Playing with Blocks

My new best block.  I am trying it out for all sorts of fabric groups--5 inch strips, fat quarters, 10" squares.  These two are Community Service tops from the PT closet stash.  I wanted an alternative to the Just Can't Cut It block that alternates with a theme.  I think I have found it--love how these came out.

Turkey Trot with Dot

Our wildlife preserve provides amusement every day.  Here you see our cat Dot grazing with the turkeys at T time.  They don't seem to mind--she is much smaller than they are. 

This is all happening right outside the open back door of my quilting room--with the dog at my feet.

Community Kits

Today was Community Service workday for the Pine Tree Guild.  I had cut several quilts, mostly the four patch Freedom.  I thought it was time to package them up with a pattern and hand them off to others in the guild to sew. I ended up with 15 kits, 12 of which have already been given out, thanks to one very enthusiastic member.  That 8 inch Four Patch works so well for using up stash fabrics--it can be cut from fat quarters or regular quarters.  We have so much of that size piece in our stashes and donated fabrics like this.  The little quilt only takes 6 pieces, or 12 for the throw size--which can include some duplicates.  When I pick for these from a donation stash, I usually go for color, sometimes with a theme or two.    Once, cut, they sew up in just an hour or so--very rewarding for everyone involved.  Can't wait to see them all back.

5 Inch Playtime

I am playing more with the 5" strips.  Windham Fabrics offer 5" strip bundles, as do other companies and shops.  I know I will be adding them to my offerings, cut from my new fabrics.  I love bigger cuts like this--fast, fun and it shows off fabric.

Last night it was the Zoo Babies from Windham.  I have a bundle with 24  5" strips.  It would make too big a quilt if all are used together, so I divided them into boy and girl.  With 2 simple blocks, I set to sewing.  I loved playing with these blocks, but I would do the color layouts differently next time.

Both blocks use the 5" strips very efficiently, which is what I am about.  STASH BUSTING begins with not adding more to the stash--so little or no waste or scraps here!
 
The rail block is 5" squares (made from a quick set of 2 strips) and 5" x 9 1/2" rectangles (our Pam Cake slice!).  I kept the same fabrics grouped together for the blocks, and tried to make a rail fence look.  Nice idea, but the fabrics did not separate out well in color or contrast, so it klunked.  Not sure if I will leave it or rip it and rearrange (the more I look at it, I think I will rip).  I am disinclined to rip--much faster to make a new one.  I can already see other fabric groups that would make this work better.  Or just simply go scrappy and random--I have all of my scraps cut into 5x 9 1/2 and 5 inch squares, anyway.

The frame block is 5" squares and 5"x14".  How easy is that?  A 5" strip nets 2 14" and 2  5" pieces--perfect--all that is needed is a center 5" square.  That center could be a common fabric, or in my case 2 that I liked, or scrappy.  I love the look of the block, and how fast and fun it sewed up.  Layout-wise, again I would do this over.  I think the yellow needs to be in the center, so I will rip.  I guess it is time to find room for a design wall.

My brain in reeling with the possibilities for this frame block.  I am figuring ways to use 5" strips or fat quarters efficiently for quilts with this block.  I also realized I can use 4  5"x 9 1/2" Pam Cake slices for this as well.  It can circle around the center using the partial seam technique.  With this variation, the 4 pieces can be all the same, 4 different, or 2 and 2 (light and dark maybe?).  This will also cut more efficently from fat quarters.  Gotta get my chores done, so I can try this out soon.

Round Two---Brilliant

Quite literally the colors in this second shipment of Kaffe Collective are brilliant.  The first out of the box were reds, and boy do they do reds!  I am getting closer to being able to design and kit these new fabrics.

I had to make something from the Meadowsweet 2 Geranium colors, so I did make a quickie from favorite pattern Cheaper by the Half Dozen.  I think I was less than 24 hours complete on this one--pieced one evening, quilted and bound the next morning.

They're Back

The Kaffe Collective fabrics are coming in.  Shipments are due weekly--and they started this week.  This is just part of the first installment.  They should be listed in a couple of days.  It will be another few weeks before we can packet and design.  We need more of a colorway.  It is exciting, nonetheless.

Designer on Duty

Grandma Pam is now moved closer to me, up in the woods in Nevada City.  I put her to work today helping me with another version of the quilt I made from Hoffman's Jasmine batik bundle.  This time it is Feedsack VI prints from Windham Fabrics--30's repro's are one of her specialties.  Windham gave me a bundle of the whole line so that I might design 5" strip patterns with them.

I think this pattern is perfect for them, and how completely different from the Batiks!  I still have some kinks to work out with the pattern, so here we go with Version 2.

The whole stack is 55 pieces--wow!  Great colors.  I asked her to pick 20 for this project--"no problem", and off she went to work (in her easy chair).  The bottom 2 rows are the chosen 20.

Once home, I got right to work cutting, sewing strip sets, and making blocks.  Over half of the blocks are done, just 2 hours later.  What a team!!