Sister’s Choice Quilt Block Part 2

In a previous post, I shared some quilt design options with the Sister’s Choice block, using straight set layouts.

I think it is fun to play with on point layouts as well.

You never know; you might prefer a design on point. 

So here is a layout with the Sister’s Choice block and sashing:

The same layout, but a different colorway, and some plain blocks added:

The next few layouts show the Sister’s Choice blocks where some have lines deleted, and some have lines added, to create alternate blocks to play with.

For the lover of quilting designs, it is always nice to have open, or negative, spaces to fill.

For the fun of it, see what happens when you play with the background:

I am sure you can come up with many more ideas; especially when you also play with color/value and border combinations!

Sister’s Choice Quilt Block

Let’s explore the Sister’s Choice Quilt Block.

The block is a traditional favorite.

Sister’s Choice is drawn with a 5 x 5 grid.

Here the blocks are set in a straight set with sashing:

I’ve moved the color a bit, and that puts more emphasis on the stars:

Let’s look at some straight sets without the sashing.

The next one not only has the sashing removed, but the alternate blocks have some additional lines drawn.  The result is a star within a star.

More alternate block experimenting:

Delete quite a few lines in the alternate block, and it opens up the entire design…great for the quilting lovers! 

Moving blocks around, as well as adding and deleting lines from the original block (Sister’s Choice in this blog post), creates interesting designs.

Let’s not forget about color (most importantly…value).  Changing values creates completely different looks!

When designing your next quilt, take time to experiment with the block’s grid (adding/deleting lines to create alternate blocks), as well as value placement.

You will come up with a winner (or several)!  And have fun doing it!

I use Electric Quilt 7 for quilt designing.  Block Base is another great tool.  Sister’s Choice is #J008 in Block Base.  A pad of graph paper and colored pencils work well too!

Friendship Row by Row – March OMG Update

My March OMG is to work on a friendship row by row quilt from 1999.

Don’t have a clue why I took the pic at this angle!

Since the rows are uneven lengths, I decided to piece tree blocks to both ends of each row.

I used my EQ7 program to come up with a plan and the sizes of the tree blocks.

The rows won’t necessarily be pieced in this order; I just needed a plan to make them all the same width.

I’ve printed out the patterns for the tree blocks, and I’ve paper-pieced three blocks so far.

It has been a long time since I’ve paper pieced anything.  Some unsewing has happened.

This is going to take a while.  Maybe the rest of the month!

Meantime, I’ve been playing around with border ideas.  I think I am going to piece four patches. 

A lot of four patches.

Probably another month’s worth.

Ignore the colors in the above settings.  The colors have nothing to do with the plan. 

And I know that the trees are not symmetrical.  I don’t care.  They aren’t symmetrical in nature, either.

Coastal Mist Blog Hop

Tammy Silvers, from Tamarinis,  invited me to participate in the Island Batik Coastal Mist Blog Hop.

This is my first blog hop and I have had a great time! Thank you, Tammy!

*Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to enter a fun giveaway!

The fabrics that I chose to use from this sea breezy collection are beautiful and vibrant!  My photos do not do them justice!

I’ve showcased the fabrics with a table runner.

 

I used Aurifil 50 wt. for the piecing.  Aurifil 50 wt. and WonderFil 80 wt. Deco-Bob were used for the machine quilting.

 

 

 

If you are an EQ7 user, and you would like to have the project file for the Sea Breeze table runner, simply click on my Freebies Tab at the top of the blog.  You will find a link that will take you to Dropbox, where you can download the project file for free.  No need to have an account with Dropbox.

I also made a cute little fabric basket from the scraps.

 

 

Listed are the dates and participants of the Coastal Mist Blog Hop.  Have fun!

Island Batik

January 23 Tammy Silvers blog and website

January 24 Jessica Stewart of Izzy & Ivy Designs

January 25 Susan Emory of Swirly Girls Design

January 26 Connie Campbell of Freemotion by the River

January 27 Katie Laughridge of Live Originally

January 28 Julie Stocker of Pink Doxies

January 29 Linda Pearl of One Quilting Circle

January 30 Laura Conowitch of LC’sCottage

January 31 Cheryl Schenck  of Unspooled

February 01 Marian Pena of Seams To Be Sew

February 02 Vanessa Fromm of Fabric Confetti

February 03 Ebony Love of LoveBug Studios

February 04 Erin/Aurifil of Aurifil

Click on the link below to enter to win a Coastal Mist Precut Bundle giveaway! (Link expires when the blog hop ends.)

  A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Aunt Sukey Spins Off

The plan:

Coming to life:

This will be a bed quilt…I don’t have a good way to photograph it, but you can see that I am making some progress.

I had originally planned on this being a scrappy red and white quilt.  But then I won the gorgeous Island Batik fabric (so excited)!  Why didn’t I switch some of those half square triangles to flying geese?  It would’ve been easier.  Alas…I didn’t think to do that until after I cut the fabric.

Nope…not all my seams are lined up.  I’m okay with that.  Seeking perfectionism doesn’t make me happy.  My happiness is in the creative process, and one day, a finished project.

Speaking of slow stitching (you can’t be much slower than me), have you seen Mark Lipinski’s blog featuring the Slow Stitching Movement?  I find it quite inspiring.  Perhaps you will too!

Now, slowly on to the borders.

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 1

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 2

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 3