Diced pork is done

I've finished the Little Pink Pig 2, which is what I've been calling it to myself, slightly meaninglessly. The big stitch quilting gives it a nice rumpled texture, but I'm not loving it - I find it unrestful to look at. My eye wants to follow those little pink flags all over the quilt, before collapsing exhausted at the edge.

But it was lots of fun to do, and the slicing and re-forming was a great challenge. It is much more interesting than it was before the chopping! Thank you all for your help and great suggestions.

Wonky Log Cabin

The ' wonky ' log cabin quilt for my daughter is ready. It is machine sewn and machine quilted. I did a meandering in the log cabin part and a kind of freehand swirl in the border.

The size is 155 x 200 cm.

Amish Bars

It's not finished, so again, you're only getting a partial picture.  I hope to finish it this week during my two days off.  I have some more applique and, though the challenge didn't call for them, some words (Tonya, you created a word fiend!).  And of course, the quilting.  I'm thinkin' straight-ish vertical lines.  This is based on the Amish Bars pattern.

A Challenge is a challenge

I really am grateful to Tonya for the challenge! At first, I thought that I was making the world's most unlovely quilt. But being as spontaneous as you can grows on you. And I found great satisfaction when combining the fabrics and colors. I have added three border strips to the quilt since the last post. And now I feel that I have finished the top. There's a bit of a way to go yet, as I decide how to quilt it. I'm thinking about hand quilting it, except that my arthritis might not like all that stitching. I may have to tie it. Because of the unevenness of the top, I think that machine quilting would make big puckers.

Liberated log cabins

I finished this liberated Amish meets Gee's Bend table runner this week. It has grey-scale blocks surrounded by solid strips and strings.

Here's a close up of the quilting, which I think might be more GB than Amish. I used a friend's Pfaff with an integrated walking foot and stitched in the ditch and put freehand vines and leaves in the geometric blocks and geometric designs in the leafy blocks. No yardage was used for the front of the quilt and the back was purchased at a yard sale, so I say I've met the GB part of the challenge. I did use my rotary cutter for squaring up the blocks, but in my defence, I made this before Tonya posted her new challenge.

Liberate Nine Patch

OK, I know I only joined a week or two ago, but I've changed my mind already!

Look what happened when I laid out my "ugly" Bali Pops green nine patches...

I reckon they look fantastic!

But I still want to participate, so I am going to come up with another "challenge".  Until then, have fun liberating your projects!

Begun

Remember these?  I made them for the last Liberated Amish challenge.  But, I didn't use them all.  So, I snagged this opportunity to use up the last of those in pinwheels.  Worked all day today on them and got them done.  Don't you just love pinwheels?  I do.  Anyway, I put my planned quilt (in pieces still) up on the design wall, which has been attacked and mauled by the kitties.  Boy are they in trouble!  They're in the dog house, since a cat house is something else entirely.


Anyway, I put the proposed quilt on the design wall and I LOVE IT!!!  Here's a little sneak pic of one of the proposed corners.  You'll have to wait for the rest until it's done. 

-Wendy

Needing advice

 

Here is my work on the Challenge so far, and it has been challenging!  I already posted a photo of this quilt top.  Now I have added borders--so what did I do?  I decided to do what Gee's Bend quilting ladies might do, and I added strips of fabric that were left over from making the backs of some previous quilts.  I always cut a generous backing, and there is often a strip left over after I trim when adding the bindings.  What the photo shows--I spread the quilt top on my bed, so please disregard the yellow edges, that's simply the background quilt.  My questions are:  Is this enough?  What does the quilt need, within the requirements of the challenge?

Fractured and fabulous

Well, here is the sliced and re-made number. It weighs a ton, waves like the Queen on Christmas morning and I will have to quilt it down ferociously before it even looks remotely square .... but I like it! The very strong horizontal isn't great, but I couldn't find a way to avoid it with the pieces that I had. Now on with the hand quilting! Straight lines I think, so that some exist on it, somewhere.

And Tonya, you have created a monster. I made a liberated chinese coin top this week because I felt like playing with scraps and when I reached the outer border I said to myself "You know what this quilt needs? Words! LOTS OF WORDS!!" What have I become???

beginning the challenge

OK, I started on The Challenge. And the first thing I want to say is that I hope that I haven't offended either the great Amish or great Gee's Bend quilting ladies with my effort!  Well, I got out the scissors (according to the rules, no measuring and no rotary blades) and I went to town.  The quilt that I used for my basis is a typical Amish Bars pattern, such as in the book "The World of Amish Quilts" by Rachel and Kenneth Pellman.  And the second thing I have to tell you is remember that perfect 1/4 inch seam that you pride yourself on--"fegget about it!" I mostly tried for about 1/2 inch.  And the third thing is it ain't done yet--I have to add the borders.  As far as the ironing is concerned, what you see is what you get--and it ain't pretty!  That quilt fabric stands out like a sail in a breeze. Don't know how I'll ever quilt this thing--maybe I'll tie it? I'm glad that I bought some of that orange color fabric a few weeks ago, I must have known in my heart that I needed it.  And I need to make a note to myself to buy more grey.  I bought that a couple of years ago, and it's nearly used up now. 

Nine Patch Variation

Hi Everyone, and thanks for having me!

I am inspired my the Nine Patch and the Double Nine Patch in the Brown Collection.  I plan to use some nine patches that I made a while back, but in a liberated way!

These nine patches were made using mainly the Bali Batiks that were popular last year.

I'm looking forward to chopping into them and creating something interesting.

Other liberated stuff I'm working on includes this:

And this...

I recently made a liberated snowball doll quilt.

And hand quilted it (my first go at hand quilting!).

You can visit me at kitbikquilts.blogspot.com

Cheers,

Sarah

You ladies rock

Your suggestions were genius! First I auditioned other colours - black, hot orange, red ... but didn't like the way they worked together. It looked a bit motley. So I thought - if I'm not using other colours then I'll get a bit more ....um .... unrestrained? unruly? in the slicing. So I sliced and added and ended up with these.

I've still got to fit the pieces together with more filler strips, which will be off centre. I like the diagonal light green in the middle piece. It has been wonderful fun, and it looks SO much more interesting than it did before. Thank you all!!!

PS no seam ripper was used in the making of these pieces .... I may never unpick again. :)

Make the Pink Pig Squeal

Okay, Lynley, this is a Gee's Bend meets Liberated Amish class so it's time to play. I seriously want you to cut apart your quilt top that you're not happy with. It's the big blue rectangles that aren't working - so cutting them up reduces their impact. Plus, the pink triangles are the marvelous bit and this way they'd stand out. You can cut it apart any way you want - just don't use the seam ripper. Here are a couple of ideas. Straight lines:

Slanted lines:

Then you'll have some interesting pieces to play with. And yes, you're "allowed" to cut the new pieces down further - depending on how you cut you could end up with globs of seam allowance that might be better whacked off.

Add another really strong color and play with sashing idea or setting squares or who knows what you'll come up with. Cut them apart, play and if you have any questions, post another pic of the new pieces and we'll do this step by step!

Well, this sucks

The post title is a favourite expression in our house - after watching 'Madagascar' a million billion times - we use this slightly inelegant phrase in all cases of general displeasure or disappointment. Or, in my case, when you have a brilliant quilting idea that turns out hideous.



I wanted to replicate the very strong diagonal effect of the small triangles in the original quilt, and instead just got these clunky blue crosses and slightly disturbing star/triangles things. No, no no. I shall try something else entirely and put this in the 'special shelf' for disastrous projects. Waaaay up high.

Finished!!

                                                            
                                                          Dear Lazy Gal friends!!
I hope that everybody out there has had a fantastic summer! All those who live in the northern most part of the world have had summer vacation now. Here in Scandinsvia-read Oslo, Norway- schools started up again 2-3 weeks ago, after many weeks of vacation. The bright summer is about to let go and we are again about to get darker nights. But that means, yes, that again I can start with my favorit hobby-quilting.

Now I´m done with my two projects in Liberated Quilting. I am pleased with how I have solved it. The quilting went a little fast. I should have had more appropriate thread. I have spent a lot of fabric that are self colored. A great way to make use of them. I have enjoyed participating in this project. So thank you Tonya, which has hosted it.  I will maybe participate in the next project!!
Have a nice weekend, quilt greetings from Anne:-)