Saturday, March 10, 2012

Sidetracked

Cleaning up the workspace (again) I came across some blocks I made a few years ago.  I was trying to come up with a quick technique for making the tree blocks and made 9 before I gave up.  I love  tree blocks and I'm surprised they don't appear more in quilts.


After squaring them up at 9" I decided to sash the blocks.


Then they seem to need large setting triangles.  Some fabric originally bought as backing fitted the bill.  I don't even recall which top it was meant to back, so there are no regrets cutting into it.  Yellow green must be my current favourite colour.  Someone even heard me refer to it as a "neutral" the other day.

The idea for the border is still maturing.  Not a solid quilt, it's true.  But the blocks were made 3 years ago  and were found unloved in a UFO bag, so I am not bound by the challenge rules. 

 The item I was searching for is still missing, but at least I have cleaned up a small corner of my sewing world and made a fresh start on something that was gathering cobwebs.

On the red and white front I have drawn up my 5" stencil.    Since I was making my own I made sure I didn't put too many feathers, and I was able to draw a nicer shape of  feather as it attaches to its "rib".  The inside commercial feathers appear a bit stumpy to my eye.


Now for the nasty job of cutting the channels for marking the pattern.

14 comments:

Janet O. said...

Very fun tree quilt! I knew your "solids challenge" rule excluded projects that predated it, so I wasn't questioning your fabric use. : )
That is a good-looking feather wreath. What did you use to mark the feathers? Or did you do it freehand?!?

YankeeQuilter said...

I like what you did with your orphan blocks!

Carol G said...

That is going to be some tedious cutting on your stencil but your inside feathers do look very nice. Love your cute little trees. I don't really see why you gave up.

Sharon said...

Why don't you put your top over this design and trace it? It looks very balanced and will be beautiful in your R & W top.

Blog editor said...

I like it all the blocks, the setting fabric, the feather ... But I particularly like the way the spots and stripes play together around the brighter centers in the first photo ... Hmmmm .. Jill

Janet said...

I love your trees and the background is a fabulous colour.
Well done on the quilting template, it looks perfect. I think our template plastic is really thick and hard to cut which won't make the cutting easy.

Dawn said...

I love your colorful forest.
Clever piecing combined with a wonderful color sense in your fabrics.
This is inspiration for me to see what I might do with some odd lots of blocks - Thank you!

Sujata Shah said...

Love your tree blocks and the combination of fabrics you are working with is genius!

Helen in the UK said...

Love your setting fabric, it really compliments your trees :)

Julie Fukuda said...

I like what you did with those trees. It reminds me of one I made many years ago. I had seen one like yours that got me started and even though I had no idea what I was doing, the growing forest kept me going.

Nicky said...

Sometimes we do need to go down a sidetrack - it is refreshing and wow I lwhat you did when down that little track!

Just as long as you find your way back to the highroad - not so good at that myself...

Your feathers look great and will be even better on the quilt!

Vivian said...

Wow, this went from: "o.k. what is she going to do with those nice blocks" to "BAM!" very, very cool top and setting! I think your quilt muse was working in the background when you decided to buy that fabric. Together with those trees they are a truly inspired pairing.

Isn't it fun when something you didn't plan turns out so great?

antique quilter said...

I love tree blocks too ! that feather stencil is wonderful! I am impressed you drew this yourself. wow.
very fun polka dot fabric
glad your sewing again, who cares it isn't solids!
its a colorful forest!
kathie

MulticoloredPieces said...

Hi, Liz. Really like your tree quilt. Very interesting choice of fabric for "plain" blocks--lots of fun and energy! I also really liked your courthouse steps quilt--beautiful.
best, nadia