Food quilts

As you may remember I am working on food quilts for both the grands.  The above is the first iteration of the first quilt.  When I saw it up on my design wall (the hallway with me standing in the middle bedroom to get far enough back!) I realized it should be titled 'indigestion'!  I took the first border off and searched through my stash for another fabric.

I found this cool fabric that I used on MY VERY FIRST QUILT!!!! It has strips of apples alternating with strips of apple seeds.  I only have a yard of it.

I really like the way it looks surrounding the food blocks.  But I am unable to cut the fabric!  I'm afraid that I will mess it up and not have enough fabric !(  Am totally blocked!  So I made a date with my girlfriend, Domino Sharon, who is also at a standstill on a project (a cute raincape that she could really use right now) and we are going to sew together and hopefully get these projects going!

In the meantime I am thinking about starting the second grands food quilt.  Artquiltmaker sent me an e-mail with Marcus' pattern 'patch-it'.  As it happens I had seen that pattern on another website and liked it.  So was going to use that for the second quilt.  Artquiltmaker suggested I do a test first.  That is so totally unlike me!  I usually just jump in and commit to whatever I decide and outcome be darned!  Well when I replied to AQ with that she gave me a big LOL!  So I decided to do a test.  What could it hurt?

The pattern requires a template ($20).  I am in a 'use what I have' mode and will not buy any quilting stuff (today).  So I studied the picture of the template and read the description and made my own out of matboard (remember the days when we made our own cardboard templates?  Neither do I!  But I had heard about doing that.

I have a mat cutter that I use to cut mats when I frame pictures and that worked great!  Nice straight edges with one cut.  The template is about 3 1/4 " square.  And it worked perfectly.  I didn't even slice it up when I was cutting! 

The pattern I had seen a week or so ago ( which I can't find on the internet again :(  ) suggested putting a black border around the colored squares so I did.

I could tell as I put this together that it wouldn't work for this quilt.  The food fabric isn't showcased so what is the point of using it?  The black border, however, does work with this pattern.

This did go together fairly  quickly, I finished it in about two hours.  Too bad I messed up the upper right corner.  But I'n not taking it out!  This is going in my bag of orphan blocks, along with the template!

The other reason (besides not showcasing the fabric) is that it wastes a lot of fabric.  The finished block is about half the size of the original from which the template-cut pieces were taken. 

The good thing is that this is an easy pattern that looks hard.  The negatives are that it wastes fabric and isn't a good choice for (my favorite) novelty fabrics.

More Munsell Color Theory

A version of the Munsell Color System Wheel

The Munsell Color System is quite complicated in its entirety.  Here I am presenting a simplified version - only what we as artists and quilters, knitters and weavers need to make lovely color choices.
The painting was done with gouache in an Aquabee 'Super Deluxe' sketchbook.
As I mentioned in my last post, with the Munsell System we have five 'principal colors' (the ones in the squares, above), five 'opposites' in the circles and 'discords'.  A successful composition contains a dominant color (may be a principal or an opposite), the complement of the dominant color and two discords (the third color away from the dominant on each side).  The majority of the composition is the dominant color.  A moderate amount of the complement (more if the color is grayed). And small, equal amounts of the discords.

A drawing using the Munsell System

The dominant color in this drawing is blue. 

Its complement is orange.

Green round, purple swirl - sorry it is fuzzy!

The discords are green and purple.

These drawings were done in a Moleskine sketchbook with a variety of color pencils.  It would be an interesting exercise to do them in the Aquabee sketchbook with gouache and do the color wheel in the Moleskine sketchbook.  Next post, perhaps?

Color theory - The Munsell System

This quilt was quite stunning but I wonder what the result would be if a little of red's opposite, teal and it's discords, yellow-green and blue-purple had been added......

Artquiltmaker and I went to the San Francisco Quilt Guild show on Saturday at the Concourse in San Francisco.  The venue was great as there was plenty of room and it did not feel overcrowded.  The quilts, for the most part, were really nice.  Lots of inspiration.  It was also the first show I've been to in forever.  We had a very good time.

This is a better example of the Munsell System.  Teal as dominant, red, its opposite and yellow and purple the discords.

But one of the things that always happens when we go look at quilts together is our differences in seeing color.  I, of course, am sure that my color vision is the correct one and Artquiltmaker feels the same way!  I have often discussed with her the Munsell System color theory. That is the system I use when I think about color for my quilts or drawings.  She suggested I discuss the theory here so those interested could learn the system and perhaps integrate it into their work.

I first learned about this system about ten years ago from the book "Harley Brown's eternal truths for every artist" (no caps after the name in the title!).  The Munsell System was developed between 1898 and 1905 by Professor Albert H. Munsell, an artist.  It is a 'rational' and 'scientific' approach to color. He updated and significantly improved his 1905 publication in 1929 and the system was  again updated by the Optical Society of America in the 1940s.  The system is still used today in forensics, dentistry and the brewing of beer as well as developing colors for fabric and yarn.  The Munsell system is used by the U.S. Bureau of Standards.

The difference between the Munsell System and the three primary system is in the relationship between colors.  The Munsell System uses five 'principal' colors (red, yellow, green, blue, and purple). As the principal colors are closer on the color wheel to each other and because there are more of them, it shifts the color complements. The Munsell System uses the term 'opposites' instead of complement.  In the Munsell System red and teal are opposites, yellow and purple-blue are opposites, green and violet are opposites, blue and orange are opposites and purple and yellow-green are opposites

 The theory continues with the color distribution of a composition, whether it is a quilt, painting or your choice of an outfit to wear to the races!  With the Munsell System every successful composition has a dominant value - making it either warm or cool.  The composition could be left monochromatic - only one color - but will be more interesting with the addition of a modest amount of the dominant color's opposite.

The last component of the Munsell System is the use of discords.  Discords are located on the Munsell System color wheel by skipping one color each side of that color's opposite.  For instance, if our principal color is red, the opposite is teal. To the right of teal is green - skip it - and go to yellow-green for the first discord.  To the immediate left of teal is blue - skip blue - and go to blue-purple for the second discord.   Use BOTH discords subtly and in EQUAL amounts, grouped near the center of interest, if possible.

To draw your own Munsell System color wheel, draw or trace a circle.  Put red at 12 o'clock, teal at six o'clock.  Place the other four warm colors, orange, yellow, yellow-green and green, spaced equally to the right of and between red and teal.  To the left place the remaining four cool colors, violet, purple, blue-purple and blue spaced equally between red and teal.

In summary, the Munsell System color wheel has ten colors.  The five principal colors are red, yellow, green, blue and purple. The five opposites of the principal colors are orange, yellow-green, teal, blue-purple, and violet.  In a Munsell System composition  one uses a dominant color, its complement and its two discords.  This is a very simplified description of the Munsell System but sufficient for use in quilting and drawing.  Once you learn it and it becomes intuitive, you will notice excellent results in your color choices.  More detailed accounts of this system are available by searching the web.

For an illustration of the Munsell System color wheel go to this link .

Abundance

Artquiltmaker does a creative prompt almost daily.  Yesterday when I was whining about being unproductive she (very strongly) suggested I do the creative prompts.  So, when I saw 'abundance' was the prompt today, this is what popped into my head!
What I want to know is - can the donuts join in?

The Red Sketchbook and other ramblings

I met the mailing deadline for the Red Sketchbook.  Before I sent it off I decided to scan all the pages into my computer.  Unfortunately I didn't look at the scans before I sent it!  They are pretty bad!  I think the book was too thick and skewed the light.  Or something.  But I did pay for digitizing once the book arrived at the Brooklyn Art Library, so I will have a record of it.  I miss having to draw all the time to fill up the book!  For all my complaining, it kept me drawing.

 

Sadie - Roxy's cousin

I have another project - a drawing of Sadie, Roxy's doggy cousin.  Can't seem to get started.  Although I did print the picture I am going to use, I guess that's a start.

Drawing of Sadie from The Red Sketchbook

This week I got out my WIPs (works-in-progress)  I have four (!) tops ready to be quilted.  One of my friends is a long arm quilter and we did an exchange last fall, I did some work for her and she will long-arm a quilt for me.  She is moving to Colorado soon so I want to get this to her to do before she leaves.  She told me the last thing she will pack and the first thing she will unpack is the long-arm machine!

Sampler quilt top - ready to quilt

The other day, while quilting the border of Ozzy's quilt I wished for a long-arm of some kind.  Remembered the Flynn system and looked it up on the internet.  It is reasonably priced and designed to work with a home sewing machine.  I have tried this system out at quilt shows and found it easy to use.  Looking at the pictures on the internet I wondered if the throat on my Featherweight is deep enough to successfully use this system?  So I e-mailed the website and asked but have gotten no response so far.  In February Artquiltmaker and I are going to the SF Quilt Guild show.  Perhaps Flynn will be there and I can ask.  Perhaps they will have a show special and I can get a deal. At least avoid shipping charges.  I will measure the throat of the Featherweight and of my Emdeko machine (which may be bigger that the Singer) so I have that information when I look at the system.

The next thing to think about is the size of the system.  I currently have my Featherweight set up on the table designed for it that Artquiltmaker gave me for my birthday, and that is surrounded by boxes not yet unpacked.  Sounds to me like it is time to unpack a box!

Current WIP Food Quilt - indigestion, anyone?

Works in progress!

I've been whining about all my works in progress (WIPS) since last summer when artquiltmaker artqultmaker.com/blog helped me pack them up when I moved last summer.  She pretty much ordered me to photograph them and blog about them in order to prod me into working on them.  So I have and here they are!

The first one, The Food Quilt, has actually morphed into two quilts.  One was way too big and a (the) grandchild expressed a desire for a food quilt so now the nephew and grandchild will both get a food quilt.

The next is a picture of all the paper pieced parts for a double wedding ring quilt.  I was going great guns on it but had to put it aside while waiting for Tap plastics to cut templates for the rest of the quilt.  Also, changed my mind about who would be the recipient.

Sampler Quilt

Doggy Love

The next two are completed tops I did but never got quilted.  I had forgotten about Doggy Love!  The sampler was made in a great class taught by Susan Bradford at College of Marin in 2003 (?).  We drafted the patterns and did most of the squares by hand.

Natalie's Quilt Top

My friend Natalie purchased this quilt top at the last Marin Needle Arts Show in Marin and asked me to quilt it.  I think I better get busy as I've had it eight years!

Magic Top

This is a quilt top that mysteriously appeared in my stash.  With a couple of borders this will be a whole top and ready to quilt.  I love the funky 60s fabric!  My friends Sharon and Becky and I are talking about getting a Flynn Quilt System together.  This will be a good quilt for the first one quilted on it.

Hugh's quilt

 This is an old quilt which belongs to our friend Hugh.  I have been repairing it and am almost done.  Then I will quilt it and return it to Hugh.  I've had this one about four years.  I really need to get busy!

Doggy Dreams

This is a wall hanging which I designed two or three years ago.  All the pieces are cut, just waiting for me to attach them!  It is based on a drawing and was supposed to be the first in a series.  May still be!

Love Catcher

This is a panel I did in a fabric painting class with Susan Shie.  I was going to be a purse but I have changed my mind.  I did it with SB daughter in mind.  I'm sure she wouldn't mind getting another quilt!

Mystery Kitty

This is one of three kitties who rest outside my studio.  This guy is bigger than Roxy and not frightened off when I open the shades.  I call him Big Red.

Retro

I started Retro in a class with Marion Nathan-Roberts at the Marin Needle Arts Guild.  I  love this small beginning and really want to finish it. I hand dyed the solid fabrics before I knew anything about dyeing.  I used Rit dyes, mason jars and hung the wet fabric in the trees outside the trailer we used to live in.  Perhaps it should be higher on my list?

Christmas Tree

Don't remember this and don't much like it.  The scrap heap is it's destination, perhaps?  Anybody want it?

Laurel Birch flannel back for some lucky quilt!

I love this fabric and have made it into a king size back for some lucky quilt!  It will have to be a quilt I keep because I like it so much.

Garden Quilt

This is fabric I collected to make a quilt for a friend.  I've only had it a year!  Still want to get a solid or small tone on tone to go with it.  Should be an easy quilt to make as I am going to fussy cut the center fabric and use the resulting blocks for most of the top.

Kim's collection

This is fabric My daughter gave me after unsuccessfully trying to start a quilt.  I made her some cloth napkins out of it (there is A LOT) for Christmas.  Eventually it will be a quilt.  I think. I hope.

Princess Quilt

Here is another collection of fabric for a princess quilt.  I already made one but, as usual, purchased too much fabric!  So any little princessy girls out there want a quilt?

 

These last pieces are leftovers from classes I have taken.  They are either bound for the scrap heap or for a scrap quilt.  For now they are at the bottom of the WIP bin.

So There you have it.  All my Works in Progress!  What do you think?

Quilting

I finally finished repairing Ozzy's quilt!  He was very happy with the job I did.  Now on to the next thing....

Detail of Ozzy's quilt

Today's stars.  New fabric is the yellow on the right.

I made two blocks for San Bruno Stars today. That makes five in the last two weeks.  I'll take them to Artquiltmaker tomorrow.

As I was searching for fabric I realized that my shelves were poorly organized.  I had an unpacked box on the bottom shelf where I could reach it and a good part of my fabric on the top shelves where I can't reach.  So I opened up the box and cleaned it out.  Only one thing in it went back on my shelves and I think it will get moved into the closet soon.  Unless one counts the light that was in the box - that is now clipped to the shelves and shining on my sewing machine.  Much easier to sew with light!  Aren't the shelves The Big Guy built great!  They are just what I needed.

While rearranging my fabric I came across NINE (!!!!#@%@#) WIPs (works in progress)!  Not one of which is in the LARGE bin with my 11 previously discovered WIPs.  Geeze, I have a lot of quilting to do.

Went to Thimble Creek in Concord yesterday with my friends Sharon and Becky.  And yes, I did buy fabric!  I just NEEDED 1/4 yard of yellow for a San Bruno Star.  And of course I had to buy a Quilter's Home mag that was 50% off because I pulled out a  page as I was flipping through it!  Just love that magazine.  It is so cheerful.  Got into a conversation with one of the lovely clerks at Thimble Creek and got on the subject of teaching and I went into teacher mode around the color class I teach!  It has been on my mind lately as I would like to teach again.  I guess I haven't lost it as the theory and all just came spewing out!  I do love to teach.

Also found my die cut red hearts while going through the fabric on my shelves.  And found an unopened pack of cool postcards.  So pulled out my gel medium and made valentines!  Hope I manage to get them written on and mailed :)

Roxy enjoying the sunshine.

The weather has been lovely.  Sunshine and relatively warm all day.  Have been able to hang laundry outside and it gets DRY!  POE, my orchid is loving the weather!  Her leaves are standing up and I think she is growing.  Considering my black thumb this is nothing short of miraculous!  I've been giving her orchid food every month so maybe she'll bloom.

Our grandchild came over Saturday and spent the night.  He made his first trip by himself on BART.  I picked him up at the end of the line and brought him home.  As usual, grandchild and The Big Guy had a great time!

The Big Guy was in the hospital, taken there by paramedics from his appointment at the VA, last week.  So having grandchild visit was especially nice.  Big Guy has developed congestive heart failure!  It is under control and as long as he follows orders he should be OK.  Need to keep him around to build shelves and play with grandchildren and nephews!  On his new salt free diet I have lost two pounds since Saturday.  Better scarf down some GF goodies so I don't loose my grandmotherly figure! :-))