Back to the Bosna Series

Bosna #7

60x40", machine pieced unquilted top.

It turns out that this simpler design is much more challenging than a zillion 4 patches!

It's a little bit fussier than my previous Bosna designs, but I will regain my minimalism shortly, I hope. The thing I love about the Bosna quilts is their simplicity and strength of design, so wimpy little bits are distractions rather than additions. O well. As I look at these detail photos I see some pleasing shapes and good spacing. 

 I keep looking at the work of Harold Krisel (saved on my Pinterest board) as I try to pare down my elements into just the essentials. One of the intriguing facets of his work is the addition of a few low contrast colors, such as this pink stripe. It shows up in this photo but in real life is hardly there!

 

Here's a great example of the low contrast in the elements of Krisel's painting.

30's Revisited

 I made myself finish this top yesterday, as predicted. It needs more width, which I will add when mindless sewing is required. 53x77" at the moment and is now on the pile of 14 tops awaiting the quilting urge. I'm glad I got it out of my system, and can move onto more challenging designs. I do love the fabrics in it, and can see using them again...in a while. 

 But for now, I must consider a wonkier design and mucho scrappy as my scrap collection is now overflowing. This little tryout was more fun for me, and has potential, maybe. 

Already today I have had a bit of  excitement, as my sister needed to be taken to the emergency room with a kidney stone. I was happy to be her driver. She's much better now, all drugged up and sleeping. So now I will clear the tables and look at fabric possibilities. 

Dawdlin'

This is my long desired 30's quilt top which I have been sloooooowly sewing for the past ten days or so. It's quite an easy pattern and I am having no trouble putting it together, except for the UTTER BOREDOM it provides. You've heard of nap quilts, well working on this one makes me want a nap after only a few sections are added. There is no challenge and I know what comes next and after that and then more of the same. But today I am MAKING myself finish it and then putting it away until I can enjoy the process of quilting it. I do love the look of the 30's fabrics, and I invested in a set of 20 half yards to make this piece. I'll have lots of fabric left from doing this. 

 I began with a load of four patches and considered doing 16 patches, but went for the overall look above. The top will measure 52x80" and then I will maybe add a border. We'll see. 

Moons and Stars

What a week! After making 25 stars, I felt this wasn't enough, so I started making nine-patches. Then I decided that connecting them with little triangles would bow-tie everything together. But my thread cutter kept jamming up on my sewing machine, and the thread repeatedly came out of the needle every other seam so I got out my back-up machine and kept at it. But the loudness of the second machine was annoying awful. Both machines went into the repair shop and a couple of days later I NOW have two great working machines. But my car won't start! Arrgghh. I won't even mention the news of the week which accompanies my sewing. Double Arrgghh!

 The blocks are 8" finished, resulting in a top that is only 53"ish. Not big enough for my self-imposed rule of making tops at least 60" on a side. something will be added to increase the finished dimensions.

I am loving the scrappy look which is faked by cutting three inches off half yards and fat quarters which recently joined my stash. Lots of leftovers on my worktable. 

Teaching Myself Stuff

 I've been busy trying out blocks that I always wanted to make. Wonky stars are one such block. Great idea to use up scraps, and since I rarely use white, I had plenty to cut up into 3" squares. You may not guess that I love 30's style quilts, ever since I was a guest at a house that had a bunch and the guest room where I stayed was decorated in that theme. So girly! 

Ditsy prints have suddenly appeared in my stash, but so far I haven't cut into them. Today may be the day!

And I saw this double Dresden and just had to try it out. This sample has some minor issues (low contrast for one) and I am considering making one in the 30's fabrics next...or soon...someday.

 While cleaning up my studio I decided to remove some fabrics (to the hall closet) that I never use and make room for a more organized color themed selection. And whaddya know, there is room for MORE, heehee.

But in the meantime, I am using up my scraps, since everything I make gives me more.

Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie, machine pieced top, 50x68". I'm really surprising myself with these new tops, trying out shapes that always scared me in the past. It is exhilarating to make them work! 

For this piece I got to use my collected cherry prints all in one design. And my black and white paw print fabrics too, with all the dotty prints that I love.

  There was a bit of a struggle to make things line up, since there was only serendipity instead of planning involved, but that was the thrill, when I trimmed and squished things to line up. At last I am over the panic of 'will it work'?

 I got to use my wedge ruler for Dresden plate designs and it made those neat curves and then used in opposing directions it made neat tumbler shapes. I was happy to include some pinwheels and flying geese too. 

My husband asked me what got me so energized to create this current work. Hmmm, I guess it has something to do with conquering old fears of not being as good as the 'perfect piecers' I have witnessed over the years. There are tons of imperfections in this top, but imho the impact of the design distracts from those peccadilloes.

Dots and Crosses

 

This is Polka Dot Fantasy by Yvonne Porcella, a quilt from 1982 that I have always loved and wished to emulate. It's a simple layout, which is key, and of course over the years I have saved lots of dots and stripes and always have plenty of red, yellow and blue fabrics. This week I was determined to make my version.

I began by  attaching my fabrics on the design wall, in hopes of inspiration, and waited and fretted and came up with nothing. So the next day I decided to just start making parts. Flying geese, four patches, HSTs, cross blocks and strip pieced stripes. Took a nap and decided to just start by making a large log cabin medallion and seeing how I could incorporate as many of the fabrics and small blocks to make a nice composition. I quit once it grew to 44x48". Suddenly I had a plan!

 I decided to cut the thing into four sections and add a panel down the center and matching 'arms' horizontally. So first I pieced the long center strip, 63" in length. Now I was really excited, because this looked completely different than my initial simple and elegant inspiration. Then went on to make the side strips, about 24" x 14" and sewed the sides together first and then the center panel. 

 Dots and Crosses, machine pieced, unquilted, and 63" square-ish.
I have never made anything like this in all my years of quilting and I am over the moon. Busy busy? You betcha, but still readable. Some of the fabrics are as old as my quilting career, and others are recent purchases. Some cottons were garment leftovers.
Now here's the thing...I have finished teaching my weekly class and so this is not made for that purpose.
I have decided that it is just time for me to make quilts for no specific reason, other than to entertain and challenge myself. I don't have to be innovative, or make an exhibition work, or a quilt for sale, or commissioned piece, or anything. This is such a different mindset and at last I can just relax and enjoy the process, stress free. Hurray!

 Never made those cross blocks before, but they were easy peezy and the blue and yellow ones are just HSTs with strips inserted. 

And the blue/red dots border with flying geese is so new to me, and I will definitely use that motif again. Woowoo!