Blue Ice Laughing Out Loud

 

in 2009 I made this quilt, Laughing Out Loud. It is a takeoff of the "Reading in Bed" quilt in Freddy Moran & Gwen Marston's book, Collaborative Quilting. 

It was the first quilt I ever made with sashing and cornerstones, and it taught me something. If one fabric is used for the sashing, and if it is used well, the blocks appear to be floating above them.

When I started laying out the blocks for the Blue Ice quilt, I saw the two darkest fabrics wouldn't work the way I wanted, so I decided to use them as the spacers between the blocks, but when I stepped back, the dark solid looking fabric looked dead. Notice them around the block with the dragonfly in the center, above. Notice how the other spacer blocks with the deep space "stars" in them, appear lively by contrast, and they seem to connect to each other. 

I decided to use only that fabric for the spacers, but I didn't have enough. So I have placed an order for more of that fabric. As long as I was at it, I ordered the backing fabric, and something I might use for the binding.

The Joke's on Me - Laughing Again

Here's Millie with the fabric I will use for the backing of my Laughing Out Loud Quilt. (you can click the photo to enlarge.)

Now, you all have to remember that when I started this quilt, my intention was to make a wonky, fun, loud, break-the-rules, in-your-face quilt. When I saw this backing fabric on sale, I knew it would be perfect, because it too was loud and in-your-face. Since most of my quilts don't have filling, aren't quilted, live between the sheet and the blanket on the bed, and never get seen by anybody, I thought it was the ultimate joke.

I have to add the three narrow borders on all four sides (and actually it's a bit long, and I might trim off 6" or so), and my plan for the binding is a black and white stripe, so it will look like piano keys all around.

Well, the joke is on me. I never imagined the quilt would be so -beautiful-. I really didn't.

I had planned for the blocks to mesh with the sashing fabrics, creating a more abstract design. But when the top was sewn together, the sashing actually disappears, and what my eye sees are jewel tones that pop all over the quilt. It's really brighter than in the picture on Monday's post.

Well, it's so beautiful, I don't really want to hide it. Which means I am seriously considering having it quilted. So I can use it as a bedspread.

For all the world to see.


Go ahead. Laugh!

W-I-D-E-R

I like the wider sashing strips. I like that abstract, graphic quality, and that's what I am going for. So here are the narrow strips that I ripped out last night while watching TV.
I painted the coffee table a few years ago.Oh, look, it's a quilt design.

Liberated Blocks

I worked all day in the sewing studio on Sunday. I made several blocks for my Reading in Bed variation quilt, and harvested all the selvages from my shopping expedition last week.
Magpie Sue was wondering just how big these blocks are. The centers of the blocks start no smaller than 2-1/2" square, and aren't any bigger than 3". The outer fabrics start at 2-1/2" wide and are sometimes bigger - up to 3-1/2". I often make the center squares wonky on purpose. Once all four sides are sewn to the center block, I trim the blocks to 6-1/2". They'll sew up to 6" square. The black and white sashing will be 2" wide when finished and the sashing blocks will be 2" square.These pictures don't show the colors very well, but I was trying for strong color contrasts - either hot/cold or complementary contrast. I also contrast patterns in the two fabrics quite often.

In the original quilt, Gwen and Freddy used bright primary colors and black and whites in geometric patterns. Since I am using their quilt as inspiration, I'm not following that particular lead. Also, close inspection of that quilt shows several blocks where both the center and outer fabrics are pieced, or made from different fabrics. The yellow block in the middle photo is an example of this. I liked the looseness and freedom this little touch provides.