UandU Plus Red is a Neutral Challenges

When Sujata published the challenge to use a quilt from Roderick Kiracofe's Unconventional and Unexpected I jumped aboard immediately. Over the years Rod's books and periodicals have been mainstays of my quilting education. So a quilt inspired by one in his collection was exciting.

Then I waffled. Sujata has a great idea. I like that quilt... especially with the lozenge-shaped octagons and quiet colors. Then Maureen showed her progress. Another quilt I'd like to make. In fact, as every quilter has posted her choice I've wanted to make "that one" too.

I saw a quilt Rod posted on Instagram from Eli Leon's collection that he says is in UandU. I couldn't find it; however, I already have red and white strips cut and sewed. They would also work the Red as Neutral challenge.  The strip sets were a Chinese Coins idea that didn't work out. Since then they've been folded in my stash; sorting brought them to light.

Here's what I have to start {plus some assorted unsewn strips.}

Red and white stripes

My first thought was cutting diagonal strips and then cross cutting diamonds... until I realized the stripes will parallel one of the sides rather than run perpendicular to the long axis. On to Plan B. Perhaps my kaleidoscope ruler will help.

Here's what I have now. Only enough for one star. I don't want to make more of these strips.

On to Plan C.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Cotton + Steel Spectrum Reds HST Border, a Rescue

I found a Cotton + Steel Spectrum Red layer cake I had forgotten about in my stash. 

I had pieced this together last summer and now what ?

The Spectrum Reds 'break it up' and bring excitement, just what was needed. 

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we've had rain storms off and on. It is still winter.

And I have AHIQ adventures to report. I was going through my stash and found a Cotton + Steel Spectrum Red layer cake I had forgotten about. I saw it and the light went on! I knew just what to do with those reds. I pieced a half square triangle border, for my HST barn raising medallion center I started last summer. It's the fourth border and now the whole piece measures 35 x 35".

More to come.

Have a great day and I'll be by to visit!

First steps with Red is a Neutral

I thought it would be the end of the month

before I made a start on the Invitational

taking place over the next six months.

Best laid plans and all that - I made a start today!

Ingredients for Red is a Neutral:

one stack of red triangles - more of a tomato red rather than scarlet

 heaps of scrap strips

40 pieces of Vilene to be used as foundation for the strips

and this is what I came up with

four blocks 7 and 1/2" square - at least they should have been that size 

but a slight hiccup in my making of the template meant I was

a fraction out on one of the measurements, so all of the he 40 foundation

pieces were out!

Not wanting to cut them all over again, nor waste the four blocks

I downsized them by 1/4".

I'm making Liberated Wedding Ring inspired

by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran .

Now, twenty blocks with all that red could be pretty overpowering

so I'm sashing using black/white. 

First one I tried - the spot - no good

second - the elephants - still not good

but this one was perfect, at least I think so

a quick mock up

this particular fabric tones down the full on volume

of colour for me.

Making these could be quite addictive, I think tomorrow could

be marked down for more of these blocks!

Maureen

My First Attempt at Red is a Neutral!

I've finished with all the Lattice blocks now and am attempting to figure out the proper layout. You can read more about this quilt over at my blog. This particular quilt is a combined effort of trying to play with the 'Red is a Neutral' and also the UandUQAL challenge of making an Unexpected and Unconventional inspired quilt. 

Throwing the first blocks on the wall....

I feel that there will probably be another Red is a Neutral quilt some time after this one. Sometimes there just needs to be a starting point to get the mind going in the right direction!

NOT a Mystery - My AHIQ Red Project Begins

This is the quilt from Unconventional and Unexpected

that Sujata suggested for the U and U quilt along.

I knew from the beginning that I would not

be making mine in the style of the original,

so I've been waiting to see which direction

my version would take.

In the meantime, I ran across this vintage beauty

photographed by Ann Champion and shared on Flickr.

And my brain immediately leaped to a quilt design

I've made twice before.

This version was named Happy Happy Joy Joy 

(or HHJJ for short) was made 

during the 2016 Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

And this version, named Girly Girl,

 was made shortly thereafter

to celebrate our great niece's birth.

In HHJJ, I used strings to fill in the side triangles.

In Girly Girl, I used half square triangles.

So with the design method settled,

I moved on to my waiting fabric pulls.

I had pulled these scrappy pieces

shortly after Bonnie Hunter introduced

her 2018 Good Fortune mystery quilt.

I never planned to make her mystery quilt

but I was drawn to the colors and her inspiration.

This photo was taken by our DIL in the Forbidden City 

during one of her Asian business trips.

It captures Bonnie's inspirational color palette perfectly.

(I even used this photo as my desktop wallpaper 

back when I was working at the law firm)

I also had this fabric pull set aside

for the current AHIQ Red challenge.

Once I started looking, the overlap between the two

was obvious and they quickly became one project

that suits both the UandU QAL 

and the AHIQ Red challenge.

With the intensity of my colors,

it was clear the low volume prints

needed an upgrade.

This long-stashed Marblehead was my choice.

  

I pulled these four fabrics from the stash

to use for the quilt's pieced back.

Initially I was not going to add the narrow strips

along the sides of the center insert.

But when I cut one WOF strip of a well-aged red batik

and laid it alongside the first pieced center segment 

you can see the results -- Those rich red 1" strips 

simply HAD to be part of this quilt.

I'm planning a layout 5 blocks wide x 7 blocks long

for a top that will measure 50" x 70" 

8 blocks made, 27 more to go.

And when I trim the center strips to 4.5" wide,

these marvelous lengths are the cutaways.

I already have a plan to use them 

in another small quilt!

Hooray for the UandUQAL 

and the AHIQ Red challenge

and for shopping my stash to create this project.

Quiltdivajulie

Quilt Finish, AD Hoc Improv Quilt Challenge, Red Is... Butterfly for February

My 'Uneven Thirds' improv quilt finished, washed and dried, 23 x 23".

'Uneven Thirds' back view, Kona cotton solids and a print.

My first two experimental 'Uneven Thirds' blocks as mug rugs.

February 2019 butterfly.

View out the back door, the rain storm has settled down for a while.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where the wind and rain have subsided.

And Happy February!

I finished, washed and dried my 'Uneven Thirds' improv quilt. I also have a photo of the first two 'Uneven Thirds' blocks made into mug rugs. And since I used (without even thinking about it) red as a neutral and binding I figured it would fit into the AHIQ challenge, Red Is.

I started using more red and orange in my work after studying Gwen Marston's and Freddie Moran's quilts. I know I've already talked about that in posts but I think I need to talk about it more because both women have such a fabulous, fearless way with color. They should not be forgotten, ever.

And it's February, the month where we remember how important love is.

Not the 'love' of passion that is fickle and comes and goes, but the enduring love of treating people the way we want to be treated. 

That's the news from the rancho.

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.