The change of year got me even before the year changed! When I scheduled this for January 5, WordPress defaulted to 2024 and I didn’t catch it. So you probably got this last Sunday, but it was intended for January 5 2025, and here it is now!
I’ve said before that I make a practice block before deciding to make the whole quilt, and here is another situation in which I’m glad I did.
I bought this pattern, only to realize that it’s just a variation on a Karla Alexander quilt I made years ago.
It has the same problem as the original pattern: it’s difficult to get curves to lie flat when both the concave and convex sides are cut the same (i.e., with no seam allowance on either). So, as you hopefully can’t tell from the picture, nothing lies flat here:
Additionally, I don’t care for this look. Sure, it might be better when the rest of the colors are added and mixed up more, but I’m over it already. So I re-arranged the blocks:
This quilt includes some of my favorite Alison Glass fabrics, so I was determined to find a way to make it work. I went to dinner, then came back and just put the other fabrics from the collection up on the design wall to see how it all looked.
I decided to use the blocks I’d made so far as a panel. I put a little border around the panel to set it off from the background blocks.
The following day, I cut up and rearranged some of the remaining fabrics, then sewed it up.
The finished top is about 57″ x 68″
I love it! It’s nothing like what I started out to do, but it’s satisfying to me. And I’m really glad I made the sample blocks because this way the fabric wasn’t wasted.
Zippy Quilts 
I’ve seen the Blue Onion quilt many times, even made by a fellow guild member, but no one commented on the UNflatness of blocks. No seam allowances?! That’s sort of surprising. I thought that was only an improv technique. Well, you made a silk purse from a sow’s ear, and I love it. Those off-set curve blocks are a nice contrast with the linear background. Well done! It’s a pretty finish.
It was even more surprising because the pattern was re-released (previously was red onion) along with the “Ovals All Ways” ruler which DOES allow for cutting with seam allowances. So I was surprised when the pattern suggested using the ruler but NOT to cut with seam allowances, just as an alternative for cutting curves with a template. It was really rather ridiculous. I certainly have done curves without seam allowances, so yes, I know it can be done, I just didn’t care to do it in this instance.
Quite a few years ago I acquired a set of Blue Onion blocks in a UFO giveaway. Just blocks and parts-to-be-sewn but no pattern. Your modern design gives me an idea of what I might do to set them.
Great! Thanks for letting me know!
Love it! Lemonade from lemons as they say! Well done! 🙂
Thank you!
Wow – love how you remixed it!
Thanks!
Love your rearrangement of the blocks! So much movement.
Thanks, Lesley!