Creative Life Sampler

Forgotten Fish Panel One of the really cool things about quilt guilds is a philanthropy component which is incorporated in their mission to foster the art of quilting. Creating quilts for a organizations which will find homes for them is a wonderful opportunity to share guild members' skills with their community and beyond.  Recently, I was looking through my stash for some inspiration to create a crib quilt for one of our guild philanthropies when I ran across a small panel that I put together many years ago. This was an experiment with the flying geese block on a blue background of sea coral and fish. It remained unfinished for so long because, to be honest, it came out rather "wonky" and I didn't know what to do with it. But that was before I acquired the very handy Bosch GTL2, a laser light square which makes it so easy to square up the edges!  Though I had to lop off quite a bit on every side to make it work, I decided the abstract fish would be a cute focal poin...

What I Learned with This Project  (3 of 3) It's amazing how often we put things into auto pilot and don't think about what we're doing or why we're doing it, even in the creative process. When I set out to chronicle the development of this quilt, I didn't think about the challenge of analyzing each step to translate it into words. This was a really productive exercise; it required me to slow down and think about the choices I was making. What I saw was that, even when I'd committed to a direction at any given juncture, there were alternatives that would have been equally interesting. Choosing one path over the other just opened up more options in the journey. The possibilities are endless and honestly there are no mistakes in the creative process; just learning opportunities. I would also point out that making one choice, and leaving others behind, doesn't mean you can't go back to revisit the path not chosen in a future project. It doesn't ...

A Critique    (2 of 3) Thought I’d take some time to comment on this project. My “inspiration fabric” was patterned in squares of cool colors and it seemed natural to plan a quilt with framed squares to mimic the fabric. But, I had just completed a baby quilt of Flying Geese. So, I thought maybe it would be interesting to pull what I had learned with that pattern into this new project. (see this link:  https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2019/03/flying-geese-for-baby-this-quilt.html )  It was an opportunity to get more practice creating Flying Geese. These triangles range from about 7.5 inches high to about ¾ inches, and the squares have similar proportions. A range of triangle sizes added interest. The overall feeling you get from this quilt, reflects the method of its creation. It’s kind of a mishmash of shapes and sizes. It might feel even more “haphazard,” if not for the underlying grid of the square fabric which holds the elements tog...

Done ! (1 of 3) Geese Over Squares is finished. It measures 49.5 x 73 inches. It could be a lap quilt for snuggling on the couch,... displayed on a small child's bed,... or it could fill a large spot on a wall. From the back you can see more of the quilting textures against the solid blocks of fabric.

Quilting for Texture Last week the quilt backing was pieced with remnants of the fabrics used in the top. Batting was sandwiched between the top and the back, ... and the quilting could begin. This is a lap-sized quilt so it is going much faster than usual and, at this point, the quilting is almost complete. I'm following most of the seam lines to outline the Flying Geese and squares, but adding texture in open areas as I go. The next step will be to "square it off", making sure the corners of the quilt are at right angles and the edges are straight, (sometimes that's the most aggravating part.) I always try to remember the carpenter's rule of thumb: measure twice, or even three times; you only get one cut. It's sound advice to avoid any heart-breaking mistakes.  There are a few ways to complete a quilt. For this one, lengths of 3.5 inch fabric strips will be sewn together; in this case I need 248 inches for the perimeter. This is double...

The Last Seam The final seam of the quilt top has been sewn! The picture above shows the last two pieces pinned and ready to sew, exposing some of the quilt's reverse side with seam allowances, hanging threads, frayed edges, and all.   There were four rather large panels and the trick became filling in the spaces between them with my ever dwindling remaining inspiration fabric and the odd little shapes I had created which didn't find a spot in the four panels. With some adjustments, they each eventually found their place. In the end, all that remains of the original fabric is two or three squares, no bigger than an inch, ... I would have found a place for them too, if they were any larger.  😆 There is, however, ample left overs of some of the other fabrics which I will use for the quilt back, as I don't foresee them fitting in any other project.  Next week I hope to report that the quilting is well underway!

Making Progress Generally, I have chosen a 10 or 12 inch block, and built around it by adding a variety of colors and introducing squares or Flying Geese to create larger panels. I’m working with a lot of “busy” patterned fabrics, so it’s also important to have a few larger areas of some of these fabrics where the eye can “rest”. Eventually, I will add interest and texture to these bigger areas with some decorative quilting. Panels can “grow” vertically or horizontally; there is no fixed way to pull all these elements together. I have been focusing on them separately and I’ve noticed that, as I am envisioning how they will be viewed, I think of each them as having a certain directional orientation. In a way, it’s like I’m working on mini quilts which will come together in the end.  That’s fine for this stage, but eventually I might have to change my preconceived ideas for a panel. Just as spatial recognition games like Blockus teach us that sometimes a single ...

Coming Together Having sewn a fair amount of squares and Flying Gees at this point, I decided I could begin to build bigger units. My strategy is to incorporate these two shapes evenly across the quilt top, as opposed to separating the squares from the triangles in different sections. You will notice the bottom edge and right side of the example above are straight, but the other edges are uneven. I have rotary cut the bottom and right to ensure the next seam is straight. This should be done for all the sides of a unit as it is completed. An edge that is slightly off has a way of multiplying its inaccuracy and before you know it your squares will look really "off". Oddly enough, I began this process by separating all my units into piles: the Squares vs. the Flying Geese. Then I started with one unit from each pile, trying to match up measurements, (to minimize fabric waste), while looking to create a block with interesting color combinations. Now that the bl...

Monday's Project Update I've been experimenting with scale as I mix and match my fabrics, reducing and enlarging the Flying Geese pattern and squares for variation. (Aren't those baby Geese at the top cute?) My units are multiplying, but because of their size differences, the units have very different finished dimensions. The challenge in the future will be pulling them all together. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, I'm still having fun playing with all the possibilities of color and size. I have run out of some of the fabrics I started with,... should have seen that coming. So, I have been integrating new solids and a few square themed patterns, by combining them with some of the original fabrics. Now that I look at the picture above, I do seem to be leaning heavily on the lime green/yellowish fabric. That is something to watch. It's one thing if that is a conscious choice and another to be surprised with a look you didn't...

Flying Geese for Baby This quilt measures approx. 53 x 45 inches.  Apparently the millennials are choosing grey for their babies' nurseries. I was skeptical when my friend shared that her daughter had picked this color for the grandchild she was expecting. Then I went shopping for a gift and found that it is indeed very popular right now. Luckily, I had stashed away a playful polka dot on a pale grey background which became my inspiration fabric. Then I pulled out several colors for accents. The basic block used in this quilt is called "Flying Geese". A little research on line will give you several time saving, easy ways to sew these up. Then I randomly arranged the blocks with lots of open space for this modern looking crib quilt. The background is a darker grey with small dots in the same color palette. Happily, I found that this background fabric also comes in a flannel, so the backing matches the front and is nice and soft... perfect for cuddl...