What if... and What not...

It boggles my mind trying to visualize how 4 fabrics will collide in a convergence quilt. So after I had an actual sample in front of me from yesterday, I decided to use next year's challenge fabric in another try. Apparently Bali-type fabrics work best. I also knew high contrast is a good choice. So...

I picked 4 fabrics, with contrasting colour, texture etc.

I did switch the lighter floral to be over the brighter floral. I was also getting a little nervous at this point but I persevered. ;)

Now I absolutely luv this top section!

The bottom section not so much but it does have the actual challenge fabric in it so it has to be okay.

But together? NOT!

So I decided to cut my loses and make a new top part. After some angst I repeated the blue and chose a lighter mauve.

Now this is kinda nice!

I'm not sure what will happen when I combine the two but I will have to do some altering as something isn't lining up. I may have mis-cut something. argghhh My math is another challenge! lol I also need to be working on finishing up the current projects for this year's show and challenge so I'll set these aside while I decide about some of the what if's...!

A Stumble

I am beginning to thing *converging* is NOT my thing!

The first slices weren't too bad. I did want lighter at the top. But the last slicing was not going to work. I lost the light sections.

Should I rip? What if I mixed up my medias?

I used watercolour pencils on the patches because the green matched the green in the flower. I then wet them. I ironed them. They are possibly not too permanent. But by the time this wall hanging needs washing I will have a better, bigger, more whiz bang project to replace it! LOL

This works; well at least better than what I had.

I won't show just now but I thought I'd try another quick combo while I had an idea of how things converged. NOT well! I wasted a lot of time and if I get a chance tomorrow I'll show the also ran and the 'better half". gah!

I was running out of time for the last challenge so I MQed my 4th little house.

Now I have four and will try another colour family.

The down hall has come along nicely. I can't believe how much my $40 mirror has added to the overall look of the entrance.

It didn't fit above the chest, another great find at Canadian Tire. It hides from view and holds all my dearie's STUFF! But it does go very well above my mum's old cedar chest which always has some kind of quilt on it. This adds softness to the hall. Aqua pillows and the little aqua place mat carry the spring colour but also echo the picture. I think if I ask to move those 2 wall sconces one more time my hubby will be chasing this chick! But I do think they may have found their final resting place.

SO, Friday finishes:

The colour class is over and posted in Tutorials.

Eliana survived her first sleepover.

The challenges are challenging. :(

I got the fabric challenge top pieced.

I got a convergence I can live with pieced.

I didn't get the little challenge done but perhaps next week.

I have the weekend to think about how to MQ them.

The hemming is a no go!

The hallway makes me smile!

two steps forward...

at least one step back!

Four, three, four, three was too predictable so I used the 3 little chunks from the leftover pile to make a half block and that felt better. I had used some of the side border gold fabric to make one more pinwheel as well but I used the back of the fabric.




I now need to think about this top and see if I need a few borders and if it will need a binding or self facing.



Then I picked the 4 fabrics for a convergence wall hanging and two fabrics have collided in a less than graphic way so I am also considering my options for that. The 2 top fabrics do not have enough contrast and it didn't show up until I did the final slicing. Hmmm!

Creative options

I have lots of options flying around. I am still plugging away on the wall hanging. I have another in the starting gate that will have 4 fabrics colliding. I am kinda excited about that one even though it is boggling my mind. :) I have one last page sized challenge doodled on paper, hopefully for Friday. Lastly I found a top ready for MQing. I hit the list hard this morning and I'm pleased with the progress for today.

Focus Colours

Often a fabric can inspire a colour scheme. Some companies have colour bars along a selvage edge that shows the colours used in a fabric. These are not an indication of the amount or percentage of colour. But they are a place to start. If you want something very similar you must identify the amounts of colour used for the background, the main colours, and the accent.

Viewing the fabric without colour will help identify the values, light, medium and dark. I put the fabric in my printer/scanner and printed out a black and white photocopy. I also cut off the coloured dots printed on the fabric selvage. This fabric has 15 colours in total.

The fabric I chose for my example is an old fabric I got in a sale bin some years ago. It is Regal by Spiegal. It appealed to me but I have never quite figured out what to do with it.

I like to shop in my own closet first. The background was a bit of a challenge to find. Then I decided to add some browns, blues, oranges and yellows with a wee bit of green and one purple as an accent.

I spread out my choices to see if anything sticks out and doesn't work.

I also arrange the colour groups to show proportion.

Often this is as far as I go before I start cutting fabric.

But if you want a more permanent reference, especially if you need to purchase additional fabrics you can make up a visual reference.

I used a sheet of white paper and glued a 4 inch square of the focus fabric in the centre. Then I cut 1 inch squares of my chosen fabric and tried to keep a colour family on each side. Not showing up very well are letters identifying my Light, my Bright, my Dark. I need to remember not to forget the percentage I will use of these fabrics.

In this case the fabric has come first. I hadn't any pattern in mind. I was wondering what I could do as I was picking, choosing and making up my visual. I like the Bird's in the Air block. The large triangle is a nice size to feature my theme fabric. I could use the colours for all the different 'birds'. I made up a quick block, about 9 inches. hmm, I'm not liking my background. I think it is too pink so I shall be taking my colour chart off to the fabric store to see if I can find a better background.

Picking fabric and choosing colour schemes is my favorite quilt activity. It isn't something to angst about. It is very personal and we all see colour differently. What appeals to one will not necessarily appeal to another and it is not surprising that a general consensus is hard to come by when you ask a few people for their opinions. It often helps to sleep on it and then please yourself!

Monday Moves

I felt I did well with last week's list. This week should move along as well, I hope.

My grandkids are here and tonight is Eliana's first sleep over. Not great planning as I also have the colour class tonight but hopefully the Grand Farmer can be an effective stand in. I need to continue with the Common Thread wallhanging challenge. The closet edit yielded some gaps which I hope to fill when I return the kiddies to their home. It also made a pile of "needs hemming'! The spring hallway is awaiting a reveal but just needs tweaking. The challenge needs more than tweaking and is still challenging although it did get a few favourable comments in its present state.

I'm encouraged!

Flurries and fussing

Whoa! I can quit fussing about getting out in the yard.

And now I can fuss about asymmetrical designing. I thought I could add 5 fabrics but it is only three. hmmm

Fuss, fuss and I'm hoping for a flurry of creativity.

Friday Finish

The weekly quiltlet, last week and this week's are done. I'm thinking fun summer place mats.

I did get the blog pages up and the side bar somewhat simplefied. They need a bit more tweaking. I really hope this will be simpler and make my blogging life easier. ;^)

The Common Threads yearly wall hanging challenge is evolving. With serious curves! I went to bed with an arghhh, bad first idea. Why is it after I cut and commit, I find a better what if...?

But while I was working on the next colour class I got some better ideas. Stay tuned for next week. It is all about working with a theme or focus fabric.

I'm trying to work smarter and do the tutorial for the blog along with the actual class prep. But I won't do that post that till after the actual class which is Monday night.

The spring decor for the sitting room isn't too exciting but this room is intentionally calm and soothing. It was sheer serendipity that the 2 prints (thrift shop score) worked so well on 2 of the 4 nail options that I already had in place on that wall. I usually have a set of 4 prints but these are quite pleasing. I need to lose the battenburg valence and fix that door but I'm not sure with what. That wall isn't the original plaster but a plywood wall with a door added for the house's only bathroom. :( Plumbing is nice but the original pantry off the kitchen would have been adorable. I'd have done things different if they'd have asked me! This room is first up for painting. The sofa table and stools is temporary because I got a new chest for the entrance hall. But that is for next week!

I almost forgot the closet edit. I got rid of a bagful. I got to thinking that yellow is my favorite colour but not something I wear well. Aqua is my favorite. Chartreuse has been creeping in very strong. I feel so good in the aqua top and slimming black and aqua skirt.

My favorite jammies combine it all. I threw out most everything that did not support that luv and I'm going to look for aqua, chartreuse, white, black and chocolate. How's that for simplifying!

Sew far...

I think the white and black fabric is too stark for what I am doing so I had a Dye-na-flow colour, ochre, that I thought would work. First time for this and I was thinking a wash but it went on full strength. hmm! Oh well, it is a challenge. :0

I forgot to take a photo when it was done. I tried to get it lighter as I worked across but it is already cut up.

I cut the coloured fabric into 3 skinny strips and ...

Now this is totally improvisational as I have no, well, not too much, of an idea. I've had to toss the first fabric now that I'm thinking this may actually find a home in the upstairs hall.

I need to decide if it is okay to show my progress. I've already decided that despite the size restriction, 160 " perimeter, I will be making it whatever as I am quite tired of working to challenges and not to what I need, want and desire.

I guess I've decided to show progress. ;^)

Out of the closet

I did get the 2 closets edited. The winter stuff from our bedroom has now switched places with the summer stuff in the guest room. I had a bagful of rejects but a surprise visit from the neighbour enabled me to keep them mobile before I could change my mind. I will need to have a day to lower hemlines, fix buttons etc. but I am learning that the fixing wasn't on the list.

Then I got the 2 challenge fabrics from the closet and up on the cutting table. I don't think my original idea is workable so I am considering plan B.

I did get another 2 summer place mats done and I'll post those on Friday.

Tuesday's To-Do

All the grass that is showing up is making me fret! Common sense says to relax, things are WAY too wet. The quilt show deadline looms on the horizon. etc. etc.

The Five Things to do for the week are up on the side bar. One thing is the focus (sewing), and the rest are secondary. There is also the list of five things for today and laundry is top of the list.

Then I am going to throw the power switch on Nina and sew!

Monday musings

Spring sprang quite quick I think. But things are mighty soggy so that gives me a bit more time.

The Friday finish was weak.

1) Blog changes- I am working on pages to keep things a bit more accessible but I also plan to keep a quick list on the side bar of the Five weekly happenings. I really want to make things simple, uncluttered and easy to find. The searches leave me quite frustrated.

2) The focus was the AB 101. I did get the background section done and a page set up but with no camera to record the progress I let that goal go by.

3) I did get the dreaded mending done.

4) Totally forgot about the closet but I'm kinda primed now because a quick trip thru the mall shows spring stuff is here!

5) The placemats were a big hit for Sunday lunch!

I was in the city where I had a sewing tutorial for Nina and I also got a new camera so I'm all set for this week.

I will be focusing on sewing as I have a quilt show deadline approaching for Mother's Day weekend. I also have the last colour class coming up.

I'm trying out the new camera. Same brand and it shouldn't be too very difficult. A quick trip to the coop and to see the new lambs. I guess I will need to do a bit of tweaking but I am up and running again.

Next to last

My grandaughter tried out the cute metal chair I got this last weekend. I took about 10 pictures and finally got THE one. On Monday I quilted my 12 placemats. I set the table, took a photo. I rearranged better and took a photo. okay Then to prove I had quilted all 12 placemats I spread them all on the table. hmm I need to get higher so I stood on a chair.

(long pause)

I dropped my camera! Do you know I use my camera more than my phone? I take gazillions of photos. I edit and save the best. I should learn to alter them but I'm not sure I have time to add another hobby. Anyway, it says lens error. I guess! It is bent at an angle and won't retract. It won't focus. It won't shut off. It did give up the previous images.

VBSigh

I think I'll just go get another. It will probably be faster and cheaper than the alternative.

Until then, it is into the archives for me.

Feathering the Nest

I have been on a quest to learn the ins and outs of home decorating since I got to pick the colour for my very own room when I was about 10. I have been moving furniture, re purposing, making do, and scouting for perfect (cheap) accessories ever since. I'm not quite as ambitious and energetic as I once was so now instead of shoving furniture from room to room, I change things up with seasonal themes. To truly make it ours/mine I want to make it myself.

Spring is brief and often kinda grey here with lots of mud. So I put away a years worth of accumulated stuff' and start again with a minimalist approach. I bring out my white dishes, glass, tulips, pussy willows and a spray of white blossoms. Then I focus on what is usually my accent colour- aqua.

Sunday afternoon we always have a crowd around this table so I decided I needed a dozen place mats for each season.

Springs placemats incorporate curves. This is my version of stack, slice, switch and sew.

Placemats, pillows and table runners are great ways to add some soft feathers to a very woody nest! I wonder what other kinds of feathers I can find for the nest?