Sunday, January 15, 2017

Purple

This is my third year participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy.  Angela picks a colour each month; last year it was a colour with hits of a secondary colour, and we work with that colour.  Some people make multiple small projects throughout the month, most (I think) make a big ongoing project throughout the year.

Last year I ended up doing two ongoing projects. The first was planned, to use my Whirling Star block I designed, the second was basically a squirrel, a DrEAMi! that grabbed me in March, when the colour of the month was purple.  It was Red Rover, a lap quilt in Cozy Modern Quilts, Kim Schaefer's book that I had out of the library, and subsequently bought because I love every quilt in it! I dropped everything and made 6 blocks in, you guessed it, PURPLE!  We had to add a bit of yellow.
Even Bella's favourite beat-it-up toy, her spider-baby, is purple!
Thus Pop Rocks was born, along with a year of playing even more, read fascination, with gradation in colour.  Pop Rocks has still not grown up into flimsy form.  With no plan in mind, it grew into a large number of blocks, 54, I believe, that don't, as of yet, a proper quilt size make.

During the first year of RSC for me, 2015, LeeAnna's cow blocks at Not Afraid of Color grabbed me (see the squirrel problem yet? Ooh I've got it bad.  But do not shake your head in dismay, because all these squirrels have led to wonderful results...somewhere in there there is an acorn to oak tree analogy...)
It took me the better part of two years to get this to flimsy form.  The aunt for whom this is destined loves purple.  Note the final border.  Note as well the purple churn dash on the side of the barn, which, at 6", is half the size of the other churn dashes.

Which brings me to the RSC2017 and January's colour: pure, pleasing, perennial purple.  I told you I designed the barn block basing it on Lori Holt's Barn Along 2013, another blogger's take on Lori's barn, and evolved that blogger's take on the barn to my own version.  During the designing and construction of this barn block, I had an epiphany in the purple haze of my brain:  HOUSES!!
This is the second quilt book I bought, (the first was Pioneer Sampler by Eleanor Burns) and in the cull of books and magazines before the big move last Fall, this one definitely did not get culled.  I have wanted to make the quilt on the cover from Day 1.  It apparently isn't a house block, but a schoolhouse block.  Both names work in my world because: A. I am a teacher; from my skin to my heart, I love to teach and B. I am a homebody.  Home is a presence, a state; it's peaceful, calm, sustaining.  So this is my block for the RSC2017 BUT.... with a quilt block on the side!  (clap hands) Guess there's an emoji for that👏

I sat with this photo off Amazon in front of me, (because my copy is in the storage box right) and drew on graph paper until I had a block that would work for me.  I want 6" blocks on the side of the house (seem to have developed a 'thang' for these babies thanks to Tula Pink's City Sampler and the 150 Canadian Women quilt along) and so it became a 16" finished block! I figure 10 blocks will give me an 80" square quilt before borders, before any Irish chain additional blocks if I want it to look like the one on the cover!

So without any further ado, here is my first block for the 2017 RSC:
I look at it and this is what goes through my mind:
  • Dayna! - the vast majority of my relatively few purple scraps are from quilts and quilted items for her
  • her Mariner's Compass quilt
  • her Shoot for the Moon --still need to write a proper post worthy of this quilt and the daughter who so deserves it
  • Brady! - the owl in the window (a find in the 2.5" squares bin that made me grin with glee) from his Jack and Friends quilt
  • New York City - a hobo bag I made with NYC fabric purchased at The City Quilter
  • Maren's quilt...Judy! her mum and a good friend...Edmonton...
  • the Cows quilt, ah the farm...
  • Ohio Star - mmm, good friend Julie of Pink Doxies
  • Moda Grunge, how I love thee and need more colours
How I adore scrappy quilts.  I plan to set each house in a colour-of-the-month garden of flowers.  I also plan to post a tutorial for this block in short order.  My gift to you, my readers. 😁

Linking up with
soscrappy for Scrap Happy Saturday
Patchwork Times
Cooking Up Quilts




17 comments:

  1. This is a beautiful block. This will be a gorgeous quilt. I can picture it in my mind. Love this idea.

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  2. How fun! The barn looks great in purple and it will be fun to see this grow over the year.

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  3. I love that little owl peeking out of the center of the star!
    What a wonderful quilt this will be!

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  4. Having the block on the side, especially the owl, makes this really unique. Love the idea of flower gardens in the same colors. Keep up the good work!

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  5. Favorite phrase: "... from my skin to my heart." I will use that again.
    Favorite image: Well, my cow friends, of course! Although, I have loved watching those rectangle ones of the different colors evolve.

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  6. What a great idea...I love the quilt block on the side of the house. Looking forward to seeing more blocks unfold.

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  7. I'll be looking forward to your tutorial, as the last Schoolhouse block I made was a bit of a challenge! I have to tell you that I'm not a fan of cows. I'm not, but I really like how you expanded on a theme with your Cow Quilt. The cows, the bull, the Hole in the Barn Door blocks, the barn, AND a barn quilt... AWESOME!!

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  8. I love your house block in all it's glorious purple. How fun it's going to be seeing more of these blocks and especially the finished project.

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  9. I do like the "quilt barn," or "quilt house" blocks. RSC provides a great focus for all of our "squirrelling"! It's fun to see how each of us uses the monthly color. I have a couple of That Patchwork Place books that I will keep no matter what -- 20+ years later they are still go-to for designs and techniques.

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  10. You just summed up in the last paragraph what I love about quilts. Most have a story to tell. Sometimes the only person that knows the true story is the maker, but each fabric has a memory and blocks can have deep meanings. I think this is the perfect block for 2017 and I can't wait to see how this quilt come together through out the year.

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  11. I really don't believe your churn dash Cow quilt has taken two years . It's only a blink of an eye since it first appeared . And you're right , every quilt tells a story which begins with the personal

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  12. Ummm and your faithful reading-and-commenting-on-every-post sister doesn't deserve a mention when you discuss people whose favourite colour is purple?! LOL, you've only know me my whole life and for that entire century (LOLOL) purple has been my fave! <3
    Just kidding :p

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  13. An inspirational post as always Sandra. I love to hear your view on all things Quilts, yoga, pets, all things Canadian etc.... The ideas you have for your quilts are amazing and the way in which you describe the memories that are attributed to each quilt are so true...😀 And whats not to love about purple 😀

    Hugs from your friend across the water
    Sue xx

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  14. I love your house block! What inspiration for the RSC 2017! It will be so much fun to see your blocks! Thank you for sharing!

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  15. Moo
    I really like your cow quilt, of course. And the top is finished, more than I can say. I thought about doing those house blocks... very fun to see in your fabrics.

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  16. The cows are adorable but I think the owl takes the cake! I think pop rocks will be a stunning quilt. It is just not ready yet. In the mean time, I do not hear any one complaining about too much eye candy :-D
    Love to hear what you have to say to Linda. looks like she got you :-)

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  17. I remember the cows, those are such fun block. They made a very fun quilt. Looking forward to seeing your rainbow houses this year. I've got a house block quilt on my to do list. Not happening this year (or at least I don't think so, but you haven't posted the tutorial yet!).

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