Harder Than It Looks

1. Finish a doll quilt
2. Hold it up in the mirror
3. Take a picture
4. Don't use a flash because of the "hot spot"
(Take another picture)
5. Make sure to hold it high enough so the whole quilt is visible
(Take another picture)
6. Don't cover your face
(Take another picture)
7. Shine a light on the quilt so it shows up
(Take another picture)
8. Hold the quilt up higher
(Take another picture)
9. Stand on your tippy toes (because you're only five feet tall)
(Take another picture)
10. Don't hold the camera in front of your face
(Take another picture)
11. Smile
(Take another picture)
12. Hold still, dammit!

It's harder than it looks!



OK~ Just take a picture of the finished quilt.

Surf and Sand

Here is the finished top of my swap quilt. It's really much prettier in real life. The colors are much warmer.

The pieced area is about 18-1/2" wide by 17-1/2" tall. I don't know how much of the white on all 4 sides will stay, or what color the binding will be.

Homage to the Square

The other day I was with somebody somewhere and we were talking about quilts. "Why don't you work with curves?" this person asked.

"Because I'm not done with straight lines yet," was my reply. "Hell, I'm not even done with squares!"

"Will you ever be?"

"Probably not."Here is another seminole patchwork band. This is the same three strip band, every other one rotated 180 degrees, and then offset and resewn together. I've photographed it as it goes together, so you can see, because this one can be confusing.

To Bebe's Boutique, who said I must have my 1/4" seam down pat, I say, actually no. As long as you use a -consistent- seam throughout, you will be okay when you sew these together. My 1/4" seam is actually a bit wider, but since I always sew that seam consistently, and I don't get all worked up if a block is 14-1/4" instead of 14-1/2" I am not worried. (Because -all- the blocks will be 14-1/4" and that's the most important thing.)

Remember those points will all get cut off when the band is straightened out.

Here are all my finished bands, in all their repetitive "square" glory.Next up, adding strips to line the bands up, then sewing them all together somehow.Hmmm... which one of these two do I like better? This light blue with the calligraphic lines...or this one with the blue leaves?

Doll Quilt Swap 6

I'm participating in the Doll Quilt Swap again. I have selected fabrics, soft blues and browns with a white on white.
I have decided to do some Seminole Patchwork bands. Here are some possibilities: (you can click the pictures to enlarge.)
These are all one strip bands, meaning the same strip is used in each design. In the top band above, alternating cut pieces are simply rotated. The second band, with the brown squares is just like the rows of "dots" I used in my Alphabet Sampler Quilt.In this band, the strips are cut at a 45-degree angle and then offset and sewn together.This band is just like the rows of dots except there are five colored strips instead of one. So far, this is my favorite. I need to make a couple more bands.

Yes, these aren't really "my" colors, but I am making this for my swap partner. It's a secret, so I can't give out more information than this.

Sunshine Slashed Squares

Here are a few more of the Sunshine Slashed Squares. As you can see, I try not to put two "busy" patterns right next to each other in the same block.
Not only do I contrast scale of pattern (or "busy") fabrics next to each other, I try to contrast color value (lightness or darkness)
Sometimes I contrast or repeat similar shapes next to each other. Sometimes I make little "jokes." For example, in this block below, the shapes of the dragonfly wings are repeated in the other fabrics on the outer edges of the block.
Yes, I am aware of these shape repetitions when I select fabrics for a quilt.

I am participating in the Doll Quilt Swap 6. I can't tell you who my partner is, because it is a secret, but this is a pattern I might use, this Exquisite Star, also called Shooting Star. My blocks finish out at 3" square. I won't be using these fabrics in the finished quilt. I just made these blocks to check out my measurements and to see how they would fit together. I wanted my blocks to be 3" square and working out the size of the small triangle took a bit of doing. Actually I didn't cut triangles. I cut the white fabric into 3-1/2" squares, and the brights into 2" squares, aligned the corners and then sewed on the diagonal of the smaller bright. Then I trimmed away the excess. Next, I want to experiment with a slightly wonky version.