Monday, July 11, 2016

Buckeye Beauty Block Play

I've been playing with the Buckeye Beauty blocks again.  Lynn Roddy Brown's original quilt (scroll down at this link) had blocks with both light and dark centers sewn together slightly differently.  In her layout all the light centers went in one direction and the dark centers in another.  Something about my blocks with that layout bothered me so I cut and sewed more blocks with dark centers and tried a layout with only those.


I wasn't sure I liked all darks any better than I did my original lights and darks.  Something  doesn't work, in my opinion. 

With more darks to choose from I tried the light/dark layout again.

I think this might be a go.  (Unfortunately my vacuum ate one of the light-centered blocks this afternoon so I'll have to figure out which one and either remake it or unstitch a finished dark-center block and restitch it as a light-center block.)  There may be one or two blocks I will change out and there may be some changes in the block placements.  This quilt will also get a border, probably green, maybe plaid, or maybe brown.  I suppose I should try out border fabrics before I sew the blocks together?

This is probably not a quilt I will ever love but I don't dislike it.  I know that I'll make another, different quilt in the future for the little guy who will get this when it's finished.  For now he can lie on it, spit up on it, play peek-a-boo with it, and cuddle up in it when winter comes.  It will withstand all of those and endure for many years (unless it gets lost like his sister's quilt), until he outgrows it.

I'm learning that every quilt will not be spectacular.  We hope they all will be but some quilts will be fabulous quilts, some will be great quilts, and some will be okay, everyday quilts.  But they can all keep someone warm, and perhaps warm that someone's heart because of the love that was sewn into every seam and stitch.

Happy quilting to you.

I'm linking this post to
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times
Thanks for hosting, ladies.  I appreciate it.

--Nancy.
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10 comments:

  1. Looks good to me, Nancy--and I think the border helps keep this design contained, so maybe you will like it better when the border is on.
    Had to laugh about the vacuum eating a block (though I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time). It just sounded like a new take on the old "My dog ate my homework" statement. : )

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    1. Janet, my reaction to the vacuumed block was, "Well, for Pete's sake. What next!" I had to chuckle even while I was hoping there was no damage to the vacuum. It seems to be working fine now.

      Thanks for your thoughts about the Buckeye Beauty blocks. Maybe a border will help but somehow this quilt just isn't working for me, especially in person. I might just scrap it and make little Isaac a completely different quilt. I'm not sure why choosing a quilt for him is so hard. I'm thinking he needs plaids.... Thank goodness we have a few more months before it's cool enough to need a quilt.

      Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. I always appreciate your input.

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  2. You are right, we can't see all our quilts as stunners but they can be used and loved because they become associated with the people and places where they are used. I like your layout but wonder if you've tried a barn raising layout alternating light and dark rows?

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    1. I haven't tried a barn raising or alternating light/dark rows, Allison. I'll play some more before deciding. As I told Janet, above, I may just scrap this quilt.

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  3. Horrors on the vacuum! Nice range of colors in your blocks, and I agree that I'd try Allison's suggestion to see what a Barnraising setting can do for you.

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    1. I guess I have to train my vacuum a little better, Vic, though this was the very first time it's eaten a block!

      Thanks for your thoughts about the layout of the Buckeye Beauty blocks. I think I'm about done with these Buckeye Beauty blocks. I've had to pick them up once again so they're on hold for a few weeks, or more. When I lay them out again I'll try the barnraising.

      Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

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  4. I hope that vacuum is now in Time Out! Shame on it!
    I like your last layout, and who knows but what that quilt will end up being the 'little guy's' most cherished childhood memory?

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    1. Yes, Gayle, I put the vacuum in the closet until it learns to behave itself better.

      Thanks for your input on the Buckeye Beauty blocks. I go back and forth about this quilt but for now I've had to pick it up because grandchildren will be visiting. At least I photographed the last layout so I can put the blocks the same way again. I keep trying to convince myself that it's an okay quilt but I haven't truly managed that yet. We'll see....

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  5. You are so right about not loving every quilt we make, but there sure is a lot of love put into each one of them. I bet once you get the border on you'll feel a little better about it.

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    1. Thank you for your encouragement about these blocks/this quilt-in-progress. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I chose to make it. I'll have to lay it out again, this time with a border, after things calm down here. I'm sure there's something to love about it.... LOL.

      Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

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