Sandpiper Fling: Fun and A Finally Finished

I mentioned in previous posts that this year I am on a Fabric Fast with a goal of reducing at least 100 yards of fabric from my stash. So far, the stash has been reduced by over sixty yards. My Sandpiper Fling quilt is the first quilt I've finished this year, which includes some new fabrics purchased this year, the Sandpiper and the accompanying solid gray print by Michael Miller, as well as stash. Since the Sandpiper is the focal print, the name of the quilt definitely had to include Sandpiper in it.  When I checked online to see what a group of Sandpipers are called, much to my surprise they are a Fling. Another meaning for "fling" according to the dictionary, is a short period of enjoyment or wild behavior which I think I was experiencing when I purchased this fabric in April which, then, was only the third time I've indulged in some fabric buying.  So, I'm thinking Sandpiper Fling is a pretty appropriate name for this quilt. FYI: all of the photos are in color, they just look like they're black and white or monotone.

When I saw the Sandpiper fabric (upper left corner) in Bernie's Needle and Foot Shop on Etsy, (not an affiliate link) I knew it would go with some of the black,white and gray fabrics in my stash.  This is what I pulled as soon as the Sandpiper and accompanying solid great print arrived.

I was really tempted to make another quilt with my  Staggered Strips and Squares pattern but since I've made four of them last year and have not yet made one this year, I thought I should do something different with the 2.5" strips I die-cut.

I designed an easy quilt with Rail Fence blocks using three different fabrics, Nine-Patch blocks using the same gray solid and brown/black/gray Basic Grunge prints, and then solid patches of the Sandpiper fabric.  The design sheet also helps me to know how many of each blocks are needed but I always make extras.

The Rail Fence blocks are two different sizes:  6-1/2" square and 6-1/2" x 12-1/2" (cut), the Nine Patch blocks are 6-1/2" square and the Sandpiper patches were cut both horizontally and vertically   6-1/2"x 12-1/2".

Using my design sketch as a guide, the blocks were laid out as the same time as the top.

The 12" finished blocks consisted of three patches, one 6-1/2" x 12-1/2" and two 6-1/2" squares.  Since my Sandpiper Fling measures 54" x 72", there is a 6-1/2" x 12-1/2" vertical patch in each row of the quilt.

Once I was satisfied with the layout, i.e., making sure any patches with the same prints were not next to each other,  the blocks were then sewn together and then the Top. Yes, it was sew slowing since I did not want the blocks to get mixed up. Surprisingly, there was only a few times, Sir Seam Ripper was used.

Once the top was finished and I was wondering why I didn't just make this quilt 60" wide instead of 54" wide since I had enough backing fabric of a stripe print and leftover patches. I realized my subconscious or divine intervention was telling me that this top would be perfect for the 60" wide black and white IKEA print sitting in my stash which I've been wanting to use for just the right quilt and Sandpiper Fling was perfect. Doesn't this print look like feathers? I did toy with the idea of using the IKEA print as a guide for machine quilting wavey lines but really would have made me dizzy even though I could hear Roseanne telling me to put on my Big Quilting Gal pants on and just do it.  I opted instead to do my usual wavey lines, 1" apart, gray variegated thread from Connecting threads and the binding sewn by machine was the brown/black/gray Grunge Print.

Sandpiper Fling is definitely a lot quieter that the previous quilts finished this year which were more colorful and bright. It's hard to capture the true colors of the prints in my Sandpiper Fling quilt but there is a purplish gray cast which is quite lovely.  There are so many different shades of gray and I am particularly fond of the ones which I call lilac gray and am glad I was able to use the ones that have been in my stash for so long.  When I was looking for photos on my iPhone for this post, at first glance, I thought they were black and white photos.  It's a good thing I was able to take photos outside so you can see some color.  Otherwise, I needed to add a watermark stating that this is not a black and white photo.

These quilt photos remind me of a current TV commercial where the main actors are in black and white because they are disappointed with their cell phones and the surrounding store and other actors are in bright colors. Same effect in these photos but happy to say that I am not disappointed with all how well these fabrics worked well together and how Sandpiper Fling turned out. But, I am thinking the next quilt I make needs to have some color, bright colors. With next week being the start of the sidewalk sale at a local quilt shop,  I'm hoping I won't be tempted to go shopping. I know I have projects waiting with colorful fabrics and I am on a Fabric Fast.

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation, NTT