This one is one my husband found down in the basement. He is cleaning it up down there in order to make the whole area a workshop for himself. I told him to bring up a quilt or two every day or so and I can get them washed and make a decision about. I tended to put some of my favorites down there that I wasn’t ready to deal with yet - either to keep or let go. (Who am I kidding? By putting them down there I was deciding to not let go of them!)

This was one of them.

I really like how it turned out. Not so crazy about my quilting job - but this was one of my early quilts where I attempted free motion quilting.

I made this one before I started taking lots of pictures, so before 2012. I also was ignorant enough of the whole quilting standards and guilds/status/quilt shows and such that I didn’t realize quite how bad it was. :) LOL

Showing you this one up close is humbling. It was really bad. But I will bare all.

Early efforts at free motion quilting (FMQ) - maybe as early as 2010 or 2011 - before I started taking pics of my individual quilts

I wasn’t one of those who would never attempt to quilt until I had practiced and practiced. I just dove in. I wanted to make quilts - not practice FMQ!

(In my defense, practicing on a 12”x12” square is one thing - quilting a queen size quilt on a domestic is quite another - and what I noticed was everyone recommending cutting small pieces and practicing on them. But they don’t give you any practice in dealing with the weight and mass of the quilt which is actually my biggest struggle.)

But - Never fear!! I have gotten better! Here’s one of the last of the Upcycled Blues series of quilts -

But I am willing to show it now - as I do like the design. In fact, if you have read here long, you know that I like 9 patches and a double 9 patch - well, that’s double what I like!

Here’s the layout for this one should you be interested in making it.

At this point, I don’t want to make a pattern as I’m busy working on charity quilts. But if you can follow this layout, you can make it.

I made small, 3” (3.5” unfinished) 9 patches, which meant this quilt is only about 81”x99”. The bigger squares are cut 9.5” square and naturally I strip pieced (yes, even back then!) the small strips using 1.5” off white/tan and strips of 1.5” colorful even though I am showing the layout with all greens. The smaller solid squares are cut 3.5”. This would look cool in any two tone coloration - dark red/light red, dark blue, light blue, etc.

(This Shaded Double 9 Patch was a precursor to the black/gray/red double 9 patch I made from upcycleds. It’s the same basic idea.)

I had seen this idea (Shaded Double 9 patch) on the internet somewhere only that person used navy blue, if I remember right, with the outer area being a darker navy and using white for the 9 patches. I really don’t remember now. I had been intrigued by the idea with tans/whites.

And now you know!

It’s an oldie, but goodie??? Not sure what to do with this quilt now, though. :) I’m kind of embarrassed at the quilting and figure no one would really even want it.

Anyway…

Have a great day wherever you are reading this!

Stay Safe! Do right!

If you need some fabric, check out what my sis has in the store.

Here’s one of the things she has today!