Twiggy and Opal: storm at sea quilt block

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Storm at Sea :: Finish, Just Barely

I had so much fun picking this block for our Guilds Paint Chip Challenge. Picking, yes. Constructing, yes. Assembling, NO!

But...I got it done, I got it done, I got it done! Frustration from beginning to end, yet I love this block!

24" x 24"

A quick recap: Those are the two paint chips I had to work with. We were allowed to use one other color and a neutral if we wanted. My initial plan was to add an accent color, in this case pink/magenta. While pre-planning my pieces to paper piece I had to change plans on so many colors it wasn't funny! During the entire process I was left wondering how this block would turn out in the end.

You can check out Storm Before The Calm...Storm At Sea, for my first go around with this idea.

Because I was punting on colors based on what I had on hand, I had to mix and match the centers of the large square in a square blocks. Not a problem. Except I forgot about that detail after I finished piecing the blocks and when I was piecing the rows together!

Pretty blocks ready to sew into rows...but I forgot....

The actual piecing of the blocks was a breeze! I couldn't have been happier! When I saw what I had done I wanted to cry, instead I swore a blue streak! I wanted to say 'screw it' and let it live, but I couldn't! For anyone who paper pieces you know what a pain it is to rip out those teeny tiny stitches! But I did. I might have swore even more!

Once I got back on track, after taking a lot of deep breaths and a few glasses of wine, I was ready to pick thread for quilting. And then there is the quilting plan...that hadn't quite made an appearance in my mind!

These are my three thread choices: #2135 yellow, #4129 turf green and #1148 light jade. All are 50 wt, and in the end I went with just the yellow and light jade.

I eventually decided I was going to follow the flow of the 'sea'! I wanted the motion and movement to show. I first stitched in the ditch and then very unscientifically stitched lines. All, mind you, very free and organic.

I put the pedal to the metal and went for it! I especially love the yellow accent thread. It stands out in just the right way and just the right amount.

For the center squares, I did a simple geometric star. The star was completely different from the rest of the quilting, simple.

I really like how this quilt turned out. From piecing, to color, to quilting!

Even with all the pitfalls, missteps and difficulties, I thoroughly enjoyed making this block. We may complain (and boy do I) about certain parts of any block, but we love it!

I could see making another version of this block. Different colors, different guidelines and larger blocks!

What is the one block that tests your limits, but you can't help but love it?!

LINKING:

Freemotion by the River

Let's Bee Social

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Storm Before The Calm...Storm At Sea

It's always nice to try something new. A new hair style, a new food, a new technique. It means we are open to trying something different.

Our Guild is doing a Paint Chip Challenge that is due at our next meeting. I was so thrilled that we were going to do this when it first came up at a meeting a couple months ago. I've seen other guilds that have done these and it always peeked my interest. Basically, we were randomly given two actual paint chips. The rules are pretty simple. We must use the two colors as the starting point and are allowed to add one more color and a neutral.

Simple. Realizing our 'reveal' meeting is quickly approaching I needed to get my butt in gear and come up with a plan. My colors are gorgeous...IMO! A beautiful teal and golden yellow.

So what was I to do? Yikes! There wasn't much time to ponder or worry about my current 'mojo' rut. Out of the blue the idea of 'Storm At Sea' came to mind. Its a block that interests me, a block that can be toyed with using colors and a block I could paper piece for accuracy.

Why not? Let's do this!

My first fabric pull started with this batch of fabric. Great start! Love the magenta! If only it was that easy!

I'm not much of a planner. I'm a 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of a girl! It's easier for me to play it by ear than plan every detail. So, when I picked my block and picked my fabric I was sure I had it in the bag. I did not!

Storm At Sea

I'm making a 24" x 24" mini quilt that requires nine 8" blocks. I'll be paper piecing these blocks for accuracy and frankly...you know I love paper piecing!

The above block was my guide to color placement. And I tried. While cutting the pieces for my templates, I quickly discovered I didn't have enough of this color, then that color and then I cut the wrong color...it went on and on!

When I'm paper piecing numerous of the same block, I like to cut all my pieces prior to stitching. I cut, sub cut, cut the wrong color, cut the right color and eventually...finally...I think I hashed it all out.

It was a frustrating process. Working from my stash didn't go quite as planned. Whats better: having a well rounded stash of lots of colors or having a stash that has plenty of yardage but not much variety?!

There are nine templates for each block. Nine. I know! You would thing a little 8" block wouldn't be so involved, but it is!

The small square in a square is 2 1/2", the larger one is 4 1/2" and the diamond is 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". That little one is just adorable!!

Tomorrow I hope to take all the parts and pieces, put them together in a timely fashion with no fuss or muss.

And hopefully, they will all turn out to look like much like this one. I have no idea how this is going to turn out. It could be good, or it could go terribly wrong!

Storm at Sea is one of those blocks that trick you into thinking there are curves, yet there are none. In a quilt, there is a lot of movement and flow, which I'm hoping will come through with my quilt. It's hard to say what will happen. It could end up being 'The Calm Before The Storm' instead!