Not Afraid of Color: Web of Fun... this year's Halloween quilt

Look at all the fun fabrics! I make a Halloween quilt each year, and this post is about sewing again!

web of fun 36" X 36"

The pillow kit got me going again in my new studio space.

I thought I should get the place organized first, so I knew where things were to use, but abandoned that in my need to "make"

The pillow kit was the stimulus to sew, and expensive and incomplete as the kit was, it did that.

On to the pattern I saw in Quiltmaker magazine in October 2018 issue, named SPOOKY
I chose about 4 patterns this year I wanted to try, and really I have no business trying to follow patterns. I'm much better at coming up with my own, but I've been experimenting with Dresden plates since the move to Colorado.

Isn't it intriguing how some ideas stay just that, plans, and some get made into art?

this moved from should do to gotta do because
1. I could use my cool Halloween fabric collection and show them off
2. I knew where they were
3. It's just under 40" square, so small enough to finish for this year, since I started it a week before Halloween!
4. I knew how to do it, but it had a twist on the trad pattern, so that would be fun

Into the fray, I pulled out all the possible fabrics, and bought a few fresh ones this year, and needed 12 for the blades, the focus. Because they are pretty busy designs, and all want to be the stars, I had fun choosing which ones would go together best in this one little quilt. I tried to get a mix of some purple, some lime, some black, some cream. Then tried to get a mix of some witches, some ghosts, some skeletons, and some pumpkins. I loved the new fabrics with big bold designs like the crystal ball.

I cut one blade and put it on the design wall, then went light dark around. I paid attention to cutting the blade to maximize the design I wanted (fussy cut) and the angle it would be in the finished quilt, for instance I didn't want the witches flying upside down if possible.

By the end of the first afternoon I had all the blades cut and arranged, at which point the wall blew over and tumbled my careful placement to the ground. Grrr. But by stopping point I had the blades sewn to make the points. The next morning I sewed all blades together, and sewed the plate to a black background along the ditches outward.

Now I had to decide to follow the pattern and fold the curves outward to round out the scallops or press them inward so as not to change the look of my cool fabrics. I decided inward then quickly learned why the pattern called for pressing to the front. Seam allowances on the blade points are thick and hard to press another layer under.

Not one to give up, I spritzed with water and bent them to my will. I decided to release perfectionism and not worry about perfect points on each blade as I got the look I wanted by doing it this way.

Plus I knew the quilting process could define the points and most viewers look from about 12" away at most and wouldn't notice a slight bump... nor would I when it was done. I would notice the cool fabrics and now they weren't disturbed by a visible folded edge.

As to the borders, I had to decide, after the plate was carefully sewn with curves to the background with a straight stitch, whether to go with tasteful or wackadoodle. Both looked good to me, but I kind of wanted the center fabrics to stand out so I went with an older Hoffman celestial print. I've had this a long time, and get weird about using good fabrics in a quilt just for me, that won't be shown anywhere but after moving it all here, I realized, I have to let go and enjoy them whenever I want.

Know what I mean?

I am quilting it with sulky hologram mylar thread in silver.

It's very strong, unlike other sulky thread, and well behaved on quilts.

I went along each blade and off on the points as a start to quilting the web along the black outside edges.

Last night I looked at spider web images online, and want to decide whether or not to do that in my background. I don't want the focus pulled out too much. And will I keep the webby look into the border?

It's the day before Halloween and I like to make things with colors of the actual season, so I don't plan too much ahead. Next up will be my abstract fall colors piece. Then in December I might do a Christmas colors piece, even if it's not done for this Christmas.

I like using colors I see around me at the moment, are you like that?

the back was some Halloweend fabric I don't love, truth is it's kind of frightening