Monday, April 18, 2011

Design Wall Monday

Today I have two different entries for Design Wall Monday. (Don't get use to this productivity. It probably is short lived.) This is the quilt I had started last week. My son who is taking a biology class thinks it looks like the DNA helix- yeah it does a little.



Now when I started I was going to do the Fast Forward version of the Jaybird Quilt pattern. But it ended up being the Unwind version. As far as I can tell the main difference in these patterns is that Fast Forward has a spacer strip between the rows. I think that would be a good version in a larger sized quilt, but I loved the stars that appear when you put the rows right next to each other.

I will do this pattern again. The Creative Grid Lazy Angle ruler makes it easy. Some things to consider if you do this pattern. First a jelly roll has 40 strips and you assemble strip sets for this with 3 fabrics. Now I could have tossed out one strip but instead I took 2 strips from an older Sanae collection that I had left and was able to have more strip sets. There is variety in the jelly roll but I wished I had used more fabrics so that when I sewed the units to each other it, the same fabrics didn't end up next to each other. When I do this again, I will use strips from my stash so I can have a greater variety and I think I may sew the strip sets together so they are around 22" inches long versus 44" inches long. I think you'd get more variety that way. Because I added the 2 strips I got more blocks and I ended up making a quilt top about 60" X 66". This should be great for throwing over the back of the couch.

And here is my newest design wall project - Wonky Butterflies!




Now all the cool kids were doing these last summer and I loved them but I couldn't decide on what I wanted to use for a background. White? Black? Yellow?(I know not a traditional choice but I love yellow!) Well I thought and thought and realized I wanted to make a quilt that I could put on my bed in my blue/white/yellow bedroom, and it came to me -- a light blue background! I knew I wanted to use this fabric for the butterfly bodies -




It is Wordplay by Michelle D'Amore for Benartex. If you look closely you can make out words such as "textures", "inspire", "bright bold colors", and the one that spoke to me "polka dots"! As for the light blue background I didn't have anything in my stash that was enough yardage to do the big quilt I want but I did find 3 different blues that seems to play well together and I'm using them. Every butterfly will be unique and have dots. If my calculations are correct (and math has never been my strong suite) there should be 177 different butterflies. This is my favorite kind of project and I am jazzed to be working on it. Too bad people around here want clean clothes and meals. Oh well I will find the time to sew on this all week.

Happy stitching-
carol fun

7 comments:

  1. The lazy angler ruler impresses me more and more! Love your Unwind Star top! One of these days, I need to try one myself... it's on the list.

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  2. I just love that "DNA" quilt!! I think yours looks great but I see what you mean about using more fabrics from your stash to really make it look scrappy. Good job!

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  3. Love both of these projects...especially like the butterfly fabrics!

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  4. Love your zig zag quilt.
    You should dig out your Gone to Market Pattern and make it with Perry and myself. Beth has hers done and it is posted on my blog in the right column. Perry and I are making it a little bit at a time and expect it to take us to the end of the year. The fabric is actually two lines - Boutique and Charisma both by Chez Moi. They go well together. If you decide to make it, I will post your address in my right column.

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  5. I can tell that you're really having some fun! Cooking and cleaning can wait...LOL!

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  6. I love the helix quilt - and I think I have that ruler altho I haven't used it yet. LOL

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  7. Commenting on your recent posts~

    Love that Bark frame!

    That springy candle sounds delicious. :D

    I love your yellow quilt quilted in yellow floral thread! :D

    Wow, I love that Sheepish Designs finish. I think that Brigitte has this piece as her profile pic and I fell in love with it there. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

    Nice PS--I've not seen this one before. You are right that the bird has spunk. :)

    Ooh, LOVE your fast forward!! :D of course it has yellow ;)!

    I was thinking that the color usage had a really Japanese feel, and then I saw the thame of the moda line, Sanae. I find I cannot resist a know-it-all trivia-sharing moment: Sanae is a woman's name of 3 syllables (Sa-na-e) and pronounced something like sah-nah-ay. ("Sa" and "na" have a long a like "almond") the "e" in Japanese always says "eh" like our short "a". All 3 syllables are equal stress.
    *end* :D

    Love your quilt show stash--great pics and looking forward to your use of that wool! :D

    Love your New BBD; looks great and it's fun to see a new finish join the ranks of your oldie-but-goldies that we see on Sundays.

    Love your "unwind"! :D I see what you mean about the helix and the stars--fun!

    Whew! You've been up to some great stuff overall--I love it, Carol. :D

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