A Few More Russian Rubix Blocks

Russian Rubix Blocks - Mid May 2014
Russian Rubix Blocks – Mid May 2014

I have been piecing parts of the Russian Rubix blocks together, but not putting as many blocks together as one might expect.

I am trying to sew grey to all of the octagons, so I have a lot of choices when I go to make the blocks. It is a good plan, but doesn’t always work, because I get bored and want to make blocks.

So, I make a few blocks then admonish myself for having no self control and go back to making the pieces and parts for awhile.

Russian Rubix Booboo
Russian Rubix Booboo

I am pleased with the group of fabrics I put together. It is fun to see the different fabrics next to each other and in different combinations. I made one small booboo on one of these blocks: I put the same fabric in one block twice.

In the grand scheme, I don’t think it will matter since there will be several octagons next to each other and the different quarters of the blocks will create new rings when they are put together. Still, I want you to know that mistakes happen and life goes on. I did consider ripping it out and putting in a different quarter block (2 octagons). I may still, but for now I am going to leave it. I really don’t think people will notice much.

Also, SIL said that the light blues dropped out because of their value on the grey. She was right, but there is something in leaving them in that creates a bit of movement. I plan to space them away from each other, if I can, when I lay out all the blocks.

I had three of the four shown finished for a long time, but I couldn’t seem to get the fourth one finished. Finally, I did and wanted to take a photo so I could remove these blocks from the design wall and fill up the space with new blocks.

Previous Posts:

Russian Rubix Again

4 Russian Rubix blocks
4 Russian Rubix blocks

Susan is back in action and that means I need to get back to the Russian Rubix. I haven’t been completely ignoring this project, but I haven’t been as focused as I need to be. I haven’t completely been ignoring the project, though.

I am working on the Super Secret Project #4 and I am at the point where I really need to keep things in order so I am piecing parts of the Russian Rubix in between the SSP#4 parts.

I was thinking about combinations of colors as well. In each block there are 8 octagons. I was wondering, as I mentioned, if I should put more cool than warm colors (and visa versa) or if I should put all cools in one or equal out the warms and cools. In the end, I don’t think it matters very much, because there will be many blocks and many opportunities for combinations of colors, temperatures and fabrics.

It is going very quickly. I thought of sewing octagons in some sort of orderly fashion, but then I didn’t. I don’t want to sew all of the patches at once, because I want to see blocks  as well as parts.

Russian Rubix posts:

The Colors of the Russian Rubix

Pink Chalk Fabrics
Pink Chalk Fabrics

Some confluence of events made the planets come into alignment over the weekend. I picked out the rest of the fabrics (plus a few extras) for the Russian Rubix, photographed them and put them up on the wall. I think I might be ready to sew. I think so.

The above fabrics are the fabrics I picked. I didn’t pick them after comparing color cards and color wheels to what I already had. I wish I could say that I did a lot of work to find these fabrics, but I would be a liar. I received a coupon from Pink Chalk Fabric and, despite my vow to tone down the fabric buying, I went and looked.

Then I bought some fabrics. In fairness, I had deleted a previous coupon.

Yes, I couldn’t help myself. Something about these fabrics called my name and when I received them, I thought “yes, these are the fabrics for the Russian Rubix.”No, there aren’t a ton of cool colors like I thought I needed, but some and I think the whole group, mostly, works.

Michael Miller Fabrics Midnite Gems Stitch Circle Passion
Michael Miller Fabrics Midnite Gems Stitch Circle Passion

I also thought of the dark blue/purple Stitch Circle fabric (upper right hand corner) quite a bit after I bought it. I couldn’t get it out of my head and I was really pleased when it arrived. It shimmers in a way. You should get some and look at it.

Alison Glass Sun Print Bike Path Fuchsia
Alison Glass Sun Print Bike Path Fuchsia

One thing I liked about this fabric is stripey effect.I didn’t want, necessarily a stripe, though I auditioned some, but this has a stripe effect without the stripe being straight. I also thought the color was one that I was missing from the group.

Free Spirit Designer Solids Parrot Blue
Free Spirit Designer Solids Parrot Blue

I am becoming enamored, again, with solids.When I first started to make quilts, I thought I would do all of my quilts in solids. The only thing that tempted me into the print arena was a very expensive piece of a border print. I bought an 1/8th of a yard and used it very judiciously in my Sampler quilt. Now look at me! Barely a solid in sight. 😉

Free Spirit Designer Solids Cranberry
Free Spirit Designer Solids Cranberry

 

The solid above is definitely NOT cranberry. That is the official name, but it is not like any cranberry I have ever seen, especially if you go off cranberry juice. It is very similar in color to the Alison Glass Sun Print Bike Path Peony below. I think it works and I didn’t have many solids in the warm colors.

Sarah Jane Wee Wander Nature Walk Magenta
Sarah Jane Wee Wander Nature Walk Magenta

I like this print very much, but I don’t like the name. If I had seen the name before the print, I probably would not have looked at it. It turns out that I really like the feathers. It is a good intermediate print between the solids and some of the bold prints I have included.

 

Alison Glass Sun Print Bike Path Peony
Alison Glass Sun Print Bike Path Peony

I like the idea of the stripe as I mentioned above, but I also like having multiples of the same print in different colors. Again, there is some continuity without being boring.

Metro Living Circles Red
Metro Living Circles Red

If I had to throw out one of the prints, it would be this Metro Living Circles Red. I am not 100% sold on it as part of the group. It might be the one in the quilt that is a little off and, thus, it works. Or it just might not work at all and I need to not use it.

I realized after auditioning the prints that I had a number of these Metro Living Circles, even one already in the group of fabrics I will use. Hhmm. Who knew I would like these circles so much? They are prints that I might not use if I did not have this Russian Rubix project even though I would buy them.

Metro Living Circles Chartreuse
Metro Living Circles Chartreuse

This chartreuse is definitely in. It really lightens up the other prints. That sounds odd since the ones I chose are mostly light, but it reminds me of a ray of sunshine streaming in on the fabrics.

 

Metro Living Circles Turquoise
Metro Living Circles Turquoise

The circles above are a fabulous color and go really well with the Free Spirit Designer Solids Parrot Blue. I like the way it looks with the Notting Hill pink prints as well.

Metro Living Circles Fuchsia
Metro Living Circles Fuchsia

I can never get enough pink, though this is called fushsia. These circles make me think of bags. Perhaps I should save some so I can make a bag, or accent a bag, with them.

Colorful Octagons
Colorful Octagons

 

I really like the way they look together. I feel like I have made a successful stack, like Anna Maria Horner and some of the other modern designers put together. Yes, I have one extra and these are way more fabrics than a Jelly Roll. My quilt, my rules? I guess I have enough to toss some if I don’t like them. I am pretty sure I want to make a couple of the blocks with just these fabrics. Let’s see if I remember to do it.

You might think it is odd that I used the same strips to review each of the fabrics, but I thought I needed a constant.

More Color Progress

Add in Dark Blue
Add in Dark Blue

I picked out more colors for the Russian Rubix last week.I’m nearly there.  I seem to be inspired to make progress all of a sudden. Perhaps my mind is freeing up from the rigors of other projects. I am not sure why that would be true since I seem to have three projects actively going all at once.

I can’t remember, offhand, where I bought that dark blue. It isn’t quite navy, but it definitely tends towards navy. It is darker and more primary than the other colors I have selected so far, but somehow I like it. I think it goes well with the selection of colors already in the pool.

Russian Rubix posts:

Russian Rubix Blocks

Two New Blocks
Two New Blocks

In a effort to stay the chaos, I used some of the parts and pieces of the Russian Rubix as leaders and enders in between the Scrapitude project pieces.

The blocks pictured are still in 4 pieces each. I am not quite ready to sew them together. I want to contemplate the combinations of the colors for a while longer. There is a lot of blue in the left and a lot of orange in the right configuration. On one hand, one skews cool and one skews warm. On the other hand there is a lot of repetition. I haven’t changed them because I will use a lot of blocks in the quilt and I am still deciding whether, in the end, anyone will notice or care. I am also thinking about whether or not having some cool and some warm will benefit the look of the project.

Russian Rubix posts:

Russian Rubix Colors

Add in Light Blue
Add in Light Blue

I had to buck up and get on with choosing extra colors for the Russian Rubix and my Super Secret Project #4.

I came across this light blue (tending towards aqua) dot and thought it would be good for the project. It does have the same qualities as the aqua ring print – it looks like it will blend in with the background. Still, I like it.

The fabrics shown on top of the blue are fabrics I have already chosen. The oranges look more gold in the photo than they are in real life.

I am still thinking that a Joel Dewberry Notting Hill print in cool colors would be a good addition. I haven’t put it up with the other fabrics to take a look. Stay tuned for that.

Russian Rubix posts:

Russian Rubix Center Square Test

Russian Rubix 1st Block
Russian Rubix 1st Block

The center of the Russian Rubix blocks has been bothering me.

The block is put together like a four patch. to build the 4 patch, you add large and small triangles to the octagons. This makes the block really easy to put together (you should still buy the pattern).

The problem is that this type of construction means that there are four seams that meet in the center creating a very distinct seam line. I have had this block up on the design wall trying to decide if I can live with the seam lines or if I need to piece the block in a different way. Sometimes I can’t see the seam lines and sometimes they scream like a neon sign.

Russian Rubix block with solid center
Russian Rubix block with solid center

As I might have mentioned, I decided to cut a square and try piecing the block with a solid square.

As you, can see from the photo (bottom right), the center looks great – seam free and pristine. The bad news is those weird angles with which I need to sew the other parts of the block.

Sigh.

Some observations:

  • Print fabric with a large or distinct pattern would not work for the background. The messed up fabric design (from cutting up a large print or, for example, dot fabric) would scream at the viewer
  • Low intensity or solid fabric would work best.
  • Piecing the block with a solid center will end up with some weird angles to sew.

I don’t know where I will go from here. I will probably try to sew more parts of this block together to see if the piecing is as bad as I think it will be.

Russian Rubix posts:

 

Russian Rubix Color Choices

Original colors
Original colors

As you know, the machine is in the shop. It is still in the shop. While I have the Jem on which to sew, it isn’t the same.

I have been looking at the Russian Rubix pieces A LOT. I finally decided that some of the Joel Dewberry fabrics might be wrong. I really wanted to keep them in , because they were nice darks. Sadly, they just seemed wrong. Also, I couldn’t get a comment about the large stylized flowers looking like eyes out of my mind. I think that this quilt needs some darks. These weren’t them, though, so I thought they had to go.

One fabric removed
One fabric removed

I decided that I would take them out in stages and try to make, at least, some of these dark fabrics work.

I took out the one Notting Hill fabric that had the stylized flowers. I left in the fabric with the same colors (upper left hand corner). I am on the fence about it. I think that the piece, as I said, needs some darks.

One of the things I don’t like about the Moda Jelly Rolls is that the collections of fabrics often do not have enough darks or lights. Remember how I said I was trying to make my own Jelly Roll? I am understanding how hard it is to make a Jelly Roll with the right mix of lights, darks and mediums.

All dark Joel Dewberry removed
All dark Joel Dewberry removed

With the two dark Joel Dewberrys removed, it was clear I had too many warm colors

OR

I needed more cool colors.

The piece stayed like this for a week or two until today when it occurred to me that I might be able to add some DARKS and that might make the piece.

As I see it, at the moment, there are two reds that are the only darks. Perhaps I will some dark purple Pearl Bracelets. I have to look at it with the dark purple.

Russian Rubix posts:

 

Russian Rubix: Test Blocks

Russian Rubix: Pattern, Piecing, Process
Russian Rubix: Pattern, Piecing, Process

I had a feeling about the background drama and decided to make a couple of test blocks using my top two background fabrics.

Russian Rubix; Test Blocks
Russian Rubix; Test Blocks

I am glad I did. A couple of observations:

  • the Russian Rubix blocks have a lot of seams
  • the seams seem to be in weird places, even though they make sense based on the design of the block
  • the fabrics I chose as potential background fabrics make the seams look very prominent.

In the photos, the backgrounds look like either would be fine. In real life the dots look better. The movement in the batik isn’t as good as I thought it would be.

These blocks are not difficult even though they look complex. The pattern is written so there is a lot of trimming. If you join in, definitely get the templates from Richard. It makes the cutting and trimming easy and painless.

Russian Rubix posts:

 

More Background Drama

I thought I would have been able to choose a background from the previous post, but it wasn’t to be. It occurred to me to think about what I wanted. I do want the background to be a player. I don’t want it to just fade into the background, so to speak. I also don’t want it to overshadow the foreground fabrics.

So, I spent some time on Sunday pressing greys and trying different greys with my octagons. It meant that I didn’t sew, but it also meant that I was carefully and deliberately engaging in the process.

Grey Batik
Grey Batik

Above is a batik that I bought at The Granary. It has a bit of blue in it. I thought it wouldn’t work, but I do like it. It gives movement to the background. The dark grey bits remind me of swirling fog.

Grey Batik
Grey Batik

It isn’t directional, which is a bonus. The blue doesn’t show up very well in the photos.

New Wave
New Wave

This background goes with the blue flower in the upper left of the photo above. It is from the same line. I may even have bought it at the same time. It is a true background, in the sense of it doesn’t add anything.

New Wave
New Wave

Again, has a directionality, but I wouldn’t say it is directional — or the directionality wouldn’t look weird if the pieces were cut different ways.

Grey Dot
Grey Dot

Dots are always a safe bet. This dot is the right size not to interfere with the other dots, even the red ones.

Grey Dot detail
Grey Dot detail

Not directional.

Angela Walter fabrics
Angela Walter fabrics

I am not sure why I bought the amount (2-3 yards) of this. I think I was expecting the color to be a little different. Since I was pressing greys anyway, I decided to press this, but I don’t think it is appropriate for the project.

Angela Walter fabrics
Angela Walter fabrics

Very directional. I don’t want to worry about the way I cut so that the lines of dots lined up. I am not sure I would want to worry about that.

Pearl Bracelets Grey
Pearl Bracelets Grey

Lots of movement. If the pearl bracelets don’t interfere with the foreground, then the fabric adds a lot of movement. I would err on the side of this being too busy for the piece, which is a little busy anyway.

Pearl Bracelets Grey
Pearl Bracelets Grey detail

Not really directional. I only have a yard of this and would have to buy more.

Ta Dot Grey
Ta Dot Grey

I have a boatload of this fabric, because it is a good background and I had the foresight to buy plenty.

Ta Dot Grey detail
Ta Dot Grey detail

Not directional.

Between the the choices above and the previous choices, I think my favorites are below:

Grey Batik
Grey Batik
Grey Dot
Grey Dot
P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey
P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey

Of the three above, I think the batik is the most likely. I don’t have enough of the Happy Go Lucky, and can’t get anymore so that doesn’t seem to be a real option.

The grey dot is perfectly fine, but doesn’t really add anything to the piece. If I decide I don’t want to add the movement I discussed above, then that fabric would be a good option.

That leaves the batik.

My SIL commented that I only showed the light blue on one of the backgrounds. This time, I used the same octagons for all the different backgrounds. I did rearrange them, however.

Russian Rubix posts:

Process is messy.

Russian Rubix Backgrounds

Once again, I am working on the background for the Russian Rubix. I know this seems like more drama than it is worth, but there are a couple of reasons, I am being picky:

  • White seems like an easy choice
  • Solid grey seems too boring and I don’t want to be depressed making it
  • I have to sew octagons together. I don’t want to sincerely dislike the background of a quilt that is difficult to piece
  • I don’t want the white in the foreground fabrics to bleed in the background and distort the look of the wreaths made up by the octagons.

I finally washed some greys and here are the choices I am contemplating:

Grey on White Batik
Grey on White Batik

In no particular order, I am posting examples of the backgrounds I am considering. I like the movement of the grey on white batik. It does interfere with the light blue (bottom, center right).

Grey on White Batik detail
Grey on White Batik detail

Above is the detail of the Grey on White Batik with only a little  bit of other fabric for reference.

 

Painter's Canvas
Painter’s Canvas from Magnolia Lane Collection by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller

This is my second favorite. It adds interest. It doesn’t interfere with the foreground fabrics. It isn’t boring.

Painter's Canvas detail
Painter’s Canvas detail

I wish it weren’t so directional, though I think the directionality wouldn’t interfere with the design of the piecing. I could be wrong.

P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey
P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey

This my favorite. I love this grey.  I have gone on and on about this grey and I am kind of angry that I didn’t realize I loved it when I had the chance to buy 1,000 yards. It is nowhere. I may call P&B and see if they have a bolt they will sell me.

I am worried I am just on the grey bandwagon and will sincerely dislike all of these quilts made with grey in 2 years.

 

P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey
P&B Happy Go Lucky Grey detail

How can you not love this grey?

Russian Rubix posts:

Why Should you Care: you should care because of process. My thought process in the making of a quilt will give you some ideas of what to think about when you are making your next quilt. Maybe.

Chosen Colors

Russian Rubix Colors
Russian Rubix Colors

A week or so ago, I posted an article and some thoughts about a color story that matched the colors I was working on selecting for the 2.5″ strip project I wanted to make.

Over the weekend, I really had only a couple of hours to sew. Since I was behind Susan a bit on the Russian Rubix project, I decided to cut octagons from the fabrics I had selected for the 2.5″ strip project.

I know you must be thinking “what is she thinking!?!” Well, I was thinking that I really only needed 1-2 (at the most) strips for the 2.5″ strip project and that I could test out the color combination by using the same fabrics for the Russian Rubix project.

I may be wrong and may may have just cut up a bunch of fabric that I will need for something else. I may have cut up a bunch of fabric that I will be sick of using for projects by the time I have made two projects with it. I may hate the fabrics together, and have just cut up a bunch of fabrics in weird shapes that I won’t be able to use.

I really just needed something on the design wall.

Perhaps, for now, I am testing.

I cut a 2.5″ strip for the Jaye-roll project and a 3.75″ inch strip for the Russian Rubix and proceeded to use the RR templates to cut the octagons. I got about half way through cutting strips and octagons from the stack of fabrics I had selected and am pleased with the variety, the cohesiveness and the cheerfulness of the group.

I also cut enough so I could see how different fabrics interact with each other and on that level, I think this group is working.

Right now my biggest problem is background. It will be easier to audition backgrounds with smaller pieces available. The pattern has a white or Kona Snow background. I don’t know if I want to go that route, though I do think it would showcase-provide a nice backdrop? – for the colors of the fabric. I have been thinking grey. I wish P&B still made the Happy Go Lucky (?) grey I used in the A-B-C Challenge. I have some, but I don’t know if I have enough.

All of the above is speculation in my head. I have to get fabric out and look at it before I can decide for certain. Yes, I need to make visual decisions visually (thanks, Lorraine Torrence).

You might also like:

Russian Rubix Templates

You might think that because I teach how to use templates that I think templates are great.

Russian Rubix templates
Russian Rubix templates

Templates are not great, but they are useful. I think it is useful to know how to make and use templates, especially for weirdly shaped pieces where adding a quarter inch seam allowance isn’t as straightforward as plopping down a ruler  in the right position and drawing a line. BUT give me a plastic rotary ruler or template and my rotary cutter any time.

I recently talked about Richard and his mini-business making templates for the Russian Rubix pattern. I still don’t have my pattern (long story, but it should be here soon), but I was able to try out the templates over the weekend.

Cutting roundish shapes, e.g. the octagon means that you have to carefully cut one side depending on whether you are right or left handed (I am right-handed and needed to take care cutting over my left hand and arm, which were holding the template in place, when I went to cut the left 3 cuts of the template).

These templates are a smidge thinner than a Creative Grids ruler, but it was an unfamiliar enough feeling to make me notice. These templates are not so thin as to be dangerous.

There is a lot of trimming of pieces in the pattern and the house shape is used for part of the trimming, which is a really nice option. Also, in the pattern, you cut a bunch of squares and then you trim them using the octagon template. Having a rotary template means that you can skip the 1) template making; 2) square cutting; and 3) trimming down to an octagon. Using the rotary template, you can go straight to the cutting of the octagons.

Cutting squares and trimming is not terrible and might make for a good rote sewing task. There might even be an Accuquilt die for the right size of the square that would make the cutting go very fast. Still, I like the rotary template idea and think that it will be useful for cutting from scraps. Again, I am thinking of using all different blues, though not too dark, with a grey background.

Continuing to Choose Colors

I wrote about choosing colors a few weeks ago. If you recall I am looking to make my own Jelly Roll (Jaye Roll??) to make another sample for the Super Secret Project. Since I wrote about that I took the Bill Kerr class and that class helped to inform my additional choices.

Philip Jacobs Print
Philip Jacobs Print

Since I took the class I tried to apply the principles Kerr taught to my attempts at selecting the 40+ fabrics. I have to say that it is difficult to apply the principles we learned at the Fabric Smackdown, because I didn’t start with two completely unrelated fabrics. I started with one Philip Jacobs. You saw it in the previous post as well.

Remember I also had a lime and a couple of orange solids?

What I did NOT want to do was think of the PJ fabric as a focus fabric and just pick matchy-matchy fabrics to go with it. This fabric was to be the jumping off point, but not the full color spectrum for the quilt.

Choosing Colors
Choosing Colors

I still had the essence of the class on my mind, so I grabbed some additional fabrics….

I was going to say “that I thought would work”, but that isn’t quite right.

The fabrics I chose do work together, but I don’t think they would be typically considered “a group.”

Keep in mind, not all of these fabrics will definitely stay in the group. They might, but they might not. I think the group is interesting and it makes my eyes move around. The ones that bug me are the dark pinks from the Notting Hill group (upper left, second column). I don’t hate them. My eyes are drawn to them. I don’t think they are quite right.

I also need some more medium scale prints. Dots? Ta Dots?

I am moving forward and making progress. I need at least 12 more fabrics, if not 15. I think I am going in the right direction. I am not there yet, so I’ll keep working at it.

Russian Rubix

The other night, I had the pleasure of a trip to the quilt shop and a meal with Susan from the History Quilter podcast. We had enough time, so I gave her the nickel tour the western part of the City, which is nearest the ocean before we went to dinner. I totally scored, because she had never seen the part of Golden Gate Park we drove around.

Russian Rubix
Russian Rubix

Before the tour, though, we visited the quilt store. It is really the only one near enough for me to actually visit without making a day trip. I thought Susan might enjoy a new quilt store and I want to encourage her to get going full force on her quiltmaking. I am dangerous to know in that way. ;-)We had fun walking around the store and looking at the books and fabric. I gave her a mini-lesson on how to select colors, because of a chance comment about how it wasn’t easy to pick out colors.

One of the things I skimmed over at the quilt store, but Susan keyed right into was a pattern called Russian Rubix. The pattern is by April Rosenthal and she has a shop called Prairie Grass Patterns. The quilt shop we visited had made up a sample and it was great.

What is different about the quilt is that the pieces (shown in color in the photo above) are octagons. Big deal, you say? Octagons not hexagons. I love hexagons, especially the Flower Sugar Hexagon on which I have been working. However, everyone creates with hexagons, but you don’t see octagons that often. The parts of the blocks have the octagons arranged in such a way that they look like wreaths. I was intrigued.

Susan, as I said, saw the uniqueness in the pattern originally. She decided to the buy the pattern and we looked at it during dinner. The more I saw of it, the more intrigued I became.

I think that the way the directions are described are not the only way to make the octagons. One can cut squares that will end up as octagons, sew smaller squares to the corners, eh voila! You have an octagon. The only problem is that the pattern doesn’t need squares. If I made squares, I wouldn’t be able to make the wreath shape.

One of the things I love about quiltmaking is the puzzle part of the process. I know I will make some test blocks and figure out the size and the construction method for this piece. I do that as a general practice. I will buy the pattern, but I don’t really need the pattern, because I can figure it out myself. However, I do think that the pattern designer deserves something for her efforts. I’ll get a copy when I go to the quilt shop next time.

Ms. Rosenthal has Rubix Too, a follow-up, quilt pattern in her shop.