When I Stepped Outside the Box.

by Delberta Crocker
(Springboro,PA. USA)

I was headed to a quilter's retreat in a few weeks and still had not chosen my project. I searched quilt photos on the internet and in shops. Nothing was saying "Do me".

Then I ran across one I had tagged a while ago and it was the one.

Curves! the entire thing was curved piecing.

I checked, there were templates so cutting would be less of a hassle.

The quest was on, I had to find those templates.

Oh, did I say that the colors were out of this world! Really! The entire rainbow, brights and darks alike. So different from my typical matchy matchy traditional quilts. This one Yelled!

I had lots of stash material that would work.

5 pieces in each block.

It resembled a picture from outer space.

I started calling it a Vortex. Hot red and yellow Suns and cool blue green and purple planets.

Finally, the week before the retreat I had the templates and pattern in my hands.

I worked on a couple blocks before the retreat. They came out very well. Lots of pins to be sure those opposing curves would submit to sewing.

Next, I raided the stash for all the colors, pressed and cut for hours. Another thing I seldom do, was cutting most of the parts before doing more blocks.

Off to retreat, armed with my block sets all in individual gallon baggies.

When I started setting out my fabric, I did get a few questioning looks. But our group is intensely supportive so no questioning comments.

I got a good rhythm going and had several ready to lay out.

As I arranged my planets and suns, my friends started gathering and wanted to play with the colors too. We had quite a bit of fun. They did mention my choice being not what they expected. But they liked it.

I was tired of quilting after the retreat and took a break. During the break, a friend and I visited a quilt guild meeting. Neither of us had been to a guild before.

They were so much like the quilt group from retreat that we decided to join.

They were announcing their guild challenge that night. Surprise! It was a color challenge, all rainbow colors. I had a huge smile!

Each month, we focused on another color, the picnic was even rainbow colored!

As people finished their beautiful projects, they brought them in to share.

I kept plugging away on my king size baby.

I had recently gotten a long arm so was also doing the quilting myself.

It was wonderful practice. Each curved piece had different motifs. I finally got to do lots of feathers. And of course, different thread. If it matched, then the opps were less noticeable. And Busy backing hid everything!

I brought it in on the final challenge night and hung up the Vortex.

When voting was over, there were lots of pins next to that huge thing.

I even got my picture on the guild web page!! And got to share it again with another guilds quilt show.

I still can't believe I did all those curves with all those thread breaks and starts!

The name of the pattern is "Radiant Suns”.

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