Into the Labyrinth – quilt top is complete

This marks a real milestone for me.  A quilt I planned from the beginning.   One that needed to be a particular dimension, and had a destination from the outset.

Probably 9 months ago I said I wouldn’t make another quilt “as big” as the out of control lap quilt I did around Christmas last year.  Looking back, I think it’s because I didn’t love the quilt.  I don’t think I even liked it to be honest.  I found the piecing tedious and fiddly.  I found the repetition “offensive” to my eyes and mind.

I still don’t love it, but it is true when “they” say that quilting makes it a different quilt. I do enjoy the “homeyness” of the FMQ that I did on it, now that it’s washed.

My cousin, Jo said that we’d have to get me piecing, but I was happy just quilting on the frame.  I just kept thinking back to my “first quilt” and couldn’t get interested in that experience again.  Of course eventually it happened – I ran out of things to quilt.  Now what? 

Apparently, it’s simple:  I needed to find a pattern I liked and would enjoy creating.   Enter the Labyrinth by Debbie Maddy.

I’ve actually enjoyed the process of piecing this one and watching it come to life.  I love the optical illusion.  I’ve actually made time to piece this quilt.

I started planning it in Electric Quilt about mid-September.  I recreated the pattern in the software so I could play with colors and borders and sizes.

With a plan of putting this on the bed, I settled on dimensions of 95″ x 95″, a “sort of” queen size that would allow for a good sized border, with good drape over the edges of the bed, and little to no waste for the border fabrics.

On September 19th, I started cutting fabric.

IMG_0856  labyrinthNoWalls

Ronnie, the featherweight Ryan gave me for my birthday 2 years ago helped me do the stitching.

TheLastMile

Last night, I finished the top.

LabyrinthWalled

Today, I hope to load it on the frame and start to quilt.  Now to decide what I want to do for surface design.

I’m open to input, anyone? 🙂

 

Continuing on with my pop culture theme for post titles, I give you my favorite childhood / pre-teen movie:   Labyrinth – starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly and brought to life by Jim Henson and George Lucas.

Into the labyrinth

Within You

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