Monday, August 19, 2013

My design wall runneth over

Oh no! I've run out of room on my design wall and I still have 2 more rows of blocks!


WOW, these are really BIG blocks - they measure about 18 inches across and 21 inches top to bottom. The pattern is Ballerina by Jaybird Quilts and you can find it here.

Now why am I starting a new quilt when I should be sorting and organizing stuff I want to move? Well, isn't it obvious? I should be sorting and organizing and that isn't a lot of fun. To my credit I was sorting my batik fabrics when this idea popped into my head. I had pulled out the pattern when my BFF called and we were trying to figure out the difference between the Jaybird patterns Ballerina and Tiny Dancer. (FYI- The difference is Tiny Dancer makes a smaller pinwheel block.) As the pattern sat on the table and I was shuffling stacks of batiks a little voice said "hmmm, I wonder what one of those blocks would look like if you used a batik." Really, I swear I heard it! LOL! And there isn't any harm in making one block now, is there? Well, actually, it is hard to make just one, kinda like eating potato chips or M&M's - particularly the almond ones, but I digress.

After one block I got to thinking,(again a dangerous activity),that this could make a really cool quilt for my son if I stuck with non-cutesy fabrics and more manly colors. Next thing I knew I had selected 36 different batik fabrics and I found a piece of yardage of that deep blue batik for the triangles. I have to say I really like how it looks and it is totally not my normal palette. (Even my boys remarked that these aren't my normal colors - observant children aren't they?) Also, they noticed that these aren't my normal fabrics - true again. I like batiks, I think they make lovely quilts, I have a nice stash of batiks, but I have only made 2 batiks quilts in the last 20 years. Obviously this is a once in a decade occurrence. Very rare - LOL!

Here are some close up of a couple of blocks. Batiks have some beautiful shading, don't they?





I'm hoping to get the blocks for the last 2 rows put together and then I think I'll take them upstairs and lay them out on my foyer floor. Then I can run (okay, walk) up the stairs and get some distance to see how the colors look. I have some high contrast blocks and some very low contrast blocks and I think that adds to the overall feel of this quilt. When I have the blocks sewn together I will be trimming off the top and bottom, eliminating the pointy parts, to make it a rectangle. I'm not into binding all those angles and the quilt is getting waaaaay longer than it is wide. I prefer to make square quilts but that isn't possible with this block.

Hope your week is productive and fun. I've got a bunch of stuff to do and I didn't finish any of the painting I wanted done last week, so it is still on my list. And the renovation project hit a big bump in the road last week. The tile floor in the kitchen and the ceiling in the basement - both finished projects - have to be cut into to move a heat duct - ugh!!!! I just want this finished so I can move. I did talk to a guy who is going to do my solid surface counter tops and he shared that the sentence, "We got done a week early" has never ever ever been uttered by any contractor....true, true!

Happy stitching-
carol fun

11 comments:

  1. LOL - may your bump in the road be a mild one and may it be the only one!
    Gorgeous blocks! Now I'm kicking myself for not buying batiks at the quilt store in Lubbock last week! I kept looking at them, thinking, they were very cool. They had the entire western line too. Kick. Kick. Kick.

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  2. Oh yummy batiks, what a great pattern for them. Ya, those are some big blocks!

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  3. Carol - I LOVE this quilt!! And a perfect choice for a "man" quilt - you just don't need to tell him that the name of the quilt pattern is Ballerina!! :-)) I can't wait to see this one done!!

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  4. I'm in love with your blocks! Looks like a fun block to make.

    Soon, my friend, soon you'll be in your new home. :-)

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  5. Oh dear, more rulers to consider buying! Love this pattern and the batiks. Construction projects require so much patience. I'm so anxious to see your new home when it's done.

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  6. Fabulous quilt!! Love the colors and design. Hope the job finishes quickly and if not early, then as close as possible to being on time!

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  7. I didn't realize this pattern made such large blocks. I love them. Fun quilt and a lot more enjoyable than cleaning up.

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  8. Those batiks are beautiful. That will make a wonderful quilt!

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  9. I love the cool colors of this one! Gorgeous!

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  10. Love this pattern! Have made 3 Ballerina quilts since April and you sure are right: these are big blocks.

    I like the look of your batik Ballerina, so different from my 3. It is refreshing to see the variety.

    My tip (though you may not need it with batik fabric) is STARCH those BIAS edges & blocks!

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