Organized "Organized Chaos" Quilt

Some people get bitten by the quilting bug; I came down with a quilting virus, which lay dormant in my system for years, flaring up occasionally, but never overcoming my garment-sewing resistance.  I had enough quilting projects to justify a tag, but I didn't call myself a quilter. 

No more!  Just as viruses awaken when resistance is low, so my quilting virus awoke as I lost motivation to sew other things.  Since June 2020, I have been happily working at a job which requires me to wear boring clothes.  What's the fun in spending my days-off sewing a silk dress or pair of jodpurs, only to deck myself in polyester matte jersey pants and a tee shirt for my work week?  If I never get to wear the fun stuff, why sew it?  But quilts are useful always, and make great gifts...

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This is the "Organized Chaos" quilt, by Cozy Quilt Designs.  It's part of their Strip Club line, which means quilts made by cutting long strips, or buying jelly-rolls of pre-cut strips.  I had it (provenance unknown) as a kit, with pre-cut 2.55" strips of batik fabric, though I had to provide my own fabric as well, for the borders, repeating colors, and backing.  

Thinking that making it would lift me out of my winter slump, I ask my quilting mentor Rosanne to help me do it right, and she obliges by teaching me such basics as washing/starching, how to fold the fabric for cutting, how to use a rotary cutter and rulers, and how to square off my units and blocks as I go so the finished blocks are uniform.  Turns out having good techniques makes the whole process easier!  Who knew?

The quilt block reminds me a bit of the American flag: one corner square surrounded by a border is like the field of stars, and seven stripes around it are like the stripes on the flag.  I give the blocks a green and yellow corner, with the short stripes being cool colors and the long stripes being warm colors. 

On the design wall, which is just a hanging flannel that can be used to try out different layouts.

I enjoy myself thoroughly.  The only part I don't like is the "chaos" part of the pattern; I prefer order to chaos, as a rule.  Once I have the blocks up on the design wall, I rotate them until the repeated yellow stripes link to make a diagonal zig-zag. 

Once I settle on an arrangement of blocks, I sew them together into strips, and then into the quilt top.  Then it's time for the borders; Rosanne offers some lavender cotton from her stash.  Meanwhile, Pretty Kitty takes her role as quilt inspector very seriously. 

When it's all pieced, it's time to quilt it.  I have a few options here: 

• I could set up Boudica for free motion quilting...
  • but that would be laborious and cumbersome, given the size of the quilt.  And, honestly, I don't enjoy the act of quilting as much as I do the piecing, and the final product.
• I could be less fancy and simply quilt it with long straight lines...
  • but that isn't as cool looking as regular quilting.
• I could pay a professional to do a good job with the right equipment.
  • A trade-off: it would cost me money, but save time and hassle, while giving me a great end product.

I think you can guess which option I choose!  So the quilt is entrusted to Rebecca Telez of Shepherd's Garden Quilting.  When she's done with it, I'll bind it and send it off to its intended recipient.  But shhhhh, no telling; it's a surprise!