split 9 patch - step 2

This is the first time i have tried photocopying on fabric sheets. Great for making quilt labels!

Remember these from earlier post? They are still waiting to be added to the top....

This is why I call my quilt "split 9 patches". I started with 7.5" squares. After sewing them into 9 patches I had to trim away some.... The patch measures 9" when it is put into the top.

All the split 9 patches with sashing. Waiting for border and pinwheels. I wasn't after putting the top together. The colors didn't really shine. So I ripped up and replased 4 of the bigger patches with more yellow fabric. It made the difference I think. Funny how undoing and redoing can seem like a huge task. When I finally got around to it it wasn't that bad.

Bargello top with 4 panels

Sunny Sunday. Stitched up, cut up and stiched back together the 4.th panel of the bargello quilt.

I do love the colors. Ended up with half and half blue and orange on the last panel. I think I will leave it for some days before i put on a frame/ border. This was such a fun top to put together.

I think this is such a versitile design that can be used in so many ways. Showing of bold prints is only one of them. It is an exellent design to work on contrast in colors. It was even easy to sew.

Bargello update

Today I put together the 3.rd panel. I have to say I love the process of making a bargello and am already thinking / planning other colorcombinations and fabricgroups. There is this urge to see what happens when you slice and spread the panel out. Maybe I am a bit crazy - bitten by the bargello bug?

Next panel is the last one. I am considering waiting and bying more blue fabric. Or should I go bold and orange?

Easter is around the corner. An important Easter tradition in Norway is to go skiing and then sit down outside in the snow and eat your orange that you brought along. So maybe the need for orange is connected to a lot of memories of childhood Easter holidays? The blue colors certainly speak to me of a winter landscape with rays of sunlight.

I also want to say thank you for taking the time to leave comments on my blog. I really appreciate the feedback. Sometimes I am a bit confused about how to respond though. Maybe I am still a bit new to this, but I would really like some feedback if you have found a good solution on how to respond properly to shorter and longer comments. I did read a comment by Lil about this issue here, and it really hit me that I am not alone in finding this a bit puzzeling.

Blue Bargello step 2

The deciotion is made. I started cutting the panels 30 strips long. (In my previous post I was not sure about size.) It was too tempting to move on with this quilt.

Today the two first panels are cut and sewn back together. I am really happy with the yellow and orange accent - that brings a lot of life to the quilt. Overlooking my blue reserves of fabric, I'm planning to go orange and yellow on my fourth panel. Basically I have not enough dark blue fabric left!

Well, in making this quilt I design as I go. It feels a bit exiting, not knowing the final result. Next step will be rearranging the 3rd panel and see if I can dig out enough orange and yellow to make up the 4th.

Blue Bargello

Have started working on my first bargello quilt. Holly's beautiful bargello in plaids was the first part of my inspiration. The other part came from Crazy Mom Quilts who is making monochrome quilts. I combined these two and decided to try to make a monocrome bargello.

My first thought was to use a lot of brown fabric. When I looked in my stash I found some intensly colored Kaffe Fassett printed fabrics in blue, and chose them as a starting point. Then I picked out fabric I think will complement the KF and started cutting it in 2.5" strips 17" long.

After cutting a lot of strips and joining them in rows of six, I had an audition. The overall impression was of blue and hints of purple. They were begging for something to liven them up. I tried adding a few yellow and orange strips for a contrast, and liked the effect of that.

So far I have 3 panels 30 strips long and 2" wide. I need at least 4 panels. This will make a laptop size if I add a border. Maybe I need to make the panels 36 strips long and add the 5th panel?
Can't wait to start cutting the panels into strips! The problem is, have to make decitions about size before I start doing that.

I am almost out of dark blue fabric by now and am considering to make the last one or two panels in yellow and orange with a few blue strips. So, this is a stashbuster! My "stash" was probably pittiful to begin with - the word is more of a consept than a real size I guess.

So, its decition time. Is it big enough yet to start cutting?

Sweet Spring Treats

One of my spring favourite treats are these marzipan eggs from a Danish company called Anthon Berg. They are a part of a Norwegian Easter tradition - chocolate and marzipan sweets. They taste great and are also supersweet and decorative with their pretty pastell colors. Here they are (until I eat them all) looking good with the spring quilt I have made for the swap. It is quilted by now, needs a good binding and a proper label too. Well, there is still plenty of time.

It may be a silly thing to say but I like it, it is sweet. I hope my swap partner will like it to. And now I am curious to see if there is anybody else posting about their spring quilts...

spring feelings and snow

Have started working on the 4SQS quilt. It is difficult to make something for a person you don't know, who lives far away and in a different climate. What is spring like there? I have tried to sneek peek into her blog to get good clues of what she might like. Hmmm - that didn't give to many hints.

I'll have to trust that making something I like myself and taking care with color, piecing and quilting - will be good enough. So, here is my "prototype", my scetch in fabric. No, this is not it .... her color requests are a little different. But, it's close. In a way.... Am I teasing you? Hmmm not sure how much, and how early I'm supposed to blog about this quilt.

We had some snow today. That seldom last long in this mild climate along the coast. My kitties tried their first walk in snow today. Just as good - a few hours later it started raining... Is it spring yet?

a little signature block

One of the nice ladies in my guild is going to move, to Houston, Texas. We are having a little farewell breakfast and giving her a signed block each for her to make a little quilt from. Her name is Monica B. She ia a very talented and experienced quilter, who have moved around with her DH and sons for years and years. So I got this little challenge on saturday: colors are moss and vanilla, size 6", and signature embroided onto the block.

Hmmm, Friendship Star? Album blokcs? Last night, after going to bed I got an idea, and here it is (still without my signature)

The letter M, for her and my name. The slightly crocked "Flying Geese", suggesting a move, and a freequent flyer....

Happy with how the block turned out. This is my first attempt at an Album block. It is designed using EQ6, and paper foundation pieced. The sweet Mars (we just found out she's a she, still like the name...) is happy to pose with it. (I need to make her a little catquilt one of these days)

I hope Monica B likes it, she is such a sweet person, sad thing she is moving...