Prudence Quilt Finish

In June 2019, from Sharon @lilabellelanecreations I won an Instagram giveaway of the Prudence Quilt pattern, plastic template set (four pieces), and pre-cut papers to English paper piece 60 medallion blocks and 61 X blocks, At the time, Prudence was a $120 set, though I see it now for $105 at Red Thread Studio.

In January this year, I completed EPPing the quilt center. Then I hand-appliquéd the center to four black print border strips. In February I quilted it with a walking foot, and then ruler quilted. I used Hobbs Cotton/Wool batting for the first time.

Since I didn't make wide borders, as called for in the pattern, my version of Prudence finished at 56½" X 57". It's pieced mostly from scraps, though a few times I cut into small yardage pieces to get some fussy cut designs. 

Other than knowing I wanted a black and white stripe for the X blocks, I didn't have a color plan at all. I simply dug into scraps to use whatever I put my hands on that was large enough. Then I spent time cutting fabric and gluing it to papers, so as to have six to ten medallions ready to piece at any given time. I kept them in a Sew Together bag for whenever I was headed off on a long road trip, or going to weekly Big Cypress Quilters meetings. 

It wasn't until I had pieced all the medallions and all the Xes that I laid out all the parts and worked out how to arrange them. 

Though I never intended to fussy cut pieces, I found myself doing so fairly often. 

Several blocks turned out pretty nice... like the pink block with those palms. 😍

Keeping to my plan to use only stash fabric this year, and not having enough yardage of any print for a backing, I had to pieced a backing. This one was made with an Anna Maria Horner print, surrounded by orange Grunge, and set into a black and white stripe print. 

After walking foot quilting in a diagonal grid, I ruler-quilted four rings in each block.

A couple thoughts about this project: 

1) IF (that's a big IF) I ever English paper piece again, I won't use 60-weight Superior brand "Bottom Line" thread again. It's a great thread, but since it's polyester, it proved to be a little "wiry." I tied it into a square knot to keep it on the needle. Throughout the project, I used one color, a pale gray #623. Next time, I will use a cotton thread that does a better job of "melting" into the quilting cotton. 

2) Hobbs Cotton Wool batting is nice (I have three more such batts to use) but I don't think it entirely stands up to the statement shared with me by two other quilters: "It doesn't hold a fold." I left this quilt folded-up on the square (not on the diagonal) in a zipped-up bag for about two weeks. When I took it out, the center folds were evident, but not quite as distinct as with cotton batting. So I'd say Hobbs cotton wool batting is better for releasing folds, compared to 100 percent cotton. 

Nonetheless, I'm happy to be finished with Prudence, and happy to put away English paper piecing for a good long time! 

Until I can figure out who's worthy to receive Prudence - after all, it is entirely hand-pieced! -it will go into a pillow case, and join dozens of other finished quilts in the top of the closet. Linda