Tag: Nicholas Ball

Bits and Pieces in Late November 2020

November 25, 2020

Bits and Pieces in Late November 2020

Winter is closing in now, and we are in the darkest time of the year.

But there are seasonal gifts to view, witness these beautiful red berries against the grey sky that I saw in my travels the other day. We’ve had some cold days, but I have not yet switched out my cotton socks for my warmer winter ones. That day is coming though.

I’ve spent some time playing with using up the scraps in my solid scrap bin. I had a lot of leftover bias strips sewn together and cut from projects like The Color Collective Lone Star quilt process and the Sugaridoo QAL rows (the pink strips). What if I used them on fun and funky “tree triangles” that so many people are making these days as they rise to quilter Nicholas Ball’s challenge.

I’m working away at the first project from Season 3 of the online class The Color Collective, hosted by Sewtopia, with designer/teacher Tara Faughnan. The first block is called “Marrakesh,” and it allows us to play with and manipulate color choices that can radically change how the block appears. There are also several construction methods that I have never made, and that’s always a fun learning curve.

I have 4 blocks done now—they will finish at 15 1/2 inches each.

I’ll make at least two more and may stop at creating a rectangle wall hanging. Who knows. In any case, I’m sure these blocks will get moved around more. If I make more, I’ll definitely stop at 3 by 3 blocks, which will be a bit larger than 45 inches square. Or a longer 2-block wide rectangle wall hanging. Time will tell…

I keep moving around these four blocks because I see something that just needs to be changed, but then I see something else. I definitely need more blocks.

Turkey Tracks: Improv Inspiration

Turkey Tracks:  February 6, 2020

Improv Inspiration

When I’m stressed, I feel soothed when I am doing something with my hands.

Here’s what happened while the Impeachment process raged:

These blocks were inspired by our Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s challenge “Bee Inspired”—which itself was inspired by the quilters who make up the “Bee Sewcial” improv project.  (You can see their work on Instagram and the blocks for each completed prompt on Mt. Battie MQG projects on Facebook.)

My prompt turn will not come around until next November, but I had a workshop with Amy Friend on foundation piecing curves this fall.  And, I have two books which I love and used to play with making these blocks.  Nicholas Ball’s INSPIRING IMPROV and Sherri Lynn Wood’s IMPROV HANDBOOK FOR MODERN QUILTERS.  I have specified solids with clear colors—though some of the colors above are darker than I specified.

Yesterday I made myself take my sample blocks off the design wall.  But between now and November I can’t guarantee that I won’t return to this kind of play again.  It is kind of interesting that my prompt does come in November…

I have returned to putting binding on two finished quilts, setting up the Galactic and Gumdrops projects for The Color Collective online class I’m taking, and finishing up making blocks out of extra materials left over from other projects.  More on that later.

Here’s what’s on the design wall now:  Then Came June’s Checkered Garden Quilt made from leftover solids as a leader/ender project.

The blocks are 14 inches.  I don’t know.  I think this one needs to be 5 blocks by 6 blocks (70 by 84).  Right now it’s 56 by 56.  Thinking on this…   Hmmm.  4 by 5 would be 56 by 70.  That’s a good lap size too.  Will try that next.

And of course I’m still moving blocks around…

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Sewing Projects, November 2019

Turkey Tracks:  November 7, 2019

Sewing Projects, November 2019

Winter is my intensive sewing time.

The bed is the bedroom next to my quilting room is my project staging area when the longarm holds a quilt.  On the bed there’s a finished quilt top and its backing and binding fabric all set to go when the longarm is empty again.  There are garments—saved to sew in winter.  And, all sorts of other projects, from an EPP project, to The Color Collective blocks, to my own inventions.

Here’s what my design wall looks like now.  The top blocks are meant to use up the solids acquired for The Color Collective projects.  The 14-inch block is from Then Came June’s Checkered Garden Quilt, and I’ve written posted about it before now.  It’s a leader/ender project from Bonnie Hunter’s method.  The big blocks below it are the 20-inch Radiating Log Cabin blocks from Tara Faughnan’s The Color Collective Season 1, hosted by Amy Newbold of Sewtopia.

To the right are various projects—to include just playing with shapes with ideas garnered from a workshop with Amy Friend (curved foundation piecing) and from Nicholas Ball’s new book INSPIRING IMPROV, which I high recommend.

I think there is a flying geese project in the making, done with 6” wide blocks and bright colors.  And the Jen Kingwell “Glitter” blocks are ongoing and will probably wind up in an improv quilt.

Below, hidden are the improv bird blocks I’m making off and on.

My quilting life is very rich I think.

I’ve moved blocks around and around below, but I think I like this arrangement, so will sew it together later today. L Then I have to decide if it is a 60-inch wall hanging or a lap quilt AND how on earth to quilt it.  Hand or machine, for starters.

The “shapes” blocks are fun.  I’m going to cut the teal blue/green block on the right in half and see what develops.  These blocks will go into my Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild “prompt” quilt where other members will make blocks for me as well.  But, my turn will not come up until NEXT November as there are many of us in this challenge.  So there is plenty of time to play with shapes and clear colors over the year.

My Cotton+Steel “Slopes” quilt from Amanda Jean Nyberg is on the long arm now.  I quilt until I get tired, then stop and play with other projects.  It all gets done.

The winterizing outside is DONE, so it’s time to move into my winter sewing in earnest.  And we may get SNOW tomorrow.

I love the change of seasons and enjoy each and every one.