DESIGN WALL MONDAY

I had to prove that I'm working hard even though I'm not counting any fabric as "used".

My oriental kaleidoscope top is finally finished!
Here is one section of the top pieced.  The narrow stripe fabric had to be added to each segment, pressed and trimmed before piecing the blocks.
There is a half block of green as the first border.

 I added another stripe border the same width as in the quilt center.  Then followed it with another plain green border.
I decided to make asymmetrical borders, so the right border has a wide strip of the original fabric.  I try to include a piece of the original so viewers can enjoy the kaleidoscope puzzles in each block.

For the three remaining borders, I made blocks with an on-point kaleidoscope 4-patch in the center, alternating between a dark and a light blue background.  I spaced these squares with more pieces of the original fabric.
Added another strip border.

Then continuing with the asymmetrical theme, I added a dark blue border on the top and left side, and a light blue to the bottom and right side.  I mitered all the corners.


After quilting,  I'll add more stripe fabric as the binding.


Another quilt that is ready to baste is my Christmas hexagon project.

I found the bright green Christmas print in a shop in Virginia, on the way south in the fall.  I machine appliqued the top to the borders, using invisible (monofilament) thread and a tiny zig-zag stitch.
Since I still had leftover squares,  I sat watching TV and pressed them into prairie points.  These have been machine basted to each edge and will be turned to face the outside after quilting.  The center of the quilt has 2343 hexagons and 264 squares to form the prairie points.

Check out what others are creating at Judy's blog.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

It seems like I've been working on this kaleidoscope project forever!  For the past two days, I've been stitching the corner units to the blocks and pressing the seams.  I just finished laying the blocks back in order, making sure that the corner units match.  Here's a small area of the quilt centre.....

When all the blocks are stitched together, the corners will form a secondary pattern.  I still haven't decided how I'm going to make the final border(s).  I always try to use some of the original fabric in the border, but it would be fun to add more kaleidoscoping blocks too.
You can see all the pieces of masking tape that DH added to mark the columns and rows - this would have been impossible to organize without the markings.
My project was inspired by one in the second Stack n Whack Quilt book by Bethany Reynolds, but instead of 9 blocks, I made 30!
Hopefully the piecing will go quickly from now on and I can play with some different border ideas.
Check out all the creativity at Judy's blog.

FINALLY BACK TO QUILTING!

Our visitors returned home on Thursday, so I spent part of the day doing laundry and sewing.

On Friday, DH and I, along with 2 quilting friends headed to the Hudson FL quilt show.  Lovely quilts and vendors, and I was tempted to pick up a cute cat fabric, destined for a lap quilt for future daughter-in-law.  Bumped into a "white glove lady", who overheard my conversation, and turned out to be a blog reader who requested a recipe!  Small world.

Following the show, one of my friends said that she had news that one of the local quilt shops was closing, so we headed to Lakeland FL to check it out.

Sadly, the Patchwork Pig on Pine Street in Lakeland will be closing soon - no official date yet, but all fabric was $5 per yard and everything else 50% off.  Needless to say there were 3 large bags of fabric in our van for the return trip home.   

 I returned this morning to find fabrics to make the quilt I have proposed to my group for the main next winter project.  Once again, I went with certain colours in mind, but the fabric had other ideas.  I saw a bolt that I just loved, and then found the perfect friends to play with!

I'll be heading into the red zone on tomorrow's stash report!!!!

I emailed my local group last night, and bumped into at least 6 members of the group at the shop today!

I've been working on my kaleidoscope project today.  I laid the blocks out on the living room rug, then DH and I spent a half hour rearranging until we liked the balance.  Then I had to add the mini kaleidoscope triangles to all the block corners to turn them from octogons to squares.  These had to be pinned, and DH assisted by numbering each block, so I can get it back together after sewing on all the corners!  My knees are sore, so that will be tomorrows' job, while I finish the laundry. 

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

This is the fifth and final set of blocks for my kaleidoscope project.  I haven't made much progress on anything, as having company visiting has taken most of my time for the past while.   They are departing on Thursday morning, and then on Friday DH and I are taking a van-load of quilters to a quilt show in Hudson FL, so I won't be making much progress until the weekend.  I'm having sewing withdrawal!!!!
Head over to Judy's blog for lots of creative links.

FOURTH SET OF BLOCKS

 

DH and I spent yesterday with our friends at the Magic Kingdom.  It was their first visit, so I was fun to see it through a first-timers' eyes.  We had a full day, arriving shortly after opening, and staying for the Electric Light Parade and the fireworks.  We took time to enjoy some of the entertainment around the park, and were happy we all wore lots of sunscreen!

 

THIRD SET OF BLOCKS

 

I love making these types of blocks, and seeing all the different variations that the fabric produces.

Our company arrived yesterday  and we were back from the airport in time for lunch.  The guys headed to the golf course, and the girls hit the pool before a simple dinner and an early bedtime.  

Today I'm heading off to my quilting group, and DH is taking them shopping.  They need a new camera, as well as some assorted clothing items, so they should have a good time. 

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

Here is the second set of 6 blocks for my latest kaleidoscope quilt.

 

I have all the triangles cut to make the edged squares that fit between each block, and I also have the triangles and strips cut to make the first border.  I will be able to sew some when I can sneak a bit of free time over the next 10 days with company.

 Although the pattern called for the seams to be pressed open, I decided to press them all in the same direction, so they would spiral around the block.  I was able to open the centre to reduce the bulk.

 Check out all the creativity this week at Judy's blog.

I'VE BEEN BUSY

Working on my latest kaleidoscope blocks.  I've made 30 blocks, each with 8 wedges, and each wedge had a narrow strip sewn to the top edge, and then trimmed before stitching together.   Here's the first set....



 Next step is to complete the corner units - more kaleidoscopes - triangles this time.  They also need the narrow strip sewn to each one.  I'll also be making the border "half blocks", also with the strip to each piece.  

Our visitors arrive Tuesday morning, so for the 10 days following, I'll have very little time to sew.  I may even have to skip my Wednesday quilting group - we have to plan outdoor activities according to the weather, and so far, it isn't planning to rain on Wednesday.....

I hope to get some hand sewing ready to work on while they are here, but who knows!  My next step is to pack up all my quilting stuff that is stored in the "guest room".  We love having company, but I wish I had another place to store my stuff.  My sewing room is under the carport, and has no climate control, so I don't store much there.  Love the space, but wish it had air conditioning this year!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

First, another small finish.  I've been having fun playing with batik fabric lately.

 Here's the finished table runner.  Lots of half square triangle blocks!

 I just did simple quilting as the fabric speaks for itself.  I used a variegated "Rainbows" thread from Superior thread in the border and block centres, and just some simple stitch in the ditch for the rest.

 On Friday, I finally began cutting the wonderful Oriental print that I found last winter.  It had a huge 24 inch pattern repeat.  I spread out three of the blocks - to - be, to show some of the variations.  I haven't tried octagon blocks before, and these will have kaleidoscope triangles to complete the corners.  I spent some time yesterday, adding a narrow accent band to the outside edge of each piece.  I've cut 30 blocks, as I want a larger quilt (the original pattern was only 40x40 inches).

Head over to Judy's blog to see what creative happenings are on the other linked blogs.

More Tossed Fruit Salad

In my plan to use up fabric, I used the last 4 repeats of fruit fabric, that I had already used in a wall hanging, placemats and a runner, shown here, to make some simple kaleidoscope blocks.

 I used the remaining background fabrics to set the blocks on point, and sashed with the lovely purple fabric.

   Half used the light green, and half the darker green.

 The twelve blocks were large enough to make a nice lap-size quilt, and the only fabric remaining is some of the darker green, which I wanted for my applique stash.

Kaleidoscope Pinwheels

Here is the fabric.......

 And here are the rest of the blocks.......

 Now I guess I have to get on with the next steps - sashing and cornerstones.

Design Wall Monday

Last year, my Florida quilt group asked if we could make "StacknWhack" quilts this year, so over the summer I went hunting for a fabric that I just loved.  No sense making a quilt just to show the technique.  When we were travelling in the Shipshewana, Indiana area I found this lovely Hoffman floral, so 8 pattern repeats plus about a half a yard came home with me.

When I arrived in the fall, only one person had found fabric, so she and I matched repeats and cut "block kits".  She has gradually been making her blocks, but until a few days ago, my "kits" sat in a plastic bag waiting for the perfect background fabric.  DH spotted the creamy buttery fabric, and I've finally begun to make the blocks.
Here are the first 4......only 16 more to go!

I make kaleidoscope quilts, using the "Magic Stack n Whack Quilts" book, every so often.  Interesting fabrics seem to come in clusters, and it is fun to see how the blocks turn out.  This method uses the matching repeats of fabric, in this case 8 repeats, cut into triangles, with each one identical to the next in the layer of 8.  You can preview the blocks using two mirrors, but it is more fun to see the pattern revealed as you finish each one.  I always make a few blocks right away, then continue to make the rest using the assembly line method.
If the idea of cutting 6 or 8 layers of fabric at a time, you might want to try just 4.  I had 4 repeats of the fruit fabric remaining,(only partial width of fabric), and was determined to use it all.  I lined it up, pinning the layers carefully, re-cut the selvedge and one perpendicular edge.  Then I measured how much fabric I had, and determined what size of squares I could cut to use the most of the fabric.  With squares, you get to decide which corner faces toward the centre of the 4-patch for each block.  It is fun to turn them and see what happens.  Here are the 12 blocks I was able to make from the remaining fabric.

Check out what everyone else is working on at Judy's blog.