Mid Mod Quilt Bee

jacquie's block

2012-02-06T15:03:00.003-05:00

I noticed jacquie didn't post the beautiful block she sent me, so I thought I would do it for her. I love the way it came out! thank you!

Lucienne Day Block

2011-09-06T09:12:00.004-04:00

This was a tough one. I found Yahaira's inspiration very inspirational. In fact, I didn't know where to start. I also found myself wanting to make an entire quilt as opposed to one block. In fact, I will definitely be making a quilt inspired by Lucienne Day one of these days. So much eye candy.

One of the best things for me was searching for more images. When you see the designs in context you see the scale of them. I loved that. These aren't quiet designs. They are large and bold.

Thank-you Yahaira, for pointing me, us, in this direction.

My Beatnik Quilt

2011-08-17T16:35:00.002-04:00

Cheers all! Here are my blocks so far! I'm going to get working on this soon! I'd love to see progress shots of your quilts as well... Robin

Block for Blair

2011-07-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

I had a lot of fun putting this block together...perhaps too much fun as it is not the appropriate dimensions and I'm out of fabric. Ruh-roh. Well, I have faith that you, Blair, can figure out a way to work it into your quilt top or just slap it on the back!

Fireplace block for Blair

2011-07-05T21:53:00.001-04:00

I love the wonderful horizontal lines in Blair's inspiration fireplaces. This block is already on its way to you, Blair!

I can't wait to see how you put them all together!

a lucienne day quilt

2011-05-16T15:38:00.004-04:00

sorry for the delay in my post! I was up against migraines, last minute projects, and blogger outages. it also took me a while to figure out how much fabric to send (hopefully I sent out enough!).

I went back and forth on what I wanted this quilt to look like. after looking at way too many websites, lucienne day's prints kept calling to me. I love her use of shapes and pattern repeats. they are a little quirky, unexpected, and still very modern. all features I want in a quilt.
I'm sending everyone a selection of solids. there will either be a brown or grey fat quarter in your stack, please use this for your background. I'm keeping things a little vague because I want to see your interpretation of these shapes and, almost, random patterns. I would like 20" blocks with shapes floating about. you can use whatever techniques you'd like. have fun with this!
if I didn't send enough fabric let me know and I can try to find more in the stash. or you are welcome to add any solid scraps you have that you think work with these colors.

Block a palooza!

2011-05-02T15:47:00.002-04:00

I know this isn't how it's supposed to go. I'm hanging my head in shame to be so behind, but here are a bunch of blocks to help me get caught up! Yippee. I hope you all like them and will forgive my tardiness.

For Blair...fab fabrics...loved the inspiration!
For Robin....I wanted to be a bit looser with these...I hope they're free enough for you.
For Rebekah...ah my fav shapes!
For Debbie...I tried to go not so literal with the house.

Lauren, I can't find the instructions for your block???

mid century bricks

2011-04-20T15:35:00.002-04:00

I LOVE the colors you sent blair! I may need to make a quilt for myself in the same palette.

Beatnik Block

2011-04-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

It took me a while to settle on a plan for this, but I enjoyed the challenge!
I hope you like the result! The block is a bit bigger than what you asked for, Robin, but I'm thinking you can either work with it or find the best way to cut into it.

April Block

2011-04-06T22:29:00.003-04:00

This is what I posted on my blog last week, some of you may have already gotten your packages, here's some additional info. -Blair

---------

I have so enjoyed the Mid Modern Quilt Bee. Its been amazing... and a little intimidating... to see the original and unique inspiration coming from the other ladies in the bee. Some really amazing mid-century inspired ideas! The most recent block is always my favorite, and I feel like that's the point, really. It's fun.

But now April is upon us, and its my month to feel inspired. There have been more than a few moments in the last few weeks where you would have randomly found me sitting or standing, attempting to concentrate real hard on what I imagine this quilt to be, and to be inspired by. You know what? All that thinking and I got nowhere. Nothing.

I finally starting looking around online, pulling the ideas and images that really resonated with me and pinning them all together on one pinterest board. (I love pinterest!) I did not stop to look at the board and everything on it until I felt I'd pinned several things. It was so interesting to look and spot little similarities. Between that and looking at this book, I really started to get inspired.

I am a people who really prefers symmetry and balance in all areas of my life, both literally and figuatively. That idea certainly goes for quilts, I tend to like designs that are balanced and somewhat even. With that in mind, I kept looking at these two photographs of mid-century modern homes, from Mid Century Modern. The fireplaces, in particular.

I love the "little stripes" effect. I could definitely see this translated into a quilt. Broken stripes, letting the colors and fabrics I choose do the heavy work. I drew up a quick sketch of what I see in my mind's eye-

I sat with my Kona color card and had a ball picking out colors. Each block of randomly-sized and randomly-colored stripes (all that is the quilter's choosing). I chose all Kona Cotton solids ("azure", "earth", "caramel", "flesh", "amber", "mustard", "ash", and "ivory"), and only one print, one of my absolutely pattern-y non-patterns, Alexander Henry's "Heath" in chocolate.

Ladies, I'm sending out the packages tomorrow. I'm so excited!!

Block for Rebekah

2011-03-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

I put this on my blog yesterday, but didn't have time to post here. I enjoyed making this block as it gave me the chance to do two things I don't often do.

I have wanted to experiment with using a line of satin stitching as a design element for quite a while and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

As some of you know, improvisation is not my strong point - it is not my default position. However, I don't know how to draw the shape that Rebekah wanted with any of the programs on my computer, so there was no way to make nice, neat templates :) So, I cut the shapes free-hand, knowing that you all are not sticklers for perfection. I hope the results work well for you, Rebekah!

Next up, Mondrian inspired for Robin.

Mid-century quilt inspiration

2011-03-23T23:16:00.012-04:00

I had a movie-marathon quilt bee catch up day last week and what a great feeling to be caught up. I'm so sorry I fell behind you guys, I was so trying to stay on top of my blocks. I know...promises, promises...

Debbie's block (this one has all my favorite colors in it!)-

Rebekah's block (I was afraid of the curves until I started, but I decided to applique rather than piece and enjoyed the little bit of handsewing involved)-

and Robin's block (I love using shot cottons as solids!. The colors are jewel-like together.)-

I hope these all meet with your approval! So fun to do!

My inspiration for my quilt is coming tomorrow. I've been waiting for several fabrics to arrive and now they are here. Now to cut up and send out.

behind but catching up

2011-03-16T23:56:00.007-04:00

Hi ladies. I didn't want you to think I'd dropped off a cliff somewhere, we just got really busy here right after the holidays and things got moved around on my to-do list. But I'm happy to say that I'm finally catching up (although I'm a few blocks behind...hope to remedy that next week). I wanted to post pics of the 2 blocks I did finish and mail out.

For Cheryl-

This one was fun to put together, I love the mix of patterns, but man I was scared to death to cut the final block Cheryl. I hope I followed the directions you sent as you intended, if not, I am happy to remake it.

For Amanda-

I love the idea of this quilt, and can really envision how all the different "v's" that everyone has done will look pieced together. I was a bit worried about the final size, I hope its not too small.

I know that my month to send out blocks is upon us! I have been collecting some inspiration shots over on my pinterest board and it's helping me form an idea. I have a feeling that the overall design will be simple and symmetrical, but how that translates into individual blocks I will try to figure out asap and let you know.

Thanks for your patience!

curvy blocks

2011-03-16T15:33:00.002-04:00

guys! I'm all caught up!! I finished Rebekah's block last night and mailed all three blocks I've finished this morning.

I was tempted to cut into this block and add some lines going through it, but then I was scared you would hate it. I also left it a little bigger than 14x14" so you could square it up how you like.

kelp strip

2011-03-11T14:12:00.005-05:00

didn't mean to post two separate posts today, but I had to get a good photo of this panel. it's hard when you are a shorty!

I hope I didn't delay your quilt too much rossie. it was so much fun working on it. the fabric you dyed is gorgeous! I kept thinking it was orange, then rust, then pumpkin, well you get the idea. also, I keep seeing a laser shooter and not kelp....but that could be all the video games I've been playing affecting me :)

mosaic for robin

2011-03-11T12:24:00.003-05:00

robin, I hope everything is ok where you live this morning and that you and your family are safe!

I had fun working on this block for you, I love shot cottons so much! I kinda went in without a plan (seems to be my theme for this bee), so hopefully the block still works for you. not sure if it's groovy enough, but I kept everything pretty natural with no forced wonkyness. I just have to pack the block and scraps for you and it'll be headed your way!

Catch-up.

2011-03-09T15:14:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was block making day. Today was block shipping day. Tomorrow will be block-fabric packing day.
I am determined to fit the last five months of bee-ness into 3 days.
So, to all of you who are waiting on blocks from me, THEY ARE COMING, and I have photographic proof, and I apologize for being such a late jerk, and thank you for your patience.
PROOF:for Amanda
for Debbie
for Rebekah
and for Robin.
I'm going to include a little commercial here: Several of these blocks required quite a few pieced curves, which, a week ago, I had never done. If this is something you do often, and you have a Bernina, GO AND BUY THIS FOOT: It's called the leather roller foot, and it isn't cheap ($70 ish?), but it is so, so worth it. You can turn on a dime, it's a ton of fun for doing quilting, and when doing pieced curves, it is BRILLIANT. I don't think I pinned anything more than in the middle-- since it takes absolutely no effort to turn the fabric, you can concentrate completely on keeping the edges together and don't need to worry about the angle. I really can't imagine doing this stuff with a regular foot, this makes it so fast and easy.
Ok, commercial over, and I should mention that I have absolutely no affiliation with Bernina, just wanted to share.

I'll be back tomorrow with my inspiration and concept for my quilt blocks!

Block for Rebekah

2011-03-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to catch up while I'm on "spring" break. I hope this block works for you, Rebekah! It was a challenge to work on--I think I need to take a workshop on curved piecing as I'm sure I did this the hard way!

1950s Fashion Print

2011-02-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

Last fall, I bought V&A Pattern: The Fifties. This gem, while quite small, is full of beautiful images. I like it a lot, particularly because I'm so fond of Lucienne Day's work and there are quite a few images of her textile designs in there.

I must have bought that first book at Amazon.com, because they recommended this newly released book 1950s Fashion Print to me. When this book first arrived and I flipped through it, I was a little disappointed as many of the images do nothing for me:

But, some of the images are just lovely:

And of course, Lucienne Day has a good showing:

Unlike V&A Pattern: The Fifties, which contains minimal text, 1950s Fashion Print is at least as much about the text as the images. As such, it wasn't until I sat down to read the book that I realized the true worth of this book.

"Interest lay in the plant skeleton rather than the bloom, seed heads rather than the blossom, and leafless trees rather than foliage" (Fogg, 2011, p. 8).

Yes, yes, yes! I've been slowly making my way through the book, really enjoying myself. I have found it really useful to have the internet at hand while reading because Fogg often makes reference to different designers, artists, and such without providing representative images of their work. I'm sure this is in order to keep the cost of the book down, but it is useful to have a picture of the Skylon available when Fogg is going on about its pervasive influence. Google Images to the rescue!

Anyway, if you are able to buy or borrow this book, I'd recommend it...inspiration awaits!

Mondrian's Nephew was a Beatnik

2011-02-03T01:23:00.000-05:00

Okay ladies, It's my turn to host and I've got something that looks difficult, but once you get started you will find it's suuper easy and fun! The thing to keep in mind is shot cottons are very easy to work with and in the end they will all look fabulous togeter! I'll send the instructions with the fabric, but in case you can't wait to see what I have in store, here is the assignment (click on it to enlarge):

A Block for Rebekah

2011-01-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hi Rebekah! I've finished your block! No, it's not this one... this one is tooo boring!

For you, I reworked my block and made you this... which is juuuust right! Hope you like it! Cheers!

Block for Esch

2011-01-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

This is based on the roofline and stairs of my parents' home; or, as we affectionately call it, the "very brady ski chalet."

I'm not sure it makes a very interesting block all on its own, but I think once it gets put in with the others, it will work really well.

architectural block for Debbie

2011-01-24T18:52:00.001-05:00

This one had me stumped for a little while but I sat down last night excited to experiment with some bricks (which I think was in your original sketch, Debbie). I'm loving the effect... hope the end result plays nice with the other blocks!

lines and curves

2011-01-12T11:11:00.001-05:00

I'll admit that I kept pushing this block back because I was intimidated by the challenge. but at the same time I loved the challenge. isn't that what bees are about?

I made my own little challenge by cutting everything freehand (no rulers!, no measuring!) which may have made my curves a little too subtle. you can probably see my progression from left to right! finally got it on the last one!!

Amanda's chevron

2011-01-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I posted pics of Amanda's chevron on my blog and Flickr, but forgot to post it here! It was a fun challenge!
I originally intended the right side of the chevron to be fatter than the left, but had to decide on fat or curve, so I chose curve. Hope you like it, Amanda!

my other blocks

2011-01-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

jess's and amanda's blocks have been out of my hands for a while, but I never got to post them here. I had no hard plans for either, which made for interesting piecing.

mid mod house

2011-01-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

I'm slowly going through all the bee block fabric I received a couple of months ago. I have three blocks done, two more to go. Maybe I'll get them done before the next stack of fabric makes it my way. All the snow this week is sure to help!

I worked on debbie's block yesterday, though I've had a highly detailed sketch since I read the original post ;)

I took inspiration from one of the gallery photos, "building" a house with a colorful door and a garage with a window over it. I did worry that my block is too literal and not outlined enough. if it isn't let me know and I can make another one!

Swooping Chevron

2011-01-10T12:48:00.001-05:00

I wanted to make a swooping chevron, so I went with curves. All was going along swimmingly until that one curve...so I tried again, and again. Third time must be the charm, but honestly it's still a little wacky. I pressed the hell out of it. That's my go to solution when something doesn't go my way.
I hope it'll lay flat for you Amanda. And thank you for sending such a generous amount of fabric. I needed every inch. I appreciate being able to screw up and still be able to finish a block.
Next block is on the cutting table. I'm hoping it's it the mail before Rebekah's fabric arrives.

blocks for January

2011-01-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

I am finally starting to get on the ball with my month! It took me quite a while to come up with a concept, but I think it's ready for the group now.

Here are my main inspiration pieces:

Here are the details for the blocks:
1. Final block size: 14”x14”
2. Use the brown or turquoise fabric as the base/main color fabric
3. Use any combination of the remaining fabric for the block (feel free to add your own prints as an accent if you have any that match)
4. Any piecing/applique technique is fine.
5. Include at least one rounded and hollowed out square/rectangle in the block

I'm going to be combining these 10 blocks into a quilt for our master bedroom. I can't wait to see what you all create!

Barkcloth for Cheryl

2011-01-08T18:06:00.000-05:00

I'm busy catching up. First, Cheryl. I love barkcloth too, so narrowing down the inspiration was hard, but I picked the shapes I loved and went for it.

First, I pieced in the arc shapes, then I let Cheryl's background fabric lead me and I went with that Philco tv shape that I'd still have in my living room if it would get a station. I fused and appliqued that. I would love to do a whole quilt of blocks like these. Thanks for the push, Cheryl. I can always count on you for that.

The hardest part was cutting the shape of the final block. I learned...I have crappy scissors that desperately need sharpening.

Frank Lloyd Wright Fabric Designs

2011-01-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

When we started the bee the first thing I looked for were FLW designs. I must be the worst Google searcher because I totally missed any fabric that he might have designed. Then, at the Art Gallery of Alberta I found these cards.

Stunning, gorgeous, and elegant.

Suddenly I want. Especially that bottom right one. That could be a quilt so easily. It's just two blocks!

House or Power Plant?

2010-12-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

Here you go Debbie. I realized after I complete it that it is probably a bit too blocky for you. I'm sorry about that. I reread the directions after I finished. But there is a definitive influence from your inspiration photos. That counts for something!

It's in the mail, so don't lose it among the Christmas cards!

Chevron/Heart

2010-12-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

The best part of the online quilt bee is working outside of your comfort zone. Making a block in these colours is definitely outside my comfort zone, as are all those solids.

This is Amanda's block. If you turn it upside down it vaguely resembles a heart. That is how I feel about this block. The size, the sparseness, the challenge in making it - all make me love it. I'm still not digging the colour. Then again, it isn't mine, so that's okay.

I hope Amanda hearts it too.

Robin's mod blocks

2010-11-22T20:44:00.000-05:00

My block for Debbie... inspired by those butterfly roofs that were so popular with mid-century design. I always wondered about them. Living inside a house with a roof like this would mean the interior of the house had a low ceiling and thus made for a cozier space. As the house expanded outwards, the ceiling slopes upward thus creating an expansive feel. It must have been something to live in a space like this, but what did they do about the rain? Did it pond up there in that bend? Pardon me for allowing my mind to wander...

A second block, made to mimic the lines of the first:

For Amanda my chevron turned out to look like a symbol from the periodic table of elements... well maybe in another language.

Have a wonderful holiday season everybody! See you in January!

Mid Mod for November

2010-11-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that I finally managed to distill all the ideas running around in my head into something fairly coherent! Here it is:

I am asking each of you to make me a rectangular block inspired by Mid Century Modern homes. I have organized both a gallery and a set on Flickr of images that I love. Apparently, according to Flickr, sets are your own images; galleries are other people's Flickr images. Although "my" images were all lifted from google :). Your rectangular block should be in the general area of 9" x 15" and use a kind of outline style similar to my mock up. I will send you grey fabric for the background and some green and blue strips to use for piecing.

Some of you may recall that I earlier mentioned that I might feature applique during my month. The image of a George Nelson clock was my inspiration for this idea, but it didn't seem to offer enough opportunity for creativity. Since the image is strikingly similar to an idea I had many months ago for a dandelion quilt, it may yet show up!

Have I left anything out? I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!

Amanda’s BFC (big flippin’ chevron)

2010-11-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

Here is my chevron block for Amanda. This block is 20". It's huge, but I really like the size because she'll be able to make a whole quilt easily using just the blocks from the bee quilters. I should have thought of that when it was my turn. Oh well, next time...

At first this seemed like a super easy block, until I started trying to figure out how to actually put it together. I ended up needing to draw it to figure out where all the seams needed to go. I have a need to do the least amount of seams necessary. It's a disease.

Catching Up

2010-11-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my catch up day and I finished these two blocks for Cheryl and Amanda.

First up is Cheryl's right angle block. I searched for right angle pictures in an image search and was inspired by this balcony image:

from here.

Here's my very literal translation into a block.

For Amanda's block, I started cutting prematurely and with no plan at all which resulted in one of the arms of the chevron being crazily pieced. Thanks for sending so much fabric! It was a lifesaver for me.

Jon was looking through the pictures on my camera and stated, without prompting, "Ooh, this is really cool! It looks very 1960's." He laughed when I told him the purpose of this bee.

And, here's the full on shot. I almost cropped out my thread catching sock, but left it in there because I'm sure you can all relate!

Links

2010-11-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

Hi All, I just wanted to share with you a couple of links... for consideration on our sidebar.

From Amanda, our group on Flickr

Grain Edit, a blog devoted to design work from the 1950's - 1970's

Artist Matte Stephens

and Mid Century Style

Enjoy! Robin

Welcome to Yahaira!

2010-11-01T16:45:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know of a slight change in the cast of Mid Mod Quilters! While Malka remains excited about mid-century design, she found herself unable to find the time to make blocks for our bee (she has kids going to college, a book coming out, a shop to run...!) I think we've all been there, very much wanting to have time to do something, but just not finding a way to make it work and feeling sick and guilty instead of fun and quilty!

So, the lovely Yahaira of Bitter Purl has agreed to take over for Malka. In fact, Yahaira has really stepped up to the bat...Malka is going to send the un-stitched packets of fabric to her and Yahaira is going to play catch-up for us!

I've updated the directory in Google Docs, please be sure that you send packages to the right place!

Happy November,
Rossie

a chevron for m'lady

2010-11-01T09:47:00.000-04:00

I hope it suits you! 20" is big!!!

Block for Cheryl

2010-10-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

My block for Cheryl was heavily inspired by barkcloth. I hope I haven't been too literal. The amount of detail in barkcloth steered me away from my usual larger, more graphic style. Making the finished block a curved shape was fun.

I hope my block "plays well" with the rest. I noticed that Amanda and I used a similar motif. I described my process in a little more detail on my blog.

Leafcloth

2010-10-27T16:29:00.000-04:00

Cheryl's request had me a bit stumped. Curves, not curves, barkcloth, huh?
I thought that once the fabric arrived I would be inspired, but I found the combination odd, stymieing me further.

Robin's blocks gave me a boost of inspiration and I sat down on Saturday resolved to figure something out. I decided to focus on a single element from Cheryl's inspirations:

And so...

It will be in the post shortly!

atomic barkcloth doodle block (for cheryl)

2010-10-24T17:44:00.000-04:00

After feeling a bit intimidated by the open-endedness of your challenge, Cheryl, I'm now completely in love with barkcloth... especially the atomic kind! I can't wait to see how this quilt comes together and thanks for the chance to experiment. I've been eyeing those split hourglass shapes since we started this bee - what a perfect chance to try them out.

And, of course, I think I should get extra points for my photo - with fancy mid mod chair. All this mid mod stuff is kinda bad for my chair habit.

Another block for Cheryl

2010-10-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

Trying to use up the fabric Cheryl sent, I made this 12" block:

All I can say is "heaven help Cheryl!"

minty chevrons - the plan!

2010-10-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

I knew October was going to be hectic, so I always had my vacation as a backup plan in case I didn't have time to prep my fabrics to send out before that. So here I am - at the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, packing up little bits of fabric to send to you! Here is the plan... I've been looking at a little post-it note on my desk at work for about four months now. I think I drew it pretty soon after joining this bee, and I've been pondering it since!

I've loved all the research this bee has required. I keep finding that I'm particularly drawn to all the wonky geometric shapes from this period, especially little triangly arrow shapes. My plan starts there: I'm sending you 1/2 yard of a main solid color fabric (green or brown), a 5-inch wide strip for the chevron, and little strips of solid fabric (brown or green). I'm asking each person to make a 20-inch block with the chevron in the center. My hope is that the chevron will take up a goodly portion of the block (maybe 12-16 inches tall and wide?) and the rest can be filled with little blippy strips (minus signs?) or squares or hollow squares or even a teensy plus sign if you feel inspired... Here are the fabrics - lots of browns and greens (mint chocolate, maybe?).
Hopefully this isn't too prescriptive... wonky, curvy-I welcome it all. In fact, I was thinking those chevrons may look even more "atomic" if their bottoms were small and the tip of the arrow was fatter... feel free to play around and explore and have fun with it. Fingers crossed that I've sent enough fabric! I can't wait to see what you come up with.

For Jess

2010-10-19T09:43:00.000-04:00

Here I am sitting in front of the computer trying to think of a good excuse for being late...can't come up with anything witty or smart...just lame, so I'll just say, I want to be like Robin!
It's on its way to you, Jess.

A little Mid Mod inspiration

2010-10-14T08:35:00.000-04:00

See my blog for a short, slightly whiny post and a few photos from my visit to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Open-ended:

2010-10-14T00:53:00.000-04:00

Wow Cheryl, You really had me stumped here! I'm not sure if this is what you were aiming for, so let me tell you about my thought process. The words that stuck out to me in her directions, were barkcloth and curves. I googled barkcloth and came up with this:

It didn't contain the curves she was looking for so I came up with this:

Still, this design seemed plain and quite circular, so I moved on...

Now this was both atomic and curved... but I wanted to do something other than boomerangs...

After more searching, and many more images, I realized a commonality to all this was that the shapes were neither symmetrical or complex. Some of them stood alone, and some were embellished with lines and other shapes layered on top:

I tried here to use each fabric more than once, thinking that they would play off each other and unify the piece. I also kept my shapes rather simple... for ease of construction as well as simplicity in design. The fabrics you chose Cheryl are lovely indeed! Looking at it now, I'm thinking perhaps the black fabric should have been used for larger shapes or at least outlined with another fabric, but all in all I think these work well with each other. In the end, I'm thinking if I have time, I'll put together simpler blocks with the leftovers... smaller simpler blocks may help to offset this loud little puppy.

I'm very excited to see how the rest of you interpret Cheryl's instructions. I'm thinking this really could work because the fabrics she gave us are all related. It will be interesting to see the thought processes that went into this one. Please do comment on your trains of thought when posting your pictures! Good Luck!

Quilt Block for Jess

2010-09-22T15:27:00.000-04:00

I really love the design of this quilt Jess. I just hope my square can be "squared". I tried to vary my design and keep it different from the rest of the blocks everyone had completed. I thought I had enough of the cream fabric to make it the finished size you needed, but was just this much shy before I ran out.

You can kind of see where I was trying to get every last bit of width from the vertical seams.

I'm really enjoying these quilt blocks!

Curves

2010-09-17T16:31:00.001-04:00

It is my month for the bee. And boy have I struggled with this. Too. Much. Influence.

Idea #1 Charlie Harper quilt. I picked up a Charlie Harper colouring book and debated sending out images to ask for blocks based on them. But a) that seemed too prescriptive for you and b) I would have ended up with blocks that seemed to beg (in my head) for a straight set with sashing and that is so not me.

Idea #2 Imitation of a Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass pieced. This was actually Hubby's idea. While I love Frank Lloyd Wright this idea again seemed too prescriptive for my liking.

Idea #3 Because I love the mid century clocks and chairs so much I thought an Ingrid Press inspired layout could be quite interesting, despite my aversion to straight sets and sashing. This idea was okay, but it didn't feel original enough for me, especially when it comes to bees.

Are you sensing a theme? Original and challenging. Bold and graphic. Colour and no straight sets.

Soooo..... This is what I've come up with. In the end I went back to two of my first mid century modern loves – atomic barkcloth and curves. Seriously, I couldn’t get curves out of my head.

But it is really hard to ask people to simply be inspired by curves. For me, it is the curve in so much of the furniture, like the Saarinen Tulip table, an Eames chair (pick any one), or the Noguchi coffee table. It is the organic shapes of Alexander Calder mobiles and sculptures or Alvin Lustig graphics. It is the George Nelson clocks. It is the fun styling in atomic designs and even things like the Jetsons’ set.

Half of you have been sent fabric to produce a curved block. If you have a fat quarter of a light background, then this is you. There doesn’t have to be curves in the piecing, just that the final block has an organic, curved shape. As for what the block itself looks like, well be inspired in your own way by my inspirations.

The other half of you were sent an alternate package of fabric for a different block. If you’ve got a teal/turquoise fat quarter, then this is you. If you could finish your blocks with right angles that would be great, so please, square it off.

I hope (and fear) that this is a challenge to all of us. But it is such a great group or artists that I have no doubt something amazing will happen.

Simple, for Jess

2010-09-07T11:06:00.000-04:00

I was so afraid for Jess that no one would make her simple block. Sure, it would have been more fun to do the pieced blocks, but her design calls for a number of these simple blocks. This was not the easy way out, trust me!

Color Bars

2010-09-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Here's Jess' block.

I'm liking how this can be viewed as three bars or white tracks down the center. I can't wait to see how these all come together. I'm always so impressed by your sketches (and coloring skills), Jess!

Block for Jess

2010-08-31T19:26:00.001-04:00

I finished my block for Jess yesterday and mailed it out today! I am ready for September! I hope you like it, Jess, and that it fits with the other blocks well since it isn't wonky (at least not on purpose!).

November is my month and I am mulling ideas so I have a question for you all: do you applique? Are you opposed to applique? As you might have guessed, one of the ideas I am mulling would be an applique quilt. I have other ideas too, so if applique is not our collective thing, it will not be a problem. Thanks!

Jess's Block

2010-08-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

Hi Jess, Here's the block I made for you. It was fun to play around with. I started with the idea of being very simple...just three bars, one being a little shorter. However, once I had them done and put them on the mat to see how much white needed to go around, I saw that I needed one more bar and then I decided to break it and make it taller than the others..more and more seams eating up your white fabric.

So, ultimately, I ran out of white!

I put paper in that top photo so you could get a sense of how I was composing the block. I'm going to send this as is, since I know you can handle attaching two swathes of white. : )

I love this bee.

Ladies...

2010-08-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

My submission for this month's quilt. Don't worry, I'm not always on top of things like this! I have to admit, it does feel good to be ahead of my "to do" list. Anyway, as you can see I ran out of fabric. I'm hoping you have more white Jess! I hope this is in line with what you were thinking of. I do like thinking outside of the box and am grateful for the assignment. Next!

P.S. You've probably already seen it, but I blogged about this block on my blog already. Rossie, is there any way you can insert a link to this page on the sidebar? I find it helpful in anticipating what's coming round the bend next!

more 1950s textiles

2010-08-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

I want to marry the gray one. And the other looks ripe for translation into a quilt.

Pop over to this page on AnotherDesignBlog. to see more and/or get the book!

August is my month!

2010-08-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

I was really inspired by this photo that Rossie included in her mid century textiles post about a month ago. The moment I saw the pillow to the right, I knew that I wanted to do something similar.

I normally don't do straight "block" quilts (especially with sashing) but several things appeal to me about this design. I like the thin, dark sashing (haven't decided yet if I'll use black or dark brown). I also like that each block is composed of only white & one other fabric. I like the added interest of having one column of blocks that is thinner than the others. I like that each block is so very simple, but the variety & layout give it lots of interest.

The envelope you receive will contain white & one other fabric. No need to add more fabric - my plan is to have each fabric featured once in the quilt, in your block only. Use my sketch as inspiration for your block, but keep in mind that it is exactly that - inspiration. It's not an exact course of action. I'm sure I'll love your interpretations. I only ask that you keep with the spirit of the sketch - simple, squares & rectangles, each block edged in white. And I loved Rossie's statement in her quilt block instructions - "I love subtle wonk, but nothing crazy or forced."

Please make your blocks 14.5" tall by 15" wide, including seam allowance. I'll make the thinner blocks myself, when I've received all yours. I know the measurements are a little weird, but it will work out in the end. :)

Here's my sketch. Thanks so much, I'm looking forward to putting this one together!

Finally...

2010-08-12T07:52:00.000-04:00

I've been itching to make Rossie's strip ever since I got the fabric! However, other things HAD to be done first. I had a chance to sew a bit this week and managed to get the strip completed. I can't wait to see how they all look together! I love the way they are all so different yet so similar.

I am looking forward to seeing what is next!

I Bee Late.

2010-08-11T21:49:00.000-04:00

How cheesy is that pun? So cheesy. I apologize, but I'm not going to change it, because then I would have to delete this sentence, and I put so much effort into TYPING it. Ok, yes, my block! Rossie, I am sorry I am so late! The fabric you sent was so great, though, and has such excellent texture and dimension from the dying. I really loved the subtle color variations on the pieces. My block is pretty simple, so I hope it will work... I've been so intimidated by the other blocks posted! I think this is going to be such a great quilt when it's all put together! So many exclamation points! Ahh!

Quilt Love

2010-08-10T08:42:00.001-04:00

Here you go Rossie. I have to tell you it was hard to fold it up and put it in the envelope to send back to you. The fabrics were so amazing, such depth and yummy goodness! I adore your design...this is going to be one stunning quilt. What a wonderful start to this bee. Sorry again for the tardiness....i'll try to be more on it for the rest of you!

kelp strip for rossie

2010-07-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Rossie, you've rekindled my love for kelp (though I'm not certain it ever unkindled). This was so fun... though I didn't mean to make so many hollow shapes, but I started and couldn't stop. You know how that goes, right?

Oh yes.

2010-07-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

Everytime I look at this, I get so pumped.

Strips (from l to r) by Simply Robin, Wise Craft, and Don't Call me Becky.

I can't even stand it.

2010-07-26T08:53:00.000-04:00

I had a bit of kelp ADD with this block, Rossie.

There's a dash-ended piece of kelp.

There's some plain dash pieces of kelp.

And, there's a block ended piece of kelp.

Here's the hero shot. My strip piecing method was a bit flawed, so some chunks of the strip are 8.75" tall instead of 9" tall. I'm sorry for the miscalculation and I hope it will be okay in the final quilt!

Kelp Quilt Strip

2010-07-22T16:12:00.000-04:00

I was a very good quilting bee-er this month and finished my strip for Rossie's kelp quilt completely on schedule. I was very intrigued by the design she had in mind, and even more impressed that she dyed the fabrics herself. I hope I am half as creative when its my turn to send out packages.
There is pressure involved when you have a certain amount of fabric to use, and a time frame to use it in. Which is precisely why this quilting bee is a good exercise for me.

I think my horizontal bars are a bit wider than Robin's (which I'm so glad you posted a photo of so early in the month). Rossie I hope that is okay!

I can't wait to see how the subtle red shades variations play out together in the completed top.

mid-century textiles

2010-07-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to point out this blog post from Saidos da Concha in case anyone missed it. Lots of images of mid-century textiles.

I love the pillow on the far right.

Also, I found the book Robin and Lucienne Day: Pioneers in Modern Design at the local library (on of the commenters here recommended it). It has a lot of textile designs, too.

this is the one that most clearly suggests a quilt pattern to me:

Patchwork with the black motifs embroidered or silk screened on? That would be tight, no?

My Panel...

2010-07-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

Ladies, I hate to brag, but I think I'm the first one done with our panel this month! At least from what I know... does posting it here first count as first one done? Anyway, I was thrilled to be working with such beautiful fabric and it was a fun pattern to execute! Thanks Rossie! You all don't have to worry that I'll be the first one out every month... I just happened to stumble on a little time yesterday to take care of this. I promise I wont be the most annoying one in the bunch! Can't wait to see what you are cooking up for next month Cheryl!

I blogged about it today on my own blog, and if you don't mind my shameless plug, here's my link! Hope you all are having a happy summer!

Can't Decide

2010-07-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

I'm having a hard time deciding between the many ideas I've got for this project. I thought I was on track, but then I picked up this book. The girls and I have been earmarking projects. It has also introduced me to a few new-to-me designers that I now want to research.

It really is a great book for fun craft ideas. And I adore the details on different techniques, tools, and designers.

July, July!

2010-06-28T17:18:00.000-04:00

Actually, it's still June, but I'm posting these instructions now because I am planning on handing off fabric to Rebekah and Debbie at tonight's Modern Quilt Guild (Brighton chapter). The rest of you can expect fabric in the mail within the week!

Here's the plan for the quilt:

This began as a kelp shape that I doodled and re-doodled. Inspired, of course, by Amanda's work.
It doesn't really look much like kelp any more, but I still call this "the kelp quilt" in my head.
Maybe that's what kelp looks like on Mars?

I had originally conceived of doing with it in mineral green colors. But, I changed my mind and decided on oranges and reds, similar to the colors in this textile by Ray Eames. I might bind it in lavender, but probably candy blue, as in the painting above. We'll see. : )

I hand-dyed these reds and oranges to get the variation in colors I wanted. I used pimatex fabric which is really lovely to work with, so I think you'll be happy as you sew. (I'll send the white, too!)

(by the way, I used the flat dyeing technique that Robin explained on her blog. It worked wonderfully.)

This is going to be a twin-size bed quilt.
Here are my guidelines:
--I'd like everyone to please make a 9" tall, 65" wide strip.
--As you can see in the picture, I would like your kelp shapes to be in the center of the strip height-wise (don't stress, just aim for the center, okay?)
--Try to keep the plants less than 4" tall and the stems no more than 1.25" tall.
--Anything goes as far as how many plants you'd like to put in your strip, how long the plants are, whether you do some that are just stems, and where you position them in the strip width-wise.
--I love subtle wonk, but nothing crazy or forced.

Can't wait to see what you all make!
Here's a song to get you fired up!

Housekeeping!

2010-06-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

(1)

Bee members, here are your month assignments!

July 2010 - Rossie
August 2010 - Jess
September 2010 - Cheryl
October 2010 - Amanda
November 2010 - Debbie

January 2011 - Rebekah
February 2011 - Robin
March 2011 - Lauren
April 2011 - Blair
May 2011 - ~~Malka~~ Yahaira
June 2011 - Jacquie

I do believe I have accommodated everyone's wishes.
If something comes up and you need to swap your month, that's fine; but please try to arrange it yourself and let me (Rossie) or Cheryl know if you need help.

(2)
Flickr group

If you would like to share your blocks on flickr, I recommend posting them to this group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/quiltingbeeblocks/

That way they'll be seen by more people!

The groups for individual bees don't seem to get much traffic, so we're not planning on setting one up.

(3)
Blog button

As requested, here is a blog button

html code for above

In Blogger, add these by going to the "layout" tab; click "add gadget";choose "HTML/JavaScript" as the gadget type; paste in code; save your changes!

To make the button bigger or smaller, change the "200" to a bigger or smaller number.

(4)
Words of wisdom

Cheryl put this so well in her email that I asked her permission to post this for posterity:
"We have a phenomenally creative group of quilters, artists, authors, and designers. We are all fans of mid century modern design. We believe that we can come together to create some amazing quilts. These quilts will capture the spirit of the artists involved. They will also, hopefully, capture the essence of mid-century modern design.

"So, instead of sending out precise rules and pre-cut fabric, please share your inspiration and a pile of fabric. Let go and see what comes back to you. We can trust each other to produce quality blocks, so trust the process."

(5)
Please post each block you make

When you post a block you made, please attach two labels: (1) your first name (2) ______'s quilt <--- filling in the name of the person for whom the block is destined.

This will make it easier to search back through posts.
I have added ALL of these labels to this post so that you can add them to future posts just by clicking on "show all"

and then select the relevant labels.

(6)
Feel free to post about other mid-mod stuff here.
I'm loving the inspiration posts, and their comments. Keep them coming and please use the "inspiration" label!

I have figured out how to get the byline up below the title of each post, hopefully this will help us know who is talking when. (I'll try to clean up the way it looks soon).

Also, if any members want me to add their email address to the list of those who get emailed each comment, shoot me an email. (You can also subscribe to the comments by RSS, but I like the email method myself.)

(7)
I'm beyond pumped to get started!
Thank you all!

mid mod inspiration

2010-06-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

You may be asking yourself what the heck a post office in backwoods North Carolina has to do with our fabulous new quilt bee (I'm so darn excited!!!). It's a good question, and it has to do with inspiration. See, I think I do have some understanding of the mid-century modern design aesthetic, but I've been looking for inspiration (already planning for my month, of course!) and I'm having trouble finding the exact right source. There's a lot out there in terms of mid-century modern architecture (see said post office; inspired mini quilt to follow!) and furniture, and I'm actually kind of interested to think about how that might translate to quilts. But I'm not finding textile-related things. Anyone else?

Children's TV

2010-05-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

It may seem odd to list this as an inspiration, but I am always struck by how design can make it's way to something like kids' programming. Check out Sid the Science Kid's kitchen (love the
Nelson Swag Leg Desk in the corner).

And look at his bedroom! That wallpaper, the rug, and even a modern quilt on the bed. No wonder I'm so happy my kid loves to watch the show!

Now collecting members...

2010-05-07T19:06:00.000-04:00

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my mid mod faves to say YES!

Cool You-Tube video I recently came across talking about mid-century design.

(It's a school project, she misprounonces Eames, but very interesting, no?)