Fabric Hunt

Quilts full of scraps visually entertain me.  I just love them.  They dazzle.  Best of all, I get reminded of times past; when the fabric was purchased, where I bought it...sometimes.  "Under the Big Top" is finished

but not without teeth grinding.

In the fabric department, I started with a blue 'big top' perimeter.  It was intended as a small quilt, but it soon became apparent that my quilt wanted to be bigger.  When I wasn't able to buy more blue stripe, I reluctantly bought red and replaced the blue bits I had already used.  Being foundation (paper) pieced, that proved challenging.

I like fussy cutting, which doesn't usually go hand in hand with scrap quilts, but the opportunity presented itself.  Each centre has something special.  Here is one

and here is another:

The quilt decided to get bigger and I needed more red stripe fabric.  I scoured the Sydney basin and made  a few phone calls.

Knowing the fabric range is a huge advantage when searching for the elusive, so always cut into the selvedge that has that information printed on it,  last!  Eventually, with more than enough red fabric for 25 blocks and a binding, I happily settled down to finish the quilt. 

The tale doesn't finish there.   I realised I didn't have enough of one of the star shirting fabrics.  No amount of hunting unearthed that fabric, so 20 blocks was all that was possible.   Moral of the story;  I'd like to say, "be organized", but when a quilt is growing itself, how can you predict fabric requirements from the outset?

Kate Cox from "Kimpossibilities" had promised to quilt it when "Under the Big Top" announced its larger size, and kindly stitched an allover Baptist Fan pattern that I love.  Thanks Kate!

Last night the label went on

and now the circus is ready to move on.