Fitting In

These are the seven baskets I've made for the Baskets of Plenty quilt-along, created by Cheri Payne for her Facebook group, Quilts by Cheri ~ Friendship Group.

They're taped to the wall above my computer in the room where I sew.  I enjoy looking at them when I walk into the room but seeing this photo of them makes me realize how busy they are.  I hope a wide sashing will give each its own space and a chance to shine.  (Though, some of them look "shinier" to me than others.  I have a few favorites.)

The order I made them
-- top row, l. to r.:  Basket 5, Basket 4, Basket 6
-- bottom, l. to r.:  Basket 1, Basket 2, Basket 3, Basket 7

Now I need to decide on the fabrics for the final basket.  This basket will be about half-size of the others, measuring 7½" x 10½"  Just a tiny one, but with one huge flower and some smaller ones, depending on what I decide.

I've chosen the background fabric but not the other fabrics.  Choosing fabric for the basket is next.  I'm leaning toward the one on the left because the colors are ones from all the other blocks.  But it's not a "primitive" print and maybe it's just a little too busy.  I don't want a fabric that stands out and distinguishes itself as too different.  The fabric needs to fit in with the other baskets.

I'm thinking about an orange flower.  But then again, maybe not.

I love to see other bloggers' photos of their finishes but I also appreciate seeing how others make decisions about choosing fabric, layout, sashing, etc.

Do any of use use feedly for your blog reader?  I like it a lot for the non-quilting, family history blogs I read, and it's great for the quilting blogs I follow, too.  But today, when I went to the site, all of my feeds were gone.  Not a single blog in the list.  Ugh!  I hope it's just today, just a little glitch, and everything will be back to  normal tomorrow.  Because if it's not, I don't know how I'll ever find all of your blogs again -- maybe as many as a hundred.  If you use feedly, has your blog roll been effected? 

My prayers go out to the people of Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey.  So much devastation and such an interruption to their lives.

I'm linking this post to
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
> Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
> Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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What Will Happen Next?

Last September I cut out six or seven of these little plaid baskets and stitched the edges under, but couldn't decide on backgrounds, or even the next step for them.

They are a little over 8" high and almost as wide.  I love them.  But they've been languishing, waiting for the next step.

I finally began stitching them to backgrounds last week.  I keep having to remind myself that truly, choosing backgrounds for these baskets is not rocket science.  It's no big deal.  It's a little decision that is of little consequence.

As I've been stitching on these I keep wondering what will happen to them next.  As if some other entity will act on them and choose their outcome.  The wind will blow and suddenly the baskets will land on their perfect backgrounds.  As if I'm not the one choosing the next steps for these baskets, choosing the colors, the backgrounds, the contents of the baskets, how they will be added to and finished.  I think it's because I don't begin with a finish in mind.  I make a decision and take the first step, and then have to decide what next, and what next after that.  What will become of them, indeed!  I don't know but I know inspiration will strike, an idea will come, and then I'll know what will happen next.

I have leftover pieces from Cheri's Baskets of Plenty blocks.  I'm just playing for now, but maybe some of this is what will happen to these blocks next.  Or maybe something else.


If you're creating your own pattern for a quilt do you begin a quilt with an end in mind or do you decide as you go along?

I'm linking this post to
> WOW (WIPs on Wednesday) at Esther's Blog
> Let's Bee Social #172 at Sew Fresh Quilts
> Midweek Makers #66 at Quilt Fabrication
> Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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Little Plaid Baskets - September #BraveQuilter

To tell the truth:

• The background fabric and these baskets sat on my ironing board all month where I could see them.  
• As I was busily working on other things I would think, I'll work on those when ________ is finished.  That is to say, I thought about them but didn't do much with them.
• The immediate need for a hand project had passed because I layered my grandson's quilt and began hand quilting that.
• I forgot that I'd claimed choosing backgrounds for these baskets for my #BraveQuilter project until Julie announced that the link-up would open.  I saw her post and thought, Did I claim to do something for that this month?  Sure enough....
• Despite not sewing a stitch on these blocks I felt brave working on the border for my Gwenny medallion quilt.  (It just happened that it wasn't my goal for this link-up.)

When I looked again at the post stating my September goal for #BraveQuilter I realized that it was very vague:  "My 'brave' this month will be pushing myself to use something other than a pale neutral background on at least one or two of these blocks."  

All that being said, I suppose I can't honestly say I met my goal.  But I'm linking up anyway because, though not a stitch was taken nor a decision made, I played with backgrounds.

The baskets on these backgrounds (in this photo and the one above) both look very graphic to me.  The backgrounds behind the baskets are prints but the prints mostly disappear in the photos.

While I wouldn't place the baskets in this arrangement (below) I photographed them this way to see how the colors would play with the "grey" background fabric.

Three in a row is interesting.  That grey plaid basket disappears on these backgrounds.

This is the same arrangement with a change in the outside fabrics.  I have a stack of a dozen or so more fabric possibilities for baskets, backgrounds, sashing, and flowers.

The same grey backgrounds, just separated by "sashing."

I don't have a "vision" for a quilt made from these baskets so it makes it harder to make a decision.  I do have the idea of flowers in the baskets.  I have two other baskets cut out and their edges are basted but they didn't get into the photos.

Sometimes I wonder what it is about me that prevents me from just buying a pattern and using it for applique blocks.  After all, there are plenty of designers who have created beautiful shapes and arrangements for quilts, better than I will ever do.  And yet, I just keep doing my own shapes....

So that's my #bravequilter effort for September.  (And I've proven to myself that three goals for one month is beyond my ability to accomplish -- at least when two involve creative decisions.)

I'm linking up with Julie's #BraveQuilter end-of-month post at Pink Doxies.  Thanks for hosting, Julie.

--Nancy.

P.S.  If you have any opinions or thoughts about these plaid baskets and background colors, I'd be happy to read your thoughts.
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Right Brain, Left Brain, Quilter's Block

There are times when I'm making a quilt --especially one that isn't a specific block pattern-- that I make decisions as I go along (for example, the Gwen-inspired medallion quilt).  Occasionally there are times when my brain gives me no ideas for the next step and I get stuck, stopped completely.  I can't come up with the next idea, the next step, the next shape, color, pattern, the next anything.  I assumed it was just me and how my mind works.  But maybe not.

I happened onto Mary Lou Weidman's book, Quilted Memories: Celebrations of Life, when I was at the library the other day.  She wrote something I found really interesting.

     I have read everything I could find about creativity over my lifetime.  I have also read a lot about writing and what is called writer's block.  Writer's block is similar to what many quilters go through when they start having doubts about their design.
     Whether you know it or not, this is the battle of right brain vs. left brain.  Both sides of the brain have their own roles.  Left brain is in charge of analytical traits, reasoning, and math.  Right brain likes play, design, and creativity.  Now, we need both our right brain and our left brain, but there is something you may not know.  The left brain likes to take over in some people, and in others the right brain takes over.  When  you go to work on a quilt design and you start thinking "I can't do this!  What made me think I can design my own quilt?" that is the left brain saying, "Hey, let me take over, let's do something I like to do."  Many people follow the left brain and give up.  But if you can challenge your brain and give it a few right-brain exercises, you can get into right-brain mode.

It's not just me!  And since she includes some right-brain exercises to try I should be able to get past my occasional "quilt block."  The book also has a section called, "How to Increase Your Creativity Quotient" in which the author offers an annotated list of a dozen suggestions.  There were lots of good ideas but I was especially pleased with her suggestion to "Start more than one project."  Do quilters really need encouragement to do that?! 

Maybe your library has the book and you can see the whole list.  (I don't want to violate copyright and include it here.)  Mary Lou blogs at Mary Lou and Whimsy Too if you'd like to see some of her work and read more of her ideas.

Do you ever get "quilter's block?"  If so, how do you get past it?

I hope you're having a good weekend.

--Nancy.
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A or B? B or C?

If you've been to an optometrist to be fitted for glasses you probably remember that he moves a piece of equipment in front of your face then slides lenses before your eyes and asks you, "Can you see better with A..." -- and then he changes the lens -- "or B?"  Then, "B or C?"  That's almost what I've been doing with these quilt blocks but for sashing width, color, and cornerstones.  A or B?  B or C? 

I first thought this was the best option -- before I tried other colors.  The blocks pop forward from the dark sashing.  I only have a photo with cornerstones for this color.

Then I tried this blue and decided it was better than the brown.  Scrappy blues in a close color range, about four or five of them if I don't have enough of any one.  They have the sample  cornerstones in this photo.  (There are only a few plaids among all 40+ blocks so it's surprising that six are grouped together in this photo.)

Here I removed the cornerstones and placed blocks across the sashing to connect the strips coming out from the white stars. 

And with a light background.

I quickly decided against a light background when I first laid these blocks against it -- until I saw these photos.  Hmmm.  Above is without sample cornerstones, below is with.

And again, without sashing.  (Sorry for the color change.  Different lighting.  The true colors are about halfway between both photos.)

A or B?  B or C?  I enjoy this kind of "play" but sometimes I wish I made decisions more quickly.  I often think my eyes and attention are attuned to detail which keeps me from seeing the whole picture (er, quilt) until it's too late to make changes.  I see things now that I would have done differently if I'd really been able to see the finished quilt in my mind's eye.  This kind of quilt play gives me an opportunity to make a similar new quilt and try out the other ideas.

I'm linking this post to the blogs below and thank the ladies for hosting.
Design Wall Monday - September 14, 2015 at Patchwork Times
WOW:  Magnolia in Bloom at Esther's Blog
WIP Wednesday:  Still Scraptastic at Freshly Pieced
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Let's Bee Social #90 at Sew Fresh Quilts

Best wishes to you.
 --Nancy.
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Scrappy Back In Progress

- a mess on the way to becoming a quilt back -

Sewing together large pieces of fabric is so far out of my comfort zone that I almost backed out of a scrappy back for my Sunday Morning quilt.  It feels like a puzzle but without the help of the photo on the box.


The first challenge was whether to keep the colors light or use medium tones.  I thought if I used medium tones it would be like having two quilts in one, but I couldn't commit to the light and medium back to back so I've stuck with a lighter color range.

The next challenge was whether to use only a particular range of colors.  The quilt has a wide range of light colors -- tints! -- in it.

Then the layout.  Then the measuring, the cutting, the sewing.

I hope it lies flat when all the pieces are finally stitched together.  The layout has been in progress for a few days.  I hope the cutting and stitching will go quickly.  Only a few of the pieces on the lower right have been sewn together and, of course, I may change my mind again about the fabrics and arrangement.

I'm linking to
> Scraptastic Tuesday at She Can Quilt.  Thanks, Leanne.
> WOW at Esther's Blog.  Thank you, Esther.
> WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Thank you, Lee.

--Nancy.
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Three Things

ONE.  I'm hoping not to buy more fabric until I've used more (much, much more) of the fabric I have.

TWO.  I need to layer a quilt and begin hand quilting.  I'm at a loss without handwork and I finished the most recent quilt nearly a month ago.  The one above is the next to be quilted.

THREE.   I don't have a piece of fabric large enough for the back of this top (or any of my finished tops).  This means I'll be piecing a back from fabrics I have on hand, including cotton and linen, yardage and pieces.  I think it will be almost like making a second quilt top.  It's the first time I've tried piecing a back from only "scraps."

These are the fabric possibilities.  The photo's a little dark but I hope you get the idea.

It's always hard to choose backing fabric when the fabric in the quilt top is so varied, especially if I don't want a plain fabric.  Even though the top has all pale fabrics, there's a variety of colors - cream, pink, blue, tan, white, and colors between.

It should be fun.  It will feel like a huge success if I can sew small, medium, and large pieces of irregular-shaped fabric into one large back that lies flat (that may be the hardest part) and looks appealing.

Wish me luck!

I'm linking to Design Wall -- January 5, 2015 at Patchwork Times.  Thanks, Judy.

--Nancy.
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Searching for a Border

The top is stitched together but I haven't decided about a border / borders.  The top is a little on the smallish side at 54" x 72" so it really needs a border.  I thought narrow red then wider tan then a piano-key string border but it didn't work (and I forgot to take photos).  Then I thought narrow red with piano-key strings, but I didn't think that worked either.  Next I considered strips of red sewn together into a wider border.  (I don't know how I managed it but I have a lot of long red strings.)  My next thought was a dark, medium-width border.  I'll have to fold or cut some fabric to try that out.  Size isn't the only reason it needs a border, though.  As it is, it looks incomplete to me.

I worked hard to get the blocks stitched and ironed before family comes to visit this week.  I'll put it away now but after Thanksgiving I hope to pull it back out and give it more thought.

I'm linking this post to WOW at Esther's Blog.  Thank you, Esther.

I hope you're staying warm!

--Nancy.
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String Play

I've been having fun playing with strings this week.

Because I have a lot of red and light-colored strings I considered putting together a block like this.

But I wasn't pleased.  Something about the size of the strings or the size of the blocks or the proportions between the two.  Maybe uniform sized strings would be better.  And as much as I love finished two-color quilts, I get bored making them.  I set those pieces aside.  

I moved on to log cabin blocks by themselves.  Each one is about 5" square with the narrowest logs being 3/8" sewn.)

I really do love log cabin blocks but I think they are most effective when the strings are narrow.  (The blocks in this quilt on pinterest are 3 1/2"-4".)  Most of my strings are at least an inch wide and I didn't think I wanted to waste the time and fabric cutting them narrower.  I laid those blocks aside, too.

Next I made some quarter log cabin blocks, like these.

Hmmm.  Maybe.  These are 4 1/2" blocks that will finish at 4".  Lots of color.  Bright.  Too much color?  Gosh, they are a lot of work.  I press seams after each log and then cut off excess to make the sides even.  It takes a lot of time, even with a system of sewing a dozen at a time.  These are some of the questions I asked when looking at these blocks:  Do they need more than just red centers to unify them?  The same red centers?  The same size red centers?  Should they be bigger?  Would it be better to have logs the same size?  Should I be concerned about wide logs?  But after all, it is a scrap quilt....  Do you ask yourself questions like these when you're in the process of beginning a quilt?

One more try.  These are 6" blocks in all brights, mediums, and darks.

These are perhaps not so time-consuming as the quarter cabins but the strings are longer, so probably the same amount of sewing time but less time cutting after each seam.  These look more peaceful than the quarter cabins.  Maybe....  The light squares would be formed from triangles at the corner of each block, probably all lights and different on each corner.

One of the challenges I face when I begin a quilt (without a pattern or when I'm not trying to make a quilt like one I've seen) is that I sometimes stop too soon.  Many blocks are more likely to give an idea of a finished quilt than a few blocks, but I quit after a few because I don't want to waste my time on blocks that won't become a wonderful quilt.  I need to give my ideas enough time (by making plenty of blocks) to know how a finished quilt might look. 

Hmmmm.  I've been busy this week but I haven't accomplished much.  And I'm trying to remember why I thought I liked sewing string quilts.  Mostly already cut?  Well, not exactly already cut.  Some of the strings are pretty shifty and uneven and have to be trimmed.  The time?  Unh-uh.  They take a long time to sew and press (because I press seams open to hand quilt).  And think about it:  the smaller the pieces of fabric, the more seams and time needed to make something large.  Being frugal?  Yes -- I'm not wasting much.  A jumble of colors?  Yes, I like many colors together if there's either some control of the colors or some pattern.  And it's fun to see what colors will look like together without committing to a whole quilt with just a few colors.

Some of the things I've been thinking about this week as I've stitched and ironed these blocks is the difference between seeing all of a quilt at one time, as in a photograph for display, and seeing only part of a quilt as it lays on my lap and feeling it around me.  There's a difference, isn't there?  The most beautiful quilt from a distance can be less than satisfying when seen in bits up close.  And if it doesn't feel good, it will probably be hung or folded for display and/or put in a closet and left there.  I want my quilts to be pleasing both in the overall view and up close, and I especially want them to be comfortable.

My quilt progress is like a guessing game.  Which will I choose?  Or which will I choose first?  Or will I choose something else?

I hope you're enjoying whatever you're doing.

I'm linking this post to
WOW (WIPs on Wednesday) at Esther's Blog hosted by Esther.
W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced  at Lee's blog, hosted by Laura.
Let's Bee Social #19 at Sew Fresh Quilts hosted by Lorna.
Thanks, ladies.

--Nancy.
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Linen Love

I love linen.  It is one of those wholly delicious fabrics, delightful to the touch -- both to the hand and on the body-- and comfortable to wear.  Cool in summer, warm in winter.  I don't wear much linen because it wrinkles so quickly but I love it just the same.  Linen lasts nearly forever and gets softer and more comfortable the more it's washed and worn.  Sounds lovely for a quilt, doesn't it?

Will I love quilting with linen?  I don't know.  I've been collecting nearly-new linen clothing for a few years with the intention of using it for a quilt.  I cut one of the shirts apart the other day and realized how slippery linen is -- exactly one of those attributes that makes it so comfortable on the body but which may make it very difficult to sew.

The January/February 2008 issue of Quilters Newsletter Magazine had an article about using linen for a quilt.  I scanned the article knowing that one day I would want the information.  Pam Rocco, the author, made several observations about working with linen.

• Linen fabrics can be paired with cotton fabrics in a quilt but try to keep the weight similar.
• Linen frays.  Sew with 12-15 stitches/inch and use 3/8"-1/2" seams.
• Linen is stretchy compared to cotton.  Use stabilizer before cutting or spray starch when pressing to prevent stretch and "wobbly" seams.
• When sewing let the feed dogs do the work:  don't try to push or pull the fabric through.
• Steam press seams open from the back.  Avoid ironing since it may stretch and rearrange the fabric.
• Stay-stitch the outside edge of the quilt before layering and quilting.

She says, "It also helps to have a relaxed attitude and not to expect perfection--realize that the wandering seam lines add to the homemade charm of linen quilts."  Does that sound like me?  It will be good practice in overcoming perfectionistic tendencies, right?  (Just a note here:  I never accomplish perfection but it's always my aim.)

As far as the quilting, she does not mention hand quilting, which is unfortunate since that's what I'll be doing (if I succeed in piecing a linen quilt top!).  She recommends an all-over quilting pattern.  Not a problem if I can manage Baptist Fans on a linen quilt.

Probably many of you have seen the quilt made from seven shirts on pinterest.  I know whatever pattern I choose the pieces can't be too small because of the fraying and the 1/2" seams.

I have my stack of linen, not all of which is cut apart, some of which you can see at right and above.  I have yet to choose a pattern, colors, and fabrics.  I'll be earnestly looking at patterns and trying to imagine options. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with these linens shirts!

I'm linking this post to Design Wall Monday - April 28, 2014 at Patchwork Times.  Thank you, Judy.

--Nancy.
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Which Comes First: the Fabric or the Pattern?

In your creative process to make a quilt
do you choose the fabric first...

...and then the block/quilt pattern?

Or do you choose the block/quilt pattern first and then the fabric?

Is it always the same process?

If you choose the pattern first do you use colors you've seen others use in a similar quilt or go a different way with colors?

How do you begin the process of creating a quilt?  Are you thinking about a quilt to make long before you begin cutting and sewing?  What inspires you when you begin making a quilt?

I hope you'll respond and I also hope you'll send others this way to answer, too.  I'm interested in how quilters begin their quilts.  Thanks!

I'm linking this post to Anything Goes Mondays #61 at Stitch by Stitch.  Thank you, Marelize.


--Nancy.
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Maybe On Point?

On point looks fun but I think it's harder to quilt because of the bias.  But it's a possibility.

--Nancy.
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Big Stars, Little Stars, and Keep Quilting!

My stars.  In the two photos below are different size sashings (if that's what they're called when they're in the middle of a block).  The "wing" blocks are the same size, only the stars and sashing are different sizes.

This star is 1 1/2" wide in the center.

This star is 1" wide in the center.

These are two blocks are side by side.

 

(The outer sashing is there so I could see the real size of the finished blocks.  I will probably use different fabrics in the quilt.)

It helps me to see more objectively when I take photographs and post them.  I don't know what it is about seeing them online that helps, but I think it does.

After I decide which size, I have to figure out how to cut and sew them.  I think the points are sewn like flying geese except at the end of long strips.  I just need to research or play with what size squares to cut and sew diagonally.  Learning is so much fun!

As I was trying to decide which size stars (and, therefore, sashing) to cut to connect these blocks, I decided to do some research to see if there's a "standard" or preferred proportion.  The "wing" blocks will finish at 4".  Is 1" too narrow?  Is 2" too wide?  Is 1 1/2" too narrow or too wide?

I came upon a blog post at Diane Gaudynski "A New Tradition in Quilting":  Embracing the Old, Exploring the New that did not give me an answer but gave me encouragement.  The post was about scale and proportion, specifically about how photographs can give a different impression of size than a real-life view gives.  Anyway, at the end of her post I read:

"Keep quilting! Your work gets better every day."

I really appreciated reading that.  This art and craft of quilting does not come easily to me.  My mind bogs down with colors, fabrics, scale, proportion, quilting designs....  I take heart in the thought that I'm improving!

I'm linking this post to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

I hope all of your quilting efforts are going smoothly.
--Nancy. .

Progress on the Snowball and Nine-Patch

It's just play at the moment.  I'm not sure what this quilt will look like when it's finished.  I know it helps to take photos and see them on the computer monitor, though.  It seems to give me a little objectivity and perspective.

Thoughts on various aspects of this quilt top:

the center
The nine patches and snowballs are all sewn together.  They stay as they are (for better or worse).

the stop border
You can barely see it there on the left side, a light/bright and very narrow strip of turquoise and white check.  Now I wonder if it's too light.  I've tried several other colors and tones/shades and haven't been happy with any of them.  And maybe it's too narrow.  I'm not sure how wide to make it on a quilt this size.  Width?  Color?

the outer border
It is intentionally uneven, narrower on the top and right side, wider on the bottom and left side.  Should it be even wider on the left and bottom?  Will the quilt look okay with an uneven border?  How wide is too wide, how narrow is too narrow?

I researched border sizes a little and learned that current thought suggests that the most effective border width is based on a numerical equation called phi, equal to 1.618.  Multiply the block size by .618 and by 1.618 to find out the best width range for a border.  The blocks in this quilt are 4½".  The range for the border is between 2¾" and 7¼".  That's a really wide range for a quilt center that measures 31½" x 40½".  As the borders are laid out now, the left and lower borders are 7", the right and top borders are 5".  Hmmmm.

The pinks are not really pink but small red prints on white/off white grounds (and two plaids), but they look very pink.  The greens and blues are also on white (or vice versa).  I think the colors will work but I don't like the placement. 

the applique flowers
The vine is a piece of yarn to give the impression of a vine but I don't think a vine will be effective on this quilt so I'm taking it out. 

Only a few applique flowers are laying on the border but I'm thinking of clusters of flowers with leaves on the wide borders; single flowers and leaves on the narrow borders.  Maybe the flowers are too small.... 

It's all just play for now but I can't play too long or our grandbaby girl will be 2 before it's finished!  I've decided that in my case, creativity can not be rushed.  It will take its time or the result will be less than my creative best and will look insincere.  There are so many variables in the creation of a quilt.  It seems to me that some people have an intuitive ability to make "perfect" decisions.  And some of us just puzzle our way through it learning a little from each quilt. 

I'm linking this post to:

• A Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of All Sorts.  My goal is to have this top completely stitched by the end of November.  I would love to have it layered and partly quilted before the end of the month, too.  It may happen but I'm not claiming that as a goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.
• Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts.

--Nancy.
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Slow Progress

I'm just playing, here, trying to decide what to do with the corner blocks I've made to put together into larger blocks.  I have 10 sets of corners sewn and have yet to decide how to put them together.

My husband suggested stripes and is quite sure one of those striped fabrics will be perfect.  When he saw the creams (in the photo below, the horizontal strips in the upper left block) he commented that they looked too much like the background.  Except that the background of a bulletin board is not the background of the quilt.

I pulled out all the fabrics I have with stripes ranging from dark orange to burgundy/maroon and also fabric with stripes in creams/tans/naturals.  I don't have many and most of the ones I have are small pieces.

Still open for consideration on this quilt are the joining strips, the centers, and the sashing between the finished blocks.  Options for the strips connecting the corners is to use the same fabric for all blocks; use a variety of fabrics; or use stripes or not.  Though my husband thinks the stripes are fabulous, I'm not yet convinced.  I still have time to play around.

The blocks will end up about 9", if I use 1" strips.  Each corner block is 4 1/2" as it is now, will finish at 4" when sewn.

When you're auditioning quilt blocks, do you have a somewhat clear idea of how the quilt will look when finished or do you work like this, too?  I think it's much easier to see a photo of a finished quilt and copy it or make it your own however you choose - fabrics, colors, layout, etc.

Thanks for visiting.

--Nancy.
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I almost forgot! I'm linking this post to WOW at Esther's Blog and to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Thank you, Esther and Lee.
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Joining the Discussion: Fabric Love & Creativity

Yesterday Audrey of Quilty Folk started a series of quilting discussions which she's calling "The Courage to Feel Creative."  I understand that she'll post a new discussion topic every Wednesday for the next few weeks.  The subject of the first post was Fabric Love.  I think this is a really interesting discussion and I encourage you to click over and her post and the comments before you read my thoughts here. 

She wrote that she thinks of buying fabric as the first step in creating a quilt and believes we should buy fabrics we love because we'll be more inclined to use them.  She continued,

If each of us can draw from a pool of fabric that speaks personally to our senses, invites us to play, and makes us feel good about what we’re making, then we’ll have more courage to open up and take risks.  We'll be practically itching to pull it out and DO something with it!...

Simply put, I think that making a conscious effort to build a unique stash is essential to having confidence in what we make and being happy with the results!

I've been thinking about Audrey's post since I first read it yesterday.  Like paint to a painter, fabric is the medium we quilters use to make beautiful creations, no matter the style of quilts we make. 

There are several aspects of fabric that I notice when I'm making fabric choices:  color, print/plain, style, texture, and quality, to name the essential ones.  If I love the print but the fabric is stiff and unyielding, I'm not interested.  If the fabric is soft and inviting to the touch but the color is one I can hardly look at I'll leave the bolt on the shelf.  They all have to work together for me to want to buy the fabric, though occasionally I'll sacrifice one attribute in favor of the others. 

I don't believe I have to love every single piece of fabric I buy or own.  I don't like blue or yellow very much but omitting them from my palette limits options.  That's not to say that I buy fabrics I really can't stand to look at or touch.  I have to at least be able to make eye contact with my fabric choices!  But I also think that some less-favored or less appealing fabrics, especially when it comes to color, push me to be more creative.  Sometimes a fabric that have been languishing in the cupboard for a while seems suddenly to be perfect for that new idea for a quilt. 

I'm a scrap quilter and my fabrics come from various sources.  Some I purchase new, some come from barely-used shirts and skirts from thrift stores, and some are given to me by other quilters .  I don't love everything on my shelves (and I'll probably never use everything on my shelves, only because I don't have enough time left on earth to sew all of it!) but most of it stays. The fabrics that I pass on most often go because of texture or quality.

How about you?  What are your thoughts on fabric choices and the creative process?  Do you buy only what you really love?  Do the fabrics on your shelves drive your creativity or are you creatively inspired and then choose fabric?

--Nancy.
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Still Thinking about a Second Red & Green

It's not my nature to jump into projects (though sometimes I do) so I'm still pondering about a Snowball & 9-patch in red and green.    If I could only just follow someone else's directions, hook, line, sinker, colors, fabrics, and pattern, it would all be easy.  But not so interesting or fun.  And not so much mine.

The snowball blocks will finish at 6".  That's a lot of blank fabric.  Will my greens or reds be interesting enough?  Or do they need to be interesting?  Maybe they need to be ho-hum and restful.  What if the 6" squares are mostly plaids?  Boring?  But it is a scrap quilt.

How will I fill that 6" space with quilting?  Maybe crossed diagonal lines would work but they might be boring.  I could quilt in a flower, circle, or some circular motif.  But do I really want to draw/trace a motif dozens of times onto fabric?

There's an eye test that uses red and green.  It seems that for some, the letter on the red side is more prominent and for others, the one on the green side.  Is that happening with these drawings?  Do we all see the same thing when we look at these?

Or maybe I should sew two different quilts, one with red and lights, the other with greens and lights....  That would be very safe, wouldn't it?

I'm probably thinking too much, aren't I?  I should just go cut some fabric, sew it together into blocks, and then see what I think....

--Nancy.
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Another Red and Green?

I have piles of red and green fabric already out on my cutting table for the Red & Green quilt with circles and squares that I'm making (ever so slowly).  And I need a speedier project that I can sit and sew.  So I am thinking of making a red and green snowball and 9-patch quilt.

I can't see things in my mind like I know lots of other people can.  I need to see them on paper, on the computer screen, or in real life to get an idea how they will look.  (Which is an awful detriment to a quilter.)

No electronic quilter here in my home so I pulled out my graph paper and colored pencils.  I thought seeing the pattern that evolves with a group of blocks together in the colors I'm thinking of using might help me decide whether to proceed or reconsider.  Do you find that seeing your photos on a blog gives you a more objective view?  It seems so for me.

The four photos below are all snowball & 9-patch blocks.  The only difference among them is the color placement.

Version 1:  I like the red pattern the evolves with this placement.

Version 2:  In this view, the green is placed where the red is in the above pattern.  But the green pattern doesn't seem as strong to me.  The reds seem dominant to me in this pattern.

Version 3:  I think this variation accentuates the snowballs and 9-patches as separate blocks.  I see a strong diagonal pattern created by the reds in the 9-patches.

Version 4:  The placement of colors is exactly the reverse of the colors in the photo above.  I think I should see a strong diagonal created by the green 9-patches but, instead, I see a double row of red diagonals created by the 9-patches and corners on the snowballs.  These last two versions seem really choppy to me.

What did you notice about these?  Do red and green together drive you crazy?  They are on opposite sides of the color wheel.

If I proceed with this I'll use a variety of red and green fabrics.  Most of my greens are not as bright as in the photos above.  Some of my reds are as bright, brighter, and more muted.

I tried a 2-color quilt before and got bored with it really quickly.  It's still unfinished.  But I was using only 2 fabrics, not a variety of fabrics.  Or should I reconsider and use 3 colors - maybe red, green, and a natural.  Or should I use many colors?  Hmmmm.  (I am tired of white/off-white/cream just now.)

Such fun!  (But I'd really like to be sewing instead of musing.)

Linking to Let's Get Acquainted Monday, hosted this week at Sewing by Moonlight.  Thanks, Em.

--Nancy.
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