A Different Direction

I had all the best of intentions when I said I would finish the labels for Audrey and Doris' quilts, I really did!  Only one problem, I don't have the quilts here!

A while back I was having some insecurities about the quality of the pictures I was taking for my blog.  I had asked a friend of mine, who is an artist, if he would photograph some of my finished quilts in a little more artistic fashion.  So now the quilts are at his house and I was completely stumped when it came to making the labels.

So I went in a different direction.  I didn't want to waste a whole weekend so I started a new project.  Or should I say I picked up one that's been waiting patiently in the wings for many months.  I know, I know, I was supposed to finish those darn labels before moving on to something new but . . .  we were waiting out hurricane Irene so I couldn't go get them and I'm a very tactile person so I really needed to have them here to make the labels and  . . . well, OK, so maybe I gave up too quickly and maybe I was feeling just a little guilty and maybe that's why the next project didn't go so well.  Here's what happened after I gave up on the labels.

I've been so excited to get this quilt started, I've had the main fabric for months.  It's Debby Mumm's "Java".  I fussy cut the blocks like this:

I thought I had just the right mix of darks, lights, solids, and prints to go with the "Coffee" theme fabric.

I hemmed and hawed over the pattern for the past few weeks and still haven't fully settled on one. I've narrowed it down to three, here's why.

This one is called Natureland by Janet Houts. I thought the purple blocks would work for the large motifs and the layout has a large pinwheel effect.

 

Next possibly choice is Tranquility by Bev Getschel.  I really like the way the cream color creates a border around the center block.  Again, I thought it would be perfect for the large motif.  This quilt also has a secondary pattern when you see it laid out.  If you look just right on the bottom right you can see a star.

Pattern # 3 is Winterberries by Michele Crawford.  This one seemed good when I first saw it but I'm liking it less for this project and more for a Christmas Quilt for me ;-)

I spent considerable time on Sunday auditioning these three patterns and still didn't make a decision. However, I did get to try a new technique - tube quilting. I had seen this tutorial on Missouri Star Quilt Company.  It was amazing to see it done and a hoot when I tried it!  She did hers with two strips sewn together then combined with a third strip to get a sort of "string" pieced block. 

I just used two strips and came out with half square triangles.  It took me a couple of tries to get the measurements right but it was so fast I don't think I'll ever make them the old way again.  Or you can try it this way, using two charm squares to get 4 half square triangles.  One word of caution, the cuts are on the bias so you have to be careful when pressing.  I starched the tube when I pressed it to help keep everything stable before cutting.  Give it a try you'll love it!

I'll be giving the "Coffee" quilt another try tomorrow night.  Stay tuned.