Struggles
I have forward momentum struggles, once more. This happens when I have a plan for my next art piece and the plan is thwarted. It is time to regroup. So, that is precisely what I did this week.
Since I couldn’t proceed as planned this week, I thought why not get a head start on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Any progress is progress, right? So, I turned to my Pinterest Rainbow Quilts board for inspiration. Did that end my struggles? No. Nothing I saved resonated with me. I returned to scouring Pinterest. Then I spotted the beauty above.
I begin by drafting the simple block and then set the block in a grid to form the quilt. I can color the quilt with fabrics in EQ8. Normally, this is an advantage. However, since this is a scrap quilt it will be more trouble than it is worth. Instead I print the grid, pull out my colored pencils and play.
Yikes! No way that is working for me. So, the struggles continue. Then I recall some of the other quilts I admired and saved to my Rainbow Quilt Board. I am particularly drawn to swirls of color or color that seems to wash across the quilt. Then there is my love of sunrises. Time to try a different arrangement. I began with a yellow diamond shape, representing the sun and work my outward. Yes, that will do.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
I finished my 2023 Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt! With nothing else to work on at the moment, I decided to get a heard start on my 2024 quilt. It doesn’t matter what color will be the first color of the year. I choose dark blue for now. Normally, I would have started in the middle of the block with the black and white fabrics, but I am waiting for my black fabric to arrive. There is more than one way to piece this simple block. My struggles are ended, for now.
I’m linking up to the following posts:
Both of those layouts have great movement. What fun ideas!
Thank you, Sara. I do find it easier to at least have a plan, especially since my blocks will frequently be made up of two colors on either side of the central white and black strips.
So fun to see how you decide on your next project. It is going to be a stunner.
When I present my decision process in a post it seems very directed. However, the reality is the heart rules. I simply stay open until something clicks.
That string block design has so many fun layout possibilities! You’re right – it’s perfect for an RSC project!
I’ve seen others create string blocks for the RSC. So, that thought had been percolating in the back of my mind. Unlike many of the quilters who participate, my scraps are a bunch of random shapes and sizes – rarely anything sizable enough for 2.5″ square. But when I separated my dark blues, I could break nearly everything down to usable strips from 1″ – 3″ cut. I had 12 different sizes within that 2″ range. Of course the length varied from under 2″ to nearly 40″. I’m trying to see how little waste I can create. As for the design, I thought the central black and white strips really elevated the design. I have quite the black and white collection.
Oh, I love the plans for the quilt!!! I especially like the b/w fabric framing. Will be lovely to see it created. I have the blocks done for my 2023, just need to start the layout, which I use EQ8 to help decide, and now I’ve altered the plans! LOL, but not by much.
What? You altered the plans! That’s half the fun. It was the black and white framing that sold me on this block. The frame is actually a secondary pattern.
I finished sewing my quilt top this morning,this is the earliest Ive ever been close to a complete finish for RSC lol that top pic would make for a great RSC quilt!
Congratulations, Helen. That’s quite an accomplishment.
I love the plan for your next RSC quilt! The scrappy black and white plus solid black will be great accents for the rainbow of strings. Are you really making it that big?
Good catch, Julie. Yes, the size is correct. At least for now. 🙂 I’ve been making quilts since 1988 mostly as gifts and as art. For various reasons I’ve never made a quilt for the master. Seems about time to do so.
Precisely what I was thinking, Julie. Yes, the current plan is to make the quilt large enough to use on our bed. Like the cobbler’s children without shoes, my bed has been without a quilt despite working in the medium for 38 years.
What a fabulous RSC project! I love your thoughts about the sun, and this layout that adds a lot of interest. Blue areas may represent the sky, or a sea, it’s going to be fun to see your blocks growing.
Thank you for sharing!