Bits and Pieces Part Three

Let’s Recap

We last talked about this art piece in my post called Bits and Pieces, AQ # 33 Part Two. By the end of the day I had finished stitching together a grouping of fabric strips. Even though I was eager to continue, family activities took precedence. I’m back in my studio and ready to work on my project again. Let’s not waste anymore time!

One of Many

These stitched together fabric strips were the starting point for today.

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Green Block for Bits and Pieces

The above block is an example of one of the units I made. In this photo (besides the shadow of my camera, 🙂 ) you can see the center red, green and black unit. The unit is temporarily resting on a background of green fabric. The strips extending beyond the sides were waiting to be removed. The green background was eventually cut into strips and added to all four sides of the main block.

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In this photo you can see that I kept going and going and going. I was on quite a roll when I paused to take this picture. I can’t tell you how pleased I was with my progress.

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Using some of the scraps and a few added solid colors I created a Log Cabin block.

Bits and Pieces-Faux Log Cabin
Bits and Pieces-Faux Log Cabin Block

I wasn’t particularly fond of the outcome so I decided to slice it up, spin some of the pieces around and stitch them back together. You will also note that I have added in some solid colors. Gasp! I know the solid colors were not included in my recently purchased bag of scraps. Even though my mantra was to use all of the scraps in this piece I never said I wouldn’t add others to the mix. 🙂 A girls gotta to do what she has to make a spectacular work of art.

Bits and Pieces-Scrappy Log Cabin RedoMy faux Log Cabin block still wasn’t quite up to par so I sliced it again and asked myself, “What if.” What if I added this jazzy gold fabric in a couple of places. Hmmm! I kind of liked that but I wanted to make sure it was repeated in at least three areas. Time to do a little more adjusting.

Bits and Pieces-Finished Log Cabin.jpgIn this photo you will notice several things. First of all in the bottom right corner you will see my finished faux Log Cabin block. You will also notice that I have been very busy making more units or blocks. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of creating improv art.

Take a closer look at the photo and you can see there are hints of the original strip fabric in many of the blocks above.

Bits and Pieces-The End of Day Three
Bits and Pieces-The End of Day Three

By the end of the day this is what my conglomerate looked like. The difference between this photo and the one above are the fabrics I am auditioning as potential additions. These would be used as fillers for some of the gaps. I’m not sure if they will stay but at least for now they add a nice touch.

Let’s Call It A Day!

Even though I wanted to keep going I was exhausted by this point. After all this work it was time to call it a day. There’s always tomorrow!

Thanks so much for reading my post! I’m so glad we got to spend the time together. See you next time! 🙂

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Looking Back

It’s Almost Over

2015 is about to become history. Before it does let me take you on a pictorial journey of In A Stitch Quilting’s last 12 months. Enjoy!

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Kari M’s Pretty In Pink
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Kari M’s Pretty In Pink
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Kari M’s Pretty In Pink
Cari M's Pretty in Pink
Kari M’s Pretty in Pink
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Four Score Quilt
Four Score Quilt - Stitched and Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Four Score Quilt – Stitched and Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Four Score Quilt
Four Score Quilt
Deb G Memory Quilt
Deb G Memory Quilt
Deb G's Memory Quilt - Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Deb G’s Memory Quilt – Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Lines
Lines
Deb G's Memory Quilt - Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Deb G’s Memory Quilt – Quilted by Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
Swirls
Swirls
Deb G's Potted Flower Quilt
Deb G’s Potted Flower Quilt
Swirls
Swirls
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Paisleys
Flower
Flower
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First Year Quilt
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iPad Tote # 3
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Mr. J’s Quilt Top
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Surprise Quilt
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All That’s Left
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Four Square
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Remnants of the Past
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The Blue House

While this was just a sampling of the activity that took place in my studio during 2015 I hope you found it to be enjoyable.

Cindy Anderson

First Year Quilt: Part Four

IMG_5117I’ve been working at constructing a quilt top and backing for the First Year quilt pattern I purchased from Acorn Quilts. Links to my previous posts can be found here:

IMG_8741When we last visited, the center panel for the backing had been finished.  My next task was to add enough fabric to the center panel to reach the dimensions of 74″ x 74″. Note: 8″ of the additional fabric are required to properly secure the quilt on my long-arm quilt machine. Here’s how the center panel looked.

IMG_8763Deciding which fabrics and in what dimensions I would use them was my next step. The process of selecting fabric for my project is one of my favorite tasks. I could sit for hours with bolts and bolts of fabric mentally painting a picture of how they would best be combined. The hours and hours spent in contemplation would not mean that I am indecisive. Quite the contrary. Typically I can walk inside a fabric store and in very short order know exactly what I want. The extra time is simply because I enjoy creating with color so the longer it takes the more entertainment I can derive from it.

Below are the fabrics I chose.

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Who knew that while learning math in school I would be using it years later in my quilting. From simple computations to very complex, they are all a part of this craft. For those that design their own quilts many utilize computer technology. I’ve never had the chance to experiment with such tools. Then on the other hand I’ve never tackled the art of designing complex quilts. If I make a design from scratch it’s usually a very simple one requiring only a paper and pencil.

To calculate the fabric needed to finish the quilt backing for this First Year Quilt all I had to do was a few simple subtraction and division calculations. The existing center panel measures 29 1/4″ x 50 1/2″. The desired end result was 74″ x 74″. Through my simple subtraction equation I was able to determine that I needed to add 23 1/2″ to the length and 44 3/4″ to the width. Next I had to decide if I wanted to add the extra fabric evenly on all four sides. Some people might decide to offset the panel either to the left or right and or either the top or bottom. Exactly centered would be the easiest. Here is where one can add a bit of artistic flair.

Typically I like my things to be neat and orderly which also transfers over to my quilting. Feeling the urge to stray from my natural tendencies I contemplated placing the panel off-center. After-all, if it didn’t turn out exactly as I had imagined this was going on the back of my quilt. It was never meant to be the main focus so why not experiment.

When deciding how much fabric to add to each edge I let the available fabrics dictate my decisions. Here again is where I was able to draw from my artistic leanings. To select which fabric went where I laid the center panel out on the floor. Then one by one I auditioned each of the fabrics on all four sides arriving at what I felt was the best outcome. Next I pondered how much of each fabric I would want to be visible. From there I cut the required lengths of fabric and stitched them to the designated areas. When I was finished I had a quilt back perfectly sized for my First Year Quilt top. After carefully pressing the backing making sure each seam laid in the correct direction my quilt backing was finally ready to join the quilt top already waiting for time on my long-arm quilt machine.

IMG_8941Here’s a quick look at the quilt backing.

In the next update I will be finishing up the quilt. Until then have fun quilting! Oh, and if you have time share your thoughts on my progress by posting a comment.

Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting