Monday, January 7, 2019

The Second Colorway - Rich Traditions

A short, self promotional note to begin this post.
I've added my available lectures and workshops to my blog, link above. This is one of the workshops I'm offering. I'd love to come teach or trunk show at your guild or group.

The piles slowly mount up as I cut stacks of 1/2 square triangle combinations for a second version of my Rich Tradition that appeared in APQ this past year.  For this quilt I needed 400 of these blocks, so that's 800 pieces.  That might sound overwhelming, but with using strips and the Easy Angler ruler, it is a piece of cake.

The endless chain of 1/2 square triangles.  It can seem daunting.  But trust me, when you get into production mode, this is a tried and true technique. It uses strips instead of squares, no trimming down required, and the little dog ears get trimmed when you cut the blocks apart after pressing.

I took a multi colored, big fabulous print.......

and pulled and cut a strip of 25 solids that I matched up to some of the colors in this big print. Then I  got busy.

Each block needs 16- 1/2 square triangles for the border and with the above method, it's a great pattern to prep and take with you for a retreat, or just to have something quick and easy to sew when  you only have a few minutes in your studio.  The block sashings quickly come together.


Black and white on the camera/phone always helps put the value into perspective.  I was positive this lighter green block would be in the center or maybe not included at all.   I loved how it bounced off all the other colors and added a bit of spark to the finished piece.

Clearly it was not going to live in the center, but it was perfect for balancing off another lighter block in the finished piece. Using a little bit of creative cutting, I got the striped setting triangle fabric to all move in the same direction.

Quite a dramatic difference just by changing up the prints/colors.  This bottom photo uses a variety of small and large 1800's prints in a various colors, and all the backgrounds were shirtings. 
As mentioned at the beginning, I am now booking outside my area (Pacific NW) for trunk shows and teaching. In 2018 I was a guest speaker at several guilds and have taught regionally for several years. With many patterns published in national magazines, I'm spreading my wings. I have dual citizenship with the US and Canada, and I'd love to come visit your guild. Please share this information and/or contact me for available dates.

Keep stitching,
Sharon

4 comments:

Janet O. said...

Hard to believe these two sets of blocks are from the same pattern. What a difference!
Nice trick to determine contrast with the black and white photo. Another gal at retreat taught me that last year, and it really does the trick, as you have demonstrated.
Alas, I don't belong to a guild or quilt group. :(

Karen said...

What a pretty and vibrant color combo. Love those big flowers.

Nifty Quilts said...

It's a fun new version! I could hardly tell it was the same pattern. Best wishes filling your teaching schedule this year and beyond!

Sharon said...

What a stunning quilt! I love your Kaffe version - it sure looks so different from the 1800's version.
Good luck with your teaching schedule!