Scattered Block Shots

      Trying to meet deadlines for challenges, exchanges, etc. means doing a lot of different blocks, fabrics and sizes. That means fabric shrapnel all over the place and now facing picky cleanup. However, I did get done all I promised.
     My guild is doing a block exchange- sets of 24. I did two sets of 24.

     The guild is also doing a twin challenge- two people each making the same block in their own fabrics. In my case, it is three of us. The block was PopRocks. I did two because I usually do better on the second one.

     Our guild show is next year, so we are working on the raffle quilt now. The organizers chose Lucky Star and I did 2 of the blocks they kitted up. All batiks.

     I promised Lynne that I would make a bird block for her collection. It took me three until I got the bird with the attitude I wanted. The top bird is going to her.

    The second half of the blue bargello still needs to be sewn together. It is waiting not so patiently pinned up.

     And finally, Elvira (Gudrun Erla) is on the longarm. I found a person in need of comfort due to health issues who just loves lots of crazy color. I think this quilt is all her.

You start with a bunch of blocks...

      Almost all quilts start with blocks. Sometimes I get a bunch of blocks as a donation. In a package of donated fabric, I found two sizes of 30s fabric blocks, 6" and 8". In there were also the churndashes that I made into a quilt that the person who donated wanted back. There were some fabric squares left, so I made more 6" blocks for a total of 30. I am not a huge 30s fan, but I tried to figure out somehow a way to show them off, but add a light touch. I did not realize that the blocks, made from 2 1/2" fabric, had been trimmed to 6" before I made the rest of the 10 blocks, so I ended up trimming the blocks I made to match when I went to assemble the quilt. Yikes.
     I used a cream with a white print for the interior blocks, a white on white for the setting triangles,  a light yellow print for the border, and a wonderful print periwinkle for the outer border. Setting the blocks on point I think gave it more excitment although more work. It is 54" x 63" now. I think it will work for a child comfort quilt.
    Now I have those 8" blocks to contend with, hmm.

The large block pile, the small was similar

Adding borders

Completed pieced top

Blocking it out

     I cannot help it. I have tons of ideas and I make sample blocks of them. Then I can see whether I want to cut it all out and pursue the quilt or use the sample block for a comfort quilt. I can appreciate those who work on one quilt at a time, I would melt down. 
     Taking a cue from Bonnie Hunter who "kits up" a whole quilt for when she travels or has limited time, I have started to kit a whole quilt so I can just sew when I have a chunk of time. I cut all the pieces (minus border and binding), put the pattern and the pieces in a bag and label it. 
      I have made the MSQC's Disappearing Hourglass before, but I tried it with a Kaffe layer cake of reds and a script print. I loved the block- so all the HSTs are cut up, trimmed and in the bag ready to be made into the hourglasses and then further cut after to make this.

      I was a sucker for a Kaffe jelly roll from MSQC and found this pattern I had from Cluck Cluck Sew called Basket Case. I made the sample blocks from two strips and then cut up all the strips into pairs and all the white squares that go with it. Also in a bag with the pattern I bought.

     The last sample block is from a quilt I saw in a quilt show in April. It did not list the name of it, and it wasn't a great job, but it had this wonderful quality using florals and black, which I rarely use. I took a photo with the phone, drafted the block, and made a sample block. I made sure I used florals that had some saturation and not too light like the one I saw. The effect I was hoping for, a floating of the florals, I think is happening. I cut almost all the pieces, using the Accuquilt for the HSTs, pairing right sides together. I don't know what to call it. I looked for one like it online to see if it was a commercial pattern, but could find nothing that resembled it.

Example from show, floral blocks too light in places

Poor lighting, phone photo, inspiration quilt

My version