The mind of a quilter

Here is a 12 step breakdown of how I fell into a new quilt project.

STEP 1:  Read about an upcoming block challenge on a favorite blog.  In this case it was a challenge to make a reproduction of an 1870's quilt made up of 400+ tiny nine patch blocks.

STEP 2:  Consider how many small scraps you already have and conclude that this challenge would be a handy and productive way to use some of them.  The concept is to make 10 tiny nine-patch blocks a week and post them on either Facebook or Instagram. The challenge goes for the whole year, or until you reach the size of quilt you want to make. The quilt this challenge is based on has 480 nine-patch blocks!

STEP 3: Decide that you will attempt to stick to a color palette of blue and white.  Pick out all the blue and white bits and pieces from the scrap bin and put them together with every other piece of blue and white fabric you find in your stash.  Spend an entire evening going through every bin you own and enjoying every minute of it. Really, who doesn't love a fabric pull?

STEP 4: Begin cutting a few squares.  They measure 1 1/4".

STEP 5: Arrange the squares into nine-patch units.  Follow first instinct to just randomly choose lights and darks:

STEP 6:  Decide that, despite the variety of fabrics, the random arrangement is boring.  Choose to make units with specific pairs of fabrics instead:

STEP 7:  Go back and look at the inspiration quilt and realize the some of the blocks have alternated the position of the lights and darks. Rearrange some of yours:

STEP 8:  Decide that something is still lacking, so you look around your quilt room for inspiration and see the muted pink fabrics leftover from your last project that you still have not yet put away.  Decide to sprinkle a few pinks into the mix:

STEP 9:  At last you feel like you have the look you want, so you cut up some more squares, adding both pink and dark pink/maroon colors to the party.  Store them all neatly in a divided box that you upcycle from your daughter's old bead stash:

STEP 10:  Select fabrics for your first week of blocks, playing with different combinations and moving things around until you like what you see:

STEP 11:  Finally get to start sewing:   

STEP 12:  Step back and view the aftermath of your nicely sorted squares:

And your 12 steps are done!  Now I get to make 10 more next week! 

Here is picture of  the quilt that is the inspiration for  the challenge:

It should be a fun year!  Hope I can keep up.