WIP Wednesday

The blue snowflake blocks are s-l-o-w-l-y coming along. I'm starting to think about how to set them or if I want to do some blue on white/gray ones as well.

My new project, the green half-square triangles is also progressing. I do enjoy the repetitive tasks of cutting out squares, sewing them into triangles, and then into the large blocks. When I get tired of one thing, I do some of the other. I have not yet been brave enough to count the number of blocks I have cut so far. I am afraid even to calculate exactly how many I will need to achieve a borderless queen size quilt. Suffice it to say, I need a lot!

I've made 4 blocks so far and I really love the way they look. Tedious as the process may be at times, the results are rewarding.

A new project on my horizon: I've joined a new group, the Auckland Modern Quilt Guild (http://aucklandmodernquiltguild.webs.com/). They are having a member's challenge using at least half of a fat 1/8 of the provided fabric (green, blue, and white). We must make a pillow or cushion using it and other fabrics. I've pulled a few things from my stash that coordinate, but I wonder if it's to 'matchy'. I have some time to ponder the project - it does not need to be done until December.

I've also done a few sneak peak blocks for the Block Lotto. That's all I can say for now.

No progress on the one-patch machine quilting or the butterflies.

Green triangle prototype block

I've decided on my layout for the green & cream half-square triangles I started the other day. I did a test block - it has 36 squares and finishes up at about 12 inches.



I have calculated that I'll need 900 squares to complete a queen size quilt. More if I decide to not include borders. So, my measly pile of squares will need to be much bigger.



I'm really happy with the color combo. Just enough variation to look scrappy but not so many to be too bright and vivid (not that that's a bad thing, just not what I'm going for on this one).

New project - green 1/2 square triangles

I have tired, tried, tried, not to start something new. But, the one machine project I have going right now is turning into a burden and I needed something new to play with.

A few months ago, I was left with some green & cream 1/2-square triangle blocks. These were trimmed off of one of the Block Lotto blocks (modern clovers, I think). I admired the little pile and began playing with them. I was also inspired by the use of a single color in the red/white disappearing 4-patches (yet another Block Lotto inspiration, thank you Sophie).

So, for the past few months I've collected green fat quarters with the plan to make lots of green/cream (or white) 1/2-square triangles. Yesterday I got started.



I decided to add a few grays to the greens, I didn't want it to get too bright and the gray seems to tone any color palette down.

After making a few squares I have started to experiment with the layout. I think that my choices are infinite, but I wanted a modern geometric pattern that blurs the boundaries between the blocks. This means I'm steering away from star and pinwheel patterns.

Here was my first idea:



Here's another one:



And my final design, my favorite so far:



The squares are quite small (1-7/8 finished size), so I realize it will take a lot of them to make a queen size quilt! Oh well, it's cold and rainy in Auckland, so I have plenty of time for indoor pursuits.

WIP Wednesday

Every week I miss the deadline to post. I have a good excuse: I have Wednesdays off, but being in New Zealand means that it's actually Tuesday in the US. So, on my Thursday, I'm at work. Sad excuse, I know.

I've made progress on my snowflake squares. Finished #3 and started #4. The very rainy weather we've been having is good for hand sewing.


Here's a list of what I have on the go:

1. Snowflake quilt: finished block 3 and started block 4. Maybe 5 more to go?



2. Butterfly hearts: Finished piecing the off-white background and prototyping the heart applique/quilting method. Verdict is still out



3. One-patch: Still machine quilting. Have done 'bulls-eye targets' for about half the squares. A lot more work required but losing inspiration.

Taking the day off tomorrow, so I hope to make some progress on one-patch tomorrow. I really must move it along so I can start something NEW.

July Block Lotto

Managed to get 4 sets done for this month's Block Lotto. I confess that I am becoming slightly disillusioned because I have played 8 months and have never won. I'm not in it to win and am making the blocks so that I can try some new things and get a break from some of those long-lived projects, but it would be nice.

Sophie always comes up with something interesting to do and I get to 'enhance' my stash if I don't have the perfect fabric. I've also been inspired to do many new designs but I have the will power to finish what I've already started.

DD aged 7 was keen to give it a go using some of her 'hooty-hoot' fabrics that we have been collecting. I simplified hers to a 9-patch instead of 16. She's doing a little bit of hand quilting before we make it into a tote bag. I love that she wants to sew, but it does take a lot of intervention on my part. I'll be happy when we can work side-by-side.

Another project on the go

For years I've collected butterfly print fabric with the plan to make a quilt. I started the background for it a while ago, but finally finished it this weekend. It's made of cream fabrics sewn into 12 inch blocks using 'random' patterns of squares and rectangles. The effect is great (my photo is not).


I have cut out many (don't know what the final count will be) hearts in several sizes using the different butterfly prints. I plan to raw edge applique them onto the quilt so that the butterfly-hearts appear to be flying across the background. My plan for the quilting is a series of parallel lines to add some texture and movement to the background. I did this sample piece, but am still not sure if it's what I want.


I never hand quilt but I am wondering if I should for this one. The verdict is still out.