Inspired by what's under foot

This is the rug in my bedroom. I love the pattern and have thought about how it could look as a quilt.

Back in July, I decided to stop thinking and do something. Although I admire the fussy-cut English paper pieced quilts, I wasn't sure that was for me. Instead, I thought I could use a Stack-n-Whack or Four-Patch Posie method to get the effect I wanted. I just needed the right fabric.

Colors are a little off. The top fabric has a brown background.

The fabric above I found in the sale bin of my local quilt shop. I thought that the large flowers would end up filling some shapes while the brown background would fill others. But that didn't exactly happen, and it was obvious another fabric was needed. I found the bottom fabric in my stash after contemplating another fabric for the cross shapes. That would have made a nice quilt, but not my original vision.

It's recommended that you don't wash the fabric when making a Stack-n-Whack quilt, and I would agree. The unwashed, recently purchased fabric was easier to handle and align then the washed fabric from my stash.

The piecing plan wasn't hard to come up with. I'd been staring at that rug for some time thinking about how to put it together into a quilt. I would have to put all the pieces up on the design wall and sew it together in rows. There wasn't an easy way to piece this in blocks.

Kaleidoscope top, 40 x 50 inches. 

This is the top I have now. It's about 40 x 50 inches. I thought I was done, but as I wrote this post and looked at the rug inspiration, I wonder if I shouldn't make a narrow inner border of the light fabric and an outer border of the dark fabric. I'll have to see if I have enough of those fabrics left.

This didn't turn out as I had envisioned, but I like it. I think I may have to resort to fussy cutting and English paper-piecing to get the look I want. That won't be happening for a while though.

Linking up to Nancy's Quilty Inspiration for this week. Thank you, Nancy, for doing this. I'm looking forward to getting a glimpse into others' creative processes.

Seams better

As the piecing progresses, the top shrinks and appears less chaotic and busy. Although it's not what I had originally envisioned, I like it. Need more time at the machine so I can get it off the design wall. At least it won't become a UFO. It can't come down until it's a top or I'd never get the pieces back in the correct order!

Despite carrying my 1718 Coverlet blocks around with me, I haven't managed to sew them together either. Did manage to get this doves and bells block done.

I have a small pile of fleur-de-lys that are very portable but being ignored. Maybe it's the summer doldrums. I'm also beind on my Stars in a Time Warp. Fabrics pulled for the last four or so. Perhaps today I'll get them cut. Pieced too might be pushing it!

Catching up

This top got put together awhile ago. I haven't blogged in the last few months because I have been too tired from work to spend time on the computer when I'm not working. Of course, I do spend time on the iPad. So I'm trying blogging from the iPad. We'll see how that works. Haven't posted much on Instagram so I'm not terribly hopeful.

Besides finishing the above top, I've been working on the 1718 coverlet blocks, Stars in a Time Warp blocks, and started something new.

I'm not following that closely the 1718 coverlet QAL block order. Once I've figured out the piecing I'm doing all the blocks that are pieced that way instead of the one specified. But the design wall is filling up, so I'm not feeling too far behind.

 

I'm stumped on the last fabric for Stars in a Time Warp: a pillar print. Can't seem to find anything in my stash. Otherwise I'm caught up making two of each block, alternating white and the focus fabric.

Here's the new project. Too busy? Should I use a plainer fabric like I have on the upper left or stick with what's going on in the rest of the layout?

1718 Coverlet QAL and other projects

Multiple projects going on here. The border strips for the Grand Illusion Mystery are pieced. So close to finishing, but, ugh, long seams. I'm putting them off. I have several Time Warp stars cut out. Five types of madder and indigo, which I'm piecing in between my 1718 Coverlet blocks.

Seems like a lot of applique in this quilt, which is not really my thing, but I'm determined to stay focused. I'm piecing the blocks as much as possible and appliqueing as little as possible, which is still a lot for me. . 

I'm enjoying it though. Especially when the days are sunny and staying light longer.

Oh, my stars!

32.5 x 32.5 inches

A non-quilting friend visited recently and art directed my houses top. After trying different options, we both concluded that the top was finished the way it was; there was nothing more to add except a purple binding. ... Once it's quilted, of course.

A dozen stars so far.

Double pink was this week's featured fabric.

I've been making two versions of Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp each week. One with the focus fabric for the star and the other with the fabric as the background. I decided to use Kona Snow as the other fabric in each block. Not sure how many stars there will be in the end (I can always buy more Snow if needed.) or how I'll put them together. For now, I'm happy to search my stash for the appropriate fabric and make two blocks every week.

Fresh Cut and a selection of Grunge from Basic Grey.

Saw this post Friday night and decided to jump in. My copy of the book won't arrive for a few days, but that did not stop me from buying some fabric yesterday for the quilt. I've never been tempted by Dear Jane or the Farmer's Wife quilts, but the 1718 Coverlet spoke to me. A handful of blocks every month for 11 months seems doable. We shall see.

I cleaned my sewing room the other day. Found a couple tops without backings or prepped binding so while I'm waiting for my book to arrive, I hope to get that done and to finish putting the border section on the Grand Illusion mystery quilt. I have to "unsew" a few parts that were attached in the wrong order so I'd better get to it.

Plugging away

I'm slowly getting the blocks together on the mystery quilt. Only eight more to go before I can start on the borders.

Slow going on the hand quilting for this one too.

I've spent quite a bit of time this week rummaging through the stash. I put away some fabrics that I can't find now. They must be somewhere in the sewing room, but I haven't found them yet. Why is it that whenever you put something away in a special place you can never remember where that place is? At least I found some Prussian blue (or what I think is Prussian blue) for Barbara Brackman's "Stars in a Time Warp" QuiltAlong.

Sewing without knowing

For the last couple of weeks I've been madly cutting, sewing and pressing to complete the units for Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery quilt before the final reveal. Almost made it.

Not sure why I decided to do this. I have enough ideas and UFOs to fill all my days and nights should I live a few lifetimes. Maybe it's the sewing without knowing what the end result will be that has a certain appeal. Sort of mindless. Well, as mindless as keeping the pieces in the right order can be. Or it could just be procrastination; I have two backings to make that I've been putting off for awhile.

I'm constructing my blocks with the sashing on two sides. Then I'll sew the blocks together in smaller sections so I have only one really long seam to contend with across the quilt at the end. Forget where I learned that trick, but I love not having to sew as many long seams as you would when sewing rows together.