Preppy The Whale – A WIP

Do you ever see an adorable quilt and think  “I NEED to make that asap?”  I’m always drawn to Elizabeth Hartman’s Quilts but her Preppy The Whale Quilt immediately went to the top of my “to make” list. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

So I slowly got started making it:

• November: Purchased the pdf pattern
• January: Purchased some of the solids {layer cake sale!}
• May: Purchased the background fabric {Essex linen}
• July: Time to start stitching and loving every minute of it!

As with every quilt I make, I started with a test block.  I usually dig into my stash for prints I don’t like anymore!  A great use for those fabrics without putting them to waste.

I bought a layer cake on a great sale.  Each whale requires a 9″ x 10″ piece of fabric so it’s perfect for a layer cake.

I didn’t realize my layer cake had so many doubles, so instead of placing the whales in color order as Elizabeth did, I thought making a scrappy arrangement would make doubles less noticeable. BUT, even without those doubles, I didn’t love the scrappy look.

What’s a girl to do? Raid her stash of course!  Thank goodness I have a healthy obsession with Kona solids to fill the gaps.

Even after the first block was done, I started to understand the new Essex linen trend.  This stuff is awesome!  It looks great and has such an amazing texture.  I bet it will see a lot more use in my future!

My little whales are starting to take shape. I was cutting several at a time and I accidentally miscut one of my stacks.  Hopefully the extra seams aren’t too noticeable.  I guess there’s an advantage to buying a little bit more fabric than needed. Not that I need to tell you that twice…we’ve all been there! Oh, and an excuse to buy more fabric is always welcome.

The wind wasn’t totally cooperating with my little photoshoot, but I did get a few snapshots of my whales soaking in some Japanese air.  Aren’t they adorable?!

I’m hoping to finish up the blocks next week.  I haven’t ordered backing and binding yet.  Any suggestions?