Back to the Ballerina

After a brief stop to work on a dress for Jenny, I got right back on that little ballerina quilt.  I was hoping to get the blocks made today and sew the strips up tomorrow.  I probably won't make my goal since I've got a bridal shower to attend in the afternoon.  


I did get some blocks stitched up, however.  This cute little ballerina print is the focus fabric.  I tried mixing it with the purple that matches the little purple tutus so well, but it was just too overwhelming.  So I had to rethink my plan.  


I tried a red that matches the red tutu perfectly, but the pink is so light and the other colors so dark that it just doesn't work.  Scratch the red.


I tried a bright pink and played for some time with the arrangement.  Nothing seemed to work: the purple just overpowers the print.  Finally I had an idea.....to put the purple on the outside of quilt.  


 I like this arrangement much better.  I am fairly sure that the purple will be the drop of the quilt so it will be even less overpowering.  


I realized just in time that I needed to cut some of the purple blocks a different size to accommodate the white strip on the outside.   I really want the quilt to finish just like this with a white border.  Luckily I still had a few strips of uncut blocks.  

Each of these small pictures is a single block.  First, I cut a long strip of the center of the block and two strips of white and sew the strips together.  Then I cut the blocks apart.  It's much faster than sewing individual blocks.   


I had cut most of my purple blocks when I realized that I'd need a smaller block on half of the purples.  I could, of course, cut them again then sew on the third strip of white, but that's giving myself more work.


At any rate, I figured it out in time and managed to get all the blocks complete.  Half are on the design wall waiting to be sewn into strips and the other half are on the worktable waiting their turn on the wall.  I definitely need to put the blocks on the design wall.  It would be very easy to confuse them and sew something wrong, especially since the focus fabric is a one-way design.  I don't want these cuties dancing upside down!

What do you think?  I'm not especially crazy about it, but I think it works and I also think Adrienne will like her quilt.  I'm thinking of quilting some ballet terms into the blocks but I haven't decided quite yet.  I've seen some great quilting designs that I I want to try, so they may make the cut, especially since my worry is that Adrienne will outgrow the ballet theme.  If I include a more grownup quilting motif, she may use the quilt longer.  

I am having fun with it and love the fast blocks.  I've learned a few things as well and may reuse this block pattern for a scrap quilt later.  It's fast and fun and I like the wavy pattern that it makes from a distance.


Y'all are such sweet followers!  Thank you to those who voted on Picket Fence.....I now have the 100 votes I was hoping for--up one more page!  Of course, the #1 blog has 6,000+ votes.  Can you imagine?