Blogging the process

The top was done during my blogging break.


Pandora, 63 x 63.

I have pictures of the process so I thought I should share them. I was inspired by Victoria's post. Planned to make a couple blocks from scraps for fun, but then I got carried away rummaging through the scrap box for the next block.

Arranged triangles until I liked the look of the block. Didn't sew the corner triangles on because I wasn't sure about them. Thought I'd make a few blocks or so before deciding.

After making a few blocks and liking how they fit together without the triangles, I made more.

And more.

Until I got to the point where it was either make more or eliminate some blocks to get the right number for a top. If I'd added the triangles at the beginning, I might have ended up with a different setting.

I opted for eliminating a few of the early blocks as they were a bit poofed up in the middle. I ended up trimming my sewn units a bit before putting them together, and this helped with the poofiness, but didn't always work well for point matching. This won't be a show quilt so I can live with it despite my usual tendencies toward anal retentiveness. I'm learning to let go.  

Then I tried pastel setting triangles, but didn't like that too much. I thought white would be too stark, but in the end that was the best choice.

For the border I didn't want to just slap a single fabric on four sides. Plus everything for the top came from the scrap bin except for some of the white, and I wanted to continue that if possible. And the more I took out of the scrap bin, the more likely I'd be to get the lid back on.

I'd been playing around with the leftover triangles and really liked this arrangement. Thought I'd make a table runner or something. It's these little tangents that contribute to my UFO collection. But I needed these traingles for the border so no table runner. I also had to cannibalize the leftover blocks to get enough triangles for the border so those went to good use and not into the orphan block box. The scrap bin can be closed now. ... Barely.

One of these blocks is not like the other

Three more of these blocks. Although that dark green one is both my and my husband's favorite, the fabrics in it have a completely different feel from the others. Seems the biggest pieces in my scrap bin are brights. 

I was trying to fix the color on the first pic (fail) and accidentally turned it black and white. You really get a sense of value. That dark green block doesn't match the others in value either.It may need a project of its own.

Weather forecast is -15F / -26C with windchill. Guess who's staying inside and sewing today. Maybe I'll do some laundry.

Playing around

I couldn't quite squeeze the scraps from this quilt and a stash re-org into my scrap bin so I used them in my version of Victoria's block from this tutorial. This might become something more than a couple orphan blocks. We'll see. In the meantime, I've made a couple more millennium blocks and some units for this oldie and some binding. Anything to avoid making the backs I should be making for this and this and this and. ...