It all starts with a fabric, right? I picked up the purple fabric on top when I was visiting family in the Portland OR area MANY years ago. Our kids were small then. They are not small now. Any time I was up in that area, I had to visit Daisy Kingdom and their flatfold area. Daisy Kingdom isn't there any more. I would usually pick up border fabrics to make jumpers for our girls. Our girls don't wear jumpers any more.
While digging in the flatfolds, I came across this purple. It looks like it has alot more blue in this photo, but in reality it is deep rich purples. I knew I wanted to make a quilt for my bed with it. I'm a purple person. The quilt on my bed has been there since I was pregnant with our oldest daughter. She's nearly 20 now.
This fabric has been properly aged. I bought 6 yards at the time since I knew I would not be able to find it again, I wanted it in the border, and you had to buy the fabric is 3 yard flatfolds. I started collecting other fabrics to go with this one, not knowing which pattern I would choose for the quilt. I visited a friend in Virginia in 2005. While visiting Williamsburg, I saw a BEAUTIFUL Bargello quilt all done in blues that looked like waves in one of shops there. I asked if I could take a photo and was told "No". So on the flight home I sketched out what I could remember. I knew I would make a purple bargello with this fabric. Over the years I checked out books on Bargello quilts, tried it out with Binkys, explored different designs with this Bright Bargello. All as practice runs for my future Purple Bargello. I drew out the design, figured the yardage, everything was ready to get started on this quilt. But I didn't. Too much going on. Too many directions headed for too many different things. When I start something, I want to be able to finish it.
Two years ago, I joined our local Quilt Guild. They have this UFO challenge. You make a list of your UFOs. They draw a number and that is the UFO you have to finished in the next two months. As I said, I like to finish things that I start so I have two kinds of UFOs. The ones like this purple bargello where I have the idea, start collecting the fabric, but don't start the project. The other is when a class is offered. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity for an education, so I take the class. If I can't complete the project in class, I'm okay with putting it on a shelf until I have time to revisit it and finish it. Our Guild UFO challenge is the perfect avenue for me to get these projects going or finished. I listed my purple bargello on my UFO challenge. The number hasn't been drawn yet, but I'm afraid if it is called when work is back in season, I won't be able to finish it in the two months, so I started early.
Here I have the strips sets sewn together and I'm playing with the width and rise of the wave.
More later...
