Thursday 15 February 2018

from inspiration to reality








Feeling a little overwhelmed with all this house moving stuff, so I'm relaxing with sewing something I've wanted to make for a while now. This quilt was inspired by the work of Sheena Chapman and a photo of a vintage 30's quilt. Loving how Sheena works, it's improv in style, so scrappy & vintage-y, and she makes combining unco-ordinated fabrics look so easy.

Over the past year or so, I've been collecting little pieces of vintage fabric {from apieceofcloth} and I finally decided to make a quilt with them. I followed the measurements Sheena kindly gave me and I am really enjoying using up my vintage scraps and other odd pieces of fabric, including a few solids, in this. 
I don't know the finer details of this quilt, just going with my gut feelings really . . . like, my centres are the vintage fabrics, corner triangles mainly geometric, everything alternating light/dark as I go, and having an overall colour combo/focus fabric, like the wonderful Phillip Jacobs 'tree peony' fabric I'm planning to use in the borders. A class with Sheena would really be so wonderful! 

I put on the concert progamme on this afternoon and began making up my own stripey sections in roughly the same width and then pieced several 'square in a square' blocks using the vintage fabrics as my centres, easy as! And yes, I loved it, so I kept on going. Hope you enjoy all the progress photos so far.

And how about you, can you drop everything and just sew what you love too? 
Linking up with Kelly from myquiltinfatuation for 'needle and thread Thursday'

16 comments:

Mystic Quilter said...

Love this new start of yours Linda, light and fresh!
No, at the moment I can't seem to drop everything and sew - but I'm working on it - I have a cunning plan!!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

moving can be a pain and you will need a break now and then from going through things and packing - sounds like a nice plan to have some down time and have a sewing break

Quiltdivajulie said...

This is simply delicious!!!

audrey said...

It really is fun to work this way occasionally. First your fabric pull and then just playing. I went and looked at the inspiration quilt and I just love how you're keeping the feeling of the original but making a whole new quilt that is totally you!:)

Magpie Sue said...

This is a great way to start a new project! I can hear the pleasure you had working with these fabrics in your words and the pictures are terrific.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thank you Sue. I tried to avoid starting something new all day... I failed. But I did enjoy just sewing and not thinking about things :)

Leeanne said...

Some peaceful patchwork will be like medicine with the chaos of moving house! Lap it up :-)

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Isn't that pretty?! I always love your use of florals, Linda. Dropping everything just to play with fabric is definitely my fabric thing to do!

somethingrosemade14@blogspot.com said...

I think this project is something that I would drop all others to do. Definitely looks like you're having fun playing with all of your vintage fabric. It's going to be beautiful when you're done.

Ann said...

I enjoyed the first photo so much. What fun to see the fabric pull. Those two blue and white ginghams are inspired. And then to see progress. Joyful.

Julie said...

Love seeing your new projects and what inspires them. Some lovely fabrics in those blocks.

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

I would have been so overwhelmed with that many prints, but you work with them with such ease. The blocks are beautiful. Hope the moving is over soon, so you have more time to create.

-Soma

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thank you Soma. You make a very good point though, sometimes lots of scrappy prints can end up looking very chaotic! I’m hoping my use of greys and a few other neutrals will calm things a bit.
Pop back next week sometime to see if you agree too :) 

I guess it’s all this waiting around for settlement date, I feel like we are in a ‘holding pattern’. I’m just so keen to get over to the new place & start unpacking now!

Karen S said...

It is looking lovely. There are so many gorgeous fabrics in your collection.
I can understand your stress regarding the move. We were 23 years in our last home and I think you said it has been over 40 for you. That is a big change.
Hang in there!

Janie said...

You're fabric's and blocks are beautiful and refreshing.
And Sheena's work speaks to my heart. Thanks for
sharing!

Kaja said...

I have looked at apieceofcloths lovely vintage fabrics with considerable longing, so it's especially nice to see some of them in action here. I didn't know Sheena - thanks for the link.