The Gnome at the Bottom of the Garden

The project

A few years ago I decided to start a Serious Quilt to give my step father for his 70th birthday. I had three years to complete this in. Plenty of time, right? I’m not an accomplished quilter, and have only ever done small projects. This would be “a project”. A full sized bed quilt. I was ready for it.

In the meantime I made several baby quilts for friends having babies and then taught H10 to make a rag quilt. Time ticked by and I found myself just DAYS away from the impending birthday and what had I done?

I had cut out hundreds ( and I do mean hundreds) of little triangles. And about one hundred 4½” squares. And a few sashing strips.

It was then I discovered my first mistake. When using striped fabric, you have to be careful how you cut it.

Having corrected that little mistake (lucky I bought extra fabric), I started to assemble the pinwheels. Did you know that you have to put them together exactly the same way every time? A few goes with the stitch ripper and I was back on track. A wiser me was now on a roll.

The blocks are coming along nicely now. I have done 5 (out of 20) in the last couple of days.

I decided to join some of the blocks together with the sashing, just to see what it would look like. I had chosen two different fabrics (because I couldn’t decide which one I liked better), but now looking at the blocks assembled, I didn’t like either of them.

Another trip to the fabric shop and a neutral was found.

I now have 5 (out of 20) main blocks assembled. I still haven’t decided what to use as sashing or an overall border. And Stepfathers birthday was last Sunday.

I’m late.

Again.