Next project - but change of plans!!
12-15-2010, 11:34 PM
#13
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Central Washington State
Posts: 5,997
I am currently working with a lady whose mom died at age 86.
She was quite the prolific handpiecer, and the proof is 28 blocks, made of the diamonds that you have, but the pattern is seven sisters.
A week ago, we were working with the blocks, trying to figure out what to do with the angled edges. Muriel even found the magazine that the blocks came from ...
after two hours, we figured out that her mom had been a very independent thinking woman, and between each of the stars is a tumbling block.
we then had to think: what was mom trying to accomplish? Nothing was going to work if we didn't work toward what her mother had been trying to accomplish.
After another four hours, Miss Muriel went into a back bedroom and brought out three or four more partial quilts - - same pattern, and lo and behold! Mom had left us samples of her "plan" ...
when I look at your pieces, with the sample of the tumbling blocks, I am thinking - - Grandma liked the tumbling block pattern. apparently, she wanted the blue to be the top ... what would happen if you take the diamonds and do the two-tone thing your Grandma was doing? the stars will be there, just in a different place.
And, forgive me if I am butting in - - but, if those were my diamonds and I really preferred making the scrappy stars, I would purchase bleached or unbleached muslin for the background.
Miss Muriel and I decided that in keeping with the way her mother had changed the pattern, that we would put hexagons in the angles between the blocks, but (I STRONGLY recommended that Miss Muriel) with a complimentary colored fabric. She wants to finish the quilts for her two nieces and in this way, her mother's original work will be honored, and the solid hexagons would honor Miss Muriel.
While we were looking at the extra samples, I was surprised to see that mom had a STRONG like of the diamonds, and inside some of the work, there were little tiny "seven sister" blocks, waiting to be honored (I haven't started seeing diamonds in my sleep, but soon, I am sure! LOL)
In the end, I was struck by how much personality we were able to bring out of some fabric scraps ... we DO put some of ourselves into our work, don't we? <wave>
She was quite the prolific handpiecer, and the proof is 28 blocks, made of the diamonds that you have, but the pattern is seven sisters.
A week ago, we were working with the blocks, trying to figure out what to do with the angled edges. Muriel even found the magazine that the blocks came from ...
after two hours, we figured out that her mom had been a very independent thinking woman, and between each of the stars is a tumbling block.
we then had to think: what was mom trying to accomplish? Nothing was going to work if we didn't work toward what her mother had been trying to accomplish.
After another four hours, Miss Muriel went into a back bedroom and brought out three or four more partial quilts - - same pattern, and lo and behold! Mom had left us samples of her "plan" ...
when I look at your pieces, with the sample of the tumbling blocks, I am thinking - - Grandma liked the tumbling block pattern. apparently, she wanted the blue to be the top ... what would happen if you take the diamonds and do the two-tone thing your Grandma was doing? the stars will be there, just in a different place.
And, forgive me if I am butting in - - but, if those were my diamonds and I really preferred making the scrappy stars, I would purchase bleached or unbleached muslin for the background.
Miss Muriel and I decided that in keeping with the way her mother had changed the pattern, that we would put hexagons in the angles between the blocks, but (I STRONGLY recommended that Miss Muriel) with a complimentary colored fabric. She wants to finish the quilts for her two nieces and in this way, her mother's original work will be honored, and the solid hexagons would honor Miss Muriel.
While we were looking at the extra samples, I was surprised to see that mom had a STRONG like of the diamonds, and inside some of the work, there were little tiny "seven sister" blocks, waiting to be honored (I haven't started seeing diamonds in my sleep, but soon, I am sure! LOL)
In the end, I was struck by how much personality we were able to bring out of some fabric scraps ... we DO put some of ourselves into our work, don't we? <wave>
12-18-2010, 05:44 PM
#15
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: dayton OH
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Omak - my grandmother actually also left a sample of what she intended...and it was tumbling blocks... I found it when i dumped the bag of pieces after my aunt gave it to me. My intent was to finish it as a Tumbling Blocks quilt.
I got chills when i emptied the bag to see what she started all those years ago!!
But, this summer I found a quilt that you're talking about w/ the tumbling block between the stars and wanted to do that one instead because I think it features the fabrics she cut out much better than the tumbling blocks.
I definitely am going to incorporate the strip my grandmother put together in to the quilt, even if it is for the label that will be put on the back.
My mom doesn't remember any of the fabric pieces that were in the bag and her brothers/my uncles haven't seen them yet.
I got chills when i emptied the bag to see what she started all those years ago!!
But, this summer I found a quilt that you're talking about w/ the tumbling block between the stars and wanted to do that one instead because I think it features the fabrics she cut out much better than the tumbling blocks.
I definitely am going to incorporate the strip my grandmother put together in to the quilt, even if it is for the label that will be put on the back.
My mom doesn't remember any of the fabric pieces that were in the bag and her brothers/my uncles haven't seen them yet.
original tumbling blocks g'ma hand pieces...
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quilt inspirations
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closeup
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12-18-2010, 09:38 PM
#18
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Central Washington State
Posts: 5,997
Originally Posted by 117becca
here are a couple of the stars and how they came out..I'm pleased!!
Your plans are going to work out great, aren't they?
I am amazed at the age of the fabric and how well it has held up. Surely, with our modern conveniences and the ability to wash on gentle in front loading machines, they will last a good long time further. <wave>
Sometimes, when we take pictures, we fail to remember that size is relative ... when I view a picture on my laptop the sizes in your quilt resemble the quilt I have been working on. I can't imagine a 12" diamond! LOL You tried to tell us that they were big, but I didn't realize HOW big ... I am glad that you are having fun with them. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
12-19-2010, 03:29 AM
#19
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: dayton OH
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well - i went to bed thinking what i was going to do w/ all these diamond shapes that were going to be extra...i'm going to sew them together to make the bias binding.
Can't wait to head to the quilt store tomorrow w/ my stars to get the fabric for the tumbling block that will go between the stars!!!
Can't wait to head to the quilt store tomorrow w/ my stars to get the fabric for the tumbling block that will go between the stars!!!
12-19-2010, 11:37 AM
#20
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Central Washington State
Posts: 5,997
Originally Posted by 117becca
well - i went to bed thinking what i was going to do w/ all these diamond shapes that were going to be extra...i'm going to sew them together to make the bias binding.
Can't wait to head to the quilt store tomorrow w/ my stars to get the fabric for the tumbling block that will go between the stars!!!
Can't wait to head to the quilt store tomorrow w/ my stars to get the fabric for the tumbling block that will go between the stars!!!
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