Saturday, June 04, 2011

Quilt Design -Playing with Ideas

I have been working on my design for the new commission quilt.  I got the basic idea from a book "Mix and Match Quilts with the AccuQuilt Go!" Do I even need to mention that I will most likely change it?  No?  I didn't think so.  Ha ha. While the book is not the best written quilt book, there are some nice designs in it. 


First off was making some simple four patch blocks.  I realized that I could make them much faster using the strip method. (I don't know how the book says to make them, I left it elsewhere-oops) 
So I cut the 3 1/2" strips the width of the fabric and sewed green to purple.  By the way, green and purple go great together - just look at a purple flower and you will see that it usually has green leaves. 


I ironed toward the dark and then subcut the strips into 3 1/2' sections.  I use a trick to help me see the lines on my ruler. A bit of tape just outside the line I am aiming at. 


That helps speed my cutting since my eyes area old and presbyopic.
Once you layer them for piecing the seams nest easily. My points lined up just fine.  I love this method.
Then I made the other unit which is a flying geese with a matching strip. (I used the Go! to cut these because they come out so well with the engineered corners.)  
Then I laid out a "big block" to see how I like the color combo. 


Oh yes!  I do like it. However, I will probably not use just these colors. LOL, did you think I could limit it to four colors? Well I could, but I am probably not.  Why?  Well, I was told red, orange, yellow, purple and lime green. So far there is no orange.  And I will add some hue in the blue family (aqua or teal maybe?) To spice it up a bit. I am thinking that all the four patches will be the green and purple though. 
Here is the original layout I did in EQ. 
And an alternate one
But neither of those has the other colors.  I am still playing with ideas.  Ha ha, it will be what it will be!  

4 comments:

Pat said...

Looking good so far!!! I love designing using EQ and the GO! cutter!!!

Barb said...

I love what you have chosen to do and thanks for the tutorial!

Tangos Treasures said...

Love what you have done!! Have fun playing!!

Rhonda said...

Love the design... great tutorial, Gene!!!