Watermelon-Sandia

My New Year's Resolution for 2012 - which I didn't write about here - is to finish a WIP (a Work in Progress) every time I start to work on a new project. So I started by quilting and binding a top I made years ago - a decade? - when I didn't know what I was doing. The top was supposed to look like a slice of watermelon, except I made the rind all green.

However, at the time, I had no idea about sewing with curves or the bias of a fabric. Soooooo, the green border was wavy as all get out--a complete mess. Being as my quilting skills ten years ago were even worse than my basic sewing skills, I set the top aside.


I knew it was going to be a bear to quilt--because I had no intention of taking it apart and constructing it correctly. I decided to let it be my first WIP to finish in 2012. To get it to lie flat (or, well, as flat as possible) I quilted it into submission. It's still a little wavy but all the quilting makes it feel wonderful. I love it. I can't wait to have an excuse to have a picnic. 

You can see some of the problems with the curved piecing in the bottom photo, but with so much quilting, at first glance it looks like more texture. It'll never be a show piece, but it'll be fun to use and display. It is 68" across and 46" long at the center.


Oh, and since I finished this old project, I get to make blocks for the Austin Modern Quilt Guild's block exchange. Can't wait to see what everyone brings to swap. I haven't seen one thing the guild members have made that I haven't loved.

Now to decide what WIP to finish off next.