Let's start at the beginning, with the fabric for my next Nurses for Newborns quilt.
Grey, coral, and navy. Gender neutral. This was a remnant purchased in Paducah in the spring, to be used for a donation quilt. The info on the bit of selvage I have says Dear Stella. I pulled some friends from stash to go with it:
So far so good, right? Now to choose a pattern.
Since I'm making one of these little N4Nb quilts each month and they're only 24" by 36", each one is an opportunity to experiment with fabrics or design or layout on a small scale. 6" blocks work within this size, in a 4 by 6 layout. Since the blocks are small, let's use a simple one.
When these blocks are combined, they create a diagonal star effect.
Still not complicated. But let's color these blocks with my fabrics, and move them around a bit. So I scanned the fabrics and played with them in EQ7. Hmm, since these blocks are asymmetrical, they might lend themselves to more interesting layouts than just simple stars....
Keep in mind, the focus print is one-directional and the herringbone is also directional. So after I thought I had a plan and printed it out, I revised it.
Since I didn't want to waste ink on reprinting the revised plan, I just made blocks from my notes. And I adjusted everything so that my directional fabrics would all be going in the same direction.
Sheesh, it would have been less wasteful to reprint the plan. It was easier for my brain to follow the picture than the notes, so I wasted a lot of time ripping when I sewed wrong colors together or added the triangles on the wrong side for the print direction to be consistent.
So after much ripping and resewing, I now have the blocks on the wall, ready to be sewn together:
Kite tails blowing in the wind.
My super power is taking a very simple block for a very small quilt and making a very complicated production out of it. What's your super power?
...But the spiral concept is cool. It could be interesting to create a larger design using this concept. In a square layout, two accent colors could swirl around each other. I should probably avoid directional fabrics if I try it out. Maybe play some more in EQ first. And print the final plan, even if it wastes ink.
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts
That is a really cool design! Well worth the effort it took.
ReplyDeleteKeeping directional fabrics oriented the same way is a detail I really admire. Kite tails blowing in the wind is a great description!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great design...pretty darn cool and aptly named ;-=)
ReplyDeleteIt ended up beautifully!
ReplyDeleteThe directional fabric kept in the same orientation is a nice touch.
I think I am in your camp! Which is why I don't get creative very often. I do like the design and will file it away for future reference.
ReplyDeleteWhen I design something I always make it harder!
ReplyDeleteI like this layout much better than the standard stars. Very creative! And because you took the long and winding road to get here, you got to enjoy the creative process even longer. Lucky you! :)
ReplyDeleteMy superpower is to find a pony in a pile of horse poop. "Just keep shoveling!"
TOO funny - I have a bad habit of doing the same thing (making something simple complicated).
ReplyDeleteI love your super power = ha ha!
ReplyDeleteIt was worth the effort. It turned out beautifully! My superpower, changing a final design multiple times before I get to a finish.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this quilt!! I'm trying to make quilts for teenage boys in Pediatric Critical Care, and I think that this design would totally work - if I may "borrow" it?
ReplyDelete