Nellie"s Needles

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Another Scrap Quilt

Just playing .....


Right now it's only a pieced top. It will get quilted when somebody needs a quilt. Making it was one of those spur of the moment projects inspired by a baggy of scraps given to me recently by Alison, a fellow Thursday bee member.

She never dreamed that I would piece all the tiny triangles she had trimmed from blocks into the squares that became the centers of my scrappy blocks. In the photo below is one of the finished blocks. That pile of trimmings from a number of blocks are now in a bag of supplies for future "ortwork" pieces.

The block in the above picture is the smaller of the two sizes made. I experimented with their arrangement on the design wall. The main point being to see the effect ... the movement ... of those white triangles.

I chose to surround the larger squares with shades of neutral fabrics to make those bits of color sparkle and stand out. The playful patterning of the white dots on the black sashing fabric with the smaller blocks in corners create a strong grid pattern that holds all those dancing triangles and sparkling colors together.

I couldn't come up with a machine quilting pattern that pleased me on this sample square. I played with couching a textured and variegated color yarn around the shapes. To carry through the feeling of playfulness, plus a nod to tradition, I left lengths for ties on the corners. Unless something else that's extraordinary comes to me before this top becomes a quilt, I'm pretty sure the couched yarn will double as the quilting.
Button, Button - 14"x 14"

Very little that I make goes to waste. The outside edge of this piece is finished with couched yarns and an array of buttons from my collection makes an art piece. It will be donated to the Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild to sell at the 2012 quilt show in March.

9 comments:

Colleen Kole said...

My goodness -you always amaze me Nellie. Fun, fun, fun!

Vicki W said...

I absolutely LOVE this quilt!

Heather said...

Who would think that a bag of scraps could turn into something so wonderful - but in your hands it could! I love the way you have used the couched yard - perfect.

KathyE said...

It's amazing what you have been able to do with another's castoffs. Love this idea.

June Calender said...

A delightful quilt and the little "Button, Button" is the best o fall. Love the couching with the ties. And what a lot of sewing the little squares involved! Only someone who loves to watch colors and shapes go together could have had the patience.

p said...

haha i just woke up and seeing this has got my eyeballs enervated :) i'm beginning to think quilt makers have a huge dose of occd in them, either that or ya'll are savants.

Kay said...

I love this. You've got so much dimension in it too.

Debra Dixon said...

I follow the trickle down theory of quilting too! Love this new top.

Barbara Strobel Lardon said...

Love what you do . It continues to amaze me!
The button cutey is fabulous!