Thursday, January 31, 2019

Progress on UANDUQAL

I have been stealing some time away from having to put sleeves on my quilts and making progress on my uanduqal blocks.

When I made first few, I wasn't sure where this was going to go or if I will be able to stick with it. I don't usually do foundation piecing. I like to just cut my fabrics and sew but this is a different kind of quilts and it required the good old phone book, and lots of little pieces from shirts and few solids.

Every morning I make a few and later in the evening when time permits, I have been trimming them. It has gone pretty well so far.


It took no time to fill this design wall up. I am working with 9"X 9" blocks so you can see how small this design wall is. It is good to see them on the wall though, it gave me an idea on which direction to go.

It is mindless sewing but I am mindful about picking my colors and textures next to each other. Just because a quilt is scrappy, doesn't mean I let go of my need to design.

Once I ran out of space, I decided to just have fun arranging them in a beehive pattern.


Oh dear! There is another idea for a quilt! I am telling you I could devote this entire year for the quilts inspired from U and U! It is that good!


As you know, initially I had decided not to work with Y seams but it will be a great quilt if I can pull it off.

For those of you, who might want to stay away from those painful seams, there is another way of working with squares.

Isn't this exciting? The more I look at the pattern better it gets!

So how would you avoid the Y seams?

It's simple. Make your blocks square!


This is for a nine inch finished block. I would simply add setting triangles on either side. I cut mine at 5 inches and then cut once diagonally to finish the square. Yes, you will see that seam in the middle but if you use solid fabric it won't show after quilting and if you use prints, oh what better than add more texture to the quilt?

Once your square blocks are done, you will simply use the diagonal setting and set the blocks on point to finish the quilt top. You will need setting triangles at the end to finish the edges.


How about that?

So those of you who are struggling with quarter Square triangles not working, you can still use these blocks and make them look like continuous octagon shape.

I have made a little stack here and I plan to continue.


 I hope all of you who are in deep freeze weather are staying warm.

Sujata


Saturday, January 26, 2019

2019 - A Year of New Quilts and Classes

 I have been looking at my latest quilts lately and wondering.

http://worldofquiltstravel.com/Alaska19.htm
If I am floating between the spaces. It is easy to do when I go down the memory lane while stitching away.

Primary Colors

They are mostly paved with million little stitches. Each one gets me closer to the space I am trying to reach.

https://www.quiltnthings.com/
 Most of my favorite quilts have had humble and spontaneous beginnings.

https://pvqa.org/
 They surround me with brightness just like the Sunlight in every nook and corner of this home.


They brighten my evenings like that ray of light at the end of a gray day. 





No matter where I am headed with quilting, my past remains with me. Not a bad thing to be attached to if you ask me.

https://sbquilting.com/

These are the samples of my classes for 2019.  Come away with me!

Click on the link below each picture to sign up for the classes.

Here is the link to all of 2019 schedule.

Happy Quilting you all!
Sujata

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

My first attempt

I drafted my own pattern and made few string pieced patches. I also posted a tutorial on how to draft your own pattern for first quilt of uanduqal.

If you are just joining here, please read the previous post.

You can find the tutorial on the link below.

https://basketfullofscraps.blogspot.com/2019/01/overlapping-octagon-how-to-draft-your.html


I am in a hurry today so excuse the poorest quality of this picture. I will polish it up next time. :)

Have a great sewing day!
Sujata

Monday, January 7, 2019

U and U QAL January 2019

Overlapping Octagons

It is all about "U"! Thank you all for getting as excited as I am about this project. So many of you have signed up for this QAL! I am excited to see so many versions of a quilt.

The first quilt I picked screams both - Unconventional and Unexpected!

Facts and my observation of this quilt: 
Find it in your book, Unconventional and Unexpected Quilts on page 51. 

The maker is unknown and so is the pattern. I am going to call it Overlapping Octagons.
Quilt in the book measures 77 X 66 inches.
Finished blocks 8 X 8 inches
Fabric used shirting and flannel

I must say the maker was pretty clever! She made this simple pattern look quite complicated.


Our eyes are so trained to find a square block in a quilt.. I couldn't see one, can you?

I looked closer to study the construction of the quilt and deconstructed the "Block".


I think this quilt was hand pieced. Two different units were used to make this quilt. A square for the center of each octagon and string pieces rectangles with triangles on either ends.





Why do I think it was hand pieced? Those rectangles with triangles on either side are string pieced  and some of the patches continue from the triangles to the body of the rectangle.




Here is another close-up.


I am not sure about you all but I do not want to hand piece a quilt top at this time in my life.
So here is what I came up with.

The best way to sew these Overlapped Octagons is to sew them in columns using required units..

Here are some loose instructions I promised.


This quilt can be constructed with finished,

2" Quarter Square Triangles
2 X 4 inches String Pieced Rectangles
4 X 4 Center Squares

Are you with me? If not, I have more to say :)

You will construct it in columns. Yes! Strips!


  • You will need (give or take)

132 Center Squares - 4 1/2" X 4 1/2"

156 Stringed Pieced Rectangles - 2 1/2" X 4 1/2"

156 Quarter Square Triangles - 2 1/2" X 2 1/2"

  • Strip Set - A 
Sew 12 strips starting with quarter square triangle alternating with string pieced rectangle and ending with quarter square triangle - 74 1/2 " long. For each strip you will need 13 squares and 12 rectangles.
  • Strip Set -B
Sew 11 strips, Starting with stringed rectangle alternating with a plain center square, ending with pieced rectangle. For each strip you will need 13 Rectangles and 12 Squares. 

Sew strip one and two in alternating order.
The quilt should measure 68" X 74" or something like that.


Here are few other things to consider.
  • Use many shades of same color to mimic the use of recycled shirts.
  • Observe the size of the scraps and compare those to the prints you may be using. Large prints will definitely get lost when cut providing even crazier look!
  • You don't need to make entire quilt with small blocks. Play around with large scale prints and large size blocks. The blocks can be reconfigured as long as the measurements are divisible by 2
  • What if you choose those 4" squares to act as background? How will those overlapping octagons act against same fabric throughout? 
  • Consider low volume, high contrasts. "Take a trip" to another country for inspiration and use colors inspired from it.
  • Use your travel pictures for color inspiration.
  • Use stripes, dots pr plaids to create drama.
I can go on and on. 

If you are not interested in making this quilt, pick the one you like. There are so many beautiful quilts in the book, just have fun, make it your own.

I am still trying to figure out the best way to have one platform to visit each-other's projects. Meanwhile, let's make some dent in the scrap box!

If you are on Instagram, use #unconventionalandunexpected and #UANDUQAL
I am told U&UQAL will not work.

And lastly, you do not need to have a blog nor the IG account. I really hope you have fun making these quilts.

Happy Monday you all! 
Sujata

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays were as bright and filled with love as ours. I am still here.. This house was filled with relatives from distance and kids.

The kitchen was always open and the laundry was constantly running. I said goodbyes to all the kids at once. My heart is full. This was our grandson's first visit, first plane ride. First Christmas together for now seven of us!


 Kai did not mind posing for camera for me at all.



Younger two kids went home as soon as I took our oldest son and his family to the airport this morning.

The house is empty and it has opened up space for our quilt-along. If you missed it, read all about it here.
https://therootconnection.blogspot.com/2018/12/red.html

Those of you who are interested in the quilt along, I have received and read every single comment.   I hope you are patient. I will come back with quilt # one next week.

A lot of you have ordered the book or already have it in your home. I hope you have had a chance to go through it.

Couple of reminders before I end this reminder post - (couldn't help myself)

This is going to be a stress free experience.

Those of you who are anonymous, please send me an email so I have your email addresses to send you an invite  to post on a community blog.

If you do not have Instagram or a blog? No worries, just have fun. This project is designed to get to know other like-minded people and build a community of quilters who appreciate quirky quilts just like the man who brought them to us.

Have a great rest of the week!
Sujata


Enter to Win Bernina 455 QE Kaffe Edition

Hey everyone! It has been a while! I have to share some great news! I have some great giveaway announcement!     Alex and Ricky at TheQuiltS...