A Lesson in Value, Part 2

Taken together, these shots of the two versions of my Road Trip Redux blocks illustrate the importance of choosing the right value of the fabrics in a design. The first version uses two coral fabrics I already had in my stash, and the lighter coral proved to be so similar in value to the slighter darker coral, that the design was muddied. The second version is the same, except I replaced the blocks with the problematic fabric, using a lighter value coral.

The design reads much more clearly with the corrected value in the second shot. I hope the extra step of replacing the fabric will help me remember to bite the bullet and get the right fabrics in the first place when what I have stashed is questionable. Quilting takes too much time to use fabrics that aren't right for the design!

Up next: a few more rows on the design and a review of the Road Trip Redux pattern. I have some thoughts.

Aerial Grove Quilt, Modern Improv Applique

I've been smitten with the Aerial Grove Quilt from Savor Each Stitch by Carolyn Friedlander since I first saw it in person when she spoke to my guild. The quilt is just beautiful. So, when Pat Sloan asked me what quilt I most wanted to make in 2015, I had an easy answer. There's nothing like committing on live radio for motivation.

I knew I loved the quilt, but I didn't expect to love making the quilt as much as I have. I don't make quilts from a pattern very often because I don't enjoy prescriptive sewing as much as improv. This project is the perfect marriage of the two.

Each "squircle" is cut freehand, from a folded piece of fabric, making each shape unique. I love that the applique shapes are improvised rather than cut from a template.  Because the shapes are irregular, there is no need to stress about making them identical as you sew them to the background strips using a needle turn applique method. The shapes are organic, coming from the inspiration of a grove of trees, as seen from above in an airplane.

Creating columns of shapes encourages color and value play. You can create color gradations or rhythms with the value of the fabrics you choose. The more fabrics, the more play; scraps welcome. There's a lot of room for adding your own voice to the quilt. Search the hashtag #aerialgrovequilt to see lots of version on Instagram (Not on Instagram? Get on! There is a treasure trove of quilting inspiration to be found.).

The project is also great because it is very portable. I worked on the applique panels during my sons' practices, and it was finished inside of a month! I was surprised how quickly it came together.
I'm working on the improv background this week. I chose to make the quilt throw size, but the book has options for several sizes, from table runner to queen size.

I'm a huge fan of Carolyn Friedlander's patterns and aesthetic. I think it takes a unique mind and sense of style to create applique that modern, fresh, and compatible with an improv approach. Frankly, she's a genius. I've loved the process of this quilt every step of the way.

Rugby Stripe Quilt

I finished up my Rugby Stripe Quilt this past week and have been waiting for a pause in the rain to snap a few pictures.    The color scheme and blocks were inspired by Samantha's blocks which she has now transformed into this unique sewing machine cover.  I enjoyed working with the rather unexpected combination of chartreuse, navy, plum, aqua and black, and I was able to use up quite a few of my 2 1/2" scrap strips.

I made 40 Rugby Stripe blocks (you can find a tutorial for the block here).  In this 8 x 5 setting, the quilt finishes at 56" x 70" which is a nice throw size.

I love the bird print from Violet Craft's Waterfront Park line on the back.  It's just the right scale, and the Comma dot binding frames the quilt nicely.

I quilted in a simple meander which I find to be a good choice for busy quilts like this one.  I've placed this quilt in my shop.

My Week

I unearthed this work in progressed and have now been quilting it, for a week.  Now that I've seen the beauty of dense quilting, I'm finding it hard to do anything else, and on a large lap quilt it takes time.  I think it will be worth it though.

I was somewhat disappointed with this quilt top, back in September 2011 because my inattention to value made the overall design less obvious.  The rectangles don't all form clear pinwheels.  I am attempting to remedy the problem by quilting the yellow and gray pinwheels with a different design.  I chose two designs from Angela's book: paisley and chain squares (although mine are rectangles).

Wrangling a big quilt through my little machine makes for some wobbly free motion quilting, but I think I'm going to love it, especially after it is washed.  And it's definitely better than leaving the top hanging in the closet any longer.

Valuable Lesson

So I've heard about value and it's importance in quilt design, and I've seen the cool HST quilts that play with value.  Katie even has a tutorial on it.  I've never really thought about it much though - until now.

I was happily making oversized pinwheels in a favorite new color combo.  Isolated, they read very clearly, but something happened when I put the quilt together.  The pinwheels kind of got lost.

It's interesting to find that, even though the colors are very distinct, the yellow and gray pinwheels blend right together where their values are too similar, particularly the lighter fabrics.

I can't decide if I want to rip it apart to weed out the offenders, or try to save the design with some emphatic quilting.  It may get shelved for a while.  Anyway, lesson learned!