decision made!

I wrote a post a while back that I've referred to many times.  It's all about procrastinating cutting into your fabric.  Do you want to read it?  It's what kept me from doing anything with this fabulous Amy Butler Love that I've had for a while.

I had some quiet alone time with my fabric and a clean kitchen table to use.  So I decided that I really should start this baby quilt if I want to get it done this year.  :)   I won a bunch of these fat quarters, but wasn't sure how they would all look together.  So I ordered some more, mostly blues and greens and several more of the dots.  Side note - how does Amy B. keep making such fabulous polka dots!?  I mean, they are just dots - but so cute, as always.

I ironed them all up and laid them out on the floor (as seen above).  It was a really good way to study the colors.  These prints are all very different, as is the color palette.  But it's amazing what you see when you start analyzing them all.  There is a speck of turquoise in the red prints, some red in the blues, some green in the purples.  I really think this is going to look so fun!

When deciding on a pattern to use, I decided I was just going to do a basic scrappy squares quilt.  Initially I thought I would separate each print with a cream square.  Then when I realized I had enough fabric, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and just smash all of these delicious prints and colors right next to each other!  I know, I'm so adventurous.

I'm going to strip piece this quilt.  Have you done that before?  The quilt will be 9 squares across and 12 rows down, the finished squares being 5" wide (finished quilt size 45x60).  I've cut these fat quarters into 5.5" strips and grouped them into 3s - I couldn't be totally random, so I tried to put a lot of contrast in each set and almost every set has one of the dots in it.

Next up, sewing these strip sets together.   If you are interested, I'll continue to show the process as I work on this.

*****
In other good news - I have had such a response on taking a break from sew & tell this summer that I am going to work something out where we can still do it.  I have many friends who have volunteered to guest post while I am recuperating/recovering/getting settled in to our new life with baby and move.  So it looks like we'll still be here every Friday!  :)
Thanks everyone!