Abendrot - Decisions Made

Once all 35 WOF pairs were pressed, it was time to make a decision on Abendrot's design.

I have always loved the Candy Coated design from Amanda Jean Nyberg's book Sunday Morning Quilts.

So much so that I've made two scrappy quilts using that design - Metamorphosis and Groundhog Day.

Now Abendrot will be the third.

Step one was to calculate the sub-cut length - after some time with the calculator I decided to go with 8.5" (8" finished) segments.

Step two was to sort all those segments onto nine plates in order to evenly distribute the fabrics amongst the rows.

I have at least 2 extra segments on each plate so I'll be able to edit as I stitch each row.

Once the rows are created, I'll arrange them on the design wall.  

I'm not in any particular hurry to get Abendrot done (which is a good thing) but I do want to get the first row sewn to satisfy my own curiosity.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Finding your unique style . . . it's following the breadcrumbs of the things you like."

Grace Chon

Metamorphosis - The Quilt

Metamorphosis is finished!

49" x 63"

Free motion quilted using Hobbs 80/20 batting 

and Glide thread in Warm Grey

Can you guess where I got the quilting design idea?

(Morning sunlight through the 

window blinds and sheer curtain)

double-click to supersize photo for more detail

Sunshine and shadows on the side yard fence.

I love, love, love the fabrics in the coins and

the quilted texture is wonderful beyond words.

 I'm ridiculously happy 

with this happy, scrappy finish.

* * *

Linking up with The Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

CLICK HERE to see what the others 

are sharing this week

Quiltdivajulie

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"Happiness often sneaks in through a door 
you didn't know you left open." 
(John Barrymore)

My Coins Quilts - AHIQ link up

The current AHIQ quarterly challenge involves 

Chinese / Roman / Stacked coin quilts.

(AHIQ = Ad-Hoc Improv Quilters

organized by Ann and Kaja)

* * *

The first thing I did was to go back through my photos

to see just how many coins quilts I've made

since I started making quilts in 2004 . . .

Collage 1

Upper Left - Blueberry Nonsense (2012)

Middle Left - Afternoon at the Park (gifted 2008)

Lower Left - Joan's Kitty Coins (gifted 2007)

Upper Right - Colorful Coins/Crumbs 

(flimsy awaiting quilting)

Lower Middle 

Mini made with leftovers from Colorful Coins/Crumbs

(also a flimsy awaiting quilting)

Lower Right:  Buttercream (2015)

Photo will supersize if double-clicked

Collage 2

Upper Left - Comforting Chaos (gifted 2010)

Lower Left - Reverse side of Comforting Chaos

Upper Right - Purple Patch I (2008)

(Created for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative 

-- a/k/a the AAQI -- using Purple Patches 

bearing the names of Alzheimer's victims/patients.

This quilt was gifted by AAQI to Zach of WigFlip 

as a thank you for his computer work on behalf of AAQI)

Lower Right - So Many Memories (2009)

(A second purple patch quilt created for Ami Simms, 

Founder of AAQI, to be used in her presentations)

Collage 3

Upper Left - Quiet Time (2015)

Lower Left -  Blue Skies (2015)

Upper Right - Happy Strings (2015)

Lower Right - Coins (donated 2009)

Lower Middle - Sunshine at Midnight (gifted 2007)

* * *

This is the finished back of my current coins project.

(On this kind of scrappy project, 

I press the seams in the segments open

since I don't know where things will fall later)

And a peek at the freshly pressed quilt top

ready to be sandwiched and basted . . .

(all fabrics in this top were rescued from a

multi-year stashing of strings and clean cuts

left behind after previous projects)

Previous posts for this quilt top:

Update 1 

Update 2

Update 3

* * *

Gentle soothing scraps

Transformation of fabric

Metamorphosis

(Haiku for the quilt written by our younger son)

* * *

CLICK HERE for the AHIQ monthly gathering.

It really is worth clicking through to see 

what the others are sharing.

Quiltdivajulie

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". . . being true to things that you personally respond to . . .
this is the only way you find your original voice, 
by following your own instinct."
(Edward Burtynsky)

Metamorphosis

The segments are sewn together

and the rows trimmed to 

approximately 50 inch lengths.

There were enough trimmings 

from the row ends to piece another full row

which will definitely help offset 

the shrinkage from sewing rows together.

This 6" x 28" length is all that was left over.

Yes!

Quiltdivajulie

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No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. 
(Hal Borland)

Pastel Coins - Another Update

This was the scene after trimming 

the 32 coin segments.

There were four maximum-possible widths -

7", 6.75" , 6.5", and 6"

This layout-in-process photo

pretty much says it all.

The remains of the first layout 

are on the lower part of the design wall.

The second iteration is on the upper half.

After considerable experimentation,

the triangles-in-squares blocks were removed

yielding this third iteration.

DH and I agree that the coin segments

look better turned on their sides.

Thankfully, my rough estimate math was wrong.

There are enough coin segments 

to piece the entire 48" x 60" top.

Yes!

* * *

After I move that one errant triangle block,

the three strips will be sewn together

to eventually become a quilted door hanging.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Frankly, I organize for freedom, not for hard work." 
(David Allen, author)

Pastel Coins - an Update

 

This "happy" now lives in my studio.

Her arrival involves a story that includes

a leaking water heater and its replacement

and the related discovery that squirrels 

have been living in our attic.

It also involves going through 

the last few attic-stored-boxes of "kid" stuff

that now no longer reside in the attic.

Most of it had to go into the trash.

The surviving penguins have been 

relocated to eldest son's home.

(he collected them for years)

The box of younger son's vintage Fisher Price toys 

sent me directly to eBay to check values. 

(we are not selling them despite the listing prices)

In the course of searching for 

the marina,  the nursery school,

the swimming pool/umbrella/deck chairs,

the RV camper/rowboat, and the houseboat, 

I found the FP sewing machine and chair.

Sold!

Now - about the pastel coins project.

Over the last couple of weeks,

one plate-full of pre-sorted coin cuts at a time,

I've been stitching coins together.

The resulting segments 

range from 14" to 20" in length.

 I still need to press the seams open

on this final group.

With all 32 segments pieced,

it is finally time to play with layout ideas.

 When I started this adventure,

I took all of the strings and clean cuts

in the low volume box 

and trimmed them to +/- 7-inch lengths.

I had no idea how many

linear inches of coins would result.

A few quick calculations at this point indicate 

that if I can trim all segments to 6.5" widths

and sew my columns without sashing,

I'll come up one column shy of a top 48" x 60"

So close . . .

Back to the scrap stash 

to see what I had to work with.

[insert pause for pondering]

After thinking about it, 

I decided NOT to add the still-needed inches

by piecing new coins to the top/bottom of each segment.

Why?

Some of my favorite images of coins quilts 

made by others are those with inserts 

that contrast in color and/or direction.

CLICK HERE for an example.

With my own opportunity at hand,

I used my 4-inch-finished triangle-in-a-square die 

(the one I used to make Windblown last fall)

to cut up  the very last scraps from

two of my longest-stashed batiks 

along with 7 WOF strips of a grayed neutral.

I like where this is going!

Quiltdivajulie

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"Good instincts usually tell you what to do before your head has figured it out."   (Michael Burke)