Q*bert Quilt 2.0, Planning, Update 1

To get started, I decided I needed a hands on look at exactly what I was doing and where it was going. I printed out several triangle sheets in different sizes from incompetech.com. I went as low as 1.25 triangle sides and as high as 2.75 inches (the failed quilt was 3.75). Then I cut the suckers out and laid them out for measuring physical measuring.

Left is 2.5 inch triangles, Right is 2.0 inch triangles.

The 1.25 inch set of triangles would have made a nice sized wall hanging. But seriously, applique a Q*bert or Coily in less than 2.50 inches?? It sure didn't sound appealing so I dropped the wall hanging idea and moved on to the bigger triangles. After much calculating and soul searching, I settled on the 2.5 inch triangle sides. It is big enough to be a functional lap quilt with no danger or moving into twin/full territory. It gives me about 5 inches to work with for the appliques which means I can use my machine rather than hand adding tiny little eyeballs and tongues and such.

I really don't want this blanket to be square, but it keeps falling into that territory. I'm taking a little bit of artistic license with the sides and top and not keeping the exact ratio of dead space to board and board to bezel of the arcade game. I really feel like if I keep the ratios, the dead space will look really dead when translated to fabric. I little add a little nip there and my finished size should be right at 52x46.

A look at the madness!

Since I have smaller triangles, I'm planning on attempting to sew them together then applique them to a large black piece of fabric. I wasn't sure how this was going to work because there are so many seams on the back side of the board. I thought it was possible I had another hair brained idea that was going to end in failure. I decided to cut out a chunk of the failed quilt (OH NO!) and try it.

This is tacked with a paper backed fusible web then edged with a blanket stitch. I also went ahead and tried a bit of quilting on it to see if I would get the effect I desired. I'm less than thrilled with the seams showing, especially under the yellow, but overall happy with the result. I think it is miles better than the less than perfect seamed in corners and lopsided stretchy-ness of the rhombuses. I may try a non-paper backed web in the future because the paper is really hard to get off the seams without pulling them away from one another. 

I did all the calculating and the size is just outside of the width of black fabric which means I'd have to buy a ton extra to fill in the space on the back of the quilt. I think I'm going to do the back in quarters made of the front side board fabrics. I can use 25" of the width of the fabric for a back quarter and use the remaining fabric for rhombuses and triangles. Guess it is just another hell trip to Joann's and I'll be on my way again. Wish me luck!