The Aussie Tula Pink Swap

My first problem when creating a quilt is fixing on a single idea. I have no shortage of creative ideas in any sphere; my problem is less one of creativity and one of focused creativity.

So, for instance, I had a dozen ideas of what to do for this mini-quilt, and about all I'd managed was pulling out my box of Tula.


Yeah, not very helpful, really.

Then, while digging through my pattern books and templates, I found the Marti Michell Hexagon Ruler - and spotted a pattern on the paper instructions that I rather liked. As it turned out, it's called Ring Cycles, but I pretty much just worked it out off the pattern on the label. (I'm really awful at following patterns, but great at working things out myself.)

Except the fabrics I started with didn't work together:


The raccoons from Acacia (and the associated fabrics) were just too strong for the Salt Water octopus and the Fox Field prints. So I took them out (and will make a mini up for a friend in the US.

Change up the Acacia fabrics for some Fox Field, and BAZINGA!


Much better!

And then there was the quilting:


I think I've become a convert to the school of Angela Walter's "quilt it until it's good and dead"...


As in, really really dead.


Really really really dead.


Bound and finished - and Smokey gave it the buttstamp of approval! (Admittedly, that is not difficult in this household.)


It needed some blocking, so I started off steam-blocking it, and then just ended up wetting it and laying it out flat.


I'm quite happy with it, and if the recipient doesn't like it...I'll be more than happy to take it back off her and make another one!