Graduation Quilt #3

I was so excited when I was able to renew contact recently with my oldest granddaughter, Eloise, after 16 years of only sporadic and often difficult visits (she was fine; it was due to an unpleasant divorce).  I asked if she would be interested in having me make a quilt for her high school graduation.  She said yes!  

My husband and I were headed for our annual 6-week stay with his sister in Florida, and graduation was only a few weeks away.  This time we were flying, so I couldn't take my cutting board and some other usual tools. 

 I needed to choose a quilt pattern that used almost entirely pre-cuts, and I wanted something quick.  I finally decided on an old (2015) Moda Bake Shop pattern, Sunny Trips, which has multiple blocks that are each a small Trip Around the World.  It uses entirely 2-1/2" strips and the colors in the pattern were exactly what I already wanted:  pink and white (Eloise's favorite colors) and teal (my favorite color).  Eloise has traveled to many places in Europe and Asia, so I thought it would be a great pattern.

I took two identical pink Island Batiks jelly rolls and 2 non-batik white ones to Florida, so all I needed was the teal.  I went to my "local" quilt shop in North Ft. Myers (a 45 minute drive from where I was staying), and discovered that they had very limited precuts.  I did find the perfect teal batik, but how would I cut it?  Fortunately, a lovely shop employee named. Susie agreed to let me cut the fabric in the store (but shh, don't let the owner know).

I was surprised to discover that the pre-cut strips varied in length, even among strips from the same roll.

The pattern follows what is now a pretty standard way of making a Trip Around the World, sewing the strips in order and cutting them horizontally into different sizes.

Keeping the strips sets organized is key to getting this pattern right!

Kellie at my LQS did the quilting.  It came out great (of course).  Then I had to figure out how to finish it.  I wanted the binding itself to be pink, but I wanted some teal to "close" the blocks.  And I didn't want a border.  So I made a flange binding that worked out perfectly.  I'd never done one before, and it was really easy.  I was very happy with that choice!

I love the secondary pattern that emerges.

The pieced back breaks up the vastness of the pink.