Playing around

The biggest advantage of doing a course is possibly the excuse it gives me to play around more than I usually would:

Not only are we trying out things for our project ("sampling" in course-speak), but also more literally playing around with the blocks that we're making to find settings that can be made with the block repeats. And it is surprising how many different settings can be found!!! Of course, first you come across the most obvious ones, and the ones that are commonly used or the ones that are stuck in your head. But then you find settings that are not often used and some of those are actually very pleasing.

An example is the different settings you can come up with for a set of 16 half square triangle blocks:

One of the most obvious settings...

And some others... 

I think I ended up with 30-odd different ones, but I'm sure there are even more to be found.
Try it yourself: Sew some (or a lot) half square triangle blocks and lay them out in as many settings as you can come up with. You may be surprised how many options are out there, and you may find yourself making your next quilt according to your own original setting!!


Have some fun and play around!!

Growing older

Children, too!

Today my oldest turned 18.

Of course, I still remember the day he was born:

The chat my husband and me tried to keep up to try and distract ourselves.
Trying to read the paper; and keeping it as a reminder of that important day.
The sudden rush in the wheel chair from the ward to the delivery room.

The little face: a bit squashed, but so utterly fascinating that I couldn't stop looking at it.

And then he grew bigger, in little steps at first, then larger steps too: The first tooth, a first word, the first step, first friend, first school day, first sleepover, first rebellion with many more to follow...

And now, considered mostly an adult.
Many days I'm thinking: You sound so grown up!
Asking if I am okay.
Wanting to cook dinner for us all (maybe not the healthiest, but definitely tasty).
Buying school books for himself when he needs them.
Arranging to see his friends at times when it suits me best to do the driving.
Working out how to spend his money wisely (most of the time).

Later this year he'll be doing his final school exams. Then the plans for university; an independent future is beckoning...

I must be getting older at the same rate he is. After all, his years are just as long as mine. But while I have just got a little older, stiffer and with a few more wrinkles and grey hairs, in those 18 years he's is grown and developed from being our small, dependent baby son to being a friendly, independent adult person. He's not just mine any more, he is his own man.

Well, most of the time!

A simple design - squares

It doesn't always have to be complicated.

Using simple blocks can be very effective. Today I'm looking at squares.

Plain squares can be joined together to achieve chequerboard effects of many different types. The effect depends mainly on the choice of colours, and type of fabric print, as well as size of blocks.

Probably the simplest effect is achieved by using high contrast between the blocks, though I would not go for black and white as that will be very stark. A dark and a light grey will achieve the same result, but is gentler on the eye:

plain checkerboard

Two colours can be a bit plain, even boring. Try adding a few "surprise" blocks and the effect is already much more special:

checkerboard with "surprises"

Different colours can be used to completely different effects:

vibrant

calm

Instead of just two colours, the use of two ranges of colours gives already a more playful effect:

a range of blues and pinks

 Lastly, a scrap quilt can be absolutely stunning!

note the alternate use of dark and light

*all quilt designs shown here were produced by me using EQ7