Saturday, March 13, 2010

SATURDAY DILEMMAS...


I have lots of orange...I don't know why, but I do...like the song says. I made this block on the right one day while trying to figure how to use up dots that were left over. But as usual, the cuttings took on a life of their own and I ended up with this one. I like the block, can't remember how I got it, but it's just too orange.
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When I first started quilting, I made the quilt on the right
(with a 9 X 12 cutting board) and I still have so many of
the little orange squares left over, so I thought
that today I would use them up. I have lots of squares
left so I put together some of the fabrics I thought I would use up and see if I could do something.

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Actually, it proved harder than I thought and I had to consult the mathematician in the family to figure out the green squared triangles that I thought I wanted to use.

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Since I had orange blocks, I also had orange flowered print that I've had for ages, and thought I would put the orange from my first quilt in the centre, use up the green fabric.
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Well as you can see the creative juices weren't in sinc with the practical uses of fabric.
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The orange in the centre is awful in real life. So I called the person in this family who really can see colour as it is and asked....Nope, it doesn't go he said.
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So then I laid it out this way and he was happy with it and also putting the white triangles to the centre block was more to his liking.
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So, no orange stash used up. I'm not doing what I set out to do, which was to copy my grandmother's block that I restored last year remember?
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I have no idea what the one my
grandmother made is called. But the idea was to make a quilt similar.
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The orange stash will be used somewhere else. I just don't know if I like this enough to make a quilt out of it.
You know, the colours are nice, but it doesn't "sing" .
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It's a crappy day anyway, so I may go back and create something else to bore you with.
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Something good did happen today though, one of the blogs I follow turns out to be practically a neighbour, about 5 minutes from me...Quilting in Cyberspace...now isn't that something?
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How many of us ever meet? It all started when she mentioned a favorite area restaurant and I thought "what the h?" So I emailed and we now know where we live....and we will meet soon to have coffee. How good is that? Other than Helen my cottage buddy, I don't know anyone from around here that quilts.
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The Para Olympics are on and we are watching. Amazing what these athletes do! Truly inspiring.











16 comments :

Shirley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shirley said...

Hi Nanci,
I rather like the block you have created, it looks very refreshing. What a prolific stitcher you are. Have fun with your new stitching friend. Isn't quilting just the most amazing hobby? Thank you too for the kind comments about my blog.
Love Shirley.x
p.s. sorry for the deleted first comment. Pressed send before i had finished it!!!!

Unknown said...

I love your first quilt Nanci. What a neat idea with only two fabrics. It's so 'refreshing'. It would be good for those fabrics you just can't match up!

Kiera-Oona said...

My mum in law and fellow quilters tend to tell me that you wind up with alot of the same colors in your stash that you are naturally attracted to.

in my case, its greens and blues.

Quiltgal said...

Oh Nanci, I love the Orange. It is so fresh. We chose Peterborough because that is where my Mom lives and it is my home town. Lots of lakes around here to be sure.

Bia said...

Thanks for coming visit me! I love orange but I agree it´s not easy to use it and like it afterwards. You´re doing a great job. I´ll be following you from now on and learning a lot, I´m sure.

Jennifer said...

Orange is not an easy colour to use (although I love it!), have you tried it with blue? Orange and blue are opposites on the colour wheel and there are many web sites on using colour to get ideas. I know a touch of orange will spark up a blue quilt, so perhaps it works the other way round!

Sue-Anne said...

I always find it amazing how you move a couple of pieces around and it gives a totally different look. I really like your grandmother's block! I could see a whole quilt made with blocks all the same with wide sashing. Yum!
How exciting to meet a fellow blogger that lives near you. Have a great coffee date.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

I actually love the orange block!!
How fun to meet a new friend and a quilting one at that!!

Crispy said...

I love orange too but have very little of it in my stash....I may have to fix that LOL. Actually, I liked the orange center and would love to see a picture of the same block, with the orange center and the green bits turned away, like in the second picture. I also really liked the orange block :0)

Crispy

Micki said...

I really love the orange too...I have never used orange, and I am loving it!
Micki

kelly said...

Very cool story about your neighbour quilter Mom...coffee at Tim Horton's is in order! I love the orange.

Shay said...

Hi Nanci,

Thanks for dropping by my place and leaving such a lovely comment. Thought I'd pop and have a snoop around at your place.

How lovely to have a cottage to escape. I've been enthralled with the wonderful things you create with your quilting. I am not an orange person , and I love your orange and white quilt. Beautiful.

You just got another follower. I'll be back.

Patchmaker said...

I love the orange block too; guess I'm just an orange kinda quilter!

Nanette Merrill said...

I really love orange. And the orange dots is super.

Barb said...

Trying to get caught up on my blogging....