Row Quit Progress

The row quilt progresses

Here it is with it's third row complete–Twinkle blocks, which are this month's block pattern on Blocklotto.com

I thought I should come clean and show you how they live on my small design wall  ... not as rows, but as vertical strips.   The design wall is narrower than the rows, but even vertically, it still works to give me an idea to see how I like the blocks and colors adjacent to one another.

In addition to making the 7 Twinkle blocks this week, I also played with all these tiny leftover triangles.

Believe it or not, when they are this small, I usually toss them, but I think those shiny irridescent shot cottons sucked me in and I couldn't resist playing and seeing what they might become. 

I posted more details on my process (both for the row and the leftovers) on the Block Lotto today:

 Week 3 - Twinkle.

You can find more information about the 9-inch Twinkle block, with links to the block pattern and paper foundation piecing version here:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Monochromatic Stars in October.

Row Sampler Progress - Week 2

The second row I added is made from the Many Triangles blocks we made in August. You can find the link to the block pattern for the blocks (which are 4 1/2 by 18-inches) in this post on Blocklotto.com

Earlier this week in another Block Lotto post, I blogged about how I modified the pattern to create a row from 3 1/2 of the wide blocks and my thinking when I chose the fabrics used in this row.  You can find the details here:

Week 2 of 12 + 12 = 1

Below is a closeup to show you the black bean tamale sacks (printed with black ink) I used for this row and how they look in combination with my other fabrics.

 

And here's how the completed row looks next to the the row of tulip blocks. 

I am joining the party for WIP Wednesday on Freshly Pieced.

Look then Look Again

This month I am sharing some of my photos and observations from Fiber Arts Fiesta 2015.

I am a fan of sampler quilts and love finding interesting sampler quilt designs at shows and online. I confess that I was a little surprised to see a second place ribbon hanging on this traditional sampler quilt, Star Sampler by Kathy Sublett, when I first saw it from a distance.   It is made from block patterns by Pam Bono.

It was in the category for large traditional quilts (AKA Q101), along with some pretty amazing quilts.   When I got closed and looked again, I was completely charmed and impressed with the quilting, by long-armer Pam Millward. 

It's a Little Intimidating

Like a blank page, there is so much open white space on my red & white sampler, made from this year's lotto block patterns, it's a little intimidating.

The black rectangle is hiding the 4 blocks made with the December block pattern–don't want to spoil the surprise.

If any of the blocks appeal to you, you'll find links to all the patterns at the top of my Block Patterns page. 

My plan has always been to make a sample quilt using the 6 by 9 inch lotto blocks for this year, leaving lots of open space for quilting: some of it will be very traditional and marked; some will be unmarked free motion; some will, I hope, have a modern feeling.  I'm excited to get started ... and a little intimidated. 

Proof of Concept - My 2012 Block Lotto Sampler

A year ago, I planned to make a sampler from the 9-inch lotto blocks we would make in 2012. A few days ago, I actually started making the blocks. Here's my set of 12.

 

This quilt will be a proof of concept of my ideas about putting together a set of blocks for the lotto each year that not only represent a variety of techniques and skill-sets (and a learning experience for beginners), but will play nicely in a sampler for those that choose to make a set of blocks for themselves. For 2012, I wanted to choose blocks that would play well in a sampler designed with a modern quilt aesthetic. 

I believe that choosing blocks that share characteristics with some of the other blocks, none would end up being the one block that's not like the others and looks like it doesn't belong and they will all play nicely together.  So, last year, we had: 

Blocks with curved elements:

 

Blocks made from geometric units

Star blocks 

Other figurative block designs

Etc., including blocks with skinny inserts, traditional block patterns, liberated blocks ....

If you are curious about any of the individual blocks, you can find the block patterns (and photos of more examples made for the Block Lotto last year) in the 2012 Block Lotto Index on blocklotto.com

Now I just need to make a quilt and decide if my ideas work. But first I'll be quilting and finishing my quilt for the In Your Words blog hop which begins today.

Did you spend the weekend working on something you planned or, like me, were you distracted by an idea that continued to assert itself?

One More Border?

Tomorrow night is the Friday Night Sew-in in Blogland.  (Follow the link if you want to learn more or play along.)

I plan to finish up the Lotto Block Sampler--not sure if I will add a narrow cream border and call it done, add a final plain border (I'm thinking purple, but could be under the influence of the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge).

I put it on the bed to see if that perspective would provide any insight.


 

Is it wrong to make the quilt just a little bit bigger so it will fit on the bed . . . even if my original intention was NOT to make a bed quilt? And what about those big white spaces I've created around the outside of the quilt.  Does the quilt seem to need some appliqué or should I leave those quiet spaces alone, knowing that when the quilt is quilted, they won't seem so empty?

Did you notice the tail in the photo above?

Probably the only thing Grace enjoys more than admiring quilting fabric or sewn blocks is helping to make the bed.

She seemed to think that the new quilt would make a great bed cover . . . she even held on tight to the in-progress top when I tried to take it away.

The Quilt Speaks

My best laid plans to add some plain borders to the Lotto Blocks sampler quilt and call it done were foiled by the quilt–it kept insisting that I needed to more gracefully terminate those Knot and Chain blocks ...

. . . and so I pieced some half blocks–technically 60% blocks–and cut some plain rectangles.

Maybe the quilt was right. I think it IS better. 

(Yes, at the bottom of the photo, the quilt is crumpled like that because I had to chase Johnny out from under it.  Grace was watching from a nearby chair and waiting to see if he was going to get into trouble ;-)

You can check out the other design walls (floors, tables, etc) by following the links at the bottom of Judy's Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday blog post.

My Feline Helpers on the Design Floor

Last night, I put together the sampler and alternate blocks ... and I had help.

While Johnny was the first to discover me working on the design floor, Grace–a true lover of textiles–was the most persistent in helping me put the blocks together. That girl loves fabric.

Johnny just wants to be my priority, whatever I am doing . . .

I did manage to get the blocks together and am now thinking about borders.

(If you're wondering, I really don't like those two yellow blocks one atop the other either ...  I'm sure I must have flipped something when I was assembling the blocks, but I've decided I can live with it.) 

Taking the photo of the in-progress quilt was not without its challenges because Johnny insisted I needed his help as you can see here, here and here. I would chase him off the top, but as soon as I stepped onto the step stool for a better perspective shot, he ran back in ... even when I convinced to stay off the top, he insisted on getting himself into the frame.

Grace Hopper showed up fashionably late–she'd been napping in the closet–and missed her close-up.

Edited on Monday to add if you want to see more design floors, walls and other work in progress, head on over to Judy's blog and see what everyone else is up to.

Sampler Quilts - Love 'em or Hate 'em?

This month is "Quilter's Choice" for the Block Lotto.  In recent years the winners of Quilter's Choice months have made some really beautiful sampler quilts.  I know that they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I think that sampler quilts with an interesting setting are beautiful.

For my blocks this month, I decided to remake some of my favorite lotto blocks from year's past--from 2001 to 2010.

This little girl with the big hat and long legs is a variation on the "boomerette" Julie designed when we made the traditional Oklahoma Boomer blocks, in July 2009.

This month's guidelines ask quilters to to put an 8 inch purple and white block of their choice on point, adding scrappy strings to the sides to create setting triangles, finishing with a 12 inch block.

This house is another variation of an original block, the Amish Houses we made in November of 2008.

I rotated the paper foundation and stretched the house to make it taller to fill the 8 inch block. I still love this minimalist house block design of mine.

For this month, our block choices may be traditional or liberated blocks.  I ended up playing with a little bit of everything, from hand appliqué to paper foundation piecing.

Below are a variation of Polka Dot, from December 2009, Laced Star, from February 2003, and a "double" double 4-patch, from January, 2007.

As much as I enjoyed my trip down Block Lotto memory lane, I couldn't resist making a new block, Posy (from the Quilter's Cache Site), along with a re-sized Double Wrench from August 2003 and last month's liberated Variable Star.

My links go to the photos of the lotto blocks which inspired my choices. If you're interested in tracking down the patterns for any of the blocks, you can find them in the Block Pattern list on the Block Lotto blog . . . along with those for every other lotto block we've made since January 2002.

I really intended to have SOME sort of actual design wall in place this week so I could post an actual design wall photo for Judy's Design Wall Monday, but it still hasn't happened.  I picked up a flannel backed tablecloth today because it has been making me a little crazy to work without one.

As a consolation to those who followed the link from Judy's blog, I offer you this virtual design wall of the lotto sampler blocks made so far by the sneak peekers (who received an advance look at the November guidelines.)

This virtual quilt contains my blocks, as well as those from Caroline, Christina, Ginny, Janet (S), Kasey, Kim, Linnea and Maree. Click any of the individual block photos to find out who made it and for a better look.

If you love sampler quilts, too, you might want to come join us this month ;-) 

 If you haven't yet checked out the "design wall Monday" around blog land, you can still enjoy the eye candy--check out the links at the bottom of Judy's blog post.