I've managed not to blog for a little while (OK almost 6 months) as things have been rather hectic here. I now have two friends living with me, a baby has been born and I've seen two long-term relationships go up in smoke and been supporting a lot of people and dogs.
I've made a lot of things this summer, done a lot of mending and even learned a couple of new sewing skills. All of which are coming in handy on
Circle Game.
My lovely friend Mel lives in Melbourne, home of
Amitie Textiles. She went right the away across town with another mutual friend Julie to but my Xmas present last December. Cue hysterical Autocorrect moment when an Iphone turned Sandringham Line on the Metro into slandering jam!
Since then I've been slowly working my way through the blocks. All of the blocks are meant to be hand pieced but I'm a proper chicken so a lot of the earlier blocks have been paper pieced. Well, it's hand pieced, just not the recommended way. Some have been machine pieced because I like bending the rules. Also, having spoken to Lynne Goldsworthy (one of the UK Amitie BOM veterans), she also had the same ideas about piecing so I'm OK with that.
I've plenty of scraps courtesy of Lynne and Brioni so I'm having a lot of fun with colour
combos I'd normally never try with my own fabrics. I've a lot more subtle fabrics than my usual eyeball screamingly bright colours so this should be a lot more cohesive overall and not offend so many people at quilt group. I'm also finding I'm having to think a lot more about contrast , especially when it comes to the block surrounds and borders. I've made decisions about the surrounds but the borders are still a massive headache.
The original looks to have charcoal Sketch as the borders. I'm not to keen on a dark border and I think it could be a bit heavy. Also the corner pieces are navy polkadots and that is about as dark as I want to go.
So the choices get a bit more exciting. I want a fairly neutral colour, not bright to accentuate the semi circles on the border. It also can't be a solid colour as it would flatten everything around it. That reduces the selection more.
Then it has to have texture as a ditsy print or teeny polkadots woud look plain wrong.
Now can you see why I have a headache and why the selection is taking so long?
I could go for a subtle batik like the Hoffman 1895 Watercolours and completely offend some of my batik hating friends but the idea is good. Colour wise mid to dark toned, possibly grey or a nice brown. Yes I said brown. I hate brown fabric but it would work here and balance out the brightness of the blocks.
Current favourite is
Moda Grunge Basics as they would look good in any project and love the effect they give. I'm not even looking at grey or brown here but pear, decadent and avalanche. If I could find any of the Dauphine Grunge in the UK, I may settle for that but it may be too dark overall.
Also I like the
Riley Blake Small Gingham in Grey.
Told you it was headache time!
As usual, when getting the camera out, Phoebe decided to get in one the action and promptly lay on the pieces when they were laid out on the floor!
One bribe later, she got off
I'm disgustingly organised for a change. The border strips are cut as are the outer border semi circles and the corners and insets that surround each circle. All neatly bagged and set aside for a rainy day when I can get to grips with them.
I'm even planning for the next big quilt adventure. In the current issue of Quiltmania is a pattern I've lusted over since Spring Market. It's another Jen Kingwell design but this time it's Midnight at the Oasis. I've read the instructions and had the thought that it's not 'that' difficult. Yep, I'm probably over reaching but I'm up for a challenge!
That said this afternoons adventure is to rectify this piece of fabric art. It is so distorted that I'm resorting to EPPing this and the remainder of the blocks in a vain attempt to have some reasonably flat blocks to assemble soon.
