January 6, 2013

Big Finish: Value Quilt

Value Quilt, front

This value quilt is one of my favorite finishes of 2012.  I made it for my niece Hannah because I felt like her Dog Cabins Quilt was a bit boyish.  (I started the dog blocks when we assumed the adoption process would result in a boy joining the family -- then we found out we'd be welcoming a girl.)  I wanted to make her something bright and girly, and the value quilts by Katie of Sew Katie Did really caught my attention.

Katie has provided a basic tutorial on sorting fabric according to value.  With that info and a hefty stack of 5-inch squares, I got to work pairing up the fabrics by color value and making half square triangles.  I ended up with a few headaches from squinting at the fabrics to determine value comparisons when they weren't obvious, but after I had the HSTs up on my design wall, I could step back and play with the placement for the best light-dark effect.

Here are a couple of photos of the quilt in progress on my design wall.  You can see the light vs. dark layout starting to take shape.  (The color is a bit off due to the lighting.)

Value quilt in progress

Value quilt in progress


With so many colors and patterns on the front of the quilt, I wanted a big print for the back.  I found this bold dahlia print (I think that's the flower) at Joann's, and I love that it's so colorful and fun.  On the quilt front, I tried to emphasize the pinks and purples, so this fabric was a good fit for the back.

Value Quilt, back
 
 
I enjoyed the process of making this value quilt, and I can certainly see myself making another one at some point.  It's such a great way to use up scraps (as long as they're big enough) and create a lot of visual interest.  Sew Katie Did shows a few different layout possibilities, so maybe next time I'll play with that aspect.

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