Works in Progress or Not

This first project is a sweater I was knitting (no longer in progress).  I almost had it finished when I frogged it.  At the point this first photo was taken I was pleased with the project as the fit seemed good.  The pattern is Gemini by Jane Richmond.  The yarn is Rowan Creative Linen.

After finishing the body and the first sleeve I changed my mind.  The fit no longer seemed good.  The sweater body felt too boxy.  The sleeve was way too wide.  I decided to frog the project and use the yarn with a different pattern.  I think I will use this one -- #14 Leaf Yoke Top by Angela Hahn.

This quilt project is progressing better.  It's another of my crazy quilts for a baby or toddler.  Here are two photos showing parts of the quilt top being pieced.  Lots of color and objects to be found.

This section has a tractor pulling a wagon full of apples, a robot, frogs, and a motorcycle.

My WIP -- Learning About Color in Quilting

I bought a kit to make a color wheel years ago (1993), but never made it as I knew for me the tight points would be an issue.  I decided it was time to tackle it.  I did better with the points than I would have then, but still am not perfectly happy.  The problem is the seams are wider than the points which makes it difficult and then there is the problem of pressing said seams.

Anyway, here it is.  I have finished piecing it (machine and hand), but have not decided how I want to quilt it.

With some of the left-over fabric, I planned and pieced this which I call my Ohio Star color wheel.

Color wheels are used to help learn color theory.  My color wheel kit was designed by Susan McKelvy (author of Color for Quilters.
From the insert which came with my color wheel kit:
Color terms illustrated in the color wheel

Pure Colors:  The color wheel is made up of pure colors (the truest and brightest versions of each color).  This wheel is made up of twelve pure colors.

Light-Dark Contrast (Value):  There are many values of each color from light to dark.  Three are included in this wheel – a light value (tint), the pure color, and a dark value (shade).

Warm-Cool Contrast:  Colors have warmth.  On this wheel, the cool colors (greens and blues of the sky and sea) are on the left and the warm colors (the yellows, oranges, and reds of fire and the the sun) are on the right.

Analogous Colors:  Any colors next to each other on the wheel are analogous.

Complementary Contrast:  Every color has a complement – the color directly opposite it on the wheel.

Colors look different on different backgrounds.

…………….
The twelve colors in my color wheel are
The 3 primary colors:   Red, yellow and blue

In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues

The 3 secondary colors:  Green (yellow and blue), orange (yellow and red) and purple (red and blue)

These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors.

The 6 tertiary colors:  Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green.

These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.

Animal Names Word Quilt – WIP

I previewed some of the word blocks for this quilt earlier.  I have now completed the piecing.  Here’s how the top looks.  Now I have to do the quilting.

Here you can see the bear and camel blocks.
Here is the elephant hiding out in the “n”
Here is the gator in the “a”

Word Play Quilting

You may recall the eye words quilt I made last year and the “Hope quilt” I did for Intueri to help her raise money for Multiple Sclerosis Society.  I ventured into word quilts after finding Lazy Gal Quilting blog.

Recently I bought her book (Word Play Quilts) and decided to make a block for her bah humbug quilt.  My way of thanking her.  Here is the block I made and sent to her:

Here is a close up of the “bug” part.

The activity spurred me to begin working on my next word play quilt which I have been thinking about since the eye words quilt.  This one will be for my dog’s veterinarians (a husband and wife practice).  I meant for it to be composed of only domestic animals but lost to fabric in my stash. 
I really love the dog block.
I have been surprised by the number of animals I have found in my fabrics. 
Anyway, this quilt is a work in progress.  Not sure yet on which animals will make it in but enjoying the work/play.

Heart in Hand Quilt – WIP

Updated 3/2017-- all links removed as many are no longer active and it was easier than checking each one.

This quilt won’t be done in time for Valentine’s Day as I just started it yesterday. It is inspired by this scarf featured on Street Anatomy. I cropped a screen shot, brushed in the heart (suggested by the arterial formation), and then printed it out on a sheet of Colorfast fabric.

There is a long tradition of heart in hand quilt blocks. When searching for the meaning of the symbolism I found several – charity, friendship, compassion.

These photos were taken after I finished the piecing and basting of the quilt. I now have to do the quilting. It will be approx 18 in X 23 in when finished.

Here is a close up of the center which is approx 5 in X 11 in.

1790 Eagle Quilt -- WIP

Updated 3/2017-- all links removed as many are no longer active and it was easier than checking each one.

A few months ago I was contacted by the person who bought my “War Eagle” quilt. She wanted me to take part in a project she is putting together which will feature an “eagle” quilt representing each decade. The decade I get is 1790-1800.

Before agreeing, I pulled out a couple of my quilt books to be sure I knew what quilts looked like during that time frame. I wanted to be sure I could deliver a quilt that looked like it came from 1790.

In Barbara Brackman’s Clues in the Calico (p 14-15)

In the mid-eighteenth century, ……Like the bed quilts, petticoats were of whole cloth, often of silk or glazed wool, quilted with designs such as feathers and flowers.

In Roderick Kiracofe’s The American Quilt --- 1750-1825 Preindustrial America chapter (p 46-48)

Many quilts from this period …. Those quilts tend to be of the “whole-cloth” style, made from a length of fabric that had not been pieced into a design, or of the broderie perse style, which involved the appliquéing of chintz motifs onto a base fabric.

So Sue and I decided it should be a whole cloth quilt. I purchased some white glazed cotton which I found on-line.

I then needed to design the quilting design with an eagle playing a prominent part of the design. What did eagles look like in quilting in 1790? None of my quilting books turned out to be of much help. Quilts with eagles in my books weren’t old enough.

My husband, however, had a perfect book: The Eagle on U.S. Firearms by John W. Jordan. Turns out the eagles during this time frame had downturned wings and a “turkey” neck.

I got lucky in my search. The Book of Patterns and Instructions for American Needlework had a beautiful example of such an eagle in a counterpane from the Henry Ford Museum. The pattern included was meant for embroidery, but I knew I could make it work as a quilting design. All I needed to do was redesign the wings so they went down and turn the oval into a circle.

So now the quilt is designed, I have begun hand quilting it. I am not a fast hand quilter, so it will be a while before I have the finished quilt to show you. I am happy with the design.