Robes de Coeur
  • Blog
  • Quilting
  • Clothing
    • Menswear
    • Womenswear >
      • Self-Made Patterns
      • Commercial Patterns
    • Hats
    • Miscellany
  • About
  • Blog
  • Quilting
  • Clothing
    • Menswear
    • Womenswear >
      • Self-Made Patterns
      • Commercial Patterns
    • Hats
    • Miscellany
  • About

Organized "Organized Chaos" Quilt

4/20/2021

2 Comments

 
Some people get bitten by the quilting bug; I came down with a quilting virus, which lay dormant in my system for years, flaring up occasionally, but never overcoming my garment-sewing resistance.  I had enough quilting projects to justify a tag, but I didn't call myself a quilter. 

No more!  Just as viruses awaken when resistance is low, so my quilting virus awoke as I lost motivation to sew other things.  Since June 2020, I have been happily working at a job which requires me to wear boring clothes.  What's the fun in spending my days-off sewing a silk dress or pair of jodpurs, only to deck myself in polyester matte jersey pants and a tee shirt for my work week?  If I never get to wear the fun stuff, why sew it?  But quilts are useful always, and make great gifts...
Picture
Click to visit the company's site.
This is the "Organized Chaos" quilt, by Cozy Quilt Designs.  It's part of their Strip Club line, which means quilts made by cutting long strips, or buying jelly-rolls of pre-cut strips.  I had it (provenance unknown) as a kit, with pre-cut 2.55" strips of batik fabric, though I had to provide my own fabric as well, for the borders, repeating colors, and backing.  
Thinking that making it would lift me out of my winter slump, I ask my quilting mentor Rosanne to help me do it right, and she obliges by teaching me such basics as washing/starching, how to fold the fabric for cutting, how to use a rotary cutter and rulers, and how to square off my units and blocks as I go so the finished blocks are uniform.  Turns out having good techniques makes the whole process easier!  Who knew?


The quilt block reminds me a bit of the American flag: one corner square surrounded by a border is like the field of stars, and seven stripes around it are like the stripes on the flag.  I give the blocks a green and yellow corner, with the short stripes being cool colors and the long stripes being warm colors. 
Picture
Picture
On the design wall, which is just a hanging flannel that can be used to try out different layouts.
I enjoy myself thoroughly.  The only part I don't like is the "chaos" part of the pattern; I prefer order to chaos, as a rule.  Once I have the blocks up on the design wall, I rotate them until the repeated yellow stripes link to make a diagonal zig-zag. 
Once I settle on an arrangement of blocks, I sew them together into strips, and then into the quilt top.  Then it's time for the borders; Rosanne offers some lavender cotton from her stash.  Meanwhile, Pretty Kitty takes her role as quilt inspector very seriously. 
Picture
When it's all pieced, it's time to quilt it.  I have a few options here: 
  • I could set up Boudica for free motion quilting...
    • but that would be laborious and cumbersome, given the size of the quilt.  And, honestly, I don't enjoy the act of quilting as much as I do the piecing, and the final product.
  • I could be less fancy and simply quilt it with long straight lines...
    • but that isn't as cool looking as regular quilting.
  • I could pay a professional to do a good job with the right equipment.
    • A trade-off: it would cost me money, but save time and hassle, while giving me a great end product.
I think you can guess which option I choose!  So the quilt is entrusted to Rebecca Telez of Shepherd's Garden Quilting.  When she's done with it, I'll bind it and send it off to its intended recipient.  But shhhhh, no telling; it's a surprise! 
2 Comments
The Sister
4/22/2021 02:57:37 pm

I'm glad you have found a new avenue to your sewing affinity! I can understand how it's a different kind of satisfying, more forgiving and less strict than garment sewing. Have fun!

Reply
momsydoodle
6/1/2021 09:36:48 am

Welcome back! I've been waiting a long time to see your creativity and skills pop up again. Beautiful color combination. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your creations.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Karen Roy

    Quilting, dressmaking, and history plied with the needle...

    Categories

    All
    1910's
    Alteration
    Antique
    Dyeing
    Embroidery
    General
    Hand Sewing
    History
    Lacemaking
    Mending
    Menswear
    Millinery
    Modern Elizabethan
    Musing
    Other Sewing
    Philippians 4:8
    Project Diary
    Quilting
    Regency
    Retro
    Self Made Pattern
    Self-made Pattern
    Terminology
    Victorian
    Vintage

    Blogs I Read

    The Dreamstress
    Male Pattern Boldness
    ​
    Lilacs & Lace
    Tom of Holland
    Fit for a Queen
    Line of Selvage
    Mainely Menswear
    Bernadette Banner

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Blog

Quilting

Clothing

About

Copyright Karen Roy
​© 2017-2022