String Theory Part I

String Theory is a quilt I started in 2015 after I had a work shop with the wonderful Bill Kerr.  He had some interesting thoughts on neutrals and their place in a colourful quilt and off I went making blocks so I could test his theories.

Along the way somewhere I discovered that all those string blocks created a lot of movement and stretch and after something didn't measure properly I put it in a box.  My version of a temper tantrum.

Size:  35 x 42

Fabrics:  I have a drawer of strips.  I was hoping to put a dent into them, but it's impossible to tell that I was in there at all except that they are messy now.

I wanted to do a series of String Theory quilts with different neutrals, but I'm going to have to change the design because this didn't turn out to be a lot of fun.

My favourite part of the quilt is the big stitching I did in red.  It's mostly invisible on the front side, but adds a lot of fun to the back.

This is the first of nine that I want to complete for 2017!

Linked up with she can quilt

Purple Irish Chain

Date:  May 2015

Pattern:  Traditional Irish Chain

Size:  30 x 30

Reason:  I accidentally made 9-patches when I meant to make 4-patches (rolls eyes)

Special Fabrics:  White sheet, purple left over from God's Promise back

Lessons Learned:
  1)  Don't cut and sew on auto-pilot
  2)  Feathers aren't as scary as they look

Thoughts:  The circles are hand quilted, the lines were done with a walking foot, the corner feathers were done with a darning foot.

Zen for Dad

Date:  May 2012 - March 2013

Pattern:  McCalls Quick Quilts March 2008 (severely modified)

Reason:  I liked the pattern and I wanted to use some blocks Grandma gave me.

Special Fabrics / Best Buys:  Many of the blocks including the 4 in the centre were given to me by Grandma.  My Aunt who works at a fabric store let me know when the perfect navy came in to the store.

Thoughts:  Gave to Dad for his 60th birthday.  I hand quilted this one.  It's been a really long time since I've done that.

God's Blessing

Date:  2009 - Jan 2014

Reason:  The Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial

Fabric:  RJR's Count Your Blessings charm pack - My grandma gave it to me for Christmas.

Lessons:  Don't tighten you fabric in a hoop so tightly that flannel seams fray out.  Yeah.

Thoughts:    This was started in 2007 when I first saw the tutorial.  Naturally a charm pack was perfect for trying the new technique.

I was a hand-quilter at this time - I think I must have tightened the quilt too much because some of the fabric frayed apart from the seam.  This annoyed me and into the closet it went.

This is the year of finishing stuff so out it came - I finished quilting it by machine and appliqued hearts over the frayed pieces.  A UFO bites the dust.

Zachary's First Lesson

Date:  November 2009

Reason:  The birth of a cousin's baby.

Fabrics:  My mother-in-law gave me the bumper pads to pick apart for the fabric.  The blues were from my stash.  The colourful binding was from the bumper pad ties.

Cheater Wall Hanging

Date:  June 2009

Reason:  A friend who works at MCC gave this to me to practice quilting on it.  When it was finished, I donated it back to MCC for resale.

Cheryl's

Cheryl is a huge fan of light neutrals.  One day I'm going to try to do an entire quilt in ivorys and whites!

Purple

Date:  July 2012

Reason:  My sister's wedding

Inspiration:

Lessons:  I'm just starting to machine quilt, so this quilt clearly shows my progress.  I think I found the idea tension for machine quilting . . . once I was 90% done.  C'est la vie.

Thoughts:  I love this technique so much I have two baby quilts started using the same style.

This quilt also displays a lack of wavy edges!  Yahoo!!

Brenda's

My husband chose the cat print :)

Can anyone tell me what the star block is called?  I didn't take careful enough notes.

Phil's

I love the chaos of these paper pieced potholders for Phil.

Thank You Table Runner

Date:  December 2008

Pattern:  This was adapted from Australian Country Threads Pg 42 - 1st Edition Collector's Edition.

Reason:  A thank you gift for being care group leaders for five years.  They were dairy farmers so I knew a cow theme was in order.

Lessons Learned:  Stuff cut on the bias is stretchy.  My Aunt taught me some triangle logic.

Thoughts:  A class in triangles would be a good thing.  Learning how to keep a decent deadline:  Also a good thing.  This took almost two years to complete.

Mum's

For my mother.  Paper pieced.  In my first year of quilting, I don't think it occurred to me to square up.

Jane's

Quilting for a quilter is always intimidating.  These are paper pieced

Ali's

Ali will ever be a purple girl.  I did two like this for her Christmas 2006.  This is paper pieced.

Jen's

One Christmas, everyone got potholders.  It was when I first started quilting.  I wanted to practice making individual blocks.  It seemed like a good fit to make them all into potholders.  These are Jen's.  I enjoyed using DMC floss to quilt them.

Thank You

Date:  2007

No Pattern

24 x 18

Reason:  I wanted to say thank you to someone for the help they provided to my husband.

Best Buys:  I got the burgundy from our local MCC thrift store.  It was a large piece for only $3.

Taylor's Funky Doodles

Pattern:  Down Under Quilts Issue 76 2004

Size:  55 Square


Date:  2007


Inspiration / Reason:  The birth of my first niece


Special Fabrics:  Bought fabric at a local warehouse.


Lessons Learned:  Watch the weave of fabric!  The flannels I was getting such a deal on had a very loose weave!

Even if the instructions say not to prewash, do it anyway!  The black fabric faded my yellow out to grey so after the whole quilt was done, new yellow was stitched over top.

Small Blessings

Pattern:  Australian Patchwork & Quilting Volume 10 #2

Date:  2007

Inspiration / Reason:  When I saw this pattern in 2005, I instantly thought of a good friend and decided to make it for their next baby.  It was done (mostly) in time for their son who arrived late in 2008.

Special Fabrics / Best Buys:  I won some of the fabric at a quilt show.  I also won a gift certificate to a quilt shop.  That took care of the back.  When a friend found out I was doing this quilt, she gave me all her scraps from when she made the same quilt!  I also received $30 in gift certificates when I participated in a clothing drive.  That helped quite a bit.

Lessons Learned:  As this was my first quilt,  everything was a lesson.  Little Bits of Comfort taught me everything I needed to know as I needed to know it.  

Everything can feel right in theory, but be wrong when it goes together.  Several colours meant for the quilt did not fit once the rest was cut.  last minute adjustments were necessary which meant I have "orphan blocks"  - pieces cut but not used.  I think I should keep a record of these pieces so they are not forgotten.

Thoughts:  I could also add to lessons learned:  friendship.  I had great help all along the way.  Some people for fabric, LBCQ for instruction.  Another friend loaned me her sewing machine for the whole summer.  I borrowed a lot of supplies from another friend for the duration of the quilt.  I think that God's hand has been in this quilt.  Too many things happened for it not to be:  Free and gifted fabric, coupons and other things just all add up to divine influence.  I just wonder:  why?