Trying this quilt blogging thing again...

Introduction

I am trying to blog again. I tried about 1-1/2 years ago, but I got distracted and gave up... So I have started again.

I wrote a program to make my own quilt patterns a couple of years ago. The problem was that the patterns it makes are too complicated for any method short of hand paper piecing, which takes forever and is incredibly wasteful.

I did make some fun quilts that way:

("Truly Tumbling", 105"x105", took me about 2 years to hand piece the center and outside border!)

("Inversion", 72" x 40". I did finish it (but haven't had a chance to take a picture). It is currently waiting to be in the Cambridge Quilters 2009 Exhibition)

And still in progress:
("Bulging Blocks", 14"x14" each, will eventually be joined together to make a "footwarmer" about 80"x18")

However, I wasn't making much progress this way. I tried some other techniques for getting my patterns into fabric, such as traditional paper piecing:
(UFO, if I ever finish it, it will be 48"x48", but I got fed up with it...)

Or some random other experiments:


The Revelation
Everything changed when I found out about Inklingo on Linda Franz's website and read her book last Christmas. Finally, a way to put together these patterns that I have been struggling with... and even machine piece parts of them! The method involves printing the pattern directly onto the fabric using an inkjet printer. The fabric is stiffened using freezer paper.

I immediately altered my program to create patterns that could be put together this way. Printing off the patterns was a bit frustrating at first, but I think I have it down now. I had several international trips for work over the next couple of months, so I had lots of time to put the pieces together on long flights. The planned pattern was:
And the (close-to) final product:
("Exploding Blocks", 52" x 52". I did finish it (but haven't had a chance to take a picture). It is currently waiting to be in the Cambridge Quilters 2009 Exhibition. I love that the corners of the diamonds still form a lattice of equilatoral triangles!)

I also made a little quilt for the "President's Challenge" at the Cambridge Quilters 2009 Summer Dinner:
("Watched Pot", 15"X13". If you can zoom in, check out my triangle corners - sweet... The ring is rotated 45 degrees around the horizontal axis, and then the purple background is rotated a further 15 degrees around the vertical axis. I think if I did it again I would have left the vertical rotation off...)

Of course, my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I always have more ideas than time. The project that I am currently working on (as well as the bulging blocks) is a play on a traditional pattern:

I have printed off one set of pieces, and I plan on doing another set in the inverted colours so that I can do some swapping. The total block is 18"x18", and the final quilt should be 36"x42". I am doing more international travel (off to Houston tomorrow...) so I should make some progress on the flights!

The Blogging Plan
I do hope to post some of these patterns, and pattern ideas that I don't have time to make myself. We'll see how it goes!


Kirsten