Design process musings

One of the quilts that is currently in process is my tea towel quilt.    I've been stumped for a while on how to work with the block ideas that were going through my mind because nothing was gelling.    And i have to admit that a lot of the problem was the fact that I tend to be very much bound to precise, symmetrical designs.   Designs that I can create on the computer and then make.    But this quilt just has not wanted to cooperate with that kind of perspective and style.   Nothing like having a quilt that wants to throw a "temper tantrum" and not play nicely.

As I've started making blocks, i started to baste them down the interfacing that I'm using as a base at the moment.   And my first layout is pictured to the right.   However, while I like the blocks there was something that just seemed to be missing (yes - other than the rest of the blocks needed to fill in all that white space....).  

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to put in the River Thames.   And will be putting a little boat on it to represent the boat I was on for a river tour.  However, putting in a river that winds through the quilt top in a similar manner to real life isn't something that can be done in a planned out, graphical manner.   So I pulled fabric out for the water, and plopped it down on top of the quilt in roughly the direction I wanted the river to start flowing.  Being brave and daring (or was that desperate because the dratted quilt wouldn't cooperate?), I took my scissors and started free-from cutting the river out being careful to not cut the towel and blocks that were underneath it.


What I ended up with is a meandering river that I'm happy with.  The third pic here shows how the river looked right after cutting.   To get the curves and turns in it that I wanted I'm going to have to use 3 different pieces of the blue.   I'm planning on using a wee bit of fusible web underneath the river, and then just straight stitching the fabric down leaving the edges unstitched.  






After cutting the river, I unbasted the blocks that were under the river and moved them out of the way.   I will be putting pieced blocks in and around the river, but didn't want the flags or the silhouette block under the river.   In playing with the layout this evening I've also decided that the quilt is demanding that not all blocks be placed at right angles to the tea towel.  Hence the flag that is placed at an angle.

I think I'll be much happier (and have a much "quieter" quilt) if I don't leave the quilt as a plain rectangle.    I may even end up cutting it and moving sections around a bit in the layout.   Haven't thought about that for sure though.

Gratitudes:
1. I received word today that the conversion of my teaching license from initial practitioner to practitioner has been approved, which means I'll be eligible for a contract for next year.

2. the weather here has finally warmed up!

Easter Weekend Progress.....

In spite of being at school for too many hrs getting grading done (school was closed for Good Friday) and bringing papers home to get graded, I've managed to make progress this Easter weekend.  

Yesterday I made the remaining string blocks needed to finish up the quilt top for American Heroes.   Today I added the rows at the top and bottom of the quilt.   Only had to frog-stitch one full row and part of another to get it right.

Then I made a couple of English flag blocks for my London tea towel quilt.   The picture is fuzzy because the camera just didn't want to cooperate with me today.    Blocks are basted down to gridded interfacing in a temp layout.   Still under consideration for blocks are the ubiquitous London phone booth, a Beefeater guard from the Tower of London, a Guard from Buckingham Palace, and London Street blocks.  Meandering through the quilt will be the River Thames.   On the river I want to put an applique version of the tour boats similar to what I was on when I was there.   Flag blocks were made with ribbon and raw edge applique.

Gratitudes:

1. God's gift of eternal life through His Only Son.

2. God's provisions for me.

Tea Towel - Finally in progress

I finally have the start of a plan for this quilt....lol.    Have found several blocks and block ideas that I'm working to put together for the quilt.   It's been interesting to search for block ideas that relate to London.

The first block I've finished is a silhouette of Queen Elizabeth.   I used raw edge stitching and machine applique to make the block.  

The second block I made was made to represent the Pearlie Kings and Queens of London.   I used 37 buttons to make the design.  The buttons were all sewn down by machine using a zigzag stitch, with a length of 0.  I've got enough buttons to make one more 'pearlie' block, but haven't decided on a final design yet for it.

I've got ideas for 4 or so more blocks to make for the quilt.    


Gratitudes:

1. Warmer weather is finally here - yeah for spring!

2. Feeling better!   Yippee.....

Tea Towel Challenge

I'm running behind in getting this going..........thankfully I'm not the only one that is lat with it.    I've finally had a breakthrough on a possible layout....shown to the right.   I've found three blocks that I'm seriously considering using in the quilt, so the layout will likely change since I'm having trouble thinking of something else for a main block.   I do want to add words into the quilt, but not sure how I want to do that.

Am also considering adding appliqued blocks such as a double-decker bus, a red phone booth, the tower bridge, the Thames River....and who knows what else.     Time will tell what all I end up doing with this.

Gratitudes:
1. With all the snow yesterday, the power never went out.
2. My laptop is fixed and back home, even if I can't find where the installation CD's are for all of my software.

Tea Towel Challenge time

 It's time to start working on putting together my quilt for the Tea Towel Challenge.    The towel that I'm going to be using for this round is one that shows several London landmarks.   I was fortunate to be able to travel there back in 1997 and the landmarks are all ones that I saw while there.  

The fabrics that I will be using when making the quilt are ones that I bought in London while there.  I plan to add a TOT or a solid with these fabrics to help them stretch and play nicely together.  I'm still in the process of thinking about what I want to add to it.   But am leaning towards adding things that remind me of England and London.    Three of the blocks that I've thought about adding include the following from Quilter's Cache:

http://quilterscache.com/L/LondonRoadsBlock.html

http://quilterscache.com/L/LondonSquareBlock.html

http://quilterscache.com/C/CrowningGloryBlock.html

In other projects, thanks to having a 2-hr delay this morning I had some extra time to play so I pulled some flannel scraps that a friend had given me back in October and cut them down to squares that will go together in a free form setting.    Then pulled some coordinates to go with them.   Will continue working on them tonight when I get home from school.   Will post pics of that as I make progress on it.

Gratitudes:
1. I didn't slip and fall last night on the icy driveway when I had to shovel the ice & snow the snowplow left in order to park after work.
2. For the district approving the conference travel for me.