Scrap quilt hangup...
04-16-2011, 08:51 AM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Edgewater, FL
Posts: 924
I usually make mine for Linus and just cut strips, lay them out and start piecing. I do the 10" blocks, quilt as you go. If I have larger pieces I'll make the corners all the same, but not always. If you look outside at all of the colors, especially in the spring and fall, God isn't too worried about every color matching.
04-16-2011, 10:08 AM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,079
Originally Posted by gdcleanfun
I like Alex Anderson's scrappy methods. She uses lights and darks AND mediums. I think by using 3 values it gives just the right amount of definition to the colors in the quilts. In other words, scrappy or not, it makes the quilt's colors pop rather than looking flat, or muddied. Just my .02 cents worth.
I like what Alex says in the following paragraphs:
"... Color selection remains a mystery for many quilters of all levels. Sometimes the most meticulous stitcher just does not have the eye for color. Alex explains that she spent the first 15 years of her quilting career – despite her college degree in art – feeling uncertain about colors and fabric choices in her quilts. One day she realized she was sorting her quilt fabrics by colors, not values.
“Value is simply a matter of light, medium or dark,” she explained. To make a successful quilt, Alex says the quilter must use all three fabric values – a light, a medium, and a dark. An exception might be made for baby quilts, she added, since soft colors generally tend to be light in the choices we make for babies.
“In the olden days when I taught, I would tell people to put it in three piles,” Alex said. She has since changed her teaching method. “Now when I teach, I’ll say, ‘Put it in the light pile. Put it in the dark pile,” The third pile is the medium pile. All colors that cannot be identified as either light or dark are put in it.
Just when you think your trip to the fabric store will be easier, Alex notes that light and dark fabrics are not easy to find. This is because manufacturers create the fabrics that will sell more easily, most of which fall into the medium category.
Many of the light and dark fabrics are boring, she explained. Companies concentrate on producing a bulk of fabrics with medium color values, then add in only a couple of lights and darks that might coordinate.
But, if you don’t have lights and darks in your quilts, they will look flat. To step around this obstacle, Alex advises quilters to always have an eye open for fabrics with light and dark values. When you run across these fabrics, buy a little for your stash. ... "
Please, see this site where she explains more:
http://how-to-quilt.com/articles/151...rson-color.php
I like what Alex says in the following paragraphs:
"... Color selection remains a mystery for many quilters of all levels. Sometimes the most meticulous stitcher just does not have the eye for color. Alex explains that she spent the first 15 years of her quilting career – despite her college degree in art – feeling uncertain about colors and fabric choices in her quilts. One day she realized she was sorting her quilt fabrics by colors, not values.
“Value is simply a matter of light, medium or dark,” she explained. To make a successful quilt, Alex says the quilter must use all three fabric values – a light, a medium, and a dark. An exception might be made for baby quilts, she added, since soft colors generally tend to be light in the choices we make for babies.
“In the olden days when I taught, I would tell people to put it in three piles,” Alex said. She has since changed her teaching method. “Now when I teach, I’ll say, ‘Put it in the light pile. Put it in the dark pile,” The third pile is the medium pile. All colors that cannot be identified as either light or dark are put in it.
Just when you think your trip to the fabric store will be easier, Alex notes that light and dark fabrics are not easy to find. This is because manufacturers create the fabrics that will sell more easily, most of which fall into the medium category.
Many of the light and dark fabrics are boring, she explained. Companies concentrate on producing a bulk of fabrics with medium color values, then add in only a couple of lights and darks that might coordinate.
But, if you don’t have lights and darks in your quilts, they will look flat. To step around this obstacle, Alex advises quilters to always have an eye open for fabrics with light and dark values. When you run across these fabrics, buy a little for your stash. ... "
Please, see this site where she explains more:
http://how-to-quilt.com/articles/151...rson-color.php
As for me... I LOVE scrappy. You never have to decide what you like... you just use it ALL!! I love color and chaos! : )
04-16-2011, 12:53 PM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: eastern Oklahoma
Posts: 1,873
I think we all have had a weak spot when trying something new. Scrap quilting is hard at first I think because we get this idea that it all has to match perfectly. I try not put 2 of the same too close but what you need to do is say Ido not need to match. I revel in the freedom and exploring the different possabilities. So, just do what pleases you.
04-16-2011, 01:22 PM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Coventry UK
Posts: 3,058
Some years ago I did a workshop with Ricky Timms! (Yes the REAL Ricky Timms!!) The first thing he did was give us all a piece of calico approx 18" x 6" and got us to flip and stitch strips of whatever came out of the bag. When complete we had to pin them on a design wall covered in black fabric. There were 18 of us in the class all working in totally different colours but those 18 blocks against the black looked stunning!! Ricky proved to us anything goes!!!!! Never had a hang up with colours since!!!!
04-16-2011, 01:40 PM
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Winchester, VA
Posts: 1,552
I put pieces in bags, shake, close my eyes, and just grab. Takes some discipline not to put something back once grabbed, but in the end, you have a wonderful random quilt. I have made Log Cabin quilts this way, with the darks in one bag and the lights in another.
04-16-2011, 03:13 PM
#48
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 60
I start out with two scraps that look good together and then I pull the others from a fancy tote bag which makes me feel "somewhat" organized ... have never had two of the same together but then I don't put two of anything in the bag until I have used all of the scraps and then I load the bag up again!
04-16-2011, 03:36 PM
#49
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 3,007
Originally Posted by Terryl
I guess being raised by "Hippie" parents has really set me free, I have no qualms about fabrics not matching, no hang ups with random fabics coming out of the bags, I just go with what I grab. I love the quilts I get with this abandon and if someone I want to gift with the quilt isn't so enthusiastic about it,I then ask what would you prefer and make them a new quilt. My scrappy abandon quilt then finds a new home with someone less structured. I have 2 DD's one is a structured "control freak" (her words, not mine) the other goes with the flow. Structured DD is learning to quilt now and I am slowly getting her to mix fabrics that she doesn't think match.
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