Scrap "therapy"

Having a few days off on sick leave at present, but there's really only so much resting & reading one can do!!   Every now & then the need to do something cheerful and soothing surfaced .........  like a bit of  scrap "therapy"  !!!!! 
So, I have been working on a project I have wanted to try out for some time now.  Initially, I had just a rough colour scheme idea.  And I needed lots of scrappy hexis, approx. 5" across.
The enjoyment today was mostly in the cutting out, rather than in the end product.

What's- in -a -Name?

I have read extensively lately about the "modern" quilt........a new twist on the traditional art of quilting..... may contain reinterpreted traditional blocks...... often use grey & white as neutrals...... frequently use improvisational piecing.......use asymmetry in quilt design...... reflects an increase use of solid fabrics............Years ago when I owned a little patchwork shop the joy of sewing got lost somewhere in amongst the reality of making a living, but now I am simply enjoying all aspects of quilting .......whether it's modern, traditional, or art.

Today I took a pic of my attempt a wee while ago at making the  "Modern" quilt!!!!
After letting chance play a part, I think it's looking ok now.
Simplicity & minimalism are the words that spring to mind!!!! 
The lovely machine quilting has been done by Annette from Wildcotton Ltd and really does add another dimension, especialy in all the -ve spaces.   However, I do need to get a wriggle-on to have it all finished completely by 5 August.  We are handing in our quilts then for the Monday Modern quilt show that's happening mid-September at Highwic House in Parnell.

I have now also finished the pastel pinwheel quilt top, and made the binding, and have made up the backing from blue & white leftovers stashed in the depths of  the wardrobe.  I love the way the low volume background fabrics make some of the other fabrics sparkle. (that was my mum's old, old wooden ironing board!)

I am wondering about the quilting pattern, but for now will just enjoy looking at it.
Sometimes I find if I use the "be patient Linda" button, then inspiration does kinda happen eventually!!!
P.S.  Anyone joining in the Double Wedding Ring competition? see Kathy's latest blog entry over at Material Obsession.

Quilts on the line

We have just had a lovely couple of sunny days, so  I thought I'd air a few quilts.
This first quilt was one I made with a larger- than- normal size template that I drew up, and sashed with white to give it a fresh look. ( Annette from Wild Cotton did the quilting for me)

This next quilt was one I made some time ago...using all the sample/random blocks that didn't ever make it into an actual quilt. Amazing what a bit of black & white can do to bring something all together!!! And I quilted it with just straight lines around each block.

This quilt was very simple, 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" strips, 10-12 different fabrics to give a good variety, with an ice cream sort of feel. I got the idea from "The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking" by Jane Brocket. And again I just did simple straight line quilting.  
 

And this quilt is one I made for my granddaughter - I got the idea from Material Obsession.  There were 2 quilts each different, one made by Michelle Marvig and the other by Marg George.  I didn't have a pattern so I combined ideas from both, did each part slowly & prayed it all went together in the end!!!!  

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I just found this interesting series by Jess @  http://theelvengarden.blogspot.com.au/   on Colour Theory for Quilters  - how quilters approach colour, and where they find inspiration for choosing palettes. If you scroll down there's a good part on value & low volume.
I have been busy today making more pastel pinwheels!  I need a bit more toile for my final outer border but am not too sure where I will find that???  It's quite an old type of fabric I know & one that I haven't seen around lately!

Pinwheels in Pastel

I am working an afternoon shift tonight until 11pm, but before that I'm going to spend the morning sewing a few pinwheel blocks.
From this.......

to this......

and then onto this.........

My Kaffe Fasset "Museum Quilts" book was the starting point for all this renewed interest in the pastel/low volume look!  Once there is another row right around of more pinwheel blocks, I am hoping the old toile prints will fade gently into all the other pastel KF prints....however, as I have found lately, I can start out with a vision of where I'm going but it dosen't always end up quite the same!!!!! 
We shall have to wait & see.

Metamorphosis!!!

It has rained all day here in Auckland....Mr D. has spent his time on the computer converting years & years of slides & old pics onto the computer,  and, as we now share the spare bedroom as a computer/sewing room, I too have been "locked in" !!!!
Remember the book about the  "Hungry Caterpillar" ? 
Time to transform something ..........
I must admit I have not been at all happy with my "Beaded Curtains" quilt, and I do feel that with all the time/money/material invested in any project one should be happy with the result, yes????  
I did so want the bright "beads" to float.
Looking back thru' my Kaffe Fasset books also  re -inforced that I had wanted to try for a "no borders" kind -of -look to keep that vertical dropping/floating  feeling.
(And I certainly didn't want an overall "purple" look to the quilt!! )
So........ I have spent most of today unpicking !!!!!!!!
I removed all of blue & mauve 1/2 triangle side borders & all the surrounding soft blue spotty borders.  
Then I rumaged thru' my leftovers container & found more of the Riley Blake cream stripe AND, luckily, more of the KF white/yellow dot. But sadly none of it in biggish pieces.   
So I made fabric out of what I had left.  (If you look closely you will see some joining lines)   I have an old vintage sheet that I will use for backing and the lovely KF stripe binding will, I think, just finish off the quilt quite nicely.   I am v. happy with it now!!!!!!!

just a few more triangles

Have you ever started sewing and it turns out nothing like the idea you originally had ?
I even had a few "rules" sorted out for my last project, the triangles Kaffe Fasset ( KF) quilt, but somewhere along the way it just wasn't working. Certainly not from a construction point of view, 'cos the triangles fitted together really easily, with points all beautifully matched!!!
BUT it began to look like a v. purple quilt which I really could not cope with!!
So, after a bit of auditioning, I added a soft blue border (another KF fabric) all around..........

.....and then had another try!!
I used up the leftover solid fabric triangles that I had rejected for the first quilt, and added alot of white/cream triangles, along with another lovely  KF fabric as the focus.

....I also made the binding, a wonderful KF stripe that will just give this wee quilt a final extra shot of zing!!!   I am alot happier with today's efforts!  (but sadly my sewing machine is sounding v. noisy and is probably now long overdue for a maintenance check !!!)

Quilting friends!!!

Glenys popped in this evening, we had a wine, and she showed me what she has been working on over the last few days. (in between a v. busy time with both of her daughters getting married!!!)
Here is her "Converging Corners" quilt  all together now!!  This quilt was one of our Modern Modern (MM) Bee blocks. We all did a block each & I think Glenys added a couple more to make it up to a good size. 
It looks really great!!!...................





She has also been making three individual "biggish"  blocks........

These have been made with colours that were  picked to be an accent in her newly decorated lounge. She has now added some neutral beige and made a very "modern" setting.......




Its gonna look really good once the quilting adds that further dimension!!!!  Yes?