Monday, January 2, 2023

Historic Panel Challenge Top

Today is the day Lori at Humble Quilts is having her linky party finale for her Historic Panel Challenge. Of course I do not have a finished quilt ready, but do have my top finished, and since the photos taken in early December now have the quilt sandwiched and ready for quilting!  

So many decisions during the process.  I really didn't want to make another mini or small quilt - we simply do not have any more wall space to display little quilts, and I wanted to make it a useful size.  This ends up measuring in the neighborhood of 72x72 inches.  The biggest challenge was trying to make each round come out to an even number - my old math skills seem to have flown by the wayside in recent months! No one was more amazed than I was when all those sawtooth blocks came out even when they were sewn together into the borders!  


Next up is the decision of how this will be quilted.  I'm leaning toward a combination of hand and machine quilting, although nothing will take place until the Janome returns home from it's next visit to the repair shop (see my previous post).  

Anyway, I chose this Barbara Brackman Metropolitan Fair print for the backing - it was the only reproduction print I had enough of to make a backing, and it had been saved for enough years waiting for the perfect place to use it.  

I'm planning to incorporate the panel selvedge into the label eventually.  Not sure of the age of this panel since I wasn't able to find a reference to it online.  Does anyone (Lori?) know?

The new year has begun with quiet, calm, above freezing weather, and the ice in the driveway has departed leaving us with squishy ground underneath.  But if the sunshine holds, we may see it dry out enough that we don't feel like we're wallowing in little stones and mud when we try to cross it.  In the meantime, the kitchen and back entry room floors show lots of little footprints as I'm not keen on mopping every hour of the live long day.  I'd rather be quilting!

So, thanks Lori, for this challenge, and for sending this great little panel a couple years ago.  I'm hoping it will be a true-blue finish by the end of 2023!



11 comments:

Nancy said...

This looks great! I love how you used borders in varying sizes and colors between the center and the block elements. They gradually draw my eye toward the center panel. I think the borders of little squares and the other of stars are pure genius. Love, love, love those little squares. Congrats on a wonderful quilt and finish!

QuiltGranma said...

Still have to sew on my challenge, I twisted my knee pretty bad a few weeks ago, and am finally better able to walk now. Old age and falling on ones knees in slippery slush do not go well together. I think I've got the rest planned out, and hope to get some progress done soon. You did a beautiful job! I find the hardest part to be deciding what to do next to make it a usable size for your needs. Quilt math is also a problem of mine. Looking forward to seeing how you finish up this one.

Lori said...

It is gorgeous! Not sure about the panel date. Thanks for linking up and sewing along!

Barb said...

Wow! fabulous panel quit. I love the way the stars dance around the outside of the quilt.
Great colors~

Kyle said...

You've still have the math knowhow. The variety of border designs is proof of that. Your quilt turned out fabulous and will be lovely to have and use.

Janet O. said...

This is such a striking use of the panel! I love the variety of borders. Your finish sings and dances at the same time! Lovely!

Lizzy D said...

What a beautiful project! Your panel is outstandinG. Love the setting. I can never figure out those inner borders, is there a trick or special method?

I hope this posts, second try!

lizzy

FlourishingPalms said...

What a nice quilt! You've done a great job of working out the maths, luck or no. Looks like everything fits together perfectly. Even if you partially machine quilt this one, it seems you have lined up quite a bit of hand quilting in 2023. I can appreciate that. It seems the older I get, the more I enjoy handwork. I have three different handwork projects going at the momemt - applique, piecing, English paper piecing - and I'm glad I do, especially for take-along guild meetings, and Zoom calls with quilty friends.

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Wow, you really framed your panel so nicely. The offset stars really add a lot of movement - what a striking quilt. Congratulations on a beautiful finish. Happy New Year!

Barbara said...

Your quilt top sings! I love the way you offset the stars in the border. I never would have thought to do that. And your math skills definitely paid off :) I wish I had participated in Lori's Panel Challenge--I always liked the idea.

QuiltGranma said...

Sew glad you got your top done for the Humble quilts challenge. I still have mine in time out... it needed to marinate and quit messing with my mind so hopefully soon I can get back to it!