Attempt at a Save

I wasn't willing to give up on my quilt block even though I had used up most of the fabric and didn't have an appropriate design. It occurred to me that if a Dresden plate block could win second place last year with the theme "Spirit of America," (read about it in the first section of this post) then I may as well put something together with my mariner's compass and see how it does.

I briefly considered constructing a lighthouse in a 4" wide strip that could go beside the main compass block but just didn't believe it would ever look good. Instead, I finished piecing the mariner's compass and added some borders:

I'm pretty happy with the block and I figure that's a start. I mean an ugly block's not going to win anything, right?

Here's a little closer view of the center pattern:

I like this mariner's compass; it's got a nice extra star in the middle. I would have liked to have my two reds contrast a little more, but at this point, you know, I'm just going with it.

Besides the big question of whether the judge(s) will let this pass even though it doesn't meet the lighthouse criteria, I think how well the block does will also depend on how well my yellow looks with the rest. (You were allowed to add up to two additional colours to the kit you got.) I originally added it because it was going to be the light coming out of the lighthouse. If others had the same thought, then maybe this block will play well with others. If there is no other yellow, then I think the best it will do is to be made into a pillow. (That's like the consolation prize if you're not one of the 20 blocks that made it into the quilt. It is still a prize, because there are also blocks that aren't made up into anything.)

Anyway, this is the end of the adventure which was the process of making this block. If I had started earlier and used practice fabric first (like I did last year), I would have avoided this disaster. Lesson learned. (But I won't promise it'll never happen again...)