Saturday, September 16, 2017

Something Old Something New - How I make fabric selections

Sometimes its fun to start something new.  Actually, I'm pretty sure it's always fun to start something new.  I've discovered Instagram is BAD!  Anyway, Zen Chic started a sew along last month which is hosted on the Bernina blog http://blog.bernina.com/en/ and I started thinking that it could be a fun thing to participate in.  The quilt is a modern triangle quilt - with lots of scope to make things your own.  No, I rarely sew with a 60 degree triangle, but undeterred... I started looking at fabric options...

Initially, I had a completely different idea about how this was going to look... maybe kinda masculine, and had some fabric in mind as a start off point.  But then, once I had figured out that the triangles involved are relatively small, that using a charm pack as a start off point wasn't such a silly idea, especially since it was going to be heavily supplemented by stash.  Then, when I looked at the charm packs in my possession, I pulled out the least likely one of all, and not one bit masculine looking.

I had bought this Moda Kate Spain "Central Park" charm pack years ago without realising that there were only 5 prints included.  The moral of the story is to check the back of your Moda charm packs to see how many different prints there are, and what to expect about duplicates... anyway... it is a slightly odd mix of fabrics.

Pulling out the orange print helps the remaining prints to make sense.


And it was time to start pulling some friends from my stash cupboard:
Text print: Blithe by Katarina Roccella by Art Gallery Fabrics
Gold print: Lucky Penny by Alison Glass
Blue Dot: Bluebird by Melody Miller
Purple floral: Simply Colorful II by Vanessa Christensen
Gold Floral: unmarked
Greenish weave: one of the Robert Kaufman linens
Black Text: unmarked (although it will be something along the lines of Mama Said Sew definitions)


Returning to the cupboard to find a deeper green, I pulled out some more to add to the pile.  It was starting to look very interesting!  As always, adding more means you can add even more, and I found a toning larger floral and a large geometric that helped to create a cohesive grouping!


Blue Utensils: no marking
Dark green dot: no marking
Log cabin print: Dwellings by Michele D'Amore Designs
Triangle Print: Simply Eclectic by Hoffman Fabrics


Floral: Hope Chest by Blend has a funky purple/brown background, which is similar to the triangle print background.

And both are reminiscent although not the same as the original floral print from the charm pack.


The instructions call for an accent fabric, and a background.  I'm thinking that the Zen Grey Moda Bella Solid will be a good background, and I'm keeping the accent fabric open just at the moment.  I quite like the black print (the purple flowers do have a black centre), but I also like this textural dot as it has that same funny purpley tone.  But I've never mixed the heavy weight linen-ish fabric with regular patchwork cottons in a quilt.  Is it a disaster waiting to happen?


And all together... spanning fabric purchases from at least four years ago to current...


And my Month One triangles.


Because I do sometimes keep to my WIP list, I started back on my RSC blocks for this month, pulling out and ironing my orange scraps, and got my first block pieced.


During the week I managed to sew together my 36th TATW block!  That the last one folks.


And the blocks all laid out...


And looking at it from the other angle.


I have also been plugging along on the baby quilt piecing...


The rows are not joined together yet - but some good progress is being made.


Hoping to link up with Lyn at What a Hoot, RSC at So Scrappy, and Sunday Stash with Molli Sparkles.

7 comments:

Leeanne said...

You have a lovely eye for the right fabric combo's...........

Susan said...

Your new triangle quilt is great! And the baby quilt is progressing well too! You are very productive Suz!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Great fabric pull for those triangles, I love that 'pop' of dark purple floral in there!

Lucy | Charm About You said...

The TATW looks amazing! Lovely work! I've never seen a charm pack with 5 prints?! Did it have different colourways?

Raewyn said...

Oh the excitement of a new project!!! Interesting to see how the collection of fabrics has grown from the charm pack (did you feel ripped off when you bought that one?!) WOW 36 TATW blocks - great stamina and I like the setting you've gone with. Lovely looking baby quilt and good use of your oranges... I've missed a couple of months, tonals didn't work for me, nor did the busy month and my oranges are pretty much non-existent!

Debbie said...

I agree with several others...so interesting to see how the three initial prints led to your later selections...they look great together!

Lori said...

Love your fabric choices!