Country Roads Mystery

Last week was busy and it didn't leave me much time to work on Calypso. So instead I worked on a little project that Lori's posted on her Humble Quilts blog mid September ~ Country Roads Mystery Quilt along. 

Lori based her quilt on an inspiration quilt and reproduced it with red, blue and black blocks. Here is a link to Part One if you are interested in joining in or go to this link for Part Three to see the inspiration quilt and Lori's finished quilt.  

My blocks are scrappy, made from the fabric scraps from Amaretto Cottage, a quilt top finished recently. Despite working over the weekend, I made a little time to get 16 ~ five inch blocks finished. The QAL's quilt has 9 blocks, my plan is to keep going until I run out of scraps!

I have two ideas for setting the blocks, both have the blocks set on point. Will save that for another day. 

When I took Lynn Wilder's Patchwork Math workshop in August, Lynn had the nicest turntable cutting mat that she used for the workshop. I found one online a couple of weeks ago and it arrived over the weekend. Other than it's still stinky, I love it.

It also has a second circle for pressing which will be great for workshops :0)

Enjoy your week

Tot Ziens

 

Calypso progress

Over the weekend and a little more progress last night I have a design that is working for me. Calypso Kaleidoscope is a 2015 BOM with the last block scheduled for December. Long story short, I went off on my own :0) with a goal for a flimsy this Fall. Brandie challenged me to have it ready for our guild's upcoming quilt show. Wow, stress... no thank you! There are too many quilts here in my studio that are scheduled to be quilted for the show already including one of my own. So I am taking a breath and enjoying the process of the design. 

This is my favorite block and will be the corners of the quilt. 

This is where I'm headed with three different star patterns plus the corner pinwheel.

To see the original quilt layout, it's pictured in the two previous posts. Thank you to Stephanie of Quilt Addicts Anonymous for hosting the 2015 Calypso Kaleidoscope BOM that got me hooked on this quilt and to Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks for a great workshop, Patchwork Math that took me on my own path :0) Last night I worked on the corners for the inner border (that I had already changed from a picket fence to a zig zag design) that goes around the center medallion. Fun!

For now it is up on my design wall to ponder as I longarm quilts for the show as well as samples for PIQF that is coming up very very soon. Loving this change in the weather! Makes working on quilts allot more comfortable these daze.  Also helping with the terrible fires here in California. Thoughts and prayers going out to allot of people as well as the firefighters.

Jim, Nicky and Sandy at the Sew So Shop in Yuba City have put out an email asking for quilts to be given to families of the Lake County fires to let them know we care. Here is a link to the Sew So Shop's web site if you would like to donate. Anyone from the Chico area,  you may contact me, I will be going to the shop. Tot Ziens, Jo 

Calypso Kaleidoscope

Progress, I think or should I say... 

Still a work in progress... Yep that's it!

Every time I walk up to the design wall it changes ;0) 

Quite a change right now from the original BOM I started at the beginning of the year. Here is a link to my last blog post with the center and below a graphic of the original pattern. 

2015 Calypso Kaleidoscope BOM by Quilt Addicts Anonymous

Not sure where mine will go from here but Lynn Wilder and her Patchwork Math workshop has allot to do with the changes!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Spent time working on my Calypso Kaleidoscope yesterday and Saturday attended a maintenance workshop for my Innova at the Sew So Shop in Yuba City. I learned many things from Jim and Nicky. Looking forward to another workshop with Karen on using Rulers on a longarm. Karen is a very good longarm quilter. I saw some of her work earlier this year at the Yuba City Quilt Show. Wow! Looking forward to spending a day with her! 

Enjoy your week

Tot Ziens, Jo

Feeling Empowered!

Yea! Made some time this evening to finish the components started in Lynn Wilder's Patchwork Math workshop and started playing with layouts using the components. Below is the same layout set on point...

    

here are a few more... 

all made up with the same components/fabric

oops, this one has one flying goose unit on the right not turned

Love using a camera as a tool for doing layouts.

Here is a post on Lynn's blog about the Y square
After looking at her post I see another layout possibility :0)
with a pinwheel center

 Yep... endless possibilities!

and blocks

Amazing how different each layout changes simply by moving pieces around. I learned allot from Lynn's workshop. It's going to be helpful for building blocks and borders for my own layouts. Definitely will be useful in finishing my Civil War quilt. Yep, empowering. Now just to make the time. This week was a busy one, quilted six quilts for one customer! Looking forward to taking the rest of the weekend off. Enjoy yours! Tot Ziens, Jo

Patchwork Math with Lynn Wilder

Wow! Friday I attended the best workshop with Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks 

Named Patchwork Math. Don't let the name scare you away if you ever get the opportunity to take Lynn's workshop. Lynn makes it easy. If you are one of those quilters LIKE ME who always has to tweak a pattern, turn a plain border into a pieced border or make your own layout just because of a block or a fabric, this is a great workshop! 

Plus learning to build blocks using techniques that make the components easy! The block above is one of Lynn's built with all HSTs plus she has a link on her blog for a video on how to make 8 at a time (without bias edges!). Other lessons on making Flying Geese, Double Flying Geese, Quarter Squares in 2 and 3 colors, Corner Square in a Triangle and more. Lynn's book makes it easy and how to figure out the math to size the components to fit your own layouts. I would have loved the two day workshop as I could not get enough and the day went way too fast! Thank you Lynn! and Gail!
 

Lynn also gave a lecture at our guild's meeting the night before, Annie's Star Quilt Guild in Chico, CA. Wonderful trunk show with quilts in fabrics that I love and Lynn machine quilts all of her own... beautifully!!! I have been following Lynn's blog for a long time spending my early mornings coffee in hand reading all that she and Gail have been up to. Which is allot! From Monday's at In Between Stitches in Livermore, CA to a guest on The Quilt Show and most recently, Heartfire, one of Lynn's patterns is available as a kit from Keepsake Quilting! Well done Lynn!

Lynn and I were posting about her visit on our blogs at the same time ;0)

Here is a link to Lynn's blog post

Pix of our blocks in progress up on the design walls at Cathy's Sew & Vac...

This is Beth's, the floral print is cut from a bridesmaid dress she found in a thrift store :0)

 

Amazing how each of our blocks are so different! This was so much fun!

 We have company coming for the day otherwise I would be spending the day in my sewing room finishing my block. I am looking forward to seeing the kids and the grandkids! 

Enjoy your Sunday!