Powering Through Yellow

If you've been reading my posts of late, you'll know that I've been struggling to design and make a quilt for the MQG's "Pick a Color Challenge" for QuiltCon 2027 (Atlanta). I started this project by looking through scraps to see which color I have the most of - yellow won. 

I asked AI to design something for me, and after looking through several possibilities, I picked one. I thought it looked simple enough to piece, including the pieced the background. Silly me. Perhaps if I'd redesigned this for foundation paper piecing, I might have accomplished it. But since I don't know how to do that, I plunged in "Linda's way." Ha!

I imported the design into EQ8, then: 

• I manipulated the design by drawing lines to define each triangle, and
• printed the design on gridded 8 ½" X 11" paper

Then, I: 

• manually drew a 3" grid on a huge sheet of paper
• manually (square by square) drew the same design onto the huge sheet of paper
• manually traced each triangle, adding a quarter-inch to each side

• individually cut out each triangle, and 
• machine-pieced triangles together. Yes, with nothing but Y-seams. 

Even after picking out and restitching several intersections, the center part does not lay flat. But I went ahead to prep the burst for appliquéing to a background of Banana Painter's Palette Solid. I cut 1"-wide strips of Heat 'n Bond Lite and affixed them to all the burst edges. 

After removing the Heat 'n Bond paper, I pressed the burst onto the 68" X 68" Banana background, and then used Bernine stitch #15 and an appliqué foot to raw edge stitch the burst.

The whole design turned to mush for lack of contrast between the burst and the background. 

A 68" X 68" blob of mush. 

I scrambled through possibilites to try to save this, first thinking to add contrasting thread color to the appliqué edges Perhaps big stitch quiltign? I pulled out my yellow thread possibilities. 

No go. Not enough contrast. Well, maybe the Auriful wool (red spool, center, second from top).

Instead I landed on adding me-made bias tape to the perimeter of the burst. (I've had bias tape on my mind a lot lately because I'm creating a presentation and workshop on the topic.)

Not wanting to add thickness, I first cut away what I could of the background fabric behind the burst. Then, I began hand-appliquéing the bias tape. (Sigh.) 

I'm using Scanfil 50-weight thread, Sew Fine beeswax on the thread going through the needle eye...

... and a Sewline glue stick to baste tape to the edge, covering up the machine appliqué. 

What a wreck, huh? Not only is this taking forever, but I've appliquéd only one side of the tape! My plan is to get it positioned correctly on one side of the tape, and then go around the perimeter again to appliqué the opposite side. (Sigh again.)

Sometimes I feel like such a doofus maker. 

Will Plan F work out? Or is this Plan G?

As for the not-so-flat pieced center, my thought is to use Quilter's Dream Puff batting to add thickness, and perhaps allow poof to ease out wrinkles, followed by strategic big stitch hand quilting. 

I think you'll agree I have quite a way to go yet to make this quilt viable. All criticisms and suggestions for making it better are welcomed. And as always, encouragement is gratefully accepted! Linda