Tuesday, December 29, 2020

To Do Tuesday and The Current Quilt Process

Last list of the year, well last public one that is. I make lists mentally and physically in my day planner every day! 

Several items need to get done by the 31, never mind the 5th of January.
1. Finish my December challenge quilt for Island Batik.
2. Write my Best of 2020 post
3. Write a planning for 2021 post, maybe. I already have a mental list started but I do believe in writing goals and directions down, though I don't always state them publicly, but doing that helps keep one accountable, doesn't it?
4. Write my gratitude post for Thursday.
5. Finish at least one more item on my Q4FAL List. The completion rate has been dismal this quarter but that's because I spent a major amount of time, and still need to spend a wee bit more, on a quilt for an upcoming magazine.

Process of the Island Batik challenge quilt. We were to make a medallion quilt, minimum size 36" per side. Earlier this year we did a borders challenge, which is very similar to a medallion quilt. Mine was centred on my House Block, available for purchase in my Etsy shop, and certainly a best seller of mine. See link on sidebar. That quilt was called #stayhome, and that is the link to it.

This one started (cough) easily (cough) enough with a feathered star, something I've always wanted to do. My good friend bought me Marsha McCloskey's Feathered Star Quilt Blocks I book for a birthday present many years ago.
Partial seams out the yin yang


Amethyst, Frog and Jelly on the Basic Grey, make for a beautiful feathered star! It sure got the love on Instagram.
Ta da!

The rounds have been causing some hard, albeit great, brain work, both math and creativity-wise. I love stretching my brain. Here are some process pics, the first few of which were on Instagram.
HSTs forever. I made the 8 at a time method, as opposed to Marsha's method, which I did use for the feathers of the star. This was because I wasn't sure how many I wanted, and in what colours.


Just how many? 68  around the four sides. Coping strips of 1/2" finished were added to the four sides to bring the star to 16". I need an even number to make this arrangement. Each HST finishes at 1".

Round two... hmmm.... stars in the four corners, pulling in a new colour, aqua. Always wanted to make this one again (or maybe it's the first time I've made it, but I think I used it in my 150 Canadian Women quilt--I did! Gosh I love my blog; within 30 seconds I found the post where I made it with notation as to where it's from). I believe I saw it in a magazine somewhere a few years ago, and drafted it. (I did; you can find the link by checking out my post, mwahaha.) It's very similar to one of the ones already in this quilt by Next Step Quilting Designs. Kat is doing a rerun of this popular quilt (which I WILL finish in 2021).

Four corners complete, now to join them. This striped design is actually planned because I know what I am going to quilt in it, ha! All aqua? Insert a pop of a warm colour, orange? This one is 'Flame'.

Thank you to Tish and her friend, Suzy, who pushed me to go for the Flame pop. I am just not comfortable with orange...

Something I knew from early on, was pulling the lime, 'Frog', into the four corners as 'rays'.

What to do to tie those rays together, and pull in some more orange...
Use my Corner Pop II from Deb Tucker, one of this year's sponsors!

Test piece using some other Island Batik beautiful fabrics. I only have half yards of these Basics and Blenders that I'm using in this quilt. Yep, I like this idea.

Now for colours in that row. Another thing I knew was that 'Amethyst' triangles would go in the centre of the four sides. Again, math was needed to figure out how to get this round to work with triangles made with HRTs in a 30" span.

That round seemed rather busy to me. What if I pulled the orange into the corners? I liked this better. Then have the small triangle pops in 'Fuchsia'. Hmmm.... yep yep yep... I think...
Less colour dancing across the border, but Fuchsia didn't pop so well.

Phone a friend time... Both Tish and MacGyver (didn't have to phone him, just got him to come up and take a look, though he says he defers to me for colour).  Well, dang it all, they both liked the first one.  I slept on it. MacGyver said, "Well jeez it's your quilt! Do what you want!" But orange and I don't always get along...

Ooh! This kind of happened, and I like it! I need that orange pulled into the corners too; it 'finishes' the stripe, like connects them, you know? What if I didn't have any 'Jelly' (the mauve) and just used 'Aqua' as the larger triangles? NOW Fuchsia pops.

Fuchsia is pretty strong, though, what if I alternate Frog...

I felt that the quilt went too Aqua in that last photo, so I've gone back to Amethyst large triangles which pulls that colour through to the edges.

Do I overthink? Ya think?

But it is fun, though headache-inducing at times!

Will that be the final round? At this point, I'm thinking yes. The quilt will be 38" square, so it meets the requirements.  Stay tuned as to whether the Frog pops remain, and for the final quilted quilt!

Linking up with Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us.

Apologies, but I won't be responding to your comments (and please feel free to NOT comment), although I will read them. I do have rather a lot of sewing (and post writing) to get done!

17 comments:

  1. Hi,
    Love the Medallion Star block...so pretty. The colors go so
    well with each other...I never would of thought of using orange here..but it really makes the star pop. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kathy R.,
    This is going to be one pretty quilt. Love the colors, the medallion and the stars. I'm looking forward to seeing it finished. petuniakr@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. How fun to read your process in choosing colors. I love your colors and can't wait to see the finished quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sandra! No need for a reply (ever) BUT OMG!! This is a stunning piece and each round is better than the next. Although, quite honestly, that center medallion - your additions really highlight it so nicely. I just cannot wait to see this all finished. What a way to end the year and IBA with a big bang. Happy Happy New Year, my friend! Thanks for linking up. ~smile~ Roseanne

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a big "WOW" from me. I also have the Marsha book, but made one from Trudi Hughes book instead. Have done that corner star too. How eerie is that? I don't mind no reply as I understand how busy you are & that deadline is looming for the magazine. I'll look forward to your next post & I should be planning for next year as it's only 2 days away. Yikes!!!! Take care, stay safe & warm. Huggles from down under.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your medallion quilt is looking amazing, Sandra! I love those purples and greens together!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks good, I love the orange additions. I also like the alternating frog pops.

    ReplyDelete
  8. No, Sandra, you are not over thinking, you are designing as you go, following your creative heart and learning as you do. It's fun to create in this iterative process. I'm so glad I got to read about your process. Happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  9. No need to reply, but I just have to say that medallion quilt is looking amaaaazing; and I don't like medallion quilts. You do keep converting me :-) Can't wait to see it finished. As someone else has already said what a way to finish as an IBA. Now to go look at that star...did someone say squirrel.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love the description of your thought process as the design progressed. Good luck with getting everything dome

    ReplyDelete
  11. And if anyone needs any encouragement the pattern for the woven star is 40% off until 3 January...just saying :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, I so get the brain work on this, as I'm working through my project for the upcoming Stay at Home Round Robin. This is just gorgeous, Sandra! Have fun finishing this one - it's a keeper!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That feathered star is just beautiful, esp along with those sawtooth borders. Great project!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a wonderful job you are doing on this quilt! I love the use of coping strips, it happens. This will be absolutely fabulous when you are done. Good luck with your goals...I am finishing up one tonight while doing two zooms!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, I was just so taken with the feathered star with it's luscious lime and purple...and then I kept scrolling, and the quilt got bigger and more colorful yet. What a wonderful project to end your ambassadorship!!I will miss your Island Batik posts, but I am sure your creative quilty plans will continue to fascinate us.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy New Year! My head would hurt after doing the feathered star, let alone the outer border pieces. I don't know how I missed this post, although I did see some of the pics on IG (haven't been there in two days either, not that I have anything productive to show for it). Anyway can't wait to see how this turns out and how you quilt it.
    Pat

    ReplyDelete