Shades of Blue Challenge

 Thank you Carla for coming up with this fun challenge.  I knew I wanted to make a quilt for a Christmas gift.  Yes I am running very late but I didn't know exactly what kind of quilt I wanted to make.  When this challenge was announced it sounded like a wonderful answer to my drawing a blank on an idea and pushing me forward. 

When Blue was announced I was talking to a few quilting buddies on a zoom sewing session and they suggested the Gumballs quilt from Stitchin' Heaven would be a great 1 color quilt. 

It basically called for various fabrics in one color family. I have a rather large stash collection so this worked out perfectly for me for this pattern.

There are 30 12 inch blocks. Each block has 4 HST , 1 four patch and 6 pieces of fabric in various sizes.

I didn't think it through before committing. I really don't like to trim HST and this quilt called for 120 of them.   To be honest I only trimmed about half of them and fudged the differences. Once they were done the rest of the block construction was pretty easy peasy.

The fun part of quilting this quilt was the company on the lawn across from my sewing room window. 

These are sand cranes which are very popular visitors here in The Villages.  They don't usually come onto my street. Usually we see them on the roads by the golf courses. So it was very pleasant watching them meander around for well over an hour.

Getting a quilt finished less than 12 hours before it is over due to be photographed is not always an easy job.  Yes it was a beautiful sunny moment but the wind was crazy.  I took the first shot without being able to see the quilt in my view finder,  by the time I turned around to try again and yet again the wind had quite a party.

Moved to the back of the house with my assistant where we had much less wind and less sun. The colors from the front are pretty much right on the money pictures in the shadows of the house and hedges not so much . 

The backing is a wide backing fabric that was very pretty and very soft to the touch.

Well this makes for 2 items coming off my to do list.  My last Christmas present of  2022 and the first challenge of 2023 YaHoo!!!!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  I hope you get a chance to visit the rest of todays participants and those taking on this challenge for the rest of the week.  For your convenience below is a list of everyone taking on the challenge. 

Creatin' in the Sticks<https://createinthesticks.blogspot.com/>
Desertsky Quilting<https://desertskyquilts.com/>
Selina Quilts<https://selinaquilts.blogspot.com/>
Just Because Quilts<https://www.justbecausequilts.com/>
Scrapdash<https://scrapdash.com/>
The Joyful Quilter<https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/>

Tuesday, January 24th

MooseStashQuilting<https://www.moosestashquilting.com/>
Kathleen McMusing<https://www.kathleenmcmusing.com/>
Den syende himmel<https://densyendehimmel.blogspot.com/>
Karrin’s Crazy World<https://karrinscrazyworld.blogspot.com/>
Artes de Paula Louceiro<http://artesdepaulalouceiro.blogspot.com/>
Days Filled With Joy<https://www.daysfilledwithjoy.com/>
Beaquilter<https://www.beaquilter.com/blog/>


Wednesday, January 25th

Just Let Me Quilt<https://www.justletmequilt.com/>
Inflorescence<http://www.inflorescencedesigns.com/>
crazy'boutquilts<https://crazyboutquilts.blogspot.com/>
Kathy's Kwilts and More<https://kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com/>
Quilted Delights<http://www.quilteddelights.com/>
Quilt Schmilt<https://quiltschmilt.ca/blog-posts/>
VroomansQuilts<https://vroomansquilts.blogspot.com/>

Thursday, January 26th

Ms P Designs USA<https://mspdesignsusa.com/>
Lianne Makes Stuff<https://liannemakesstuff.blogspot.com/>
Quilting Gail<https://quiltinggail.com/>
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs<https://ecoughlindesigns.blogspot.com/>
Words & Stitches<https://bethstrand.wordpress.com/>
Just Sew Quilter<https://justsewquilter.blogspot.com/>