To Spite Sore Arms

Well now I have learned a very important lesson, never show off the corner of a quilt when you can show off the entire thing.  

Mandala Back so far

This new picture of the back of the Mandala quilt shows off the deep rich blue very nicely, where as the other image seemed to show the blue as lighter and more vibrant than it is.  I'm not sure what should come next?  Perhaps green?  I have two deep greens, one a batik and one a print that might work.  I also wondered if perhaps I should do something with pieced blocks?  I have more spirographs from the front of the quilt 6 big ones and 14 little ones if someone was thinking I should add a hint from the front on the back.  Though I'd like to save one or two of the big ones for a pillow...  At your suggestions I think the answer here is to use only deep rich tones, vs. bold bright ones that would detract from the Kaleidoscope blocks.

Mandala Front Complete, Backing grows.

Last night I worked on my Mandala quilt.  Working on Mandala's is said to be a healing process for the creator.  I don't know about that but I do know I dread each new step with this quilt only to do it and discover oh that wasn't so bad.  This quilt now measures 96" and it's plenty heavy so I only took pictures of the corner.  In this first image it is a corner using a small kaleidoscope block, as well as those zillion half square triangles for the last HST border.  The red folded border looks wonderful over the whole of the quilt.

 Then I began working on the back of the quilt.  I bordered out the back Kaleidoscopes with the black as I'd planned, and then added the water batik all around.  The trouble is right after I finished sewing on the blue border I found 2 yards of the blue in the picture above, that turquoise and royal, clearly I'd intended to use that on the back.  It doesn't play well with the blue batik I added though.  Any thoughts?

Mandala Quilt Status Check Pictures

Just this morning I finished sewing the strips of the Kaleidoscope blocks together, from here I plan to border around in the black, likely the same with as the strips shown and then who knows?  Any ideas?

Hexagon Kaleidoscope Blocks Center

While I was taking pictures it occurred to me that I haven't showed you the Mandala front since adding the most recent border of half square triangles.

Mandala Quilt front with latest HST border 

Mandala Quilt weaving borders view

The above side view is the reason behind all of those small half square triangles.  See how the border stripes appear to wave through the quilt?  I'm planning to quilt Celtic knots over these to further emphasize the woven effect.  At first this was challenging and I constantly needed to look back to my EQ files, but as I worked it became clear this technique has two sweet spot corners. This corner and the one opposite.  Just as with any sweet spot starting here causes order to become obvious and with a little help from DD sewing the borders became much more natural.

Hope you enjoyed this little update.

Mandala's Reverse Starts Coming Together

Kaleidoscope Strips Layout

Last night I started squaring my rows of Kaleidoscope blocks up by adding the smaller triangles at the top and bottom.  Boy was I glad I hadn't thrown my scraps out!  All those end bits that I cut off to make the black equilateral triangles really came in handy.

Kaleidoscope Blocks Stripping together

I ran into a little bit of a problem working on my hexagon Kaleidoscope Blocks yesterday.  The problem was simple.  My mind told me I was making octagons, when really six sides makes a hexagon.  So I did some online digging and found the answer to my issue on a blog called Prosperity Stuff Quilts.  You see, it seems that some quilters who venture into Kaleidoscopes Blocks make many, many, quilts using this technique and have more than one for a newbie like me to drool glance over.   

About half of my Kaleidoscope Blocks

First I laid out my blocks as you can see above.  Each row represents two rows as I have them stacked as "sort of match" pairs.  We're headed for 6 rows total. 

First Strip of Blocks Together

DD said "wow" under her breath when she saw my first strip.  I took it as a wonderful heartfelt compliment, especially when she wanted her picture taken with it.

Second Row!

I couldn't stop, the blocks might get out of order you know, thereby I just had to finish up the second strip before she went to bed.  Can you see why I say these are "sort of matched" rows?

Sneak Peak Kaleidoscope Blocks

Kaleidoscope Quilt Block Layouts

I've cut all of my pieces and I'm now ready to start sewing them together.  What do you think of these first few blocks? I always find taking a step back and looking at quilt layout options through the camera lens to be a big help and today is no exception.  

Cutting Time

Ready to Cut?

I'm getting ready to cut my Opalescence fabric to make Kaleidoscope blocks for my Mandala's quilt back, I'm a little nervous!  Ever done one of these before?

Mandala Final Border, Naw....

Mandala Quilt Showing off Stripes

Mandala awaiting another border

Today I attached the large border of spirographs to the Mandala Quilt.  As some of you know I made my half square triangles at 2" sewn in, instead of 2.5" sewn in.  This has created a bit of a size issue.  The quilt as it is right now at 73" square really isn't big enough for two people to share.  I believe it will need another border.  I've been looking it over and I think this will mean another folded border and another set of diagonal stripes.  That's another 328 HST's!  Right.  I am so not loving that idea.  Any options that you see?  I have some fabrics that match rather well which I had been planning to use on the back that could technically go on the front.  I demo'ed them on the edge for DH.  He said one in particular but when I protested, saying I think the best answer is the HST's he said "yeah, I know."  Really?  LOL.  That means he's telling me what I want to hear even if that means I believe him and take the easy way out.  Men!

Mandala's Large Spirographs

I've been busy working on the Mandala Quilt, as you can see I have started to add the Large Spirograph borders.  It seems like this quilt will be getting harder and harder to photograph from here on out.  One reader suggested I make the second border of diagonals run in the opposite direction.  That was a neat idea, but I'd already latched on to this one.  Pick one of the bright diagonal stripes.  See how you can follow that stripe all the way across both borders through to the other side of the quilt?  That took some doing, yet I believe the results are worth it.  These large diagonal runs should become even more pronounced when I add the quilting.

Mandala Circle Spirograph Quilt Grows

Mandala From the Inside Out

Mandala Quilt Grows from the Inside Out

Tell me, please what have you been up to?  This is what I've been doing.  Working on the Mandala Quilt, circles, triangles, and squares, what fun.  The border of half square triangles had me wondering if I should rename this quilt to Viper's Poison instead.  The second folded border was a little tricky and then the applique border thankfully went on with just a bit of pinning.  I'm almost sad that I'm back to another folded border, and then even more half square triangles.  I've decided the next folded border is going to be blue.  Should I go with the medium blue and teal or the darker one?   Right now as you see it the quilt is about 40".  Which isn't what it should be but I made an error in my HST's accidentally made them smaller than the original plans called for.  So I'm thinking a fat impromptu outermost border might be in order...

Mandala's Applique is Complete

Yesterday was an amazing day for my applique!  I hand stitched all of the smallest applique circles as I had finished the larger circles the night before, so now it's time to spend a bit of effort thinking the thin border around the large center circle.  Should it stay raspberry as I'd originally intended?  Should I demo another color?  Green perhaps?  What do you think?

All Applique for Mandala Quilt is done

Mandala Going Well

Two posts in one day, isn't that a shocker?  I just finished up three more of these applique circles.  I'm on a roll, hehe.  No more tonight though, someone has decided they need cuddles and stitching does not go with cat cuddles!

Here are the pieces I have so far.  You can see I have appliqued the entire top row of large circles and have  also finished the one there underneath on the left.  The center is finished and is exactly as shown.  While I do have many, many HST's shown I wont update them into the layout until I start sewing them together.  

Layout of Mandala Circle Quilt with completed details

As Always feel free to click on any picture to see it in better detail.

Mandala Quilt Progress

I've been working on my Mandala Quilt!  Currently I have the center as well as the two large Spirographs in the upper corners fully appliqued.  I plugged the pictures of my real work into the layout so you can see how that's coming along.  All of these circles are being appliqued by hand and I've been surprised the going isn't as slow as I feared it would be.  Currently I have five other large circles pined and ready to stitch, so I'm ready to sit and sew this evening.  Anyone want to read my book aloud so I can sew and enjoy my book at the same time?

Can You Sew a Curved Line with a Straight Stitch?

As some of you may have known I planned to piece the straight lines on the Mandala Center Quilt Block, then applique each ever growing ring.  Well for some reason today I changed my mind and instead decided to put the rings together by building up each wedge - piecing the curves first.  I can see why the directions don't tell you to do it this way.  As it's especially tricky there at the end, but I loving the results.  Besides there is something about that moment when you know each curve is coming out just right and then the wedges sew together until your on the final one and open it...

Pieced Mandala Quilt Center

Have you been up to anything good?  I hope everyone who is covered up under snow has a snow blower to help get themselves uncovered.  Boy did I hate shoveling snow as a teenager!

Quiet Much?

The Beam Compass DH made for me

Perhaps I should rename this blog to "Quietest Little Blog"?  Na, I'd never do that.  Around here things have been busy.  I have made good progress on my Mandala blog.  DH made this wonderful Beam compass so I can rework some of the pattern pieces I wasn't happy with.  Currently, I have over 200 half square triangle blocks completed.  These are used in the multi colored slanting borders, so I just have one color left to make and then I will be on to the piecing of my center most circle and a lot of applique.  Below I laid out a sample of what the border will look like for you to see.  The last color that of HST's that I will need to create is raspberry, but I haven't settled on just which fabric to use yet.  The pattern suggested a random scrappy look but I think this will work out better...

Mandala Border

Have you been up to anything good lately?

Mandala Beginnings

Mandala Quilt Layout Plans

Have I told you about my Mandala Quilt yet?  I am really looking forward to starting this one after the New Year.  These aren't the true colors I will be using, but I have finally selected them.  All of my fabrics are sitting here waiting for me with little murmurs of "why aren't you working on us?   My first step will be to create the applique center.  Isn't that going to be something?  I'm planning on piecing the straights and then ironing under the curves and hand appliqueing each of the layers.  Does that sound like a good plan to you?

I am actually planning this one to be 100% mine.  So often I get wrapped up in working on these huge beautiful quilts and especially in the spring it's a real bummer to make my own bed, with something that doesn't begin to compare to what I've spent all day working on.

What are your plans?  Promise me you've taken a moment to just enjoy the season and breathe, without having to worry about anything.  Are you done with your holiday shopping?  I've been done since my last box arrived yesterday.  Thank goodness, now I can just cuddle with my daughter and pat my sick husband on the back and enjoy the season.  I wish you all the same, minus the sick spouse of course!

Layouts and Fabric Issues

Lilly's Quilt Front

The other day when looking at the charms I would be using in Lilly's Garden Quilt, I discovered many of the fabrics I'd selected were listed on back order.  No time like now to be proactive right?  So I popped them a note asking when everything would be avail again.  The response was swift but the answer was not a pleasing on.  They are not expected in until Jan./Feb. of next year, and the recommend I select something else.  Well I'd tried that and wasn't having much luck so selected a different online fabric store and revised the layout of the front to suit.  The colors for the applique are divine!  Not that you can really tell that with the bit of line drawing I've thrown there to show what it will look like.

Below you will find the back that so far I like best.  EQ tells me I have made something like 35 revisions, but I think it's more like 10 okay maybe 15 different layouts.  The blue is picked up from the borders, the light of the stars is the same fabric that the fairies are embroidered on to.  As for that purple and the green those are from the fabrics I have selected for the Wisteria applique.  Oh and lastly the deep green squares are the applique fabric for the calla lily leaves.  

Lilly's Garden Quilt Back Star Option

There is just one problem and that is were all of you come in.  What can I do about the way the purple vertical border dumps into the black?  I thought a HST would work, but it doesn't.  I tried splitting it half black and half purple and that made the black border look odd and then I tried  splitting it half purple and half blue and that provided an off balanced look.  Suggestions Please!

I have also been working on something else.  This time it's something for me.  Just for me, okay and by default my DH; for all those times when I have to put a comforter on my own bed and wonder why I don't have one of my own handmade beauties for my bed.  Do you recall this fabric?  Oh yes I thought you might.  When I was digging for the perfect something or other quilty answer for another quilt I found a pattern in an old McCall's quilting magazine called Mandala you can see the original quilt here.   

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Mandala Spirograph Quilt

Well I just knew it was the perfect answer to my spirograph fabric shown above and I have not only been hard at work trying to make all the colors and tones work together, I've had the help of my friend Vicki (thankfully).  The fabrics aren't set in stone yet, but isn't coming together nicely?

Because I'm a nut, each circle will be turned edge hand appliqued. With both the smallest and medium sizes of circles coming from the panel as shown above. The background fabric is a circling swirl.  Though I do plan to use true black for my HST's. 

Talk about having my burners full.  Not to mention the top and backing of a quick baby quilt that I finished up today, but that is a story for tomorrow when the camera battery is all charged back up!

Christmas Quilt-a-Long Year 3 March Checkin

I'm here I'm here!  I'm likely the last one to make checkin today, but we are have a Quilt Show in my neck of the woods this weekend, and I have been busy having breakfast out and gabbing about the wonders of the show that I saw yesterday on opening day.

These are my quilting finds from the show.  Are my little pink cat thread snips cute?  The fabric is the new Paula Nadelstern panel in her Patternista collection.  I bought 3 panels, so I have 18 of these beautiful kaleidoscope circles. **Updated 9/12/2012 ~ The basis for my Mandala Quilt

The thread though that was a real gem of a find.  Seems up the road "a-ways" is a dealer who actually sells Superior Thread locally.  She didn't have any So Fine in the blues I was looking for, so I went with the Omni in the Wintergreen just because.  Sure looks like it could match whatever I plan those panels for hu?

So let's get started!  It's Christmas Quilt-a-long Day and Joanna is our hostess.  If you join now you could even steal my title of latest quilter of the day!