Miss V's Strip Quilt [Bloggers' Quilt Festival]

I've been hemming and hawing over which quilt to submit for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.  I had lofty goals of finishing a new piece but as usual my real life interfered and while I am so close to being finished...alas I still have to bind the Hummingbird & Hexagon quilt.  So, what to choose, what to choose...

I revisited Amy's guidelines for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival and when I read "share one quilt and it's story" I realized that one quilt really stood out.  Miss V's Strip Quilt.

Miss V's Strip Quilt

While pregnant with Miss V I began a baby quilt that I just couldn't bring myself to finish.  I had started it with high hopes but by my 3rd Trimester I realized my heart wasn't in it.  I still loved the beautiful fabric but the piecing I had chosen didn't complement the fabric design and I knew it wasn't working.  To make matters even more frustrating...I knew I wouldn't be happy unless I started a new baby quilt completely from scratch!  New fabric & New Design.  Yes, I do like to make things difficult!

I still adored the complex wavy log cabin design I had used for Miss E's quilt and wanted Miss V's quilt to be as intricate and unique.  After endless online image research, using historical quilts as a source for inspiration, I came across an image of the Phoebe Quilt designed by Valori Wells.  She had based her pattern on an 1800s strip quilt and I immediately knew I had found my quilt design.  Instead of buying the pattern [available at the Stitchin Post] I examined the image of the Phoebe Quilt and drew some of my own sketches to create my own version.  After lots of math, bleh, and a few draw out versions I had come up with my own plan.

The quilt consists of one center square, Valori Wells Nest fabric, surrounded by alternating strips to create a swirl movement around the center. Within each panel of strips is a square which acts like a corner pivot around the main square.  The design continually moves without a beginning or end.  The alternating strips and smaller pivot squares are made with Amy Butler's Lotus collection.

I considered quilting by stitching in the ditch but decided to reinforce the intricate piecing by quilting right over it in a simple diagonal design instead.  By working completely against the movement of the strips the quilting seems to disappear when your eye is looking at the piecing.  Plus, ultimately the diagonal quilting gave the quilt a really soft and pliant feeling in the end.

Today I look at this quilt and think WOW, this is really busy.   I don't know that I would make something so pattern crazy without a solid or neutral to rest the eye on today...but when I consider what I would do to change it I can't think of a thing.  It suits Miss V so perfectly, she is cheery, bright, loud, pink and squishy just like her quilt.  And when I lay it over her during her nap time I know it was just the right thing for her.

Hahahahaa, for the first time while writing this I have realized another anecdote about this quilt.  The baby quilt I had originally started is not the only thing I had serious doubts about in my 3rd Trimester of pregnancy.  I also doubted the name we had chosen for the baby.  Just like the quilt I completely changed my mind and went with a new name too.   Hahahahaa, who knows who Miss V would be today with a different quilt and a different name.  Thank goodness I went with my gut and decided to change my mind.  I wouldn't change her for anything in the world!

I'd like to thank Amy for the opportunity to join the BQF.  What an amazing gift to all of us quilting bloggers to be able to share our favorites with each other.  I am really happy to see so many of my friends quilts already posted and am psyched to be able to post one of my own quilts alongside!

If you haven't already...go check out the Bloggers' Quilt Festival!  What ARE you waiting for???