We interrupt this UFO for a new project!

I spent part of the morning yesterday trying to figure out what to do with the sashing on the UFO Dresden Plate quilt, with no success. I finally started thinking about other projects that I need to do shortly here, and reluctantly put the big quilt aside for a bit. This is why UFO’s are what they are, obviously. I don’t think the UFO will be finished in time for its 11th birthday. No guilt, though, that’s just the way it goes.

Convergence Quilts,
by Ricky Tims

I needed to pitch something together (or decide to finish some other UFO) for a demo that I’m supposed to give at the Black Forest Quilt Guild meeting in February. I’m supposed to show everyone how to embellish with the Swarovski crystals, but at the moment I don’t have anything around that needs crystalizing! I spent some time thinking and digging through other projects in progress, and didn’t really see any that I thought needed crystals in the end (or that I could finish quickly enough to matter), so I grabbed Convergence Quilts by Ricky Tims, and decided to see how quick and easy that process is. I’ve had the book for at least a year, and haven’t gotten around to doing anything with it.

It actually took me longer to make a decision about what to do and select the fabrics than it did to actually make the pieced center of the quilt, it was that easy!

It’s been a long time since I did anything where the design was speedy and mostly about cutting and sewing, like the bargello quilts I’ve done in the past, and it was quite refreshing to see something develop that quickly. As an aside, I agonized over the fabric choices for way too long, trying to figure out what to use so that it would go with some room in the house or something, and finally just grabbed up some fabrics that I’d picked out for a different project at some point. They were still sitting here, as they are so many times after I play with fabrics, arranged from dark to light in shades of dark olive to light beige with a wonderful green leafy batik that made a great focus print for the Convergence Quilt.

So today I have a finished top, borders and all, waiting to be quilted. I love the way it turned out, too. I even have the perfect Valdani variegated cotton thread to quilt it with that I picked up at Patchcom from my buddy Birgit. After quilting, some embellishment with crystals will be the perfect finish! And no, I don’t think it’ll go in any room in my house, but I do have space on my walls in my stairwell, so I’m sure it will have a home at some point. Pictures coming soon!

Share This