A fail for me with the Mapping project but a new Chinese Coins

Yes, definitely a no show on the mapping side of things from me!

I have been following progress of all taking part but

due to unforeseen hiccups my plans came to naught!

I  had begun deconstructing a scrap vortex quilt-in-making (you can see details

on my blog), and decided I could go with another take

on Chinese Coins. I made a very bright one in the challenge, 

posted on this blog 28 June 2018.

So, I have strips of the scrap fabric below 12" x 3 and 1/2" cut

along with

KF stripes and his aboriginal dots

together they make

and when a few of these are stitched together

we have this

there will be three of these, hopefully very soon when

I am not so reliant on my crutches!

Maureen

Half Square Triangle Borders, Yo-Yos, a Ceremony and an Adventure.

I managed to get a photo before the wedding party started.

St. Jarlath Church, the ceremony was held here.

I got to see my littlest grandson! Here he is playing with his cars.

On the drive home we stopped in Buellton, CA and visited this fabric/quilt shop.

This is one of their beautiful sample quilts.

The Creation Station Quilt Shop front entrance

I bought some colorful, already made yo-yos, the owner's grandmother makes them.

And I've started work on borders for my new improv sample quilt. I love this look.

Hello! From Rancho Palos Verde.

Where it's sunny, warm and the Pacific Ocean sparkles.

We drove to Oakland, CA last week for my son's wedding. The ceremony was wonderful, held in the beautiful St. Jarlath Church. What a great way to start a marriage. It was fun seeing and visiting friends and relatives and it was all over too soon.

On the drive home I got to visit  The Creation Station Fabric & Quilt Shop , in Buellton, Ca. I enjoyed their sample quilts and they specialize in quilt retreats. I bought some already made Yo-Yo's, the owner's grandma makes them and they're well made! I've sewn them together and they're just the cutest thing.

This week I've been making half square triangles for borders for my new sample improv design quilt,

'Uneven Thirds.' I got the idea for the border from one of Jordan Fabrics' YouTube tutorials in which Donna made a similar border. Their tutorials are full of good ideas and exciting color use.

That's the news from the rancho, where I'm remembering to be thankful.

Have a good week and I'll be by to visit.

Improv Block Design Experiments, 'Uneven Thirds'

Finished 'coaster' blocks on the left. Six improv blocks sewn together for table topper.

'Uneven Thirds' table topper turned vertically.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

The temperatures are cooler this week, staying around the 70's.

This week I worked on experiments. I was in an experimental mood!

I made some improv small blocks a while ago and then added to the number last week. At first I was going to turn them all into coasters or mug rugs but then I thought some would look good sewn together for a table topper to go with the coasters.

I designed the first block by doodling in my sketch book. I wanted a block divided in uneven thirds, vertically.

And so I pieced it together from the sketch, in a liberated manner. Three vertical strips, first from the left, from the top; orange, lt. grey, turquoise. The middle strip, yellow green, Kona cotton solid, Wasabi. And the last strip on the right, turquoise, egg shell, set of three colors and dark grey. It was fun to stay within the 'boundaries' and yet keep hold of liberated piecing.

That's last week's experiments, from the rancho. 

Where I'm remembering to be thankful.

Stop in to visit me @ crazyvictoriana.blogspot.com. 

I'll be by to visit you soon and catch up on your adventures.

Years Nine and Ten (2012-2013)

This post contains mapping details

for the next two years of my quilting journey.

2012

This is Uncle Will's Closet,

a quilt quickly claimed by our younger son

and still hanging on the wall of his apartment.

(flimsy reveal post HERE)

Double click to supersize this photo

Amish Strings is one of my all-time favorites.

You can read it's reveal post HERE.

And you can read the series of posts for this quilt

that were shared on the UnRuly Quilting blog

by clicking HERE.

There were many other quilts 

started and/or finished in 2012,

but not necessarily important enough 

to be listed out here.

And so began 2013 . . . 

This is my studio spirit doll -

you can read all about her HERE.

She continues to reside in my design studio.

Double click to supersize this photo

Ongoing Conversation is one of my favorite rescue quilts.

The top was pieced and quilted by Wanda for her daughter

many, many years ago.

You can read the flimsy's reveal post HERE.

(sadly, all of the photos in the quilt's 

reveal post have disappeared

but the links still work)

Double click to supersize this photo

2013 was the year of my 60th birthday.

My Sessanta Stelle project

was created to celebrate that fact.

CLICK HERE to read about the collaborative project,

check out the extensive photo album,

and the names of all those who contributed stars. 

See Rock City - the quilt - 

was completed in early 2013.

SRC ended up becoming the cover quilt

for my book BUILD A BARN - No Pattern Construction.

(publ. 2016 by AQS)

The quilt is currently on display at Quilted Threads

in Henniker, New Hampshire.

CLICK HERE to visit the BUILD A BARN blog

and be sure to check out the many tabbed pages

including those for the book's gallery quilts and quilt makers.

Quiltdivajulie

Finally starting the Last Challenge!

Well, I'm finally starting to have a plan for the Maps Challenge. It's been a long time coming and I honestly stumbled into it quite by accident! You can read more about it over on my last blog post.

Maps Challenge Start

I am enjoying all the different versions and responses to this challenge that I have seen. So intrigued by the way some of your minds think! Mine is going to be extremely simple and much more basic I'm afraid. Not really 'maps' so much as a general mindset about how I tend to be when finding my way? It's still very much in-the-works and nothing nailed down.

The only thing I'm pretty sure about is next up, there will be a single unit in a 'road' style. Then, I'm playing with the idea of putting some words on the quilt.  Maybe even include a couple more of those 'turn right' appliqued arrows? Told you--I'm keeping it very low key and still in the arena of uncomplicated sewing. Though if I get too many words, that will involve lots of time.*sigh These things just sort of build don't they? lol

Another month of maps and a lot of unpicking

Sadly the unpicking is in my future.  This project is definitely testing me.  Yesterday I wanted to finish one little area and thought I could do it using bits I had already made.  I kept trying to do that well after the point where I should have taken a step back and reconsidered.

The idea, which still might be a viable one, was to have the darker blue extend up and around that corner.  The reality is so horrid I'm frankly a bit embarrassed, but I am sharing it in the spirit of full disclosure.  Too static, too heavy, just plain lumpy and ugly.  

So I unpicked and tried replacing the left-hand vertical blue with a white strip

which is not a whole lot better.  Next up, I will be taking that entire section off again, jettisoning the longer rectangles, which are, I think too big and probably getting rid of almost all that blue.  We live and learn (though actually this is just a version of a mistake I've made before, so maybe not).

Map Quilt: Month 3

After several weeks of Productive Procrastination {an amazingly useful term coined by Mel Beach} I made myself start cutting fabric for my map quilt. I measured the city blocks, chose a fabric and cut a strip to fit the widest in a section. The next step was verifying the grouping of the blocks so they were in the correct sewing order. Then they could be connected by narrow streets.

City blocks partially cut and sewn

The street fabric is a dark grey twill. The color is deep and lustrous but the fabric is thick; not the best choice for narrow seams and intersections. Ah, well.

Sewing section together

So far there are five different fabrics. My first thought was to make each block from a different fabric but the large florals extend between blocks beautifully. And once I actually started, the work was easier than expected.

Map quilt top sewn

Of course, some of the streets don't align like they should. Two intersections are a bit off, and some streets at at the bottom rotated; however, I'm letting them fall where they will at this point.

This is my first map quilt. Constructing this has opened many more ideas in my mind. Perhaps there will be a series like Chinese Coins.

Thanks for reading, Ann