Saturday 28 February 2009

Kaleidoscope Challenge and new work


Part 5 of the Kaleidoscope challenge by Andrea on the Electric Quilt website was poppies. Well mine are not poppies but they are supposed to be flowers. Although I used Andrea's technique I used different blocks and coloured them a little differently to give them a different shape. If you would like to see my EQ6 project file you can get it HERE.

One of my students brought in a quilt she had been working on called square dance. I had a template for what I thought was the same quilt but it was something else designed by Ami Simms and not the design I saw on Thursday. Everyone wanted to know how it was done so today I set about trying to replicate the design. I knew it used 6" squares and so I pieced some together. I brought this lovely fabric back home from my trip to the USA last year. Working with it brought back lovely memories of my time in Chicago and all the other places we visited. So much so we are planning another trip this year to the US but I am not sure where yet. We are checking flights at the moment. There's a quilt show in Long Beach California but I am not sure I want to go there - we shall see.

On the design wall today:

I added borders - it was just luck that I had enough white on white fabric for the borders! I drafted a little template and started cutting up my pieced quilt. I wasn't sure if the squares had to go in some kind of order so I just hoped for the best.

Here it is - it worked just fine - talk about flying by the seat of your pants! I am going to call this quilt "Sewing to Music" - one of the fabrics has a musical theme and another has sewing notions on it and as I always have music on in the studio as I work (except when calculating the maths - I need quiet for that) I thought that would be a good name. Suitable don't you think?

I shall leave it as it is, half finished, so that I can demonstrate how it's done next week in my two classes. There are some small squares left over after cutting that might be nice as a border but I won't know if it will look right until I get the quilt top finished. I can see I have put two dark fabrics together (which I was sure I had avoided) which gives a dark area on the quilt. Perhaps I need to think about the original layout a little more hmmm!

The rain has just stopped so I think I may go for my walk. It's good thinking time as well as good exercise.

Have a wonderful day and thank you for dropping by.

10 comments:

Alis Clair said...

I love your "poppies" and "Sewing to Music" is fab!
I really need to be much more accurate with my patchwork. I love to see your work and would love to touch it ;0)

I always have music on in my studio. I couldn't work without it.
It is always on as I don't do maths. Hmm that is probably why I'm not accurate isn't it! I think this is referred to as a "light bulb moment"!

Maggi said...

The kaleidoscope looks like happy gerberas. The reconstructed quilt is a great idea. I too cannot sew, or do anything else without music and as I don't do maths I don't have to turn it off at all. I have a calendar which has a lovely quote "If you are not annoying the neighbours you are listening to the wrong music'

Sandy said...

The Kaleidoscope looks great. The pieced quilt will be wonderful.

Julia in NZ said...

In passing, I would say go for it to Long Beach. Slightly smaller show than Chicago, really nice time of year to be in California. Location is next to the coast, so lots of restaurants and bars only 5 minutes walk from the hotels.

I went last year, intending to go to Houston, but the timing was better to go to LB. In 4 days I got to see all the stands, and almost all the quilts.

Coleen said...

Love your quilts!!

Kay said...

Beautiful quilts! I bought a tool for that square dance thing. I bought it in Paris, couldn't talk to the woman selling it who explained it to me in French. I've since understood what to do with it, but haven't done anything yet. Your quilt is an inspiration.

Margo in Maine said...

Black and white are my favorites at this point...I have done them with red and yellow....these are beautiful....Maine

Angelines Artero said...

I'm happy to find your blog, your work is fantastic. Regard from Spain

Our Hands For Hope said...

Your quilting inspires me. Hummm...now i might have to go pull out all the unfinished ones again! Can you just buy fabric and look at it instead? I hate finishing!

NazaPatch said...

hi carol, i am here just to say hello. I loved your kaleidoscope, it's absolutely gorgeous... have a nice day