scrappy quarter cabins

 

For this quilt top I once again turned to my fabric stash. "Shopping my stash" makes me super happy, and being able to also repurpose most of those fabrics from my earlier project was very satisfying! I've popped in a few newer designer treats too.

The quilt design is so simple, lots of 8" quarter log cabin blocks. Lots of repetitive sewing, cut, sew, press and repeat. 

To me, it's as much about the fabrics as it is about the design with this project. I think these 32 little log cabins set on point, with the white "center" squares, gives it all a fresh modern look, as well as a sense of calm.  

Setting triangles are up next, what would you use I wonder?

Until next time, Linda

change of plan

Got a low-stress high-fun improvisational quilt in mind✔️

Got a selection of low volume squares ✔️ 

Got the fabric strips ✔️

I've had a change of plan this weekend. After struggling for days with my improv project I gave up! There seemed to be such a monumental leap between the inspiration quilt and my piece, so much so that achieving a cohesive look seemed to be slipping out of my hands with every move I made. 

I’m still #scrapbusting though, using the same fabrics but different, because we don't always get it right first time!

 

I’m making1/4 log cabin blocks inspired by @hezbez13 and @beccascrazyprojects using the 'scrappy quarter cabin' tutorial by @afewscraps {which you can find here}. 

Sticking to just the peachy pinks, plum, blues & toasty tans from my earlier attempt, I began making up these improv blocks.  

18 blocks done ✔️ 

Oh goodness, it feels great to be moving forward with something finally!

Linking this WiP with Cyndy for 'oh scrap' here

Until next time, Linda

improv 101

Hello hello. I've been so tempted to give improv another try again after seeing a few projects out there in the blogging world - in particular from Kaja from 'sewslowly' and Audrey from 'quiltyfolk'. It's something I really struggle with, but I still keep coming back for another go.

I started out with a hand pieced quilt block given to me by my daughter a few years ago which I've been keen to incorporate into a quilt top somewhere. If you look closely, you can see it's perfectly imperfect. The maker didn't fuss with the orientation of her stripe, she just let those triangles in the HST lay as they lay.
And while the background fabric is the same throughout the block, she must have run out of the orangery gingham as there's a small amount of spotty fabric substitute AND several pieces of the gingham have been joined carefully to make up some of the units.

Don't you just love the energy of a plaid, or a stripe, those directional prints which add to the charm and can make all the difference!  "Especially when they go a bit “off”. It’s not a look that everybody loves and I get that, but I love directional prints and how they can “make” something good into something extraordinary" Roberta Horton.

Anyway, after some faffing around, I settled on making my version of the make-do quilt pictured below, from Roderick Kiracofe's book 'Unconventional & Unexpected'. It's got a very scrappy, very utilitarian sort of look that has always appealed to me!

- from Roderick Kiracofe's book, "Unconventional & Unexpected" pg. 67 {see here}

I wasn't too sure just where to begin with this actually! I ran off a photocopy of the quilt pic and sectioned it off into long strips and studied it for a bit.  And then, eager to start, I pulled out a little fabric pile I had put aside some time ago and just jumped right in, beginning with the bottom right hand corner section with my vintage block.

But it's not as easy as one might think... the maths, getting the colours to flow from one row to the other, achieving that all important contrast in value. 

And, if you stop by here often you may also notice I'm using a few more solids and tone-on-tone fabrics than I usually do. Another thing I find tricky!

Hm-m-m- so not feeling the love at. all.

After the weekend of struggling with this, I had a conversation with Audrey, many thanks for your advice 👍. 

It's now looking more like how I imagined, after swopping out a few fabrics. I didn't want to completely replicate the original 1975 version, mine seems a bit more colour coordinated but it still has a few rogue surprise additions too! 

Each time I come into the sewing room though, I move a bit, add a bit, discard a bit - it's a little like doing a jigsaw puzzle! 

- checking the values out

At the moment I'm still deliberating between the light beige print 

{see pic below} or maybe a dark brown print for that long strip down the centre 

When you pop back next time {wink wink} you may find I've changed things around yet again,

but here's where I'm at today . . . 

. . . and there's still lots more coin & rectangle segments to come

Until next time, Linda

 

scrapbusting 2021

My scrappy 'many trips around the world' quilt top is all together. I've added 1/2 blocks on the top & bottom rows to keep things symmetrical. However, getting them all orientated the right way around was a tad tricky! Let's just say, the quick-un-pick was put to good use today!

Having made two other larger TAW quilts before, I'm happy with this nice throw size. I really just wanted an excuse to "shop my stash" and play sew! 

Hm-m-m-m- {wink wink} the scrap baskets are still very full though! 

Linking up with Cyndy for 'oh scrap' here.  

Off now to tidy up the sewing room, Linda

it's all about the fabric

This weeks post is all about fabric! 

My present project 'many trips around the world' is slowly all coming together however, it really is almost too hot to sew here in NZ at present. I've made up four more blocks, giving a total so far of 16 12 1/2" blocks.

Thank you for all the interest about my fabric choices for this project, loved reading your comments! I'm trying to use up the stash here, and am enjoying rediscovering what's actually in my baskets. I do seem to have an abundance of multicoloured fabrics, and making them all work together can either be a fun challenge or quite daunting! 

For me? I guess I love the challenge of trying to create some cohesion in a scrappy quilt, and it's super satisfying using fabric from the stash. And as I often remind myself, there really is no right or wrong, it's whatever is pleasing to my eye. 

In an effort to calm the fabric chaos in this pastel trippy WiP, I've used a combination of really bright blue/green fabrics for those stronger 'diamonds' along with a couple of softer ones, just enough to blur the edges somewhat.
And to get some contrast happening within the blocks, I'm mixing colour & prints either in simple light/medium combos, or combining floral & geometrics, or busy & not so busy prints.  

I'm using a real mix of fabrics, some old ones spiced up with a few newer designer treats. For example, in this next collage pic there are some real oldies - a Dear Stella in peach & white, a very useful pastel Kaffe plaid, a teal floral Denyse Schmidt {a real favourite of mine which I've almost run out of!}, a couple of early AMH fabrics, and Verna Mosquera's 'snapshot'.

I'm finding if I blend a little between the strips, the result is quite gentle & pleasing.

And I've also been faffing around making up a couple of fabric bundles . . . as I've mentioned, I seem to have an abundance of multicolour fabrics in my stash. So just for a change, I recently ordered a bundle of warp and weft fabrics {yarn dyed woven cotton}. 

I love these fabrics by @alexiamarcellabegg and decided to use them as my starting point. I also added in a few little touches of pretty florals - couldn't help it - from my stash to get something unique happening. Not sure where this will end up yet . . .

And another fabric pull, this time all from my stash . . . and it's a colour palette that really really appeals to me, {inspired by Rachel from stitchedincolor}. Once again though, I'm not too sure what to turn it into. I did make up a trial 'organised chaos' block some time ago, {see here}, so maybe something like this is in my future!

Oh and just for fun, I'm joining in with favouritefabricfriday over on IG

I'm crushing over this little print at the moment - Lewis & Irene - Peach- Tulip Fields

Until next time,

Linda