Do you have THAT box?... you know, the one with all the orphaned blocks from past quilts?
I've had it in my head for quite some time now to make good use of a few of the blocks that had been packed away in THAT box. I was first inspired to make an orphan block sampler from Julie... I just needed to accumulate enough blocks that didn't make the cut were set aside for their special day. It was actually quite fun to pull them out again and think about what had inspired me to make each one of them in the first place.
You might even recognize a few from some of my previous projects. These first two blocks are actually from my most recent finish... any ideas?
... yup, that's Tiptoe Through The Tulips from my table runner project! Just a little redo to give a whole new makeover to these blocks.
I most certainly don't need to tell you how versatile half square triangles are. Since I was so undecided about my half square triangle quilt, it was nice to play with a few other arrangements that didn't make it in the original quilt.
Remember this finish from last year? My basket project, Modern Beauty table runner? I still had several orange peels left over to make another block.
ahhh... freezer paper, how I love you, let me count the ways. While working on my video tutorial for freezer paper applique, I ended up making several buttons in the process (free template here). These notions are far too fun to be left in the unfinished pile!
While in the middle of my let's-freezer-paper-everything phase (even if it doesn't need to be), I found this fun pinwheel/circle block, and just had to try it.
Even though I am very well
aware of my color tendencies, I have to admit that I was quite surprised about the softness of the colors and the overall feel. The surprise is that it's not my usual popping contrasts that I so often lean towards.
With this quilt, I've tried to either use blocks from previous projects or fabric that was already cut from previous projects. The only newly cut fabric will be the low volumes that I use to connect the blocks. The cherry on the top is that it doesn't take much time for a quilt top to come together!
Linking up to Let's Bee Social
Before I share about all the moving and shifting that's been happening on my design wall these days, just in case you happened to miss it... today is the last day to say 20% in my Payhip shop to celebrate the release of my Tiptoe Through The Tulips quilt pattern (sale code: Tiptoe)
... so, you may recall seeing one of my most recent design debates when I started my half square triangle project with no real plan in mind... honestly, I was just trying to use up some too-good-to-throw-away cut-offs.
but, as usual, I decided to add to it, it grew, and well, you know the rest. As I suspected of myself, I didn't go with any of the layouts that I had first played around with, but an offset flower/bloom design, filling in with the various low volumes.
... AND, of course my Penny Sampler is still on my wall, andI have to say that what I really appreciate about the pattern is that there are several techniques used throughout. I find that I get a little bored if it's just making what feels like 1000 of the same block over and over. I suppose that I really went through a freezer paper applique phase a while back... even using it on things that could be made without it. Despite putting to the side for a bit, I still totally love it, and it's been fun for me to pick it back up.
When I was making the Little Bird block, I was thinking about the best background choice for this. I decided that an all-time Tim Holz favorite of mine would be quite fitting with the music notes... this little bird is my songbird.
I love blocks that have fun names to them, and I really like how this Anna Maria Horner fabric adorns this little feathered friend, Dilly Bird.
... speaking for Ms. Horner, her fabrics were just made for fussy cutting... don't you think?
After spending so much time keeping projects under wraps, it's really fun to share a little of what I am working on at the moment. With my big deadline out the of the way, I'll enjoy a little "breather" sewing before the next big push.
Linking up with Let's Bee Social.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a flurry of half square triangles in the making. This is a fun little mindless sewing, scrap busting project that I started recently to rescue several cut away triangles from my last few projects. Now, I'm not exactly the epitome of a "never throw a scrap away" kind of girl, but some scraps are just too good to toss.
So, as with almost every project that I start... who needs a plan? Just make it up as you go, and if you're going to do it at all, then do it big! Go big, or go home, right? I've also been adding other scraps as well as a few of those this-fabric-was-just-made-for-this favorites. I've been saving this Heather Ross fabric for a long time for just the right project, and I'd have to say it belongs in this quilt!
I've been having fun experimenting with the endless layout possibilities of the most simple quilting unit out there. Here's a few that I've come up with so far. These first two have potential, but I'm not completely sold on either layout:
I've been thinking that I would like to do an Ocean Waves quilt. As an individual block I think it's nice, but I'm not so convinced when there are more units together... perhahps a little too busy and bright?
Speaking of busy, meet the "take the cake" version! I really like the layout of this block, but it just feels like it needs more thought about negative space to bring a calm to the bold contrasts.
So, in an effort to create more negative space, I tried this Bunting Block version. I like the idea of the negative space, but perhaps now there is too much negative space, leaving me with too many left over HST's.
Well, I suppose this just means that I'm back to the drawing board, but there are a few more favorite fabrics that "need" to be added to the mix...
Do you have any good half square triangle layout ideas?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
