Totally Groovy Quilt Top & Sun Bleaching

I finished my Totally Groovy quilt top over the weekend, and hope to sandwich it soon here - I'd lost track of the schedule for the QAL but it looks like I have about a month left to wrap it up.

I enjoyed sewing with the Moda Bella solids, though I feel they frayed more than Kona cotton, they didn't slide around at on each other while sewing, which was great for a quilt with this many strips.




As I mentioned before... this is a wee bit day-glo, even for me. We've actually had a marathon rainless period here around Seattle (in fact I believe I've seen 30 seconds of rain in 60 days).   So I've been able to put it out in the sun to try to mellow out some of the harsher colors, 3 days and I can't tell a difference so...yay for the great color staying properties of  Moda Bella solids, but I guess I'm stuck with my brights for awhile ;)

I had a bit of problem with puckering, and not everything lined up though I pinned the heck out of it as I sewed, but I'm OK with how it turned out.

Now I have to start on the back, which will be pretty basic.  Somehow I ended up with a lot of leftover fabric strips though I was sure I followed directions on how much to cut - so  I may do something similar to what Alyssa at pileofabric is doing for hers here

On a side note - ouch.  I'm thinking hand stitching and quilting will have to only be a teeny part of my quilting in the future,  if my trapezius has anything to say about it in the future.  First week long muscle spasm of my life, much worse than a similar one I got last month after a marathon weekend of working on the Modern Medallion as well as the other quilt with hand quilting I'm working on.  I've hardly been able to sit at the computer to do things (which I've sure been missing!) but on the bright side it got me to get around to making a long overdue Chiropractic appointment!

The Totally Groovy Quilt Along

I was a bit behind on the" getting ready to get started on this" bit of the Totally Groovy QAL over at Pile O' Fabric

Friday afternoon I ordered my pattern and 22 hours later I got the mail and it was here!  Carolina Patchworks happens to be not too far up the road, which I DID know when I pinned the picture months ago but had since forgotten.  That's Gasworks park in the background, a place where I've gone since I could walk for picnics, field trips,  concerts, and had the most successful kite flying of my life!

 
I think I have my colors mostly narrowed down, but not quite.  I don't want to go with all Kona because I find a lot of the colors dull and flat when used in  large chunks.  Moda Bella swatches are so teeny it's not that helpful to try to chose from their color card, though I'm trying.  I love Pat Bravo's Pure Elements, but the colors seem to run on the more vibrant side, and I'm trying to go a bit more subtle with this (that and they tend to be a bit more expensive and this quilt takes quite a bit of fabric!)

I got kind of enamored of this bundle at the Fat Quarter Shop, and was torn between it and a pale washed beachy theme, but since it gets so gloomy here a lot of the year I thought I should play it safe and go with a bit more of a cheerful color scheme. 

I think I'm going to only make a throw or twin sized quilt from this pattern, since I don't think my husband would like our bed to be covered with something so retro.  ( I mean I asked but he seemed non-committal and I get the oddest looks from him when I ask him questions about quilts ;)

 It DOES look like, however, that if I wanted to add on to it after finishing the top, it is easy enough to change my mind and make a larger size.  Anyhoo, I think I'm going to opt for something along the colors to the left there. Oh choices choices!