All tied up

    Finally done, the Bow Tie Top from a block swap. All quilted, 55" x 62", bound and ready for a home. Glide Celery thread, top and bottom.

Back

Almost a finish

     A number of years ago, I participated in a block swap with Barb. It was a bowtie block and we had to use grays and a bright fabric. I was happy with what I received and made it into a top. Which sat. And sat.
     In my resolution to make backs for all my tops, I made one for this and because it is a bit smaller than I usually make, I put it on the longarm this week. Although smaller (53" x 63"), it took a long time to quilt. The bowties were quilted with three diagonal lines (used a ruler, but I stink with rulers- they are always slipping on the ends) and the gray has small semi-spiral lines. The thin gray border had sawtooth triangles. The piano key border had square spirals that covered two keys at a time. I used Glide celery top and bottom. I think that this design flattened out the piano keys to be more subtle. The diagonal lines on the bow ties emphasized the changing directions, and the small scrolly lines lent a softness. I do not think an overall design would have achieved the result I was after. That is my story and I am sticking to it. 
     I have to put a binding on it and can't decide what fabric. When I get the binding on, I will photograph it so you can also see the back.

Blocks as received

Unquilted

Quilted, needs binding

Bow tie swap quilt bordered up!

     The bowties I received from last fall, along with a bunch more I made are finally all in the quilt. It sat unfinished on my design wall for too long because I did not know how to border it. A friend of mine said piano keys. Alright. I made the strips and found I did not like a square in the corner- interfered with the bowtie look. I tried mitered corners- too busy with all the bowties. So, I make a 1" border of gray and added the strips of bowties. I tried to line up the piano key with the block under it and pinned every one. Alas, it is not perfect and my skill set is not what I would like it be. 
     Now, I need to make a backing and come up with a fun idea.

Stuck on the wall for too long along with some other blocks

Borders on, sun wipes out some of the color

Out of the Bag

     Finally, I emptied all the bowtie blocks from a block swap hosted by Barb  that I received last fall. I had made about 25 extra and all the blocks were in a big zip lock. I got the urge to get them all up and see what I had after all these months.
     The first round up I realized I wanted more columns, so I had to make about 20 more. It was hard to scrape up more grays.

      I added all the blocks except duplicates I had made. I only pulled out one block from the swap that no contrast in the color to gray combo- it looked like one piece of fabric.

      For a couple days, I messed around trying to get the lighter ones evenly distributed so they were not all lumped together. I did try lights going to darks, but the busyness of the pattern fought with it. 

I had to just end it and get it down from the wall because I needed it for another quilt. So, I numbered the columns with painters tape and clipped them by columns, Wanda style, and will sew the columns together, then the rows.