Mosaics/Tile – Page 2 – Artquiltmaker Blog

Inspiration Thursday

Notice the Sawtooth Stars?

Nice border for a quilt.

This section is around the dome.

One of the things I enjoy about my city are the unexpected mosaic and tile art I see around. At one point, apparently, mosaics and tiles were used commonly for entry ways and they are little pieces of art hiding in unexpected places.

I went to get my hair cut the other day and walked past a doorway I must have walked past 1,000 times only to notice a mosaic design I have never seen before. I feel fortunate to have a camera on my cell phone which I can use to snap pictures of things I see around town. I know this photo isn’t great (someday I will learn Photoshop), but you can get the idea. I don’t remember seeing many circles like this in other entryway mosaics I have seen. The idea could be used for a quilt block, but it wouldn’t be for the faint of heart.

Corners are always the hardest part of borders, so I try to take a photo of the corner of the mosaics also. This one isn’t very difficult to piece. I wish I could talk with some of the craftsmen who did these entryways.

Also, last week I went to the State Capital with the Young Man’s class (As an aside, it was exhausting being around 60 teenagers!). It is the last chance I have to go on a field trip with him and I haven’t been to the Capitol in awhile. I went with DH some time ago and it was interesting to see the changes.

Historical Mosaics

I saw this floor while I was at a Fourth of July parade, of course, in July. I haven’t had a chance to post them. I love seeing typical quilt blocks used in tile and mosaics.

The detail shows a possible different way a block could be pieced.

This is the center of a different, but related floor. Has anyone made a Grandmother Flower Garden with this arrangement of hexagons?

Vegas Floors

My sister’s sweetie took her to Vegas last weekend. Here is a photo she sent me. These photos were taken of a floor at The Palace Station. This is not your typical Mariner’s Compass as we quiltmakers think of it, however, it would be a wonderful applique’ project. It makes me think of Jinny Beyer’s Soft Edge Piecing book.

The curves of this motif are really lovely. They also look like stylized hearts.

My family is well trained. They know I always want to see the corner. If tile layers figured out how to get the two borders to meet, I don’t need to do the math, right? I love that rope like piece acting as an inner border.

Thanks, sis.

Catch Up Sunday

I decided that I would write one big long post to catch up, because I seem to have bunches of photos yet to post. I don’t want to say “oh 3 weeks ago, I made this and that.”

Another idea for the curvy coffee pot embellishment. My mom told me that steam goes down first and I should put the hearts below the exit to the spout. I tried it, took a picture and above is the result. I prefer the other view, Fluttering Hearts, regardless of whether or not steamreally goes up or down. I think I am really getting sick of this obsessing about the Tarts. I got home from my week away, saw the Tarts on my design wall and just sighed. I thought to myself “oh brother, just make a decision about the &*(^%$ hearts and move on already!” Perhaps it is time to just applique’ the hearts on the curvy coffee pot and move on. Perhaps I will start on the back and that will give me renewed energy around this project?

TFQ has these wonderful mirrors at her house. They are made by an artist named Kathe. I love the glass beads and blobs and shards she uses to create her designs.

I like the sun at the top of the one above. Notice the two different color schemes?

Above are the most recent FOTY blocks. I made them before I left on my travels. I have a month and a half to wash, press and cut pieces from my new fabrics. As I have mentioned, I want to be ready to make the FOTY 2009 at the CQFA retreat in January. I had better not buy anymore fabric. 😉

Here is another Sorbet block. I made it in between trips. I call it 3 Columns, for obvious reasons. It may have another name. I don’t think it is really that easy to make up new blocks, but I also haven’t looked it up in Barbara Brackman’s block book. I will sometime. Let me know if you know the real name. I still have not looked at the fabrics again to see what other colors I need to add. I am limping along with this project.

I have been cutting green strips since about July as I press fabric. I have also been saving shards in order to make ornaments. I usually make a few every year, but don’t seem to have taken any photos to show you. I’ll have to put that on my list of things to do.