26 March 2013

Nest

It was a pleasure to be able to sew this weekend after several weeks off. I started with a little curved improv piecing, inspired by a gorgeous quilt pieced and quilted by Sue Fox. Sue started teaching me the basics of long-arm quilting last week (more on that in a later post).


I pulled a bunch of gray prints and wovens. I was a little drab, and I decided I needed something with more punch. The technicolor Echino birds and berries fit the bill, and I added a coordinating Essex linen for good measure.

I cut and shuffled the fabrics, then sewed them together to make 10 blocks, roughly 10 inches each side.


I laid nine of the blocks out on two pieces of grey woven fabric (yarn dyed Essex linen in black, and Kaufman Carolina Chambray in black) until the arrangement pleased me.


I added some strips of light and dark gray solids and a vibrant blue Oakshott cotton that also coordinates with the bird print. The blue especially gives the composition a greater sense of movement.


Then I set the blocks using the two gray woven fabrics. The top measures approximately 48x64.


The back features one last curved improv block, set in the remaining scraps of linen and Carolina Chambray, and finished with several prints from my stash. I was going to use more of the Ikea bird print on  the right side but I think even that 8" strip is quite a lot. In the end I'll trim another 2 or 3 inches off that edge before I bind the quilt, and I hope that will be just enough.






17 comments:

  1. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing the process photos. I love "seeing" how people think through their designs.

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  2. love that you kept the back mostly neutral with the exception of that little colored piece. Make sure you don't lose that chirping bird after you trim off the ikea fabric!

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  3. chambray in a quilt sounds really luxe and amazing!

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  4. Love your curved improv blocks against those long rectangular strips. Look forward to seeing how you quilt this one.

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  5. Interesting! I admire your ability to just "go with" colors and prints. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to that!

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  6. That looks both wonderful and like a lot of fun to make.

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  7. Looks wonderful.....such a liberating way to work isn't it.

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  8. Everything about this quilt is beautiful...the blocks, the colour palette, the linen. This may be one of my favourites of yours so far.

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  9. This is a real inspiration...thanks for showing your process in creating this innovative quilt.

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  10. that is an amazing composition!

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  11. This is so beautiful! Your colors are perfect with the grey, and the curved composition reminds me of fields seen from above. Lovely.

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