A pretty new start (Tidepools) and Shadowpoint is a top

Good day, and welcome to my blog.

I've been busy in the past two weeks: a. buying jellyrolls of pretty fabrics; b. looking for patterns for jellyroll quilts on the internet; c. getting books about jellyroll quilts from the library; and d. finding a good pattern and starting a pretty top. 

I am using this book by Scott Flanagan:

It's from 2021 and I am following the directions for "Plateau" but I am calling it Tidepools.

I started with two sets of 2.5 inch strips:

Island Batiks "The Grove" and "Naturally Neutral".  The pattern in the book will take every last bit of the blue/green fabrics, and about 2/3 of the neutral fabrics (or a suitable amount of background fabric).

Here are some of my initial blocks, laid out on the floor:

Although there are tree and leaf patterns on the batiks, I am thinking sand and tidepools.  The blocks work up rather quickly but you must study the quilt diagrams and set them carefully to get the overall pattern.

In other news:

I have been working on my Shadowpoint project since coming home from my visit to my mom.  I bought 5 yards of gray background fabric and this is all that is left after cutting sashing and setting triangles:

But I have a top, part of which is shown below:

Now that it is sewn together, the optical illusion of floating blocks casting shadows is more obvious.  The original plan was to set the blocks of 25 patches together using white sashing.  This is a more interesting pattern, for sure.  The pattern can be found on the Quilted Twins website, under free patterns.  The top is about 84 inches by 101 inches and will go the long arm quilter.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

New project: Shadowpoint pattern

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.  I am visiting my Mom, and she has beautiful iris in her front flower beds.

My project this week:  I have a set of 50+ 25 patch blocks, made when I was sewing down my pile of 2 inch strips of fabric.

I looked at the Quilted Twins website, and found the pattern for Shadowpoint - a setting for 25 patch blocks - just what I had!

I sewed black strips to two sides of my blocks, following directions:

Then added background fabric:

OK, maybe I see the optical illusion.  Maybe not.  More blocks, set in a straight set:

Imagine a light source coming from the upper right, shining on the 25 patches and casting shadows.  But the Quilted Twins pattern showed a diagonal set:

Now imagine the light source coming from the top, and casting shadows.  This I like, and this is how I will sew these together.  If you like this pattern, be sure to buy enough background fabric!  Follow the instructions.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Viridian's Chain quilt pattern: a tutorial

After asking a quilt list and my followers here about a pattern I came up with, no one seems to recognize it as a published pattern.  What follows is a tutorial for Viridian's Chain, a 10 inch block:

With sashing and cornerstones that connect the chains.  Here is what the quilt top looks like on my 'design floor', 5 by 6 blocks, without borders:

Here we go.

Pick two colors, color A and color B, to be your chain fabrics.  It can be scrappy, but the fabrics should be quite similar.  I used 1800's reproduction fabrics (a favorite) and red and navy blue as my color A and color B.  Different choices will make the chain 'pop' more.

For each block, you need: 2 3.5 inch squares of color A, 2 3.5 inch squares of color B, 2 2.5 inch squares of color A, 2 2.5 inch squares of color B, and 12 2.5 inch squares of coordinating scrap fabrics.

Sew the central 4 patch squares together.  Press to one side to help nest those central seams.  I pressed towards the blue fabrics.

Sew the coordinating scrap fabrics together in groups of three.  Press seams to either side or open, your choice.  Lay out your patches as in the photo below.

Important:  The direction of the chain of color A and color B fabrics is going to be the same in each block.  In my case, navy blue fabrics run from lower left to upper right in EACH block.

Sew a group of three scrap fabrics to the top and bottom of the block.  Sew color A and color B 2.5 inch squares to the ends of the other group of three 2.5 inch squares.

Sew the sides pieces onto the center piece.  Press the seams inward or outward.  I pressed out to the strip of 5 square pieces.

You now have one block.

Setting with sashing and cornerstones:

Cut sashing pieces 2.5 inches wide by 10.5 inches long.  For 5 by 6 blocks, I calculate 71 sashing pieces, and you will need at least a yard of sashing fabric, maybe 1.5 yards.

Cornerstones:  From color A and color B cut 1.5 inch strips of fabric, sew one of color A to one of color B.  Press to one side (in my case to the navy blue).  Cut off pairs at 1.5 inches wide.  Or you could cut individual squares at 1.5 inches square.

You need to have cornerstone blocks that finish at 2 inches square, and by my calculations, for a set of 5 by 6 blocks you will need 42 cornerstone blocks.

Set the sashing strips and the cornerstone blocks in the proper orientation.

Note the orientation of the cornerstone block, how it continues the chain of color A and color B.  I sewed a sashing strip to the right side of each block first. Press towards the sashing fabric. Then I sewed a cornerstone block to a sashing strip, and added it to the top of the block.  Press seams towards the sashing here too.  All cornerstone blocks are in the same orientation (no rotations!).  When you set the blocks together, keep the same orientation - that is, the same color runs from lower left to upper right.

When you set the blocks together in rows and columns all sashing will be in place, except for the bottom and left-hand side of the quilt.  You will have to add these - watching for the orientation of that cornerstone block.

Here are two blocks together:

And four blocks together:

This group of four blocks became the lower left corner of my quilt top. Note how the cornerstone blocks are all in the same orientation. And how the chains of color A and color B are oriented.

The whole quilt top, again:

The size of the top now is 62 inches by 74 inches.  I am adding borders of the red fabric first, 1.5 inches wide, finished.  Then borders of a blue fabric, 3 inches wide, finished.  I wish it could be a little wider but I am limited by what I have in my stash - I didn't want to buy any more fabric.

I will update this blog entry with a photo of the border, once I get there!

Edited Monday evening:  Here is a corner of the finished top. with red and blue borders:

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Do you know this block pattern?

 I was messing around in my reproduction fabrics and came up with this pattern.  Two featured colors, in this case red and blue, make a chain across the block.

The off-white fabric is the border, with the cornerstones, and is sewn on all four sides.

Have you seen this pattern before?  Surely I haven't designed a new quilt block.  Please let me know the block name and source in the comments, or send to me at viridian61 at yahoo dot com.

The block size is 10 inches squares, finished, and the sashing is 2 inches wide, finished.

And a postscript:  I am making more blocks, to make a twin sized quilt.  I ordered more red fabrics with a white design on it to add to my reds, as I was getting low.  Three fabrics were described as "red" and looked red on my computer monitor.  This is what arrived:

The fabric on the left is just what I wanted.  The other two fabrics?  More of a cranberry color.  Let me emphasize this is NOT the online quilt store's problem.  It is a warning about your computer monitor: colors may vary!

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian