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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Threads

Alas, I get to share my latest pride and joy!  I started with one thing in mind, and it quickly had me wandering down a slightly different path.  Quilts have a way of doing that, especially when there is Improv involved.  


THREADS
47 1/2" x 62"
Scraps.  It turned out I had roughly a million and 74 gray scraps.  Here's a few.  They were from bindings, borders, blocks, end of fabric chunks.  Light gray, dark gray and every thing in between.  I was determined to use every last piece...and I did just that and then some!

Once I found inspiration (this quilt by Debbie @ A Quilter's Table was it!), my plan became clearer.  


I roughly cut my strips the same length, overlapped my pieces, grabbed my ruler and sliced! No math and perfectly perfect was not allowed.  Pairs and pieces were strip pieced over and over and over again.  


Still there were scraps!  Left over bits from the first step that would surly not be forgotten. I was looking for something more, something to bring the design together.  Plus, the quilt needed to be larger, different, unique.  

That's when I decided a center panel would be the way to go.  Bust the scraps and solve the problem!



My monochromatic quilt was becoming a reality.  And then...this overwhelming, uncontrollable, forceful urge for color barraged my brain and wouldn't let up!  I succumbed. I surrendered.  What?!  One color?  No color?  I couldn't help myself and in the end I went with a variety of color!  Just a touch here and there, a smidge, a minuscule amount.  Enough to see, but not enough to over take the design.



The layout was coming together.  Piece by piece.  Chunk by chunk!  I could now straighten up my pieces and put this top together!  

The first step was to make the pieces in to blocks.  This way I could add a strip here and there for length and then the panels could easily become one.  


Which it did!  With flying colors!  I cannot tell you how happy I was when the entire top was finished!  I felt like I received my first A+ in math, won the lottery or talked myself out of a speeding ticket!  I was a proud Mama!    


Of course we all know this wasn't the end.  There was the million dollar question of how to quilt it.  Make it or break it, as they say.  The fear.  



Was short lived.  This quilt screamed random, organic, funky and imperfection.  I used a variety of grays in the beginning and then went back and added a line of color.  Not a lot, just enough.  The center panel was the only section that has both vertical and horizontal lines. There wasn't a path to follow, a direction or line.  Keep with the vibe!


I am beyond pleased with adding color.  To me, it was just enough in both the piecing and the quilting with out being hugely prominent.  






With filaments of color intertwined throughout, I decided to name this quilt 'Threads'.


The initial idea was monochromatic using only scraps.  The scrap part...I did use every single one, but did have to bust out more non-scrap fabric.  It still qualifies as monochromatic, right?  


LINKING:

73 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Sharon! I'm very pleased with this one!

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  2. Love it! The tiny bits of color are a perfect addition.

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    1. I wasn't going to go any where near color in this one, but I just couldn't help myself!

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  3. Just enough color - I LOVE it - you have a great eye for this quilt!!! And the quilting - perfecto!!

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    1. I tried really hard to add just the right amount of color without going hog wild! I think I achieved a perfect balance!

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  4. You took inspiration from a wonderful quilt and made your own wonderful quilt. Your quilt has already inspired me--to make my own "take" on a quilt. Thanks! Cwoosley12@yahoo.com

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    1. I love inspiring others! I'm a big fan of being inspired and then making it different or my own. I hope you get a chance to do the same too!

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  5. I won't type what came out of my mouth as I looked at your pictures. . . I'll clean it up a little ;) Holy WOW! That is so freaking awesome! You truly have a great eye and talent for improv! The little pops of color are perfect - in both the fabric AND the thread! Beautifully done!

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    1. Oh how funny! You didn't have to clean it up on my account…I have a sailor's mouth! Thank you for the wonderful compliments! I am very pleased and proud of this one. Especially since I restrained myself from the desire to add more and more color! There is something so liberating with Improv!

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  6. Jayne -- this is just amazing!!! The little touches of color are absolute perfection, and just right. I feel like I need to go sew a bunch of gray quilts, so I can have the scraps to do this. :D Really, really, outstanding job on this!!!!! :D

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    1. I'm especially proud that I didn't go overboard on the color! So hard to do! It ended up being 'amped' up just enough without taking away from the monochromatic color scheme! Your kind words warmed my heart!

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    1. This quilt was such a sweet surprise, one I have grown very fond of!

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  8. I really love those small touches of color, both in the piecing and the quilting. It is stunning! How large did it finish?

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    1. I think the color gave it a different dimension, but didn't overtake the design! I'm very much in love with this one in every way!

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  9. I'm with judy@quiltparadigm, your quilt is wonderful. Hits every note on my scale: neutral, modern, imaginative, fun, and very handsome! Well done!

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    1. Thank you! I think I threw everything and the kitchen sink in to this one!

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  10. This is wonderful! I love the pops of color in the quilting. It's an unexpected design element that makes the quilt super interesting to look at and enjoy.

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    1. I totally agree on the unexpected aspect of this quilt. Between the pops of color and thread changes, its got character for sure!

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    1. Not bad for a hunk of scraps! It was so much fun to make it, use all those scraps and in the end have it turn out to be beautiful!

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  12. I love this, especially how the improv is tamed within the straight sections, and the little colour details. Just perfect!

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    1. I felt the same way about the center panel being in the middle of the straighter sections. Contained, yet it stands out!

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  13. I am totally in love with this one, it is wonderful. The bits of colour are the perfect little addition.

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    1. I couldn't be more pleased with this one! It was such a relief when it finally came together!

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  14. I'm not a huge fan of improv (no rules does my head in) or keeping scraps (clutter, clutter, clutter) BUT OMIGOD, this quilt blows ALL of that out of the water and I want one just like it!!! Love the little pops of colour - genius, truly, genius, no wonder you are a proud mama of this quilt :)

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    1. Improv is something I always go back to, especially after working on something tedious. To me, it's mind freeing! You never know…you may try it one day and find that you like it!

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  15. Gosh I love this! I'm so pleased I could inspire you just a little bit, but love where you took off and went! The color is awesome in every way. Very very lovely!

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    1. I was more than a little inspired by your Monochromatic quilt Debbie! It hit me like a ton of bricks! I wanted to take your idea and put my twist on it, adding color was an urge I couldn't fight.

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  16. Such a fabulous quilt - I love the little pops of colour and the contrasting quilt threads. Well done!!

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    1. It ended up being the perfect balance with the color and thread!

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  17. I'm an OCD quilter that struggles with scrappy quilts but I love this! Especially your use of tiny pops of color. It's just so modern, fresh, and wonderful! Great job!

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    1. I'm the opposite of you! Improv is something that I can get lost in! And using scraps always motivates me!

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  18. This is one of my new favorites. The scrappiness, the improv, the peeks of color, the monochromatic-ness, the fun you had in making this just shows through from every angle! Now I want to hoard shades of gray fabrics so I could make one too. "Shades Of Gray" would've been a good name too!

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    1. I'm looking forward to my gray scraps building up again…I couldn't be any more pleased with how this one turned out!

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  19. Love love love it!!! It is absolutely wonderful, unique and surprising with pops of bright colours! The quilting is as organic as your quilt is, too.Great job, well done!!

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    1. I thought I was going to ruin it by adding color…thankfully that was not the case!

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  20. I can't stop staring!!! This is brilliant. Love love the little inserts of colour. I need this quilt ; )

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    1. I had no idea when I started this quilt that it would have come together so perfectly!

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  21. Oh my word!! Such an amazing work, so in love with this one!!
    xoxo

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  22. The little bits of color are definitely what make this quilt!! Awesome design choices and beautiful work as always. :D I'm glad you chose to experiment further and got your quilt to somewhere even better!

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    1. It needed (I needed) something more and I am so glad I went with my gut and brought in color! I could easily have gone over board with it, but somehow I managed to restrain myself! Perhaps the stars were aligned after all!

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  23. This quilt is totally not my style but I LOVE IT! It's a work of art.

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  24. Wow what a quilt. I don't have enough solid scraps of any colour to try one of these yet but I sure am going to be collecting! Very different from the highly council rainbow quilt I am currently working on!

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    1. Scraps have a way of building up quickly! One day you will be over run by them! It is the opposite of a rainbow quilt…but boy, do I love rainbows! Thank you for stopping by Abigail!

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  25. OMG. I love love love this quilt. I'm an improv lover and I'm off to raid my grey scrap stash now. And I'm thinking some shot cottons for color. Thanks for sharing..

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    1. There is nothing quite like Improv! Shot cottons are a good choice…almost all of the color in this quilt are shot cotton scraps! Good luck with your quilt!

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  26. The little bits of color totally made the quilt. And I love the colorful threads, subtle and beautiful. I don't have a lot of scraps but I want to work on some improv too. It's so fun! Beautiful work!

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    1. I am so blown away by the response to this quilt! I never thought it would turn out as it did when I started. Improv has a way of leading and I was more than happy to follow that lead!

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  27. I'm so glad you added the slivers of colour - it brings the composition alive. The grey fabrics you've used look very soft and tactile too. Great quilt :) Funny, I just started an improv string quilt too!

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    1. I wasn't sure at first, but the temptation got the best of me and I couldn't be happier that it did! Good luck with your improv quilt!

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  28. Beyond WOW! A glorious quilt you have created! You should be so proud.

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    1. I have to say I am proud of this quilt! I wasn't sure where it was going to go, but absolutely pleased with the results!

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  29. The little bits of color you added make this BRILLIANT! I wish I could scream - Off the Charts AWESOME - like the judges do on America's Got Talent! You did it girl.

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    1. In the end I couldn't fight the overwhelming desire to add color! This was a lesson in following your gut… thankfully it paid off! I love being inspired from others work. The trick is putting enough of 'me' in it to be different!

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  30. This is absolutely amazing!! The specs of color were a stroke of genius!!

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    1. I couldn't resist adding color, just a little bit!

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  31. Love, love, love this! It makes me want to do some improve as well! Nice work!

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  32. I am truly in love with your quilt. The perfect amount of colour. I think I might have to try something like this with my scraps! Thank you so much for sharing your process too.

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  33. I love,love, love this quilt!!!!!

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  34. I cannot tell you how much I love your quilt. Everything about it, Jayne! I want to make this quilt -- just love all the greys and the pops of colours and the improv and the quilting. Sigh. Just gorgeous! So glad you linked up to TGIFF!

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  35. I am speechless - totally award-winning gorgeous beauty...those slivers of color....too yummy!!!!

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  36. I love grey and a bit of color. This is really nice! Well done!

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  37. Such a wonderful quilt and explanation of your process. Congratulations.

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  38. BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for sharing your process.

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  39. I love, love, love this! I have a lot of grays, too, but I would never use them all up unless I made a really huge quilt. I really like this style of quilting and do it often. Your rendition is fabulous! Kudos!
    PS. Love those tiny pops of color.

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  40. I have never seen sucha a beautiful patchwork as this one. Im in love ! Congrats !

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  41. I was searching for inspiration for a wedding quilt for my nephew and his girlfriend. They are interested in a black, white, and gray quilt with splashes of color. Your quilts sparks all kinds of ideas for me!

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  42. This quilt is absolutely gorgeous! Would you be interested in selling it to me? If you're willing to part with it, I would love to buy it.

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