Again, using the simple free online Quilt Assistant design tool, a rough plan .........
2nd draft ................
Working Design ..............
Selecting fabrics ........
Starting to stitch ..........
Having only recently completed the pink and green one, I'm finding this tedious. I don't dislike it but It's lacking that "can't wait to get up in the morning to get started" feeling. I have oodles of patience but my boredom threshold is low and don't need to say that I will never be making any kind of quilt using just three or four fabrics in repeat patterns. The variations in fabric and dividing it into working portions of different sized patches and then tonal values is making it bearable.
For months now my head had been full of family stuff. I want my life back! I did manage to design a couple of bags this week. One needs lots of hand stitch so am still contemplating that one, another needs a trip out for a zip and the third, well, not quite sure how that's going but in essence an across body bag that I am hoping a nearly not a teenage daughter will find attractive enough to wear to help prevent bag and contents being stolen on nights (and days) out!
Not very interesting reading I'm afraid ......... all very much the same at the moment!
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Not one to take the easy option I've decided that the I Spy quilt is going to have a rainbow effect. It's possible but there's a lot of shifting about to get a pleasing result and I am learning a lot.
Some of the browns will look better with the reds. Particular greys will hide in amongst the blues etc. etc.. and then there's the I Spy aspect of incorporating as many different objects as possible which I am now thinking about more. Playing with some squares ............
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Well I like it! Even more so because it is completely my own ........... now I know what to do! A mixture of cotton fabrics purchased over the last couple of years together with some hand dyed stuff.
Cutting the strips to size and machining edge to edge was a lot less time consuming than the foundation piecing used before so definitely the method for me.
I need to decide what to line it with. Something to display the patchwork rather than the seams creating a stain glassed effect with the light filtering through. I have some blackout lining but it's too heavy so will wait until we're out and about to see what is out there in the shops these days. There's no rush as walls have yet to be painted and, despite my husband's plea, they will remain pink and green!
I'd like to think that I've no idea how I ended up with these blocks left over but I obviously miscounted! There are more patchwork window blinds to be made - I need to spend some time on design.
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All 187 blocks now ready ...............
Laying them out in a limited space. The bed would afford me more room but I've yet to work out how to suspend myself from the ceiling to view them in situ! Already I can see a few that will need shifting about and it's a bit brighter than I had hoped - I feared it would be but we shall see.
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Today's upside .......... finished all the green blocks. Downside ............... dropped my square quilting ruler onto the tiled floor. It was a birthday present, only a few weeks old, and now missing a corner. I think the superglue beckons!
Only 47 4" pink blocks to go. Only ........... at the rate I'm working that's about 7 days work! In keeping with the "pink and green" theme, a photo I took at the Imperial War Museum last autumn. It's very "strawberry ice cream", I actually prefer raspberry in both colour and taste, but pink nonetheless.
I saw these wartime toys there ............. aren't they delightful? Inspiration for an interesting use of leather ............ or patchwork!
And dolls ..............
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My first ever fabric swap. Tahlia in the US sent me some amazing prints for my I Spy quilt. I love them all but here's a few .................
Cherry sent me some beautiful pieces left over from the I Spy quilt she made for her grandson. Am starting to sort all of them into colour groupings but I really must resist fiddling about with them too much as the edges will be so frayed before it's time to stitch them all together!
Ali of Very Berry Handmade organised a fabric scrap swap. I love scraps and, as much so, the challenge of bringing them together for an actual item. I had a beautiful package from Helen of Find a Happy Place. As well as some pieces that are just perfect for the I Spy quilt there were a few squares that just had to stay together. Very "Heritage" colours that I probably wouldn't buy myself ................
With a bit of jiggling, 4 x 5" squares were just enough for a "Heritage" elephant (maybe destined as a scissor keeper) with just a little bit of machine stitching in keeping with the Heritage theme and not detracting from the fabric too much ...................
Part of my personal challenge with the fabric scrap swap complete, I really must press on with the log cabin patchwork blind before it starts to become a chore more than fun .............
So a special thankyou to everybody who has swapped fabrics, it has been great fun receiving the surprise packages (all of which will be put to good use) and I hope everybody enjoys the fabrics sent in return.
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