It’s a tricky question.
Most of the time, I have a deadline, or something’s screaming louder than the rest to be worked on. Now that Scinteallate is done and dusted and F2F isn’t going to restart for a few months more, I have the luxury of picking and choosing. These are the choices:
The Hatbox Quilt
F2F3: Amethyst and Slate
The Pastel Scrappy Quilt
Anemone (hand sewing; properly speaking, a ScrapHappy item)
Actually, when it came down to it, the choice wasn’t so tricky. It’s going to be the Hatbox Quilt. It’s the furthest along, fully quilted, and all I need to do is assemble it. The others all need lots more work before they’re near that point, especially Anemone.
So, here’s the thing. I was thinking I might like the idea of a wider sashing, to look like shelves. I have a pretty blue chambray style soft shot cotton with a hint of lilac in the colour for the sashing, and it works well against all the fabrics. But using wider sashing would make it trickier to line things up, and will definitely involve lots of fiddling about beforehand, to ensure the blocks finish at the same size, without cutting off the backing and batting I’d need to fill the sashing space. On the other side of the coin, I can do the narrow sashing in my sleep. So, in the interests of finally finishing this project, which has now been running since the beginning April 2016 (gasp!), I’m going with my normal sashing width.
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed I’ve swapped a fair number of blocks around since the last time I showed them all together in the photo on the left, which was before I started the hand quilting in August 2017. I did the squinting thing, and it looked OK, but when I turned the wrong end of the binoculars on it, several dark and light patches leaped out and needed to be sorted out. Then I discovered things had the same edging on the lid of the hatbox or there was a clump of the same backgrounds, so further tweaking was needed. I think we’re OK now, but if you spot something, let me know.
So, I’m off to the ironing board and cutting table to get the sashing strips ready.
talltalesfromchiconia 
Personally, I think it is perfect as is.
Yes, it feels balanced and nothing’s sitting next to anything too similar.
It looks wonderful the way you’ve got it arranged!
Great! Glad you like it!
Well I am not one to be asked how it looks with block placing as I need that kind of help myself but……..I did like the idea of the wider sashing to look like shelving; thought that was clever and cute with this. Either way I know it is going to look fabulous though 🙂 Sharon
Wider sashing would have looked good, but it’s something I should have planned from the start, rather than doing as an afterthought. Maybe another time!
Wonderful to see the entire batch of blocks, I love it as is!
Goodoh, glad I’ve got them in a layout that works for everyone. I’m halfway through trimming out, so I’m hoping to start assembly tomorrow…
Woohoo! You are working on my favorite. I love the hatboxes and have pulled out lots of fabrics for one. Let’s hope I get it done. 😉 Otherwise, I’ll just have to enlarge the photo of yours when it’s finished and pretend.
I hope you make it happen, I’d love to see your version!
Oooooo, this is going to be beautiful!
Hopefully it’ll be ready soon, 3 years is quite long enough for one quilt.
just too gorgeous 🙂
It feels so nice, too, very soft and nubbly.
The layout looks just right Kate. I don’t know whether you remember but I wanted my sashing to look like shelving too but didn’t want wide sashing between so I used the same sashing fabric to add a wider border which I thought gave the look of a shelving unit. It did help that the fabric I used had a bit of a wood grain design too.
It’s going to be great to see your hatboxes finished.
I do remember, but these are QAYG and already quilted, so if I add sashing, there’s nothing behind it and it will be saggy and sad. It’s OK, I’ll do the shelf thing on another quilt another time, and I’ll plan for it that time!
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I did QAYG too using the same method as you but I meant I added a border around the outside in the same fabric as the narrow sashing used on the blocks so it looked as if all the units were in one larger shelf unit – well, sort of. Probably still not clear. A reminder http://tinyurl.com/y4c3ovcf
Ahah! You were talking about the outer border! I was having trouble visualising how you’d make it work inside the sashing strips but around the outside of each block. The reminder made it all clear.
Oh, yes! This one needs to be finished!
And so it shall be. Starting tomorrow 🙂
Looks perfect to me 🙂
Good, glad the revisions are paying off!
Seeing all thirty blocks together is very striking. Whichever sashing size you decide will enhance all the lovely colors you’ve used in those blocks.
Isn’t it amazing how all those colours and patterns work together, somehow?
Oh Kate! You are always coming up with a great idea or two. I am now going to have to put a pair of binoculars in my sewing room!! Lol❤️❤️❤️
It really helps you see the thing as an abstract object, viewed in tiny scale. You see the strong, darks and lights very clearly.
I totally love this one, even more than the one you did for your sister.
I know what you mean. I fell in love with the design many years ago, when the Kaffe Fassett book it appeared in first came out. I’ve had it bookmarked for about 6 years, started it 3 years ago, and I’m finally approaching the finish line. There was never any question of not finishing it, but it has taken a long time, mainly because it’s for me!
The placement looks right to me. I say, better late than never. It will happen. I think the colors and fabric patterns look very balanced.
It’s not that I’ve dragged my feet, I don’t think, it’s simply that I wanted to do justice to my mental image of how this would be. I’ve taken a long time to collect the fabrics, I’ve made the blocks one or two at a time, and hand quilted them the same way. Now, I don’t want to run at it and finish it too quickly!
Works of art, each and everyone of them !!
Aww, you’re too kind!
No I am not !
It´s looking great, I think! Bravo!
🙂