challenge 22 and 23 by Priscilla

Challenge 23 is a split rail fence block that was created with velvet, velour and batiks; cut without a ruler and randomly sewn together ---altered quilt block
Challenge 22 is a texture created from hand dyes and batiks. The focal point is a piece of hand dyed fabric pleated and fringed then swen to the quilt.

Non-Focus Piece by Cay Denise

This is a fabric and embellishment collage with no specific area of focus. In looking at it myself, I observe my eye move around the piece locating the various round areas but beyond that they don't seem to rest on any particular location in the piece. Does this meet the challenge?

My Wonky Mountain Home

I finally finished challenge 22...altered block! I first quilted it in an interlocking 'rectangular' chain motif using holo-metallic thread. HATED it...so pulled it all out! Quilted over with mono thread and liked it much better. I "built" my log cabin fussy cutting each piece from my hand dyes...thus a "log cabin-log cabin :-)

So...what do 'ya'll' think?

Cherie

Perspective Block

This turned out to be a lot less impressive than I had hoped. When the challenge was announced, I had been spending some time in working with traditional type scrap blocks. So I was particularly interested in giving this a try. Since I sometimes do perspective quilts, I thought I would work with a block drawn in perspective.

I selected a block from Jinny Beyer's "Quilter's Book of Blocks and Borders" and drafted the block in perspective. I decided to work with a brown/neutral color palette since I had so recently been playing with so many colors in my scrap blocks. I worked out the lights darks and mediums and drew the block full size onto freezer paper, with all the pieces well labeled so I would not mix them up. Then I cut out the pieces and cut them out of their proper colors and used Misty Fuse to adhere them to a background, a spare piece of old hand dyed mauve fabric.



You can see the results in the photo. Despite the many steps that went into this, it really just looks as if I took a bad photo at an angle. My plan is to use this as a floor in one of my perspective quilts at some time, so I have not quilted it.


Plan B was to draft a block onto a sphere, but I will save that for another time. No matter the results, this was fun! Comments always welcome.

Nobody Says it Has to be Fair

The actual block has four names: Fair Play, Quarter Turn, The Pig Pen, and Wedding Ring. I almost didn't make this one -- couldn't think of a thing, but an article in an old QNM and Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Designs got me going. It is slashed, sewn, re-slashed and re-sewn to create the deviation from the original design.

Abstraction on 'Puss in the Corner'

A sketch of the abstracted block was drawn about a week ago. I didn't think at all about how it would have to be constructed. So when assembling it, the piece changed quite a bit. It doesn't have a name yet. Would anyone like to make a suggestion(s)? Also, comments are welcomed, as always!

For block comparison purposes "Puss in the Block" design image above is from:

http://www.qorsite.com/styles/classicblocks/pussinthecorner/pussinthecorner.html

Jacob's Ladder by Penny Irwin

9.5 " X 11.5"

The quilt block's perspective was skewed in an attempt to make the right side appear to recede. The actual colors are somewhat brighter than they appear in this scan. I used brighter, darker cuts of fabric on the left or "near" side of the block; paler cuts on the right or receding side. I used the "wrong" side of the tan, background fabric on the right.

The double frame is also stretched and skewed.
The vanishing point for both the block and frame was outside the design. I just made dots on the table top.

Shoofly

I put a Shoofly block on point, then stretched it into diamonds instead of squares. I cut out the shapes from hand-dyed fabrics, and fused them to another piece of hand-dyed fabric. Added leaves from a silk flower and embroidered them, added petals from a silk rose and embroidered and beaded them (completely covering up the beautiful diamond fabric beneath), quilted and bound and it's done. It measures about 8 1/2" X 13".
I've never fused shapes down to make a block before - I realize if I fused them onto black fabric it would look like stained glass - I might try this again. Anyway, this is colorful, too. Comments are very welcome!

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl

This was kind of fun - I had put together a bunch of fabric to do a wonky nine patch - but decided I couldn't finish it time since I was going to do a twin size quilt.

Rethinking - I decided on a wonky snail's tail. I made it out of pink and brown - cut it into a circle, inset it and added some borders. I quilted as a swirl and decided it needed a little pop. So I then proceeded to bead the snail's tail with pink beads for a little more emphasis on the swirl. Finished size 18 1/2 x 19 1/2.

Lisa
In Sunny Seattle

Altered Shoo Fly

This is my pieced but not yet quilted entry to this month's challenge. This is the type of quilt I love to make - a one of a kind piece that shows its strong traditional roots. The problem is that these types of quilts have a hard time fitting in anywhere - they are too unusual for traditional yet too traditional to be called an art quilt.
I took special care to make the points sharp and the corners meet on this top and they behaved pretty well for me. So well, in fact, that I want to take my time quilting it so it can be entered into a show or two. I started with a very basic Shoo Fly block (called by at least a dozen other names, depending on where you're from). I drew it out in Adobe Illustrator and then reduced the components of the opposite corners by 50%. I then extended some of the lines to fill in the resulting empty spaces and then added extra squares here and there to balance. I made four identical 12" blocks which I sewed together and then added two rather tricky pieced borders to the resulting 24" square.
I would like to hear some feedback on any quilting ideas viewers might have - either hand or machine, and I would like to hear your opinion on whether you think this piece should hang square or on point.
Thanks for your help!

Fan-tasy Flight

Guess my roots are showing...........
A traditional quilter first, I sat down right away to do something
different with my favorite traditional block. Rather than
the 'traditional' square with curves, I did this one long and narrow
with straight lines., took out my protractor, measured off the degrees
and away I went. I did 4 blocks, put them together using a quarter
turn, insetting the center square rather than butting the inside edges
and working on the outside. That way the border was already there, just
part of the block. I used Fossil Fern fabric and some Laurel Birch
kats,quilted it with purple rayon thread and orange in the center portion, added the butterflies and voila!

I hoped the quilting design and the butterflies would add an 'art' flair to this otherwise very traditional piece. Did I succed?

As always, I look forward to your comments.
Carole

Altered Card Trick Block

Froggie does card tricks

I chose the block named “Card Trick” to alter, and just played with it for a while on my drafting program. I changed one of the edges to a curved piece, and then saw that it started looking like intersecting pipes. Going with that idea, I expanded on it a bit and came up with this design. Choosing really bold fabrics in bright colors was a new way for me to go, but it was a lot of fun. When the piece was all put together, the center looked boring… all lines drew your eye to the center, but nothing happened. That’s when Froggie decided to hop on the quilt, and as you can see he was chasing a dragon fly. It looks like another quilt for the grandkids playroom.
Comments are appreciated, even kind criticism.

Puzzling Nine Patch

Not much to say about this except the puzzle pieces are raw edged applique.

Since it is only 9" x 10" even though I hate to let it go I'm going to send it to Ami Simms for her Alzheimer's auction.

Here is my block, assembled and the parts all stitched down in place. It is a 24"x24" logcabin. Two identicle blocks shaded from lightest in center to darkest outside in complimentary colors woven together to make one block. I used all hand dyed (by me) fabrics.

It is as yet unquilted as I can't seem to make up my mind what to do? I would truly appreciate some suggestions!

I will post another picture when finished :-)

Cherie

Serengeti Sunrise

I actually made 9 of the same block for this, I have always wanted to do one of these blocks and never did so figured now was the time. And here's a secret..shhhh..lol the corner circles? I sewed them together first and then FUSED them onto the background once it was pieced. So technically I still haven't attempted to make this block but I am very happy with the results anyways!
I am considering whether or not to add borders to this, and I have some small embellishments I want to add after I decide. Will post a completely finished photo then. At this time it is a 24" square
As usual comments welcome :-)

Trees and Butterflies

23" x 17 1/2"

The closest I have ever come to making a traditional quilt block is the old log cabin pattern, so I started out with that. I designed it from the center out, and the further out I went, the more I deviated from the standard. Since the challenge did not say anything about using traditional methods of construction, after the central three green pieces, I used my more usual raw-edge appliqué for the additional pieces so I could cut the shapes as I wanted them. The butterflies were there, in my mind, from the beginning, though.

And yes, surprise, this is a straight, rectangular piece! (There are a few others I've done that way, it just happens at
times!)

Update: 7/11/2009
I wasn't really satisfied with this picture, and several months later, picked up a do-it-yourself frame, replaced the water with more of the fabric just above it, and let it "flow" out of the frame. It is now re-titled "Overflow of Trees and Butterflies", and is now, officially, finished!

Challenge #22 - Spot the Block

Challenge # 22 - Friday, June 27, 2008

Guest Hostess – Katie Wilson

Theme or Technique - Spot the Block

Distort a traditional block so that it is still recognizable, but more interesting or abstract. You can change the proportions, for example, but we should still be able to find the original block fairly easily. Think outside the block!

Design Concept - Balance

Due - Saturday, Noon EST July 5, 2008