Playing with Blocks
Well, not really, but I have been having a whole lot of fun with quilt blocks.
Quilting is my latest attempt to deal with stress effectively and get my blood pressure down. I don't think the blood pressure part is working but it is an effective stress outlet so maybe that will improve over time. Anyway, I am posting the stuff I've been working on.
I have two quilt tops I'm currently working on. One, the first one is a denim top I am calling "Breaking All The Rules" (yes I am going to name everything I make, just like with the jewelry. I have a denim problem, as in I have been hoarding it for well over a decade and now am finally putting it all to use making quilt blocks. Now, I've seen some denim quilts before and I've heard that they are VERY heavy to sleep under if they are made of just denim. They are also supposedly hard to quilt through, so we will see about that as well. I've used a lot of printed fabric to offset the weight and I think the finished top will be okay. This will be the first quilt top I made myself...and the second I will quilt - or have quilted, not exactly sure how that's gonna work yet. Apparently machine quilting is available at .01 per inch. Haven't talked to the woman about it yet, just heard it through the grapevine. I've also got a line on a quilt frame too, so if the denim proves too hard to quilt through, to the machine quilter it will go. I plan to give it to my daughter - I've made it with her in mind (hence the name).
I may have to make a smaller quilt - maybe lap quilt size in a boy material scheme for my grandson. Apparently he wears the cammo beanie I knitted for him all the time. I wish I could see that. Probably will have to knit him another since I think this winter will see his head too big for it. I want to make him a lap quilt that is his own, or even one for his bed, dunno yet.
I have started on the top for a quilt for our bed as well. 12 inch blocks and I will need 30 - I think, to make it queen-sized.
Following are some pics of my efforts. Don't laugh. This is completely self education via books, internet tutorials (I've been burning up Pinterest like nobody's business) and observation.
Here's the quilt top I'm making for our bed:
And here's how it started out:
Hoffman Fabrics 1895 Spearmint Batiks
Cut pieces with background fabric
Trying my hand at chain piecing - it really saves time.
Quilting has a 'dark side' - hehe we press to the dark fabric.
Some of the pieced units.
21 pieces each block!
The pattern is called "Antique Tile" and it's all angles, squares and rectangles, very easy to put together. That's why I chose it. I learned my lesson with "Breaking All The Rules" Anyway, you can see the secondary patterns emerging, there's a five/nine patch and an equal armed cross. I'm excited at how well the colors look together and the over all symmetry. I think I done good.
Quilting is my latest attempt to deal with stress effectively and get my blood pressure down. I don't think the blood pressure part is working but it is an effective stress outlet so maybe that will improve over time. Anyway, I am posting the stuff I've been working on.
I have two quilt tops I'm currently working on. One, the first one is a denim top I am calling "Breaking All The Rules" (yes I am going to name everything I make, just like with the jewelry. I have a denim problem, as in I have been hoarding it for well over a decade and now am finally putting it all to use making quilt blocks. Now, I've seen some denim quilts before and I've heard that they are VERY heavy to sleep under if they are made of just denim. They are also supposedly hard to quilt through, so we will see about that as well. I've used a lot of printed fabric to offset the weight and I think the finished top will be okay. This will be the first quilt top I made myself...and the second I will quilt - or have quilted, not exactly sure how that's gonna work yet. Apparently machine quilting is available at .01 per inch. Haven't talked to the woman about it yet, just heard it through the grapevine. I've also got a line on a quilt frame too, so if the denim proves too hard to quilt through, to the machine quilter it will go. I plan to give it to my daughter - I've made it with her in mind (hence the name).
I may have to make a smaller quilt - maybe lap quilt size in a boy material scheme for my grandson. Apparently he wears the cammo beanie I knitted for him all the time. I wish I could see that. Probably will have to knit him another since I think this winter will see his head too big for it. I want to make him a lap quilt that is his own, or even one for his bed, dunno yet.
I have started on the top for a quilt for our bed as well. 12 inch blocks and I will need 30 - I think, to make it queen-sized.
Following are some pics of my efforts. Don't laugh. This is completely self education via books, internet tutorials (I've been burning up Pinterest like nobody's business) and observation.
Here's the quilt top I'm making for our bed:
And here's how it started out:
Hoffman Fabrics 1895 Spearmint Batiks
Cut pieces with background fabric
Trying my hand at chain piecing - it really saves time.
Quilting has a 'dark side' - hehe we press to the dark fabric.
Some of the pieced units.
21 pieces each block!
The pattern is called "Antique Tile" and it's all angles, squares and rectangles, very easy to put together. That's why I chose it. I learned my lesson with "Breaking All The Rules" Anyway, you can see the secondary patterns emerging, there's a five/nine patch and an equal armed cross. I'm excited at how well the colors look together and the over all symmetry. I think I done good.