Bin Blocks Progress

As I sandwiched my quilt top with my typical 100% bamboo batting and spray basted it, I thought about what the name should be. I am leaning toward naming it "Bin There Done That" or some permutation of that play on words. I would like to pay homage to the fact that this is a resurrected bin project that really had no plan when I made the blocks. 

I also pondered the quilting pattern. While it was spread out and available for my scrutiny, I noticed that each block was either a 2x2 array or a 3x3 array of smaller units. They may have not been assembled that way, but arrays are the basic structures. I labeled the arrays in the next photo to remind myself. There are nine 2x2's and seven 3x3's.

A favorite go-to quilting pattern of mine is from Angela Walters' book Shape by Shape book with free-motion quilting suggestions. In particular I like Square 7, especially when the squares are butted end-to- end and create a secondary pattern. I decided to use this basic motif in the units of the arrays.

The 2x2 arrays have larger base unit sizes and so I might add the proposed variation and echo another curved bracket outside the petals. I am holding off until I see the 3x3's next to the 2x2's and see if those added fill-in curves are needed for the quilting to look balanced. Alternately, I may be sick of FMQing this quilt at that point and forgo the added stitching. The Winline 100% bamboo batting will allow stitching as far apart as 8". 

Here is the Square 7 pattern in the 3x3 array. I does have a bit denser appearance. Although the thread blending in with the color of the background in the 2x2 array may create an optical illusion. There are other 2x2 arrays so I will just have to wait and see the overall picture.

So now I have eight more 2x2 arrays and six more 3x3 arrays to quilt. What to do in the sashing is another question. When a 2x2 array butts next to a 3x3 array does the sashing need to play mediator? Or does the sashing assume a role wearing blinders at the borders, and ignore the potential conflict? Pebbles is a potential solution I would like, especially with the dotted brown fabric; but I am terrible at quilting uniform pebbles. Maybe a meander? That is not a smooth, strong skill of mine either. Then again the sashing is only 1" wide so it will not need much. Sashing treatment remains to be determined. Stay tuned.