Memory Quilt and Project Improv

This is the quilt I made for my Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding anniversary. It took me quite a while to do it as I decided to use duponi silk fat quarters and some great fabric I had for the border and back. I printed the photos on pretreated fabric made for the job. Mom and I went through and figured out the dates and players in the pictures (I knew the players) which was an adventure. It was fun but glad it's done and in Mom and Dad's posession.

Independence Day Quilt - turning into a Project Improv effort

So I've been working on the raffle quilt and it's coming together pretty well.  Made 4 more blocks since the last post.  I am working without a plan - so it's gonna be an interesting process putting all the blocks together in the final product.   These are the most recent blocks:

I made another block which I'm thinking may be too white and too big for the quilt, so what do you do with those types of blocks?  Make a hanging for the door of course!

Independence Day Quilt

I committed to make a quilt for Independence Day to be raffled off at the nursing home where I work for the resident social fund. I've decided that I will make a bunch of different blocks using different techniques (paper piecing, wonky piecing, etc.) and somehow put it all together. So far I have 3 blocks done. There is some time before this has to be done, so I'm gonna do a few blocks a week through February, then somehow assemble it all! Here's the first 3 blocks.

My First Wonky Log Cabin

Here's my first attempt at a wonky log cabin block. I used Jacquie's tutorial (http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-dana-wonky-log-cabin-block-tutorial.html) as a guide and went at it. I think it came out ok - definately out of the box for me!

New Block for Project Improv!

I did it - a simple block for Project Improv! I had this busy colorful fabric that I've been eyeing forever - never really knew what to do with it - pulled it out and decided to play with it and this is what I came up with. The fabric is so busy that I decided to go simple. The next block I'm making will be using smaller pieces of the busy fabric and draw more from the focus colors, but this one was so pleasing that I went with it. I guess that's the point - go with what works at the moment!

Cutting Strips for Stash

I've been thinking about fabric and how to make it more useful - I know - who could say fabric isn't useful? My stash is comprised of mostly one yard or greater pieces or scraps which is comprised of strips from other projects or just plain old scraps. In the reading on other blogs I've noticed that people work from strips that they cut from their fabrics. Tonya talks about it in this post on her blog: http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/2008/11/cutting-strips.html. Makes alot of sense to me so now I have another dilemna - what sizes do I cut the strips and how do I organize them? Talk about overthinking! I think my answer is like the nike commercial: Just DO IT! So...I'm on my way to cut strips and see how it goes! Any suggestions would certainly be welcome - especially from my PROJECT IMPROV buddies!

I'm struggling with this blogging thing. Not sure why I'm doing it, why I want to do it, or what I am even going to blog about. I've read a lot of things about blogging - enough to know that it's a good way to chronicle creative endeavors as well as journal life's happenings - I guess its just that place to start I'm having trouble finding.

So I'm gonna start with the group I've just joined - Project Improv. I've always wanted to do unique works - but seem to stick with traditional blocks and labor over the colors, etc. - I'm thinking this will stretch my imagination and lead me in a different direction. I've also committed to make a block for a charity quilt through this group in the orange/pink family of colors. This will be interesting as well. We'll see.

Until tomorrow.