Concatenation - Version Four

It started here in February - this was my initial post for Concatenation on the AHIQ blog and the "Pick a Color Palette" challenge from Kaja.

And this was the initial fabric pull.  From here things have only "gone south" instead of moving forward.

In June, I shared this update post on the AHIQ blog after the initial design idea was abandoned in favor of a Scrappy Trips.

And this was the enhanced fabric pull to brighten and lighten the palette.

But still nothing happened and the yardage shown above went back into the stash.

Somewhere since then the design idea changed again, from a Scrappy Trips to a Two by Four layout with the blocks oriented on their sides (inspired by one shared on Cathy L's blog).

Over the weekend, I pulled out the already cut strips (half-WOF in length) and sorted them into pairs, just to see where things stood.

My reaction?  

Ugh - too dark.  And too muddy.

Not to mention there are only half as many strip pairs as I'd need to make 70 blocks for a quilt 56" x 70" in size.

I pulled out the backing yardage and hung it alongside the strip pairs.

Just not loving this plan at all. But since I still love the elephants, I am going to give these strips one last chance to become a quilt.

Version 4 will be inspired by Cluck Cluck Sew's free tutorial for her Scrappy Summer double four patch quilt.

Step one was to check the drawer where I keep the random leftover 2.5" strips.  

The weathered gray would make a good alternate color . . .  

And, given the past "stalls" on this project, I decided to forge ahead with this latest plan rather than setting it aside.

It wasn't long until I had paired the two different grays with some of the already cut strips to create 126 four patches.  (my version will be slightly smaller that the one in the tutorial)

The four patches are now pressed and ready to help guide the choice of scrappy alternate squares from the resource boxes.

Onward.

(originally posted on my personal blog / cross-posted here for "the record")

Quiltdivajulie

Response to New Challenge

Last week Ann shared the latest prompt for the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters.  

I came home from my visit with Lynne with a huge stack of scrap slab triangles that I'd made from her leftover blocks and scrap stash - including these forty-seven yellow triangles.

I have a good sized box of yellow bits and pieces to make enough more for a generous lap quilt (same size as Kefi).

So the "yellow" part of the challenge was easy.

But what to use for the side triangles?

Initially I thought about a blend of aquas, light blues, and turquoises along the lines of Poppyseed's Quilt (gifted to one of our nephew's families).

I even thought about using the elephant fabric for backing.

But this mix didn't make my heart sing, so I put the aquas and elephants away and went back to the stash.

During a long telephone call with Lynne we discussed the option of using greens.  The contrast representing sunshine and green grasses is powerful but I wasn't convinced I wanted to make such "dark" side triangles. 

So the greens were returned to the stash.

A while back I mentioned wanting to make a pink and yellow quilt inspired by a photo of Lynne's mom sitting under the Yellow Zebras quilt while reading her new Christmas book about Yellow.  So I pulled out a batch of pinks to see if that might work.

Again, I like the colors together but the intensity still felt too strong for an entire quilt top.

So the pinks were returned to the stash.

Eventually I realized I had been fighting with myself over NOT using my black and white stash.  

For some silly reason I had convinced myself that was the "easy way out."

So I pulled out this box of 10" squares cut a long time ago for a project that went in another direction . . .

. . .  and I found the obvious answer for the side triangles after using the black and white squares for this "mock up."

 

I then went to the stash and chose these black on whites to use for the side triangles.  

So my project in response to Ann's "Here Comes the Sun" prompt will be a quilt I've named Luciferous.

(adjective meaning "bringing or giving/providing light or insight")

Quiltdivajulie

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“People often called us perfectionists, but we were not looking for perfection. We were looking for some kind of magic in the music.”

Paul Simon

AHIQ Prompt July 2022: Sun

 Our family is already anticipating the solar eclipse that crosses Texas in 2024. Since some of them live in the path of totality, there's a place to easily visit and view. With my mind stuck on sun and eclipse not to mention sunrise, sunset, sunshine... SUN seems like a possible prompt.

How to start?Use the color or a traditional block including medallions, rising sun, and a galaxy of star blocks. Songs and quotes often include the sun. Some of my favorites include: 

    Peter Pan is the sun and the moon and the stars!

and

    Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.

and

    It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day. 

Whether you create a paean to our bright, particular star; segue off a traditional design; or simply grab your yellows, Here Comes the Sun!  "It's been a long, cold lonely winter." Let's make some time for joy. #AHIQSun is the tag so we can all follow your work. 

Join the celebration!

For the Americans, Happy Fourth of July!

In the Background . . .

I last posted about my project for the current "color palette" challenge in February (click HERE).

Since then I had chosen a design and cut 2.5" strips from each of the fabrics in the initial pull.  And then things sat . . . and sat . . . and sat.

Younger son claimed the quilt as his (despite its very UN-made status) and I showed him the design.

We both agreed it was B-0-R-I-N-G.

After a bit of brainstorming, he decided he would really like me to make him a Scrappy Trips quilt.

And again the project sat.

Until today.

 

I was tired of the pile of WOF strips on my countertop so I cut them in half and sorted them into the beginnings of thirty blocks using my fold-up laundry dryer (purchased exclusively for projects like this).

He and I had both agreed the palette was pretty dark so off to the stash I went to brighten things up.

96 more half-WOF strips are needed to make the thirty blocks so I pulled 48 more fabrics from the stash.  This is half of them.

This is the second half.  

These will definitely brighten the overall palette and add a lot of interest / curiosity to the mix.

So here is where things stand now.  Backing in the foreground and fabrics pulled to cut the additional WOF strips.

Once that is done at least I'll be able to clip the sets together and put them into a project box for easier moving about until it is time to sit and sew them together.

I am quite sure that this will not be completed within the current six-month challenge period!

Oh, and the project/quilt has been named Concatenation (noun: a series of interconnected or interdependent things or events)

Quiltdivajulie

Working to a colour scheme

I am failing this challenge at the first hurdle!  I had my inspiration photo of an iconic Manchester pub ready to go.  I love the way the yellow-green of the exterior tiles is matched with a bright, true green on the door and the very pale shade on the upper floor.  I started collecting shirts - pulling everything I had in any shade of green.  

Hmm, not enough of the more yellow-y tones.  So I did a quick trawl for some additional options and bought this, online.

It arrived this week and it is a lovely shirt.  A really lovely shirt.  But also not an all inclined to co-operate with me.  So I will not, this time, be making the pub-inspired quilt I planned.  I shall be making the quilt this shirt wants me to make.  More, if you are interested, over on my blog.

Symmetrical .....

 It took me a while but now I finished this quilt called: Passion. I started with the New York Beauty in the middle and my first idea was to make nine of it. But I have to confess, that sewing on paper is not my favorite way to work. Even if I love this pattern I decided to leave it and do something different. So these log cabin like blocks were my next choice. The middle part is symmetric but it needed a bit more I thought. So I decided to make the bottom and top different. Now I´m pretty happy with it. 

I made this quilt top during last winter and enjoyed these vivid colors against the grey and darkness

Pick a Color - My Second Month's Color Palette

I bought 2 yards of this fabulous elephant print on sale.

(double click the image to see more detail)

I absolutely love it.

But how to use it?

For this second month of the 

Color Palette / Pick a Color challenge,

I pulled the elephants out and decided to play around.

(BA Design represented by Ruth Levinson Design

for Timeless Treasures - pattern #Ruth-C 4711)

 

I pulled these pieces of yardage from the stash.

Oh my goodness -  this combination 

seriously tempts me to actually make something.

And I couldn't help but notice 

how this year's Pantone Color relates.

So, my plan for a monthly palette post just ended.

I am going to use this group 

(along with more fabrics from the stash)

and make some variation of a coins quilt.

Stay tuned . . .

Quiltdivajulie