now that's REALLY crazy!

Well, plan B didn't work either - the blocks still didn't look like the makings of a quilt. So I made 12 more blocks, with a wild mixture of colours - the only "rule" was that there had to be either 3 warm colours and 4 cool colours in each block, or vice versa.

Here they are, laid out on the lounge room floor. And yes, it's a terrible photo, the light wasn't good.
Then I spent an afternoon shuffling them around until I was satisfied with the layout.

This is probably how it's going to be. Now I'll begin embroidering and embellishing them. I have no idea if this is going to work.

learning curve

So, I made a few more blocks yesterday. Pretty blocks, too. (sorry about the poor photo)

  I followed my usual method for choosing colours - select a pretty print, add several co-ordinating plains, maybe a second print. But when I put them beside the three completed blocks, they just Didn't Go Together.

Lesson: a collection of blocks, however gorgeous, do not necessarily make a harmonious whole.
I had obviously strayed from my original plan of a colourwash effect across the whole quilt.

Back to the design board. I cut small squares of six basic rainbow pastels - purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and pink, and pinned them on the board. Then I added 2 smaller squares of analogous (related) colours to each one.

After a bit tweaking, they looked like this.

Next, I scanned a crazy block outline into the computer, and made 12 copies. Using a basic photoshop-type program, I coloured each block to (sort of) match the fabric squares.Then I pasted the blocks together in Publisher, and printed them.

 This will now serve as a guide for making a whole new set of blocks.

What of the blocks I've already completed, you ask? All those weeks of work? Sadly not all of them may be used in the quilt - the last one, with the sheep, will probably fit in. Don't know about the other two at this stage, but they won't be wasted; I'll mount them as individual pieces, and doubtless someone will like them for a birthday present.

C'est la vie.

two yellow chickies

Finished block 3 yesterday evening, but had to wait til this morning for photos.

sure looks different from the naked block, doesn't it? There seem to be an awful lot of beads on this block, and I had to restrain myself from adding even more. Some details -

the chickies

 Sunflowers

 My attempt at a Jacobean type flower. I hand painted those litttle guipure daisies to tone.

and some silk ribbon butterflies. The yellow ribbon here is very old - I found it among some of my mother's scraps - but the little sequins holding it down are from the 21st century.

And of course you've already seen the sheep.

After some time spent considering the three finished blocks, I decided to go ahead and make up the remaining nine blocks, so I can pin them on the display board and see how they will go together. I've done three so far, will post pics when they are all made up.

Baaa!

Block 3 is by no means finished, but I couldn't resist showing you this -

are they not the cutest sheep? Worth making every one of those innumerable French knots, I reckon. OK, Lizzie and David's little flock probably don't have black faces and legs, but the colours work here.

Another day or two few days before the whole block is finished; life goes on around it. If you ever wondered why I work so slowly, consider the past week...

On Friday my sister and I went to Williamstown for a funeral. Saturday, a trip to the Wesley Hill Market to stock up on some of Katie's luscious fruit. Sunday, a couple of Scrabble games with Marle and Janet - neither of which I won :-(  What can you do when someone gets TWO seven letter words in one game???

Monday, coffee with a visiting granddaughter, and later a train trip to Bendigo to see the chiropractor. Love the train (and ridiculously cheap at $1.90 for pensioners.)
Tuesday, lots of stitching took place. Wednesday, not so much, due to morning coffee with the lovely Catsmum, followed by my regular massage appointment with Naomi, who does her best to combat the effects of sitting for hours, bent over an embroidery hoop.

This morning the Naughty Little Car had to be attended to; it's now running sweetly again. Tomorrow is the Goldfields Quilters' meeting day. Guess I'd better stop faffing around on the computer, and get back to stitching!

I don't think so

Don't quite know where this week went. 
On Tuesday, after spending several days on block #3, I came to the unhappy conclusion that I didn't like it enough to continue.

Something about the colours was just...not right.

 So I made a replacement, in a slightly different colourway.

 Chose some harmonising threads and trims, and made a start.

But I haven't made much progress. There was a coffee date, a visit from a daughter and a grandson,  some novels were read - one of them finished by candlelight during last night's lengthy power outage. And today, a funeral for a lovely cousin.
The weekend promises more distractions. But I'll get back to it.

block 3

The new block is made, I had sooo much trouble with it! A couple of the fabrics were silky, and needed interfacing with light Vilene. I kept getting mixed up and cutting the shapes out in reverse. Grrr!

All colours from the print in the top LH corner, except the centre, which is actually greenish gold. I'll work the bird block first, as usual, then consider what to add.

When I'm "considering" I often look through some of my favourite books -

 Allie Aller's book is always inspiring

and Marsha Michler's books are a goldmine of ideas and useful diagrams.

a bird, a bow and a butterfly

The second block is finished! It turned out well, I think, though maybe a bit lacking in texture...

Some details -

The bow was worked in one of Cottage Garden's yummy hand-dyed threads. The patch looked a bit bare when I'd finished, but I found some iridescent beads to match the thread, and scattered them around.

This patch is a Nile green silk, overlaid with a scrap of wide lace edging, which I gussied up with beads and tiny artificial flowers. I have a box full of fake flowers; these were white before I tinted them with acrylic paint.
The patch above is a sample of fine wool, which inspired the colour scheme for the block.

Deep peach linen, adorned with flowers in faux buttonhole stitch. I'm not going to show you a close-up of the butterfly patch, because I'm none too pleased with it :-(

The bird looks happy in her bower, doesn't she? the flowers are ombre ribbon, and the leaves are aqua silk, backed with light Vilene (which hopefully will prevent them from fraying.)

So there you have it, two blocks done, ten to go!
I'm thinking maybe purples for the next one...