Kaleidoscope of Butterflies #13

Cathy and I use this monthly linkup to spread the word about butterflies, their beauty, and what we can do to keep them around. While this may not be the month to see many in our areas, we can start some preparations for spring.

If you don't already have milkweed plants, this is a good time to purchase seeds since cold stratification helps them germinate. Here's a good article on growing milkweed from seed.

Save Our Monarchs is currently offering asclepias incarnata milkweed seeds free. Please add a donation so they can continue their efforts. This variety (swamp milkweed) is native to parts of eastern Canada and the lower 48 except the Pacific coast states, Arizona, and Mississippi. See this map for details.

If you check reputable suppliers in your area you'll be doing the greatest good. Buying varieties that are native to your county means they bloom at the "right" time encouraging butterfly migration. Those butterflies have a long journey and need sustenance all along the way. Although the article speaks about Texas varieties, the principle applies everywhere. Here's a list of varieties found in different states.

On the quilting front, the first sawtooth border is sewed to my latest spiderweb. It's looks much better than the original layout after culling the "wider" triangles. There were too many itty bitty triangles to move but I intended to preview some type of floater border once the strip was sewed. In my rush to "get to a stopping point" I forgot. On balance, I'm okay with this. A yellow floater would just make these triangle points a bit further from the vines. A contrasting floater would add emphasis where it's not needed. That's my story now because I'm not unsewing this row.  :-)

While spiderweb is not a kaleidoscope, it's made with a kaleidoscope ruler. And I'm really trying to focus on one project at a time. Well, one and one UFO and one new top. Unless I get sidetracked. Squirrel!

Spiderweb with first sawtooth border attached

I found the limit of my kitchen floor. Not sure where I will be able to take a photo next.

These pretty butterfly fabrics made their way into the triangles.

Butterfly fabrics used in spiderweb

Cathy has a charming tutorial to create butterflies from waste triangles. Take a look.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Adding a Second Sawtooth Border to the Spiderweb

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Your new ideas helped me clarify my thoughts. Being able to articulate them advances my understanding. Some suggestions might have worked better but I'm constrained by the fabric on hand. Running out of yellows {in addition to all the previous background fabrics.}

Several changes make me happier with this quilt. First, pulling some of the wider small triangles creates a more uniform narrow strip. Now it doesn't look so chaotic. More may come out. {There are probably enough leftovers for a new quilt. Sigh.}

I rotated the sawtooth borders so the yellow was on the outside. While it may look better against the toile, it's too dark against the applique vine. At least, it is for me.

Spiderweb quilt with Sawtooth border, yellow to outside.

I tried, without luck, to find something on hand for another narrow border. All the colors that might work are very short, not enough to go around. That worked for the vine border but I'm not ready to to carry it another round.

So I forged ahead with a second sawtooth border. This one is composed of 5" by 7.5" triangles cut casually around thirty degrees. The background fabrics are light greens this time. Even in this poor lighting, the color change emphasizes the yellows in the narrow sawtooth border while the size change balances the borders. And I like busy.

Spiderweb quilt with possible sawtooth borders pinned

Everything is still in rectangles but I feel more confident about sewing the borders. I'm more secure that I don't want another floater border. It would divide these into discrete rows which might make their improvisational character a distraction instead of a feature. Does that make sense? If everything was neat and tidy then floaters would highlight that aspect. Although scrappy, the spiderwebs are neat and regular. The color changes make your eyes move; the floater stops them.

The quilt fills the entire wall but the room is too small to take a full photo.


#AHIQChineseCoins

As soon as this is sewn I plan to pull fabric for #AHIQChineseCoins. I notice Julie's well into construction. What about you?

I've been looking over my Chinese Coins Pinterest board for a month now {Yeah, I started before everyone else} and several groupings come to mind. First is a "boxing" effect caused by using sashing fabric as some of the coins. Look at these examples.

Oldest is this 1930s Pennsylvania Amish quilt on this page. (The first link goes to a photo but the second goes to the site where it is published. The quilt is almost at the bottom but the entire article is enlightening.) She only used two fabrics. I see hints of both old Venetian blinds in an abandoned room and conversely, exotically folded fabrics such as Rami Kim creates.

Another 1930s example is this homespun Chinese Coins collected by Roberta Horton. (Again, first link = photo, second link = website.) The sashings are tan plaids. I'm not sure that any were used as coins but somehow there's a hint of "boxing" to me. And I admire the way the coins are all cut from plaids on the diagonal.

By using bright red sashing and a triple border, Jane Weston created a boxed feeling without using any of the sashing fabric as coins. The few, deliberately softer reds she chose as coins contribute to the "boxing" but I think the border is the biggest factor. Try covering up the border yourself to see what a difference it makes.

Finally, Summer Reading by Timna Tarr. By merely rotating her design ninety degrees she made the boxing effect into beautiful bookcases. {I love her color sense, too.}

Enjoy the day, Ann

Improvisational Sawtooth Border

While I like the vine border, the quilt doesn't seem finished. There is no more of the star background, the light blue gingham, or the bird toile. What to do? Try a contrasting color.

About a month ago, Nana suggested adding yellow, {a color she seems to love as much as Monica.} Yellow perks up against the aqua so I cut a bunch of improv triangles about 4.5" by  2-4", When sewed they trimmed to rectangles 4" long by a variety of widths.

Spiderwebs with second border layout

I'm not feeling the love. There are too many things going on here. The angles of the triangles are incoherent. Might work in a quilt with more improv but just looks odd on this quilt. This border is too narrow to be the outer border.

Thinking yellow might be the problem I cut some in pale green but don't like those any better. So it's not the color. It's really a size and angle issue for me.

Nothing is sewed except the individual rectangles. Timeout for thinking.


Enjoy the day, Ann

AHIQ Link Up March 2016

Lately I've been quilting tops. Most are scrap quilts, although I'm getting ready to quilt the sawtooth improv. I use dry erase markers on a 30"x30" piece of vinyl to preview quilting designs. To keep any residue off the quilts, make sure the same side is always on top. The easiest way is to put painters tape around the edge of one side so you always know which side is up.

Trying out quilting designs on an overlay vinyl

I thought about quilting the zigzags and echoing them on the muslin. (That's my plan on the right.) Tami and ML came up with the better plan on the left.  We all agreed I should stitch in the ditch around the zigzags. So there will be many threads to bury and it will take a while.

Tami pieced a fabulous top based on the Rhythmic Grid score. Take a look. These are her favorite colors - although the entire group would be willing to take this one home!

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because site was hacked.

Metamorphosis and December AHIQ Linkup

I'm still working on the sawtooth quilt. As I wrote in my last post, the original thought was to alternate strips of triangles with a tan or beige sash. Part of the inspiration came from Serenity Now by Lara. Isn't this a calm, sophisticated quilt?  (Of course, she has diamonds that point lengthwise and no sashing.)

But then...
Sujata posted a photo on Facebook of a vintage Ghanaian textile, asking if it inspired anyone to make a quilt. Of course I loved it; it was RED. Narrow strips were woven then sewn together to create the width. Did you notice the areas where the weaver substituted white for red?

Esther Fitzgerald Rare Textiles
- early 20th century, Ewe people, Ghana

It could be interpreted in two sets of Seminole piecing, but that almost seems too literal.

The sawteeth were progressing. While sewing more units of six, I had an epiphany. These rectangular units compare to the red rectangles in the Ghana textile.

Testing different background fabrics
with the sawtooth units.

I pulled quiet cream/white fabrics, quickly deciding white was too severe. Next I pulled browns, tans, yellows or reds to create an insert. The Ghana textile called for bright red; the recipient called for neutral. After cutting a few samples, I got lucky. M-N suggested combining the red and yellow polka dots after dinner one evening. Later I remembered this quilt in Rod Kiracofe's last show.

Quilt from Found/Made show by Rod Kiracofe,
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.

The way the maker cut and seamed along half the polka dot, sometimes matching the colors of the dots and plaids, is masterful. Thank you for the guidance, M-N!

Deciding between dark red
and mustard yellow polka dots.

The yellow reverses to blue which added a subtle variation. Although I tried fussy cutting, the dots on my prints are much smaller than Rod's. My polka dots roam free.

Some sewed inserts with the reversible fabric.

I chose to keep as much of the sawtooth units as possible and optimized the cutting lines to that end.

Improv sawtooth quilt top

This quilt underwent a series of unexpected changes during construction. Evolution or metamorphosis? Did it change in response to external forces or was this quilt always there but needing time to develop? It was beneficial to look, listen, and ponder - steps I intend to do but frequently neglect to take the time. I'm so pleased with the top; the recipient likes it, too.

Detail of improv sawtooth quilt top.

It's on the design wall while I ponder quilting designs.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because site was hacked.

Doodle Quilt

Our book study group is currently on the doodle quilt in Sherri Wood's Improv Handbook. One month we simply doodled in our sketchbooks. ML led the meeting, posed thoughtful questions and kept us (ok, me) on task. Clockwise from top left: Tami, MK, 5 pages by M-N, me.

Doodle sketches from Improv book study

Tami and I discovered our first sketches were quilting designs; we had to lift the pencil to create piecing designs. She chose to explore assembling orphan blocks and other leftovers and may use a round robin/medallion format.  MK decided her striation layers called for more study. I like the Housetops (or quarter log cabins) and want to repeat them in more colors. But my doodle blocks will start with long sawteeth or triangles.

M-N had the most interesting sketches. Starting with discrete units, she connected them with theatrically motivated designs and realized she had sketched The Odyssey! Hopefully she'll write a post about it soon.

We spent another month sewing some of these ideas. I considered restarting to center more on Sherri's guidelines but finally decided to continue with one design. I cut the rectangles freehand but used the ruler on the diagonals. 

In the mean time...

Another friend is graduating college this spring and wants a quilt. Since she attends LSU I expected purple and gold but instead she likes blue and neutrals. It seemed like a good idea to make the sawteeth in her color scheme.

Blue and cream fabrics cut into long triangles

Lots and lots blue and cream/beige sawteeth. My first thought was to sew rows of teeth the length of the quilt and separate them with long tan sashing. To emphasize the fabrics, I sewed pairs of matching triangles together. In fact, sets of 6-8 triangles in the same fabrics seemed to work best.

Repeated fabrics make 
strong sets of sawtooth triangles.

Enjoy the day, Ann