Tag: Color

Colorblocks 3 Progress

I made some progress on the Colorblocks 3 quilt. I started making blocks using the Square in a Square ruler**. My YM helped with basic directions for that ruler. I used silk I have had for making this quilt since 2003 or so.

Colorblocks 3-laying out blocks
Colorblocks 3-laying out blocks

I had a plan to make 16 blocks only and began laying out the blocks as I finished them.

I started using a limited amount of colors but it soon felt like the silk FQs were multiplying. I kept finding new and different colors in the stack. I had a little of each color, but mostly pink and blues. No big surprise there.

The blocks went together quickly and the Square in a Square ruler was pretty easy to use. I was disappointed that the blocks ended up all being on the bias. I have to check and see if I missed something about how to cut the fabric so the outside wasn’t on the bias. I was careful not to stretch them unless I needed a little ease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Colorblocks 3

Colorblocks 3 - EQ8 layout
Colorblocks 3 – EQ8 layout

Cyndi W suggested we all do a challenge for the Fair. This year it is a color challenge.

For fun, I looked in EQ8 to see if I had any old designs from the previous quilts. Colorblocks is way too old for there to be an EQ8 file. I made that quilt in 1990.

 

Silk FQs
Silk FQs

I wasn’t going to do it, because I have enough on my plate at the moment. Eventually,  I decided I would. I decided that it would be a good opportunity to finally use up that silk fabric I bought a long time ago. Back in the day, I had the intention of making another Colorblocks quilt, then never did. This project has been on my Dream Project list for awhile AND it will qualify for the President’s challenge this year. If I finish it, I will get a lot of bang for my quilt buck.

Colorblocks 3 tester block
Colorblocks 3 tester block

I am using the Square in a Square ruler I bought through the guild last year. I made a test block out of scraps to get a feel for how it would work. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. Except for the bias on the edges, I think it looks great.

I have some time and the piece will be small. Fingers crossed!

Selecting Sauterne

Selecting fabric for Sauterne
Selecting fabric for Sauterne

I received Sauterne with a heavy heart. Not for the message, which I always anticipate, but for the color. Another color I almost never use and never buy. Amazingly, I found a Philip Jacobs print with that color used for some flowers. It was almost perfect.

This print was the third one I found. The speckle gold is a good type to use for this project, but definitely the wrong color.

In the middle is a Heather Bailey print. Again, those tiny leaves right under the postcard are the perfect color, but so small. I didn’t think it was right.

Pantone: Sauterne in Half Night & Noon
Pantone: Sauterne in Half Night & Noon

Finally, I found a 10×10 square (I wonder where that came from?) of an Alison Glass print that actually was the perfect color and also the perfect type of print – a tone-on-tone.

I received another postcard today, so back to the fabric closet for more hunting and gathering.

 

Pantone New Year

I decided I needed to be diligent about the Pantone Project blocks. I put my nose to the machine and started working hard on them. I want to have another group to give to Julie on Sew Day. I don’t know that I will be able to make them all. I can try.

New Year's Pantone selection
New Year’s Pantone selection

I am in the process of making a second batch. On New Year’s Day, I got all the postcards together and selected fabrics for each of the cards, then, interspersed with sashing the Grey Strip donation top, I started making blocks. I did change out the light blue, Pantone 9044, in the middle on the left. You can see the replacement fabric above in the Peaky & Spike block.

I am selecting blocks to make based what I have already made. I have a sort of plan in mind for the final quilt that requires even numbers of blocks.

More Pantone Project

Before I started working on the Disco Double Zip Pouch last Sunday,  I decided I needed to select some fabrics for The Pantone Project. I felt like I had about 20 cards, but I could only find 8.

I think I brought down at least 20 fabric boxes, which is always the thing that keeps me from picking out fabrics as the postcards arrive. It always ends up being fun, however and I seem to have a hard time remembering that. I always find fabrics that I remember buying, but had forgotten about.

Pantone Project fabric selections - Oct 2023
Pantone Project fabric selections – Oct 2023

I was only able to choose the fabrics. I didn’t have a chance to make the blocks yet. I might be able to make them before the next Sew Day.

I am only a little sure about the Apple Green. The background is perfect, but I don’t know what the blue dots do to the overall effect.

 

Butter vs. Margarine?

Pantone 7548: Butter vs. Margarine
Pantone 7548: Butter vs. Margarine

Friend Julie sent me another Pantone Project color postcard last week. On the reverse she wrote that she thought of the color as ‘butter’. I completely lost my mind. I started thinking I was in line for cataract surgery or something, because to me the color looked more like margarine.

As a result, I started running around the house taking photos. I know that all sorts of things -lighting, weather, etc – affect how the camera sees the color, but I have to say that the color in the photo (left) looks pretty true to the color on the postcard.

Living room ceiling and walls
Living room ceiling and walls

My living room has, what I think of as, butter colored walls. It was hard to tell unless I took a photo of the ceiling (white) and the wall (butter yellow). I was pleased to see that I could see a contrast.

 

 

 

Pantone 7548 against living room wall
Pantone 7548 against living room wall

Then I took a photo of the Pantone postcard against the wall. I wasn’t thrilled with the way the paint looked in the second photo. The yellow/butter paint looked white compared to Pantone 7548, but what can a person do? I wasn’t about to set up studio lighting.

 

 

 

 

Pantone 7548 with butter
Pantone 7548 with butter

I actually have butter (as in the food), so I went into my kitchen and compared the postcard to actual butter. Unless I am in need of cataract surgery, I think the yellow in the postcard is brighter.

I don’t mind Friend Julie calling this butter. I am just glad I don’t have any eye problem at the moment.

Does this Go?

I am making another Hackney with some of the Carrie Bloomston fabric. While I was in the North Coast, I saw a ByAnnie zipper in the color called Twilight**. It’s a dark greeny blue, but more blue than green (maybe).

Hackney Color Choices
Hackney Color Choices

I thought it would go well with the Carrie Bloomston fabric, but when I got it home, I wasn’t so sure. The background of the fabric is less blue than charcoal, though the zipper doesn’t not go. I liked the contrasting zipper for the Hand Bone Hackney. This one isn’t exactly contrasting, though, and I might just look like I made a bad choice.

What do you think?

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Pantone Project – 2d Group of Blocks

Pantone Project: 2d group of blocks
Pantone Project: 2d group of blocks

I made more Pantone Project blocks. I am not caught up, but am getting there. Julie had a great post about her blocks and playing with our combined blocks on the design wall.

Making these blocks is providing me with little snippets of sewing now that I am finished with Pies & Points. I still want to get in a groove like I did with the Flying Geese project a million years ago (2015), but I am not there yet.

This is really the first time I have looked carefully at Pantone colors. I am not sure what they are trying to do. They have a LOT of beiges and other neutrals. They don’t have many bright, clear colors – or as many as I would like. I guess I should go read their website.

First Pantone Project Blocks

First Pantone Project Blocks
First Pantone Project Blocks

I finally (FINALLY!) made some Pantone Project blocks and handed them off to Julie when we were at PIQF.

I know there are a small number shown here, but along with the fabrics I have selected, I feel like I have made a good start. I am in the process of making the other blocks. Once I do that I will be caught up and should be able to make a couple of blocks per week. Fingers crossed.

Center Finished – Rainbow Strip

Rainbow Strip Center Finished
Rainbow Strip Center Finished

I finished the center of the Rainbow Strip donation top using the leaders and enders technique as I worked on the Project Bags.

I am pleased with how it looks, though it does need a border. I am thinking white, but that may not finish the quilt enough. It could be if there is a colored binding applied. I don’t have control over the binding unless I make one to go with the top and back.  Hhhhmmm.

Rainbow Color Strip Donation Top

Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall
Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall

I finally bit the bullet and started putting the Rainbow Color Strip Donation top together. Once I finished all the Orange Strip donation blocks, I needed another leaders and enders projects while I put the Orange You Glad quilt top together. I decided that enough was enough and to get busy on this top.

Finished is better than perfect, right?

Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall-detail
Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall-detail

As usual, I don’t have a pattern. While I sort of have a plan, it is subject to change based on the number of blocks. At the moment I am going with a width of 7 blocks plus sashing for the center of the quilt.I am reserving the right to make it larger once I can move the blocks to the large design wall and see what I have. I have a feeling I will need to make a bit larger, but I want to minimize making more blocks, if I can.

I don’t have enough space on my design wall for all the blocks I have made (remember most of these except the yellow are leftovers from the other Color Strip donation quilts). You can see the blue blocks and the white blocks in the photo at the top floating around. This is one reason why I feel so anxious about the various projects going on.

Rainbow Color Strip leaders & enders-detail
Rainbow Color Strip leaders & enders-detail

I need the space on the large design wall for two quilts. The Orange You Glad piece and the Rainbow Color Strip top are jockeying for position in my mind and it is starting to make me a little crazy. This is the point where I usually focus on one quilt, but I can’t (don’t want to??) in this case. I need leaders and enders and the sashing for the Rainbow Color Strip top is great for leaders and enders. And I really want to make progress on the Rainbow Color Strip top.

Putting on the sashing is relatively easy and makes the blocks ready to put together. I may have to add more sashing to the end blocks, if I make the quilt wider, but we will see.

All of this means I am not quilting the Tarts. It is still on my mind, don’t worry. I just need to get through this patch of piecing crazy. This is a great example of why UFOs are really not good for my process. If I had finished the Tarts back in 2010, they wouldn’t be making me crazy as well. It is really hard to enjoy my quiltmaking when I feel pulled in so many directions. Yes, this is a #firstworldproblem and one of my own making.

Orange You Glad Leaders & Enders

I used the trimmings from my bullseye blocks to make some more donation blocks. These started out as the orange Color Strip blocks like I made before. However, the strips were pretty thin and I quickly tired of sewing them together and making, what felt like, no progress.

I decided that arranging the strips vertically would work. I, later, realized this change would be an evolution in the process (or series). Now I have quite a few of them and soon will be able to make another donation quilt.

I am NOT starting it, though, until some of the other projects are off my design wall.

 

Pantone Green Again

Julie and I went out the other day to Golden State Sewing. We usually meet for lunch and visit the Granary, but I suggested we change it up. They have really good fabric at Golden State. More on the visit later.

One of the things I wanted to do was look for fabrics for The Pantone Project for the cards with which I was struggling. We also chatted about ‘good enough’, which is de rigeur for this project. We agreed that neither of us want to buy a lot of fabric.

Pantone 350 choices (green)
Pantone 350 choices (green)

I finally crawled up into the fabric closet and got down the cool solids bin and pulled out the greens I remembered. Neither were exactly right, but Julie and I decided that two of the three fabrics would work.

We think the Tula Pink Tiny Dots is the right color, but lighter. We think the top right solid is dark enough, but doesn’t have that black (or brown?) tinge to it. We agreed that either would work.

One strategy I haven’t tried is comparing the postcards to the color cards I have. As I said, though, I don’t want to buy a lot of fabric; I’d like to use what I have.