Novitiate Nebula: Scrappy Quilt Entry

The first quilt I have decided to enter into the Blogger’s Quilt Festival  is my latest finish – the ‘Novitiate Nebula’ Quilt. 

I made the blocks for this quilt in 2012 out of fabric 100% from my scrap bins. 

This quilt is made out of 80 different blocks from a variety of block of the months and quilt along’s that I participated in during 2012. These include: Sew Sweetness, New York Beauty Quilt Along

1. Block 0 – New York Beauty Quilt Along, 2. New York Beauty Quilt Along, 3. New York Beauty, 4. New York Beauty Block, 5. New York Beauty Quilt Along, 6. New York Beauty, 7. New York Beauty, 8. New York Beauty, 9. New York Beauty Quilt Along – Week 9, Block 2, 10. New York Beauty Quilt Along – Week 10, Block 9

Canton Village Works -2012 Blogger BOM

1. Block 1 – Blogger’s BOM Quilt Along, 2. Block 2 – Blogger’s BOM Quilt Along, 3. Block 3 of the Blogger’s BOM, 4. Blogger’s QAL – Block 4 from Pat Sloan, 5. Blogger’s BOM – Block 5, 6. Blogger’s BOM – Block 6, 7. Blogger’s BOM – Block 1, Take 2, 8. Bloggers BOM – Block 2, Take 2, 9. Quilter’s BOM, 10. Quilter’s BOM, 11. Quilter’s BOM, 12. Quilter’s BOM, 13. Blogger’s BOM, 14. Quilter’s BOM, 15. Blogger’s BOM, 16. Blogger’s BOM, 17. May Block from Blogger’s BOM, 18. May Block from Blogger’s BOM, 19. Blogger’s BOM Month 10 – from Pam Kitty Morning, 20. Blogger’s BOM Month 10 – from Pam Kitty Morning, 21. Block 10, 22. Block 10, 23. July Block for Quilter’s BOM, 24. July Block for the Quilter’s BOM

Jo’s Country Junction Crumb Along

1. Crumb Along with Me, 2. Crumb Along with Me, 3. “Crumb’ Star block, 4. Crumb Along – Stars, 5. 9 Patch Crumb Block, 6. 4 patch Crumb Block, 7. pinwheel crumb along, 8. 4 patch crumb along, 9. 8 patch crumb along, 10. Pinwheel Crumb Block

Breezy Beginner’s Sampler from Quilt Gallery

1. Block 2 – Peak Over the Fence – Quilting Blogger’s Beginner’s Quilt Along, 2. Block 3 – Time for Ice Cream – Quilting Blogger’s Beginner’s Quilt Along, 3. Block 2 – Peak Over the Fence – Quilting Blogger’s Beginner’s Quilt Along, 4. Block 3 – Time for Ice Cream – Quilting Blogger’s Beginner’s Quilt Along, 5. 9 patch – Quilting Gallery Beginner’s Quilt Along, 6. 9 patch for the Quilting Gallery, 7. Block 4 – Jump in the Pool – Quilting Gallery Beginner’s Quilt Along, 8. Block 4 – Jump in the Pool – Quilting Gallery Beginner’s Quilt Along, 9. Beginner’s Quilt Along at the Quilting Gallery – Block 5 – Friendship Sta, 10. Block 5 – Friendship Star – Quilting Gallery’s Beginner Quilt Along, 11. Quilting Gallery Block 6 – The Calico Puzzle, 12. Quilting Gallery Block 6 – The Calico Puzzle, 13. Block 7 – Paddle Up the Creek, 14. Quilting Gallery Block 8 – Play on The Seesaw, 15. Quilting Gallery Block 8 – Play on The Seesaw, 16. Block 7 – Paddle Up the Creek, 17. Quilting Gallery Beginner’s Quilt Along, 18. Beginner’s Quilt Along – Block 10 Ride the Roller Coaster, 19. Block 12 – Ride Bikes All Day, 20. Block 11 – Read Books All Summer, 21. Block 13 – Collect Seashells, 22. Block 9 – Meet me at the fair, 23. Collect Seashells, 24. Ride the Roller Coaster Block, 25. Read Books All Summer, 26. Blogger’s Block of the Month, 27. Ride Bikes All Day, 28. Block 9

Mariner’s Compass Blocks using Chris Lynn Kirsch’s Book: Compass Capers

1. My Very First Mariner’s Compass Block, 2. quarter of Compass, 3. quarter of Compass, 4. Circle Compass, 5. quarter of Compass, 6. quarter of Compass

and a few blocks of my own.

1. Block 2, 2. Block 1

Once the blocks were all made…they sat in my WIP pile for two years.  Finally, this year, I knew I needed to finish it!

How in the world could I put these all together cohesively?  The best way to test things out are to put them up on the design wall.  My design wall is wider than it is tall so the right side is actually the top of the quilt.  I knew I wanted to highlight the New York Beauty Blocks.  I had to decide on a sashing.

I saw this big bright print on black in my stash and knew it was what I wanted to do.

My New York Beauty Blocks were not the most square blocks I’d ever pieced.  By sashing the 4 x 4 block patch I was able to square things up before I added the rest of the blocks around it.  By adding this in though I need to add two strips of sashing in horizontally and two strips of sashing in vertically.

I decided to do this in sort of an off set cross. (don’t forget…the right side is actually the top of the quilt)

I then used the same circles, cut them in half and put them on the borders.  This print gives the effect that I spent a lot of time and energy on the border…when really I didn’t.  Just the kind of border I like! And with that, I finally put this mish mash of blocks made from my scraps together into one cohesive quilt.

I sent it to my aunt, Barb Raisbeck of Quilts by Barb for the long arm quilting. She used a fluorescent orange thread to make these amazingly intricate swirl designs on the border and to emphasize the new york beauty block.

Using a gray thread she did a rounded building block type design all over the rest of the quilt. It really is the perfect quilting solution to the crazy top I sent.

Quilt Stats

Name: Novitiate Nebula 

Finished Size: 82″ x 99″

Machine Pieced: Me, Kim Lapacek

Machine Quilted: Barb Raisbeck, Quilts by Barb

Category Entered: Scrappy

So here it is!  I can’t believe it’s actually done and I’m beyond happy with the chaotic result! My friend Trisha came up with the name ‘Novitiate Nebular’ which means: novitiate is a beginner or in training (sometimes used in a religious training) and a nebula is an interstellar clump of gas and dust that will eventually become a star.

So…what do you think?  I promise you won’t hurt my feelings unless you say that it’s boring.

If you love it too…be sure to head over and Nominate it for ‘Viewer’s Choice’. 

Thanks for stopping by!