Scrappy Stash QAL Gigantic Explanation Post

I've been sewing along with Scrappy Stash QAL at Ellison Lane Quilts. And busily not blogging about it. I've been sewing for weeks. And cutting, sewing, moving bits and pieces, setting up and taking down my sewing machine, putting out my cutting mat and supplies. Over n over n over Red Rover. I haven't got a sewing room so each time I sew it's the same story and instead of photographing and blogging things I frequently re-stack fabric and pick up bits of thread and fabric strings on the floor or find that fiddley small thingamading that you fill the water in the iron with.

I'd heard about the QAL (Quilt Along) through various bloggers and once I read how it was to go I thought this's just perfect! I've been making a quilt for my niece for 20 years now, even though it's only been 12 months and she's not even two. I made up the design myself so it's been done in fits and starts while I figure out layout and problems. I kept running out of pink fabric for it or couldn't find the right backing so I kept getting more pink fabric. Then it wasn't the right pink then I had to get more. So much pink. I couldn't quite figure out what to do with it all.

Monochromatic pink blocks? Done! I had planned from the beginning to have aqua and grey blocks to go along with the pink but when I saw all the pink blocks I thought they'd make their own pretty quilt.

Why those colors? The niece's quilt features Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey and those are the colors I mostly used. One of my friends saw me making it and she loved the colors. Monochromatic scrappy quilt in the same colors = Christmas present!

I was doubting things for a bit when I started to lay out the blocks. I prefer to obsessively figure out just the right fabrics to be next to each other plan the sizes and fabrics and this scrappiness was out of my comfort zone. I usually have a plan or design, even if it's not down on paper. All the different dimensions and those candy colors were making my brain hurt. Finally I put them all away until the grey blocks were done as I thought they might calm things down and provide some visual rest.

That one strip on the grey block looks really dark but in real life it has silver sparkles that reflect the light so it's not so jarring. Back to the QAL... I got my quilt top put together and the backing done and the quilting planned and knew I was running out of time this week. What is with having a real job to make money?! Who planned that.

Basically the binding did not get totally done/sewn down so I missed the "complete quilt" requirement. It's a little sad but also so exciting that I already have a Christmas present done and I got out of my comfort zone. Below is the quilt top before the quilting. I'll show the whole thing when the binding's finished and I get my good photo gear out-can't do anymore phone pics or my camera will break up with me.