Tuesday, April 30, 2013

FLOWER BASKET MEDALLION & PINE TREES


Sunday April 28th was a day of celebration. I finished FBM !  Sorry about the photo quality. I had to pin it to a Kaffe quilt on my dining room wall to get a photo of all of it.
I started FBM October 2011 and worked hard on it ......until Pandemonium appeared on the scene! ...and it was left in a box until recently. I think I became "leafed out" there for a while.  I promised myself I would not start Trees of The Four Seasons (T4S as I call it) until FBM was completed. But of course I cheated a little and cut all the templates, decided which fabric goes where for the T4S leaves, and I started making set-in triangles for Kim's "Pine Trees" (Quiltmania). I'm using "leftover" Pandemonium animals, birds, plants and circles plus a few extra shapes made from my huge scrap pile to fill in LOL ; )    I'm having a lot of fun and that's what life's all about, ain't it?  
 
33 Pine Tree blocks - I need at least 33 more but they are fast and fun to make.
Happy sewing!
Sylvi, Texas

Thursday, April 18, 2013

lollipop tree block #2



prepped and ready to stitch.

I had made such a mess with the first one, I figured, why not continue?  
This one went much faster, and I thought much less about the fabrics, fussy cutting and placement.
Much more fun and much more relaxing that way.

These trees are addictive and fun to make, but alas, I tidied up so I can begin stitching on tree #.  Don't think it will take long before I begin on number 3....

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

FLOWER POTS

Sarah Barkley is a member of our Kaffe Fassett & Friends Club in Stafford, Texas. She finished her Flower Pots and brought it to Show&Tell at the last meeting.  I would like to share it with you.  It's interesting and fun to see all the different versions of Kim's designs! Enjoy!
Sylvi


Monday, April 15, 2013

Lollipop Tree block #1




prepped and ready to be stitched.

It wasn't easy!  Although I've worked with Kaffe Fasett fabrics before it was in a different context, for a different sort of project.  Now I had to look at them in a new way, to try to see new things.  New color combinations.  Fussy cutting is fun, but....I like surprises too and just letting the quilt happen.  So lots to think about as to the approach to this quilt.  Still not sure about the peach large leaves.....

When all the pieces were complete and I saw the block in its entirety, I decided to glue the pieces down rather than to baste them onto the background.  The leaves are pre-basted, and for the circles I used Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles.

At least I'm ready for Saturday's Bee.
Now back to my clamshells....




Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Lollipop Trees Start


Yep, a new project.  And one that I've been excited to get started on.
The Lollipop Trees Quilt by Kim Mclean.  Some of you may remember that I had begun preparations on the Roseville Album Quilt, but other projects with deadlines got in the way.  In the meantime,  priorities have changed, and the "to do" list has been re-drafted.  Working on the Lollipops is a way for me to work with wonderful colors, and it's an easy quilt to applique, leaving some energy over to work on some other projects  ( or so she thinks...)

6 background blocks are prepared and stitched with a central cross done by machine to help with placement. I'm starting with block #1, and using the starter pack I purchased for the Roseville Album quilt.  Just a few minutes of play and I already know that I'll be adding to this pack!



...and now the hardest part of making this quilt I think....


color selection!



warm and cool?



oh my, low contrast...hmm...now what?
let the texture do the talking?

Lots to think about, lots to play with.  Easy?  Hmmm...nope!  Fun?  Yes!
Just hope I can get at least one block prepared so that I have something to bring to the Kim McClean Bee in Haarlem's De Sampler's next session.  I've missed two meetings and can't wait to finally join these kind and creative ladies again and share in the fun!

In the meantime, I'm off to ponder some more colors.....


Monday, April 8, 2013

Trees Of The Four Seasons # 1


                                     

This quilt was inspired by an 1800's one, I've had it pinned into my scrap book since the early 2000, it has now sort of morphed into something else and the only thing now that is similar to the antique one is that the pots are in the same position. It took me a while to realize that the best way to design it is to do it in quarters, this way, the leaves can merge into each other. 

If you read through the instruction sheets in the pattern pack, it is important to transfer the position of the trunk to both sides of the background fabric, you may need to use a lamp under the glass coffee table.
Unlike the other quilts I have done, the midline guides here are only used for transferring the design on to the background, they will not be used for measuring the final size of the block. You will be using the line of the trunks of the trees to measure the final block size. As you'll be marking the final block size on the back of the background fabric, you really need to make sure that this trunk line is at the same position at the front as well as at the wrong side of background fabric.

You also need to mark the squares carefully, as there are 2 blocks which must be transferred in reverse. If one looks at the bottom left quarter, the right bottom one is the reverse. Going up, the top right quarter is the right side and the top left is the reverse. You'll also be needing 2 sets of leaves templates, one reversed and one set as is.

Now, to the fun part, choosing the fabrics. I've elected to do it in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter colours. This has given the appearance of half the quilt being diagonally light and dark which had my husband rattled a bit! There was a suggestion by someone in a previous post that she might like to do hers with darker colours down below and going lighter towards the top, this sounds good too and might be easier to control.
I have a lot of lighter colour prints which I don't use very often, so this quilt was a good opportunity to use it. Colour wise, this quilt is a great one for you to use you stash, I don't think you'll have any problems with it. The best way is to lay out the numbered background fabric on a big table or the floor and place the pieces of fabrics with the ironed on freezer paper templates at the right positions and build from there. Leave a decent area around the ironed on templates so can see what fabrics you have used. Please refer to the previous applique tutorials, these were done for the Pandemonium Quilt but the method is the same. You'll find these tutorials under the banner photo on this blog. Use those fabrics with texture on them, the Feather, Brassica, Scallops and Shells for example. Stripe fabrics would be a contrast to the texture and give movement. Don't forget the geometrics to breakup the florals and the textured.

I'll attach the close ups of the four quarters :


                                        


                                         
                                       


 If you are going to the quilt with the four colours, it might be a good idea to do the cutting of the fabrics for each square in sequence and also write at the edge of the square which quarter you are doing. I did get myself into a knot! But this doesn't mean that you will though.

Have fun, I'll do another post with the borders - there isn't much to be aware of here.

Let me know if you have questions, Cheers, Kim

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Flower Trellis Quilt in Quiltmania Magazine # 94 ( March - April 2013)


                    

Hi Everyone,

This is a quilt I did in early 2000 using red/green & white reproduction fabrics. I used a number of different red fabrics for the flowers and buds, I can"t remember what the collection was called though, they were lovely reds. The background is a shirting fabric and the green was one of those Baltimore greens.

The applique shapes are big, so they fill up the space pretty quickly. This was one of my first attempts at designing a quilt and I think the strips of diamonds were done on the sewing machine. Since I can't piece well on the machine, the quilt wasn't exactly straight!

I think this quilt would be great using all different colour flowers, buds and different green fabrics for the leaves. If you keep the long narrow strips a constant, then you'll be able to use the scraps for the diamonds.
An easy quilt to do! Cheers, K
PS. I don't know who Blueberries is! The article says " Kim McLean for Blueberries"



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

PANDEMONIUM

Here are my finished Pandemonium blocks (in no particular order). All are stitched, except the Horse Yard which I just finished prepping this week. I still have a few smaller pieced and appliqued blocks to make before I can put it all together, but the majority of the work is done. My goal is to have it finished by the end of April.  I am anxious to start Trees of The Four Seasons! My husband says he will confiscate the pattern for it until I have Pandemonium all sewn together. Ha! ; )

Sylvi, Houston, Texas

 
I placed a few circle blocks around to fill the photo. They will be placed differently later.