backing seems just about right...

    now, yours, I am not sure what the top looks like but I am sure liking how happy the bottom is!!!

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  27. You are a genius and an awesome artist! I love your work. That back is so cool and a great one of a kind work. Can't wait to see the top! Karen

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  28. Great back, bottom or whatever! After several reads, I finally get the pantyhose comment--ha, ha.

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  29. This might be a bit hard for a hand quilter to work on but, then again, when you work slowly by hand, you have fewer orphan blocks in the first place. Wouldn't it be funny if the magazine couldn't tell which is the "front"?

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  30. I am saving all my orphan blocks for a back and I have just finished 60 of those neutral string blocks for the RRCB adaptation. Thanks for all the great ideas.

    ps also thanks for the note to uncheck the block on the google sign in. It was giving me a headache.

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  31. Bonnie, this is a great back. i am wondering if you worry about loosing some of the block edges when you load it on the long arm? You know, that extra few inches that you need at the top and bottom. How do you keep it centered with the top?
    LeAnn

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  32. Anonymous3:27 AM EDT

    Wow! That's great fun. If this is the BACK I can't wait to see the FRONT.

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  33. love it, love it, love it. a true TWO-sided quilt. whenever this goes in a book, I want a photo of this side too!!!

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  34. Love the back - too much fun!!! I had to laugh with the discussion on what we call the back of our quilts! Down here in Lafayette La - as you remember the very strong French infuluences everywhere - at The Borne Quilter we package Backing fabric as "Derrieres"! A 6 yard cut is a "Petite Derriere" and an 8 yard cut is a "Grande Derriere". It's all about having fun.....
    Now, off my derriere and off to work!!!!

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  35. That quilt has great lingerie!

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  36. After all of that your "back" is now a "front"! I hope the German magazine features both!! Will it be available here in the states when it prints?

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  37. Anonymous9:27 AM EDT

    Bonnie,
    You are the antithesis of the quilt police. (Yes there are some) I love the freedom of your quilts and it inspires me to break the "rules" and end up with a fun and unique quilt. Thanks for sharing and I am fascinated with your quilt back - how can the front compete? I can't wait to see.
    vivplum

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