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Blue Batik and Leaves….
I seem to be congenitally incapable of making abstracts. Using Kathy Schmidt’s Cell Block Blues pattern, from here Rule-Breaking Quilts book (see my post here reviewing the book), I started working on a quilt with a selection of ten blue and white fat quarters purchased at the AQS Tennessee show, where I was teaching. The picture above shows the beginnings…my first ten blocks, along with the recently returned (after a year away at shows) Field of Gold and the ribbon it won in Houston and a table-runner that needs to be quilted.
This AQS-Knoxville show was my last big away-teaching of the year, and I thought I’d treat myself to some fabric and totally unlike-me quilting, possibly as a project for another book. I thought it would be fun to help support friend and fellow-author Kathryn Schmidt by using one of her projects, and thought it would get a good stretch for me. So what do I do with this fun, easy abstract? I make it into more work (splicing in those bright colors) and into leaves—I just can’t seem to make something if I don’t relate it back to reality! Anyway, I went to the Batiks by Design booth and made my own assortment of ten fat quarters and, amazingly enough, forgot to take a picture before I started slicing them up! By the time I got the center of the quilt done, I was left with less than a fat eight total out of all ten! Fortunately, I found them online and have ordered more for the borders and binding (that’s a wicked teaser!). Most of the batik designs we see are from Bali, but these designs are from Java and are more like the old-time designs.
In Rule-Breaking Quilts, Kathy Schmidt teaches how to stack and slice, then swap, fabrics for an improvisationally pieced block. See my review of her book for more information and where to order!
Here I'm auditioning a bright yellow-hand-dyed that I intend to splice into the seams
In this photo, you can see that I've stitched the first side of the inserts. On the left of each block, the piece is ironed, on the right the seams are as-stitched.
The right hand side of the blue block assembled and pressed
and the yellow block in process; you'll note that the edges are uneven and will require smoothing out with the rotary cutter
Sometimes (often!) after sewing the first seam, I like to fine-tune the shape of the spliced-in color to match the next bit of batik
The yellow block with the "leaf veins" sewn, but the center stemline needs to be refined and re-shaped
The stemline has been trimmed and smoothed, and now I'm getting ready to cut the yellow for that inset
Same process, but for a light blue block; here I have already trimmed the wonky edges to create a smooth space for the center stemline
Blocks sewn but not yet pressed or squared up
Pressed blocks, looking a bit more presentable!
After I made my blocks I squared them up. Most were able to come out to 8 inches cut, but a few were smaller. As you’ll see when I get to showing you the way the quilt came together, this really didn’t matter as I filled in odd shaped rectangles with strips and rectangles of batik (talk about a LOT of partial-seaming…erg! I NEVER seem to do anything easy, but I must say I’m pleased with the outcome so far….)
October 24th, 2010 at 8:09 am
You’ve got me with this demo. I am going to have to order the book! I do love your choice of blues. Glad you could supplement your original purchase. Look forward to seeing your finished quilt!
Judy
October 24th, 2010 at 8:48 am
I love your blocks!
October 24th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Thanks for the nice description of your process. Am going to buy the book (thanks to your peek into the process) and challenge a friend to pick one project and try it. Looking forward to doing it. And–love your fabric choices.
October 24th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Thanks for the tutorial – looks like an interesting process and one that could get me into curved seams. Love the choice of fabrics – looking forward to seeing more!
October 24th, 2010 at 11:54 am
the blocks look beautiful and thanks for showing the process…but…did you really pin a block on your price-winning quilt 🙂 ?
October 24th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Thanks very much for explaining your process.
I’m drawn to all of your creative work–I’m glad you feel the need to change something in a pattern. I’d like to give your technique a try myself (tho my fabric/color choices surely won’t be as stunning as yours are)
October 24th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I really love these! I am curious of your inserted strips were cut on the straight of grain or, to make it easier to fit into the curves, bias?
For the Block Lotto this year, we made a similar, but much more simple block (with a single fabric as background), which I called Reeds.
October 24th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Sarah,
Relating something back to reality doesn’t mean that it isn’t abstract! I feel and work the same way you do and was told one day that abstract could still be recognizable in the eye of the beholder…..so leaf away!
R
October 25th, 2010 at 7:01 am
It certainly is improvisational! I like it, and thanks for showing your process!