June's UFO

Month number 6 of the little challenge I'm working on with a few of my quilting buddies looks to be the toughest one yet. We drew #2 out of the hat and on my list that is "finish Flag Day Farm."

Now if any of you are long-time quilters and follow the lovely fabric lines issued by Minick and Simpson, you will recognize the name Flag Day Farm. They released this line of fabric in 2008 or 2009. I do not know precisely when, but I did search the Minick and Simpson blog to learn that they debuted it at the Houston Market in '08. I don't really follow the timeline on how fabrics are made available, so maybe it wasn't actually in stores until '09.

But I digress...

As for my acquiring the bandanna panel, which you see above, I saw it displayed at a quilt show here in Ohio. From the very beginning I knew I would like it to be the center of a medallion quilt. The panel lived on my design wall for a very long time as I dreamed about all the potential possibilities.

Then the reality of the creating such a quilt set in - math. Ugh. I would have to figure out how to get blocks to surround this panel and each subsequent row around. Fitting everything just right, getting all the measurements to work out  - this would not be a task I would accomplish easily.

I did, however, collect fabrics for those surrounding rows - a much easier task.

I pulled out the tub earlier this week. Most of the contents are various fabrics by Minick and Simpson, with a few possible exceptions. I doubt I have any other fabric from the Flag Day Farm line, but since all their lines work so well together, I know I will be fine with this assortment.

Down on the bottom I found some half-yard cuts and a pack of mini-charms, which had been opened and I'd even sewn a few of them into 4-patch blocks. A start!

This morning, I've sketched a potential layout. I was particularly curious about separating each row around by narrow strips. I added that into the drawing above. Then I drew 3 outer rows without separating. From the way it looks on paper, I believe I will be included strips to separate each section.

Then I sketched just a bit longer to visualize some of the blocks I am considering. I know at least one surround will be of churn dashes - I just love that block. I already have some 4-patch blocks made, so I sketched a few of those in a row. Then I played around with HSTs and stars. I feel pretty confident that I must have a row of stars.

Can you see now why I say this will be the biggest of my UFO challenges so far? What a lot of brain work will be going into this.

I have considered an alternative plan which takes far fewer brain cells. Use all my M&S fabrics, make a bunch of 4-inch blocks. and then just start pinning them around the panel on the design wall and see how it all shakes out. Fewer brain cells might just be the better way.

I mentioned above that I knew almost from the start that I wanted to use the panel as the center of a medallion quilt. Interestingly, as I searched the Minick and Simpson blog for details about the fabric, I came across this post that relates to the bandanna panel. The pictures they show are of pillows and the red is used. Nice to see. I do not remember seeing a red one at the time I bought my blue one.

I am making this my OMG - One Monthly Goal - and will be linking up with Elm Street Quilts for the extra incentive, which I am definitely going to need.

Have a great Friday!
Happy Quilting, Friends!