Scrap Squad goes LIVE!

Some of you may have noticed this logo on my left sidebar:

In mid-November, Quiltmaker Magazine had a little blurb about an application process for being part of their new Scrap Squad. Not thinking I'd get selected, I sent in my application letter and pictures of three sample scrappy quilts. Time passed, and I almost forgot about it in the busy-ness of the holidays. Wow, was I surprised when I got an email back saying I was in! After completing the paperwork, they sent me my first pattern to make.

Our intrepid group consists of eight talented quilters, who are ready to deplete some stash. The first assignment is a pattern called Rhapsody in Bloom, which is a pattern designed by a teenage guy. Since I was still surrounded by the scraps of flannel left over from completing those two flannel rag quilts you saw earlier in this blog, I decided the bits needed to be used up. To add a little contrast, I also put 4 flannel fat quarters in the mix. Here's the completed top, so you can see the whole design:

I decided to make 4 of the twelve inch blocks in the pattern, then made several more units to extend the pattern flow out to the sides. Since the units were 4½ inches unfinished, I was also able to cut some 4½ inch squares to give the center design blocks almost a medallion or Around the World feel. Here it is all arranged prettily in a library staff room chair:

While doing this project, what have I decided? I don't like doing little triangular pieces in flannel with quarter-inch seams. The flannel is a looser weave than the quilter's cottons or batiks I normally use, and I'm afraid some of my seams are awfully narrow. If I ever do another flannel quilt, I'll change the pattern pieces to have wider seams. Anybody else have any tricks for working with flannel?