I must day I'm buzzing at the moment - not always making a bee-line, but sometimes flying round in circles. However I am making progress. You may feel I'm making a bit of a meal of it, but all this planning is against my spontaneous nature so I have been taking breaks from C&G quilt planning to do other things.
First over the last few weeks I have been sewing these mini log cabin/courthouse blocks from lots of off-cuts and scraps. The strips are about 2cm wide before sewing. I have now got enough to sew into a band, and I am intending to make myself a satchel type bag. I am going to add some borders and then quilt it. It is giving me good practice in cutting and stitching, and it is pretty spontaneous so it has been a good break from the formal work. However if I am going to make a bag it will require some planning.
Below is a page for this month's sketchbook challenge "a cabinet of curiosities". As you can see, I could not get away from patchwork and based it on an 'attic windows' pattern, some magazine cut-outs and some drawings fill the spaces.
And here is a frame I've done for my journal.
I've been playing with different colour combos.
Meanwhile back to the quilt planning...
This picture I did in my sketchbook in March has always been talking to me, to I decided on this pattern inspired by my photograph of chimneys agains a blue sky.
Below is my first idea for a quilt.
I made cut outs of all the elements - painted a set and copied more, until I had enough to pin up and play with the composition - actual size. (My design-wall is a strip of sheeting hung over a door.)
It is interesting to see how the flash used in the first photo has altered the colours - the sun came out for the second two arrangements, hence the bright spot at the bottom - lighting was not my priority here. but colours in the last two are truer - the blue is on the turquoise side.
I am favouring the last set-up at the moment.
My next task is to gather together fabrics. I have been to 'Fashion and Fabrics" St Albans' an Aladdin's cave of quilting fabrics and bought a few 30cm lengths and a fat quarter of a selection of oranges and a couple of blues, mixed here with some of my hand-dyed fabrics. Their blue selection hadn't got what I wanted. Below I have put some lavender blues are on the left, but it is the turquoise/cyan tones I want so I will probably have a dyeing session to give me the more of the blues I want.
Here are a couple of sample squares I made when I started planning, to see if it would work. _ I intend to print the motif into the middle of each square.
Next I shall be experimenting with the right colour for the print - I shall probably use acrylic paint for this. I have also got to think how I will quilt the whole thing - I have got some ideas, but I haven't fully decided yet.
I'm quite excited by the whole process, but I need to take it step by step - measure at least three times before cutting, and really THINK what I am doing - I am liable to make really glaring mistakes.
Thank you for sticking with me, I value any thoughts, handy tips or ideas you may have, perhaps something I have not thought of. I hope you're having a good week.
Jill
