My Charleston Modern Quilt Guild issued a challenge in October to make a completed quilt using the three colors we got in an envelope. Everyone got two different colors, but we all got this Smoked Oyster color as one of the three. The challenge is due at our January 2026 meeting.
Here are the colors I found in my envelope. I spent nost of November thinking about what to make using these colors. I love all of them, but I didn’t want to make a Christmas-type quilt using just red and green. The real problem child here is that Smoked Oyster color. The challengers did say you only had to use each color ONCE, no matter how tiny a piece you used.
Eventually I found myself thinking about the kite ruler I have and a kite block. I trialed one layout idea for the improv quilt of solids that is growing on my design wall.
Could that oyster color work as a background? Maybe, but for a whole quilt? So I tried it out with this red daisy pattern. I liked the block but couldn’t see a way to make it all happen with this large a block (10 inches) with only the oyster color as a background. It shows light here, but it is actually a darker greyish tan color that is, yes, “smoky,” not clear.
The other day I used that trial block to make another hot pad for a hot dish coming out of the microwave or the oven. I made the one behind it three years ago, and I use it all the time and needed another one. The inside contains 2 layers of batting and one of Insul-Bright Thermal batting. The whole thing is super thick and a pain to sew and to bind. But…the result is so useful.
I can still see a quilt made with this layout and with a variety of neutral fabrics for the side pieces. And that will likely happen…
I eventually settled on putting the single kite block on point, as if the kites were flying in the wind. I tried making some blocks sit sideways or even upside down, especially at the edges or the bottom, as if they were turning in the wind, but that didn’t look coherent to me.
So, here’s what I have now:
The border triangles were made bigger, so today I’ll trim the sides and sew a “victory lap” seam around all the edges–as that prevents block separation when the quilt goes on the longarm.
Now, on to the backing and binding decisions…
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