Begin WIP reduction

Like so many other quilters I found my self tripping over fabric on the floor, the cutting table, the sewing machine table and on every available shelf.  Time to "deal with it" to some degree.

After making a quilt for a family member, my step-mother had sufficient pieced blocks and fabric left over that I managed to get them off the table by piecing this lap quilt.  It's rather simple with just 9-patches and setting blocks, but it will keep someone cozy.

It's all pinned and ready for some free motion quilting.  That cleared the cutting table.   Now for the next thing to begin.

TST #39 - Friendship Stars

During one of our small quilting group's annual get togethers we decided to exchange friendship stars.  The stars were to be 6-inch blocks and constructed with jewel tones and black.  Each of us were to make sufficient number of the stars to be able to trade with every other person in the group.

Okay so some of us didn't know what "jewel" tones were.  Perhaps some of you out there aren't sure either.  Well think of jewellry and the colours of gems like emerald, ruby, topaz, amethyst, sapphire, etc.  Those are "jewel" tones; the colours are clear, not dulled down or greyed.

Now put those colours with black and you've got POP!  I mean things just sparkle!  This is the quilt that I put together with those friendship stars.

 

Unfortunately the picture doesn't do the quilt justice.  It does sparkle more than the picture shows.  I donated it to a care home and I'm told that the recipient's eyes sparkled just like the quilt.

TST #36 - Two Stripey Stars

Here is an example of what a person can do when you change colour, fabric and size in a pattern.

This pattern was another handout from Quiltsitters, consisting of nine patches and stars.  The first one I made adjusted the size and used a very vibrant striped fabric.  The background colours were pulled from the feature fabric.  Here is the sample of the feature fabric that I used.

Here is the result.  Don't the stars just flame!

TWith some help from my friend Lyn, I resized the pattern for smaller blocks and used a more subdued palette.  Here is a sample of the second set of fabrics I used.

And this was the result.  A bit more calm, wouldn't you say?

Both of these quilts were donated to our local seniors long term care facility.

TST #33 - Not Saturn's Rings

My Quiltsitters group is always coming up with unusual patterns that offer piecing challenges. One of those patterns called for piecing diamonds and nine patches together in such a way as to give the impression of forming a circle.

Here's the lap-sized quilt I created.

The diamonds were pieced of the dark purple and striped fabric.  Can you see the nine patches?  By placement of the light purple squares diagonally and then turning of them sufficiently you get the impression of circles.  Isn't that "cool"?