Fractured UFO
I finally have a UFO to show you today, a fractured UFO. Let me explain.
During a shop hop years ago, I gave in and bought a quilt kit as part of a shop promotion. It was a panel of Victorian Christmas scenes, and I thought it might make a nice Christmas gift for someone. When I opened the panel, all of the prints were skewed and hadn’t printed square on the fabric. There was no room around them to adjust my ruler to make them straight either. I was so frustrated. However, I went forward with it, adding borders and trying to make it work.
Can you see how wavy the top is? (Sorry for the fuzzy photo.) Some of the red borders are narrower on one end than the other. The whole thing just bothered me. So, I got creative, and chopped it up.
I pulled some green fabric out of my stash and chopped that up too. I got so into the chopping that I completely forgot to take photos. Once the chopping was done, I pieced the blocks, arranged and rearranged them, and put the quilt back together.
It has a completely different, improv vibe now, and I’m much happier with it. I had just enough Quilters Dream Select batting for the backing, and I used the backing fabric that came with the kit.
The backing is black with a green holly print, and I used the green fabric for the binding. For the quilting, I stitched simple straight(ish) lines about 1/2-inch apart using Aurifil Loden Green (#2840). The quilt finishes at 18″ x 24″. I really should add a label . . .
I’m happy to have this off of my UFO stack, and finished in a completely different way than I had planned. I wonder if I can find another UFO to chop?!?
Have you ever chopped a quilt? I’d love to hear your story!
Linking up today with Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Sherry from Powered by Quilting; and Tish at The Madd Quilter.
Wendy
35 Comments
Cindy Pieters
I like the effect from your chopping, not something I’ve done yet.
piecefulwendy
Hope you try it, Cindy. Thanks!
Dione @ Clever Chameleon
Great job and very courageous! It definitely wasn’t working as it was, but not sure I would have done anything more with it than throw it in the corner. I like your improv piece, it has truckloads of interest. Those printed panels are often disastrous… I have tried a few with very mixed results.
piecefulwendy
Oh, it was definitely thrown in the corner for a few years! Feels good to create something I’m happy with.
Vicki in MN
Well you sure taught that panel a lesson! I wish I would have been sitting on your shoulder and watched your process:) When I have had a wonky panel I use a lot of spray starch and pin it to my carpet and whip it into submission. And then cut off any wonky borders and hope for the best. But look how fun you made it!!
piecefulwendy
Our next Sew day, I’ll show you the process. 😉
Louise Hornor
I love this solution!! I’ve thought about chopping up a piece as part of the design process, but not as a way to deal with a disappointment. Great idea with a fun result 🙂
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Louise!
Diann Bottrell
Fun! I think you could call that Fractured Christmas on your label! I love how you took something that was bugging you and gave it a fresh look. Is that the technique from the class you took? I was looking for 4 patches! 🙂
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Diann. Yes, this is from the Joe Cunningham class again.
cheriec12
It’s so frustrating to purchase something and find out the quality isn’t good. I’m inspired by how you conquered it. It’s perfect for improv.
piecefulwendy
I agree. This was a good solution for me. 😊
Barbara
Ha! I did that with a recalcitrant quilt top once. It works! Great idea.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Barbara!
Janine @ Rainbow Hare
That was a clever idea. Fabric where the print doesn’t go with grain really annoys me. This is a brilliant solution 🙂
piecefulwendy
Thank you, Janine. Hope you try it sometime!
Needle and Foot
You are so clever Wendy. This is a great solution. I love it.
Sarah Craig
Wow! What a change! Must keep this in mind for some ministry donations….
Genevieve Gerrard
Love the effect! I wish I was brave enough to try this sort of thing.
piecefulwendy
Oh do! It’s quite fun (after the first cut)!
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
Sew creative! I love what you did with it, Wendy!!!
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Nancy!
The Joyful Quilter
What a wonderful solution and I really like the results!! I once chopped up some blocks that I made for a swap. It was an interesting exercise.
piecefulwendy
It is an interesting exercise. I found it quite refreshing and fun. Thanks for commenting!
rl2b2017
Hi Wendy! WOWEE!!!!! What a great idea. I find that exact same thing ANNOYING about most or all panels. Some people can overlook crooked . . . and others cannot. Apparently, I am a part of the later group and in good company. I never in a billion years would have thought to do this. Sweet and smart – that’s you. ~smile~ Roseanne
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Roseanne! You’ll have to give it a try sometime. It’s quite fun!
Kathleen McCormick
My mouth is still hanging open at the thought of doing that but what a great result! You are an improv queen.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Kathleen. ☺️
Preeti
When you don’t like something, it is only fair to cut it up. I hope I don’t get on on your bad side :-p Hey, if you are happy with the outcome, I am too. Improv can be very liberating. Since I am the self-styled queen of scrap vortex quilts, I have done my fair share of chopping.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Preeti. My chopping is pretty much limited to food and fabric 😉
Sandra Walker
No I do not believe I have ever chopped up a quilt like you did! Wow, it looks so cool! I have, however, bought a panel that was pretty badly skewed too, but I managed to tug it and quilt it into submission, and I love it, unchopped, as a Laurel Burch Christmas wallhanging (funny, didn’t realize that it was Christmas too until this minute!).
Tish
I’m not sure that I would have thought to do that, but I love it! Such a completely different vibe and very modern.
piecefulwendy
Thanks, Tish!
Danice G
What a wonderful “save”. Your little quilt looks really nice. Thanks for the other quilt photos also. ‘Looks so modern and improv.
piecefulwendy
Thank you, Danice!