Monday, July 1, 2013

Popping Wheelies

 I'm trying to finish UFOs this year as well as use up scraps. I've progressed quite a bit on both goals to decided I could reward myself with a new project that ended up as three projects. I seem to collect fabrics of various themes or color combinations and box them up. So, I decided I would find a quilt block I liked for a few of those "collections".   Strangely enough I noticed the blocks all had WHEEL in their name.  So, I'm popping out wheelies, I guess.


First up is a 16" FIREWHEEL - a pattern from Quilter's Cache. I hope to use up my pink/red, yellow, orange large flowered fabrics (ala Kaffe Fassett) along with some batiks in Firewheel blocks.  I wish I had a little more contrast where the orange/yellow batik happens to be but I guess this works okay.   These colors alone are not my favorites and are a little out of my comfort zone; however, I found I like the color combo when I used those colors of scraps and crumbs last month in a donation quilt top.  This quilt will bring out the wild in me!


And here's a vintage WAGON WHEEL block. I found the pattern on a McCall's CD (Ten Vintage Scrappy Quilt Patterns) I've had sitting in a drawer for I don't know how long.  I've wanted to make it for awhile but thought it might be too difficult with all those curves. Surprisingly, it's pretty easy to stitch up.  I'll use up more of my 30s and solids with this one.  This quilt will bring out the vintage me!

Finally, this is the BROKEN WHEEL pattern from Quilter's Cache.  This is another easy block so I made two of them to see if I'd like it using these chocolate, coffee, snacks fabrics in pink, brown, tan, blue - some of the same fabrics I'm using in my Crazy Cravings Crazy Quilt.  This quilt will bring out the whimsy in me (and make me hungry). 

So, while I'm popping wheelies why don't you pop on over to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and see what others are working on. You might be inspired! 

4 comments:

FeatherDuster said...

About the "Firewheel" block... those are colors and fabrics I would probably never buy, intentionally. I don't care much for orange. The red and purple print is so gaudy, it would probably go into my box of "uglies", the ones I cut into tiny pieces and pop into certain projects for little bits of "zing". And yellow is probably my most disliked of all colors...I have almost none of it anywhere in my house, and use it very sparingly in my quilts, only where it gives them a bit of lift.

Now...having said all that... I have to say I find this block extremely appealing..maybe even fascinating.

That is one of the things I love to have discovered about quilting. The way some of the seemingly oddest combinations can turn out to be the most exciting.

FeatherDuster said...

I will add that I have recently started a project using my box of bright fabrics, just to use them up and be done with them. Some of the prints have been passed over for years when I've put together assortments for other projects. Suddenly, they are THE PERFECT fabrics. I guess everything fits in somewhere, if you just wait long enough to find the right spot.

Terri said...

Love, love, love the rich colors in the first picture. Yum!
hugs

audrey said...

Wow, that wagon wheel block looks great! Congrats on your red/white and blue finish too. Very nice.:)