It's All In The Placement

Today's post will illustrate the importance of thinking things through before diving in on a project.

The quilts used in illustrating this concept are Cottage Green and Autumn Green, both pictured below and made this year.

Cottage Green

Autumn Green

I'd had the florals since April 2021, to the best of my recollection. The purchase of these fabrics falls firmly into the impulse category - I had no plan, no pattern, no clue whatsoever as to how the two florals would be used. All I knew at the time was that I really, really liked these two green florals- which is weird because I typically don't go overly crazy for green. Here are some closer views.

 

Floral used in Cottage Green.

Floral used in Autumn Green.

In January, when I was formulating my goals for the year, I was very serious about making a Snowball Quilt. Made with two very basic blocks, the 9-patch and the snowball - both easy to make - together, they result in a wonderful design. I thought it would be pretty cool to make at least one snowball quilt with one or the other of these green florals.

For several months, I kept these fabrics out in the quilting room, periodically auditioning fabrics to pair with them. It was a long process but I did eventually find fabrics to use with the florals.

So with those loose constructs, I proceeded, and in March I began Cottage Green to be made with a solid green and a white-on-white grunge, both from the stash. I have made 9-patch blocks for forever, and went to work stitching them up with enthusiastic speed. Then I did the same with the snowballs. Easy. Fun. Fast. Satisfying. I had the top together in no time.

As it was coming together, I really wasn't seeing the snowballs as I thought I would. Whaaaat??? It took me awhile, but I eventually discovered the error of my ways. 

The 9-patches were made wrong. I am accustomed to making the dark squares in the 5s spot and the neutral squares in the 4s spot. For this quilt, however, the opposite setting is desired.

Now, I still liked my quilt, but I sure didn't have the true snowball quilt I had hoped for. I went ahead and finished the first quilt, Cottage Green, and promised myself that I would make the other green floral into a proper Snowball Quilt.

With the darks and lights positioned in the correct place, the snowball shows up so much more clearly. Like I say in my title, it's all in the placement! I love both of these quilts, but I sure had to work harder than I ought to have in order to get a snowball quilt, right? 

Here are the two quilts side by side. Same two blocks - snowball and 9-patch. The way the 9-patch blocks are put together, though, makes all the difference. See how important placement is? A seasoned quilter knows this; and I do know this; I just proceeded without thinking!

 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

It's Spring!

Hooray for Spring! I am so happy to see it finally arrive. We began our first day of spring with considerable cloudiness, but the afternoon has brought some very welcome sunshine. That along with a decrease in winds has made for quite a pleasant day.

I continue to be sharing my laptop with my husband, therefore posting continues to be sporadic. However, the bright side of this dilemma is that I have finished some things and have tidied up a significant space in the quilting room. Additionally, I have hosted the Frankfort Girls and helped Sharon load one of her quilts onto the long arm machine  - yes, she is learning now, too! So staying busy has never been an issue around here.

Since it's Sunday, I will take a moment to share some Slow Sunday Stitching and join in the fun at Kathy's Quilts.

 

Cottage Green is now completely done, binding and all. With all the basketball games we've been watching - March Madness - I have stitched two this week. Previously, I did Red Jacob's Ladder which you saw in the last post.

This quilt was a lot of fun to make, and I can definitely see myself making another snowball/9-patch quilt soon. This picture shows a nice close up view of the backing fabric, which turned out to be 44" fabric, not 108" fabric like I'd been thinking. It works; just requires a seam somewhere on the back and that is no big deal.

Cottage Green might make its way to our bed this week since it looks so springy. It barely covers the top of our queen bed, though, and sometimes that is problematic. We'll see how it goes.

On tap for this week's posts: I cleaned off my cutting table; Sharon quilted a pretty Christmas quilt, I continue to work on Ocean Ripples; and the definite possibility of starting a new project and loading another quilt on the Tin Lizzie.

Be sure to stop over at the Slow Sunday Stitching link-up to see what all the girls are working on.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Finish! Cottage Green!

 People! I am getting stuff done!

On March 4 or thereabouts, I started making this quilt - I wrote about it here. And look! I quilted it already!

Yep! I loaded it on Monday evening, then stayed up late quilting it.

Yesterday, I picked out a complimentary green for binding. It will be on my lap getting it's finishing touches later today.

I'm feeling just a little bit accomplished. I wanted to use that little green print that I bought last April. It was relatively a new addition to my stash. And now, 10 days later, it is quilted, bound and almost finished.

This quilt has the unique distinction of being the first to use this backing. I've had a whole bolt of this fabric waiting to be opened. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was 44-45" and not 108". I would have sworn that I bought backing. Oh well, I'll be sewing two lengths of it together for backings, I guess.

Above, I mentioned feeling accomplished. Not only do I have this finish, a second quilt will show up here in the next post - another quilt has come off the long arm machine, and the binding is attached to it, as well. I will be stitching bindings for a lot of evenings this week!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Cottage Green Quilt Top

 Sorry for the long absence! It has been a full week since I last posted. Whadya' say we blame it on DH? We can, in fact, because his laptop has been in the fixit shop and all week, he has used mine. It just seemed a bother to try blogging when he wasn't using it.

I sewed instead.

And that has paid off. While I have missed staying up-to-date with the blog, I have made quite a lot of progress on a few projects in the sewing room.

First, let's have a look at Cottage Green, now a finished quilt top. I am not going to add borders, and the dullish gold I had considered actually looked quite awful next to this when I auditioned it. 

I am very pleased with the look of this quilt, and will attempt to quilt it in the next few days - maybe before St. Patrick's Day - in honor of green.

My mindset a few quilts back was that snowball blocks were a major time-consuming pain. Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't know how I got that notion in my head. These were just as fast as anything, and I'd do another quilt like this in a heartbeat.

The issue for 3-color quilts (3-fabric quilts, actually) is having enough of the background fabric for the desired quilt. Because I have used so much from my stash, I rarely have large enough neutral yardage any more. This white grunge was left over from the quilt I made for DDEmma last summer. I have used nearly all of it now, so I must keep in mind that neutrals are once again in need of replenishing.

DH's laptop should be fixed in a few more days, so I promise to do better at posting. I have been busy and have lots to share. In addition to sewing, I have been listening to audio books, and have a couple to recommend.

Next time.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

March Project: Cottage Green

In my stash a green print fabric has been calling to me ever since I bought it about 10 months ago. Typically, I don't buy a lot of green, and when I purchased this while we were at retreat last April, I had not a clue as to how I would use it. I couldn't come up with a single fabric already in the stash that would match it, and I had no burning desire for a green quilt.

I simply just loved this mini-floral print. Period.

 

I do not recall how much I bought - maybe 2 yards, maybe 3 - and I have kept it sorta' out in the mix of things in my quilting room ever since. I'd consider an idea, pull some fabrics, audition various looks, and then put it back. I knew at some point I would arrive at the perfect intersection of green print + supporting fabric + pattern.

And, yes, that point came about a week ago, just as I was finishing Temecula Baskets. Sharon P. was here and we were dreaming of future quilts. This green solid and white grunge had tremendous appeal, but what pattern? I sealed the deal when we landed on the idea of snowball blocks combined with 9-patch blocks. 

With the help of Sharon's discerning eye, I'd arrived at that perfect intersection, and it included a bonus - EASY! This quilt has been a dream to stitch.

When I started this project, I had no idea how big a quilt I would end up with. Of the 3 fabrics, I had the least of the solid green; that, then would decide the size. I would make snowball blocks for as long as the solid lasted; when it was gone, that was how many 9-patches I would make. I used every last inch of the green. Above, you see the fantastic results - 55 of each block. My quilt will be 10 blocks wide and 11 blocks long.

After I had a few blocks made, I just had to test the look. I love it! Laying a few out on the floor, stepping back, studying from various angles - all so very pleasing. 

I needed a good name for this quilt. Referring to it as "the green 9-patch and snowball quilt" would not roll off the tongue smoothly at all. Quite clumsy, actually. Thinking cap on... The soft little green print puts me in mind of an English cottage garden just as spring flowering is bursting on the scene. And English hamlets are often centered on greens, or town squares. There it is - Cottage Green.

I did take a straight-on shot and played around with a photo editing app which gives me a glimpse of what my final quilt will look like.The number of rows and columns is off, but the final will look very similar.

I am currently sewing blocks together using the chain-piecing method (Eleanor Burns style). I should be able to finish the quilt top this weekend. 

I have another solid fabric that I eliminated from use in this. It is a dull gold color, and picks up the gold in the print fabric. I might use it as a border for this quilt. It won't compete with the gentle colors of the center, but will serve to add a wow! factor, perhaps. 

We shall see.

Happy Quilting, Friends!