Quilt-it, Quilt-it Good!

I've been slowly working some "me" time back into my days.  Of course, things like the dishes are suffering for it, but I'm happier.  And one of my "me" time activities ("Lets get bunk beds, so we have more room for activities!") is quilting.  I've had an idea for a self-designed quilt floating around in my head for, oh, a decade. I never knew how to pull it off, until I realized I could paper-piece it.  That revelation, coupled with sweet Courtney over at Bowdenisms hosting a "get a quilt, any quilt, done by January" quilt-a-long has really kicked my creating into gear.  I'm happy to report that my quilt is started!

The background fabric, well, I have no idea what it is.  I bought about 6 yards of it from my local quilt store when they *weeping* went out of business.  The little colorful parts, they're from the Reunion line by Sweetwater.  I was given that fabric, oh, about 3 years ago.  I love it, but I was afraid to use it because then I wouldn't have it anymore (hoard much? apparently.)

This is the back of my basic square.  Each square, for this quilt, measures 6.5"x6.5".  I had hopes of making a quilt for our Queen-sized bed, but realized I'm going to run out of my Reunion fabric waaay before I get completed the 144 blocks I'd need for that.  So instead, I'm going with a throw-sized quilt.  I think I'll get about 50-65 blocks out of all of it, which should be a good couch quilt.

This is a sneak peek at the design I'm going for.  Its a geometric take on the double-wedding ring pattern.  I'm calling it the Double-Diamond Ring pattern.  You know, since the blocks make diamonds and all.  I hope to get this sucker done by Christmas, but I'm just going to try and work on it when I want to and not pressure myself.  I'll keep you updated when anything exciting gets accomplished.  I mean, quilt-exciting, not jumping-off-a-bridge-exciting.  You know.

The main charge behind Courtney's QAL was to make a quilt, and incorporate something you've never done before.  Well.  This pattern, I've never done before.  And paper-piecing for precision I've never done before.  And this fabric, I've never used it before.  So there.  Newness coming out my ears.  Feel free to check out/join up with the quilting, or follow along with the pictures (on pinterest) or on Instagram with the hashtag #stitchittogether!

<3 M.