Turkey Tracks: Funky Pumpkins In The “Parts Department”

Turkey Tracks:  June 1, 2016

Funky Pumpkins In the “Parts Department”

Several friends and I have undertaken this summer to make “parts department” blocks, the idea taken from Gwen Marston and Freddie Moran in their book COLLABORATIVE QUILTING –and to see if these blocks can be developed into a quilt for each of us.  I, of course, will also look to my Bonnie Hunter stash management system to see what I can use to make blocks.

This is an improvisational version of a round robin project in ways.

And this kind of improvisational quilt is coming out of the “modern” quilt movement.

Here’s one example in process, made by Becca Babb-Brott from a pattern (“Gypsy Wife”) by designer Jen Kingwell.

Another would be to start with a medallion and build rows around it.

Or, to make a “row” quilt.

Who knows what will happen…

We specified low-volume fabrics and “brights” and “make at least multiples of four,” and left it at that.

The three others are working on funky house blocks, tree blocks, log cabins, star blocks and the like.

What would I do?

Well, this picture came across the screen of blocks Bonnie Hunter found forgotten in one of her quilt boxes.

Hmmmm, I thought.

I pulled out orange strips from the 1 1/2-inch bin, and then I thought maybe I’d try to draw a foundation piece pattern–after looking at foundation-

pieced pumpkin patterns in EQ7.

That was fun, and as you can tell from the next picture, the pattern evolved as I learned how what I had drawn might actually look when executed.

I didn’t want to get too far from “funky” or too large, but I do like the rounded pumpkin top and the whimsical bottom strip and the placement of the pumpkin within the light fabrics rather than letting it run to the edge.  This block is 8 1/2 inches so will finish at 8.  That’s large for our project, but it can take a few large blocks I think.  And, we don’t have to use everything we get from each other.

These blocks will go into the “parts department” pile to be shared, and I have new-found respect for foundation-pieced designers.

Here are some ideas made from fabrics I pulled from my “stash bins” of cut-up squares and rectangles.  These blocks are meant to be “filler” blocks.

Pinwheels, made by cutting 2 1/2-inch squares diagonally, resewing them, and sliver trimming them to 2 inches:

Flying Geese made from 2 by 3 1/2 rectangles and 2-inch squares.  The little bitty 2-inch blocks are sewn from the trimmed triangles and sliver trimmed.  These tiny blocks could be surrounded by another layer of strips to make a slightly larger square.  Probably colored strips…

This block is made from a 3 1/2-inch square by sewing 2 1/2 inch squares to the corners  (opposite corners first) and trimming out the excess–which also make small triangles.  Hmmm.  This small pinwheel could take some low-volume strips to enlarge the square and highlight the center too…

The project is affording me a bit of play each day, a bit of rummaging through stash bins first.

We’ll see what happens…