mix and match

Atticus, by Jennifer Jones @penelope handmade, is a mix and match quilt pattern. I've wanted to try out the mix and match step for a while, where the blocks are simple with lots of repetition, and you use fat quarters to create a scrappy look that feels intentional rather than chaotic.

I didn't have a complete FQ bundle though, where everything works together and looks cohesive before the sewing even starts. Still, it's all ok. I’m really a "print person" and a mix & match pattern gives me the creativity to pick my favourite fabrics and have them in a quilt.

As most of my stash comprises of leftovers & chopped up FQs these days, using each fabric three times in three different positions didn't always work either! So, if when I ran out of one fabric, I simply substituted with a similar value & colour.

 

I used a fabric pull from my stash, mostly pinks & oranges with a sprinkling of blues and just a little rogue pop of black & pink floral. My constants are a light 4 square inner segment and those little Anna Maria "stamped" black centre squares.  

anyways, the BIG decision now was ...

to sash or not to sash?

I went back & forth all week. 

Atticus-with-sashing gives just a little breathing room, but without

... it's extra patchworky✅

until next time, Linda

pink & orange

 pink and orange ... yes please!

pattern: Atticus quilt by Jennifer Jones @penelope handmade
fabrics: this is a mix & match pattern using a FQ bundle for the 18" blocks and strip piecing for an easy sew. Layout options are a personal choice, with light sashing & cornerstones this quilt reflects a more "modern" balance, without, it's got a very scrappy patchwork look. Actually, I think either way is really lovely, see last pic ↑.

a few progress notes: I have my accent fabric sorted. And I have enough of the light print for those inner centre segments and for sashings too if I decide to go that way.

However, most of my stash comprises of chopped up FQs these days, so I don't have any full FQ bundles of anything really to mix & match. BUT I did have a 10" Layer Cake - paisley rose fabrics by @cmanningsews - a very pretty collection. So, I'm going with a (homemade) bundle of colour curated around my layer cake, repeating a few fabrics where possible for a cohesive look. Luckily there were a few double ups in the layer cake, which was helpful!

And because strip piecing isn't an option for me this time, I'm happily stitching up square by square, one block at a time, cobbling together what I have here. Only 6 more blocks to go!

throwback Thursday

Sharing a quilty memory today.

We're zapping back to 2015 when I attended a quilt workshop with Kathy Doughty, 'Vintage Spin' an inspiring Modern Wedge workshop. 

The workshop was lots of fun, (see back here for a few class pics). Kathy had us lay out all our fabrics and then focus on looking for 'contrast' when choosing pairs of fabrics for our combos, be it floral/geometric, cool/warm, lights/darks, etc. 

My takeaway tips from the class were "Contrast is the key" ... and ... "the colour of a fabric is not really known until it is actually playing beside its neighbour!" 

Large prints, small prints, pastels, jewel colours, 'modern' fabrics, vintage, dark fabrics - it all went into my eclectic mix! Kathy also suggested to try & get a subtle colour connection in each of my pairs of fabrics for the individual blocks. 

A few of my fabrics had a little bit of black in them too, so I used that as my cue and opted for the black & white pin-dot for my centres & binding.

This quilt is still a real favourite of mine, I love all the movement between the blocks - thankyou spinning stripes! Those large prints do work, the mix of different hues work, the random fabrics from different projects totally works ... it may be perfectly imperfect but hey, that's the charm of using scraps. 

I shook my quilt out & clicked off a few fresh photos today, 

hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with me ...

happy Thursday, Linda

state of play

I've continued with more colour play this weekend, making extra blocks for my limingtonquilt, a modern spin on Trip Around the World, TATW. I used a pattern from @seaminglykate.

Obviously, I still have three more blocks to go - see last pic - but I'm loving this mix of scrappy and set colours. I'm going with blue, green and purple prints, mainly mediums & darks, against a background of assorted "lights". My accent fabric Hindsight in piecework rose is by Anna Maria, super happy with the peachy-pink chain. Here's a few progress pics ...

... whoops-a-daisy, I've just spotted one teeny tiny block the wrong way round :( 

... luckily it was a quick fix✅

Another quilt top almost finished!

churn dash mash-up

amazing how a colour can change the look ...

- love a bit of gingham

- I added four 'trip around the world' blocks, because, why not? 

Digging into my fabric baskets to make endless combinations has been fun. My blocks do look a bit different to the *inspo U&U quilt - but I'm happy with this fresh contemporary vibe. 

Loving the mix of soft pinks & calming teals in delicate florals with the occasional splash of bright blue, plum and gold - all blending seamlessly in this churn dash mash-up.

For those curious, with my last eight blocks I started choosing the fabrics with even more intention, and I've repeated a few fabric combos for continuity. All my blocks are 10 1/2" unfinished, my sashings are 2" cut, and my borders 4" cut. After testing out & rejecting the broken grid idea (*see here for inspo quilt pic), I ended up arranging my blocks into simple rows. 

There was a fabric shortfall challenge when I finally settled on my sashing choice. I had wanted a consistent sashing - a calmer approach I thought - but it became clear very soon that the blue 'roman glass' Kaffe fabric wasn't going to go very far. So, I settled for a combo of similar blue fabrics. And then I added a wider top & bottom border in a pretty blue AM floral. 

I could stare at this wonderful collection of fabrics and colours for hours. A super scrappy quilt, it's beautiful ... in a quirky interesting way ... with just a little sense of order happening.

upping the scrappy charm: progress pics

I'm making good progress on my latest WiP, 10" Churn Dash blocks - see here for a few earlier details. There are several variations on this block and other names, including "monkey wrench," "hens and chickens," "love knot," and "shoo fly". It's a simple 9-patch block made up of half square triangles and squares, lots of scope to add more visual interest. 

I'm using fresh contemporary colours and am playing with the colour placement of my lights/mediums/darks. Traditionally, the background of these churn dash blocks is usually lighter. By swopping out the values occasionally, things can look quite different = upping the scrappy charm✅

Sashing is proving a bit difficult to decide on. At the moment I am thinking about using the same simple sashing throughout (if I have enough!), with a feature print for my top & bottom borders. Jury's still out on this mind you!  

I think this post has maybe given you more insight into how I like to work sometimes, yes? When I start with a vague idea - i.e. no plan or pattern - I'm often reminded of Sujata Shan's words ... "The quilt starts with a spark and your thoughts and process follow the idea."

 

 Do you make a plan before you start sewing?

Linda

p.s. my overflowing scrap baskets don't look any different :( 

building on an idea

Things have been a bit chaotic chez Linda's this past month. I did manage some sit & sew times, taking slow meditative stitches, adding binding to a few quilts. And now after a short interlude, normal service has been resumed and I'm back working on my WiPs.

Way back in 2020 I started making 10" churn dash/monkey wrench blocks. I had originally begun these blocks following Jen Kingwell's 'flea market dash' pattern. I dragged them out this weekend & decided I really should do something with them. My blocks so far were mainly in medium/dark prints mixed with an assortment of checks, not feeling the love for them really. And, I also didn't have 1.4 mtrs fabric sitting around either, for the inset & corner triangles.

I remembered a monkey wrench quilt in the *U & U book, a joyous collection of colour & pattern. The blocks were in groups of four and the sashings were a mix of scrappy fabrics in blues & yellow.
After some faffing around reworking (and unpicking) a few parts of my earlier blocks, I laid them out on the design floor to check how things were progressing. My blocks do look a bit different to the inspo quilt - but I'm happy with these fresh contemporary colours.

love the mix in this one, Kaffe, Liberty lawn & Anna Maria ...

 the pile is growing ...

Tilda, a little Liberty lawn & gingham ...

 For my sashing, I'm thinking maybe teal ...

*Inspirational quilt from Unconventional & Unexpected by Roderick Kiracofe 

I'm enjoying this, building on an idea with a little improv & a lot of colour exploration 

- such a good way to waste away spend a few hours!

Linda