update

Sorry for the lack of posting as of late.  We have been pretty busy here (see previous post) and very little quilting has been going on.   I did finally pull out my 'All Squared-Up' quilt that I started ever so long ago and redraw up the quilting pattern for it.  It is almost done which is great.  Here is my quilting pattern as a little sneak peak for you.  Don't worry it gives little away as to what the final product looks like :)

The Design Process

So I had 7 left over squares from another project that I haven't posed about yet.  And I love these squares. (love!) ...but I haven't enough fabric to make more(sad face) and for you non-quilter-readers out there, 7 does not a quilt make!

So there I sat this morning, playing with different layouts for them ... maybe making a couple pillows from them, played with adding strips or other blocks to make it a small quilt ... but none of it was (just) right.

Then I realized I should think about the blocks not as the central point of the quilt design, but instead as a part of the whole.  Duh, I know. I picked out two fabrics that are in the blocks and one other, a beautiful Kona Gray color that sets off all the other colors.

Steps:

1. First I got to drawing ... I started out by drawing a 5 X 7 grid. Then I picked 7 squares of the grid to subdivide and match the squares I had been playing with.
2. Then I took a red, gray and a blue pencil and I started to fill in the grid.  I wanted to challenge myself to not just immediately use lots of gray so I right away colored in a big block of red and a big block of blue.  ...that left me with a grid with a big red block and a big blue block and 7 multi colored blocks!
3. Finally, I had fun and mixed them around and ended up with this:

I love it.  Once it is sewn i may decide to make it bigger / more lap quilt size. Although this would be a good baby blanket size, and it has lots of stimulating contrast.

Here it is all laid out on my design wall.


What do you think?

I think ... I'm going to switch two of the upper right hand blocks (see picture to the left).

 Here's an updated picture with some of the blocks switched around to the right




This the beauty of the design wall fyi, I can play with the layout easily before I start sewing!

Three layers of magnet paint. Some super strong magnets.  And we have ordered some steel trim to put around it that will be even stronger so I can hang heavier items.

... to be continued...

Caren's Quilt

Okay so this quilt took me a long time to do.  It looks simple but I refused to use a pattern, even one I drew out myself, or ask for help and yet I wanted it perfect.  Oh and Pink and Purple.  That was my requirements.  At first is was to be a Just Because Quilt. Then when her graduation got near it became a Graduation Quilt.  Then when that time came and went it became a Bridesmaids Quilt for me to give her when she came to my wedding.. But that time came and went.  Then Caren announced her engagement and.. well you know what happened then... In the end I'm not exactly sure when i finally finished and mailed it... But I know she has it now!   One day I will have to get a picture of her and Casey with it :)

The picture doesn't do it justice. The pink and purple fabrics were just beautiful.

The Finished Quilt:

The Quilt in Progress: