Piper's Polka Dots, Part 1

Piper's Polka Dots is a quilt for my 4-month-old granddaughter Piper.

Piper's bedroom

Lime green walls with big pink polka dots provided inspiration for the quilt design.

I wanted to have a lime green background with pink circles.  I happened to see a pattern in McCall's Quilting March/April 2009 called Petals in the Grass.  It had similar colors and I decided to use the placement of groups of petals for layout for the circles.

Sketch of layout

Background: 4.5" unfinshed squares -- scrappy

Circles: 4" finished (machine zigzag applique)

The plan was to construct the background in two vertical sections, apply most of the circles, quilt the sections separately, join the sections, and apply the last circle (with the X through it), then quilt it and the surrounding area.

Design notes

Organized Chaos Map

 Green fabrics -- mostly fat quarters

Added pink

Has been in my stash for a few years.

Colors and theme (bottles of milk) work.

For Backing

Great colors and I love the pink circles!

Per my Organized Chaos system, I divided the greens into five groups.  I cut 4.5" squares of each fabric, then mixed the squares within each group so that each pile has an assortment of fabrics.

Fabric squares laid out on the design wall following my Organized Chaos map

Squares sewn together into two large sections,

The sections won't be joined together until later in the process.

Trying out different sized circles: 4", 6" and 8".  The smallest was from the original design.

Added a 10" paper plate--my favorite size!  I'd might as well go for the gusto.  After all, the circles on Piper's wall are huge.

Using paper plate for pattern

Four layers of fabric, which have been fused with Wonder Under Fusible Web.

May have been in too much of a hurry, but the Wonder Under didn't work very well, very frustrating.  Would have been better off using basting tape to attach to backing.

Pattern marked with black dots (permanent marker)

Pinned layers together so they don't move

Four circles cut

Repeated for total of 8 circles

Why 8?  Piper was born on May 3.  5th month + 3rd day = 8

Below:  trying out different placements for circles

I'm happy with this one.

Design notes

Removed circle in upper middle, which won't be attached until later in the process.

Fused remaining circles to the background, using tracing paper to protect the iron.

Not all of the edges fused properly.  Had to pin the edges to hold in place.