I am hoping that this is the last Carpenter’s Wheel block. My fingers are crossed because it would be nice to finish something AND I want to turn this in for the BAMQG challenge.
As I may have mentioned, I have an idea for the layout and I’d like to get to it. Of course, I have to get the Peacock off the design wall.
Tag: Carpenter’s Wheel
Everything Old is New Again
I started in on Carpenter’s Wheels again. I finished n.13 over the weekend in the frenzy of sewing I did to heal myself from the shopping marathon we did on Sunday*.
I was able to finish this one without much extra making of parts, but n.14 needed a few new Flying Geese and some low volume fabrics.
I was inspired to do so by Karen, the Challenges chair at BAMQG. Her last challenge as chair has to do with putting words on a quilt. The Carpenter’s Wheel blocks have text fabric included, so I am going to try to get the top done before February. I know I started this out as an experiment in low volume fabrics and it will still be that.
I want to do the round layout. I don’t want those two blocks in the middle, thus I needed two more blocks, which I am in the process of making. The new blocks won’t be unique layout like the others, but I think the layout of the entire quilt will be somewhat unique and I am excited about it.
* Shopping is terrible, but this trip wasn’t completely terrible. DH made me pancakes for breakfast. He and I were able to spend the day together. We also accomplished a lot of niggling little tasks that comprise the holiday season. It feels good to cross things off the list. As soon as I said I had had enough, we finished up and packed it in. No arguments from DH. Finally, I ended up with 18k steps. That is almost a Disneyland day. Who would have thought?
Revisiting Projects: Carpenter’s Wheels
The last time we talked about the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks I was trying out layouts. One reason these blocks are not next on my list is that I still have not decided on a layout. My mind keeps floating back to the round-ish layout I talked about after being inspired by Scraps Inc.
I think I really want to set these blocks in kind of a round layout and sew a million 2.5″ squares together to make it work. I might have to make a few more blocks.
I haven’t taken a photo of the layout, because my design wall isn’t large enough (I know I keep saying that) so I will really need to figure out how to take a photo and figure out if I need more blocks.
Carpenter’s Wheel Layouts #2
In between other things going on here in the Artquiltmaker Workroom, I wrote the book review of Scraps Inc. As you may have read, I was lukewarm about the book in general, but everything can provide some inspiration.
One quilt (from the related blog post) that I didn’t think should be included in the book** provided inspiration for the Carpenter’s Wheel layout, however. I don’t think I have quite enough blocks to make this layout work. I can’t really tell since the design wall isn’t large enough to give me a good sense and the proportions of this layout are off. I might try it on the living room floor since I can see it from the upstairs hallway.
My SIL suggested a regular on-point 3-2-3 layout. I tried it. This might work without the bottom two blocks, but with those two blocks, it looks crowded and odd. If I do this layout, what will I do with the bottom two blocks?
I have more work to do on this piece, so stay tuned.
**Nota bene: There is nothing wrong with the quilt and it is very modern, but it uses very few scraps, thus I didn’t think it fit the definition implied by the book. YMMV.
Carpenter’s Wheel Layouts #1
Lots of design work going on in my workroom.
Before I allowed FOTY 2015 to take over my design wall, I did a little bit of layout design with the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks. I don’t want the layout to be a straight block layout. I am willing to piece a bunch of low volume alternate blocks if I need to (rote sewing- YAY!). I only have 10 blocks, which adds to the design challenge.
I was first thinking of designs that were similar to a donation quilt that Kathleen and I made. It was all Kathleen’s idea, but I happily went along. Donation quilts, as I have said about 12 million times, are good for trying out new ideas.
I wanted to stretch myself with these blocks. I like the linear effect of the donation quilt and wondered what I could do with the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks that would give the same effect?
I tried out different linear type layouts. Of the above, #1, #6 and #7 are my favorites. I like the idea of giving these blocks some space and all of these layouts give the blocks space. That might not be the case with alternate blocks made up of low volume prints, however. I might be able to mitigate it by not including any patches that have a large concentration of black. We’ll see. I may need to do a test block.
#1 is a bit too symmetrical and I wonder if that layout is not stepping out of my comfort zone enough?
Back to the design wall, I think.
Carpenter’s Wheel #10
I made more progress on the Carpenter’s Wheel project over the weekend. I worked on this one in between working on the Cutting Corners donation top. I put in some newer fabrics and that makes me very happy. I am totally in love with that flower print I used for the center. It is by Studio E and that blue is fantastic! Especially since it is not turquoise. 😉
Now I have a dilemma. I now have 10 blocks. That is a very awkward number with which to lay out a quilt. I am going to look at the blocks and see if I can eek out two more unique layouts. If not, I may make two more of my favorites. I will also try to lay the blocks out in different ways to see if there is an interesting layout which will work for this piece.
Carpenter’s Wheel #9
This is the next Carpenter’s Wheel. I almost finished it in between this week’s donation blocks and the Peacock blocks. I have one more seam.
The green is a bold choice, but I only have a couple of small pieces of the chair fabric left and I wanted to use it
Carpenter’s Wheel #8
I finally finished another Carpenter’s Wheel block. As I have said there is a lot going on and focus is difficult. Looking back, I found that I posted #7 on March 1 even though March 1 seems like a long time ago from where I am sitting now.
I am pretty pleased with how it came out. Since I have so many blocks, I do think a quilt is in the offing. I have been thinking of layouts and was thinking of something asymmetrical after attending QuiltCon.
However, I put them up on my design wall and really like them jammed together. There is something about them together that looks interesting.
Carpenter’s Wheel #7
Yes, this is block #7 of the ‘test’ blocks. Apparently, I have a lot of testing in me and can’t stop.
I think that I am making a quilt. I can’t imagine piecing all of these pieces and then giving the blocks away or something. I guess I am making a quilt.
The patches for this particular block were on the wall for a long time. Some of it was that I was away from my machine for various travel and some of it was that I was sewing other things when I did have time. I fiddled with the layout quite a bit until I decided to go with what I had and began sewing.
There are colors, and similar colors that are near each other in this version. I decided to be ok with that. There are no hues that look so much alike as to muck up the design. In the grand scheme, I think it will be great.
I washed a bunch of low volume prints and am ready to lay out the next block.
Pink Carpenter’s Wheel
I was finally able to finish this pink (the center is pink so I think of it as the Pink Carpenter’s Wheel) Carpenter’s Wheel block. While I was working on the Sew Together Bags, I didn’t have a quarter inch foot on the machine, so I did barely any quilt work piecing. Very sad as that means very little gets done.
But the Sew Together Bags are done for the moment and I got quite a lot done over the weekend.
This one has more HSTs. I put some in the center, outside the Sawtooth Star, to try and get the look of a ring going. Not sure if I succeeded, thought I do like the look and the opportunity for additional color more HSTs provides.
I am still interested in the low volume background and am adding more of my own fabrics to the mini-charm packs I bought in Corvallis.
I cut and laid out another Carpenter’s Wheel block. I didn’t do it because I wanted an even number. I did it because I had another idea for a variation.
Color Selection on the Carpenter’s Wheels
The Carpenter’s Wheel blocks were off visiting Kathleen in Reno when I started laying out the 5th version. Yes, I had another idea for a variation and decided to try it out. I was challenged by the center square. I got it in my head to use orange (forgetting that I had already made one with an orange center), thus had some fun trying out different oranges.
I really thought that the tone-on-tone orange would be the perfect center for the 5th block. Somehow it didn’t work for me. I think the bold patterning of the other fabrics made the tone-on-tone look flat.
I didn’t want a fabric that screamed because it is such a large piece compared to the other patches, so I tried this great orange batik. I thought it was probably the best of the lot, but there was something about it that didn’t quite work.
I picked out a more salmon-y orange, thinking more pink might work better. The pattern was better, but the pattern wasn’t bold enough to compete with all that was going on in the block and didn’t work.
I did think more pink was good, though, so I looked through my ‘oranges tending towards pink’ fabric to see if I could find anything. This was better. I almost went with it, but though it was a little light. You can see the block evolving as I move some of the other pieces or change them out as well.
I finally decided on a pink stitch design. I think it competes well with the other fabrics, but doesn’t overwhelm them.
I am working on stitching it down. As you might recall, these blocks have a lot of pieces, so it takes time. I also laid out another block and will need to pick out another center. Stay tuned.
Carpenter’s Wheel #4
The 4th Carpenter’s Wheel block sat on my wall for over week. I didn’t really have a lot of time in the past little while to sew, which is hard. I made an effort one evening to get the block done. I had pecked away it, so I didn’t have to sew all the pieces, but there were about 40 pieces to sew, so it was a bit of work.
I tried to add in some different fabrics from the others. I want this piece, whatever it turns out to be, very scrappy.
This block is 16.5″ and has, if I counted right, 77 pieces.
Making the 4th one means that I have reached my original goal. the problem is that I also thought of another variation. Sigh. We’ll see what happens.
Carpenter’s Wheel #3
I really tried to recapture the sewing mojo I talked about last week. I didn’t quite feel that adrenaline rush of excitement this past weekend, but I did get a lot done.
I finished the Carpenter’s Wheel block that was named #2.5, but is really #3. I called it 2.5 last week to denote its unfinished state.
I was really lackadaisical at the beginning of the day about working on it. I think I didn’t want to get confused by leaving pieces and parts in the machine by using this block as leaders and enders. I worked hard at placing the fabrics, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t get get confused about where each patch belonged. Towards the end of the day, I set a goal to finish that block and did.
The cherry on the sundae was that I also laid out the last variation I imagined.
I might make a four block quilt, but I don’t know. I don’t want to commit to a full quilt with these blocks, but I may get inspired. I am loving the low volume background. It really adds interest to the blocks without making the background too busy.
Carpenter’s Wheel #2 and #2.5
I worked last Saturday on Carpenter’s Wheel blocks and some other stuff, which you heard about over the weekend. I am really having fun playing with the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks. So much fun was making me feel guilty about the other projects. In the course of resolving that problem, I made good progress on my variations on Deb Tucker’s Carpenter’s Wheel blocks as I mentioned a week or so ago.
#2 is made the way Deb Tucker showed on the Fons & Porter episode. Note that this one has the extra half square triangles along the outside of the block next to the Flying Geese. This definitely gives the piece a different look
I was able to finish #2 and cut everything for #3, but not get get much sewing done on it. I thought of the #3 variation as I added some HSTs to #2. This variation has HSTs as part of the ‘wheel on the inner row of patches. I hope that the HSTs in the corners will make the piece look more round.
In do this variation I thought of another variation, which I will also try.
I also opened my second pack of Modern Backgrounds – Paper by Zen Chic, which I bought in Corvallis. I don’t love all the prints in this pack, but most of them will work for me. The ones that don’t work are ending up in donation blocks, which I also worked on in between the Improv quilt and this project.
Good Progress – Fun Progress
I spent almost the whole day last Saturday working on the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks and the Red and Black Improv quilt.
I was really struggling with the Improv quilt and it was taking up space on my design wall so I wanted to get it done and off. Done and off the wall meant making more blocks. Somehow making more blocks has lost their appeal.
I decided as I worked on the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks that I would intersperse pieces and parts for the Improv quilt and make some progress at least. I am so pleased with the progress I made! And I had fun.
The Carpenter’s Wheels are very cheerful and that makes them fun to make. I sewed the second block together (top left) on Saturday and am enjoying looking at the two blocks together while the third block is in process.
I had started out on these blocks, but the Improv quilt was nagging at the back of my mind, so, as I said, I pulled out some black and red strips and started to work on an Improv block in between working on the second Carpenter’s Wheel block. When I finally pulled my nose away from the needle and assessed my day’s work, I found that I had completed a whole side of the quilt! I only have three blocks more to make to finish the top!
This quilt is a monster, which should surprise nobody, which makes it hard to photograph, but you should be able to see some of the work and the progress. There will be no border and sewing the blocks together should be a challenge, but not so much of a challenge that I can’t do it. The seams will be long, but over quickly, I think.
I was doing such good work that I was angry that I had to leave on Sunday for a work trip. I was looking forward to the work trip, but it just came at an inconvenient time and I was hoping I wouldn’t lose my momentum, especially with the Improv quilt.