Saturday, January 10, 2009

Cucire

Jacquie over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio has started Project Improv to encourage quilters to "quilt outside the lines." Her timing was perfect for me -- I'm doing a wonky quilt for our family room wall and could use the support of a group. We can make whatever we want for our own projects, but everyone commits to contributing a 12.5" wonky log cabin block for a charity quilt. I joined the red and aqua group since I love this color combination. Here's the block. I wish it had a little more sparkle in the lower left corner, but I think it will be fine in a quilt with lots of other red and aqua blocks.I have an uneasy peace with my wonky blocks about who is in charge. I (sort of) know what I want, and my fabric (sort of) knows what it wants, and ideally we march shoulder to shoulder into the fray. If either of us is too much in charge, the results are boring or disastrous. It takes some practice to work together.

For a leaders and enders project, I'm using these black and white pieces with their colored strips. They're the first installment of a fabric swap through my guild.
Our swap chair got permission from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville to use her Sticks and Stones pattern (you can download a PDF of the pattern here), and all the swappers are providing cut squares and strips so she can make a quilt for charity. It's a fun pattern and I like having a straightforward project for leaders and enders (a technique I also learned from Bonnie). I'm thinking about something a little funkier for the border, though.

As for the title of this post, cucire is the Italian word for sew. The university here offers intensive language classes between semesters, and DD2 and I signed up. She spent a semester in Italy and has much better Italian than I do. She also has a better sense of direction, which is fortunate considering I had planned to follow the signs to the classroom.
I kid you not, this sign is actually in the hallway by our class!

Happy quilting, everyone! Ciao!

19 comments:

Vicki W said...

The aqua and red look great together. I think that quilt will have a lot of sparkle!

Joyce said...

I love the wonky block. The cherry fabric is so neat. I also love the dots. You can't really go wrong with blue and red.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

And I'm sure they thought they were clear when they put up that sign. Of course classrooms in both directions tells you that either way you go you are right, right?

Twisted Quilts said...

Love the block! I have red and aqua too. I don't use that combination but I think I am going to like it. I love the sign. At our hospital there is a sign that points South in one direction and West in the opposite direction. It throws me off every time.

Gari in AL said...

I love the classroom sign. My DH teaches at a community college and the first day this semester his class was very small. It seems that the hall where his room was not marked and neither was the room: no one knew how to find him until the dean stood outside the building and directed them. Education ?!?

Julie Zaccone Stiller said...

I think that is one of the most useless signs I've ever seen. Submit it to the fail blog. But cool that you're taking Italian. Molto bene.

Tonya Ricucci said...

Wonderful block. You've got to stop worrying so much about each individual one - as you say it will be set with a bunch of different blocks. Fun bright colors on your Leaders and Enders project. That sign is a classic. They should sell it at the university bookshop because it is darn funny.

Cathi said...

I love your block!! It's wonderfully bright.
The sign? Made me start to laugh -- but how confusing for people!!

dutchcomfort said...

Love your red/aqua block!! It will blend wonderfully with all the other blocks!

I’m on the red/aqua site as well and feel inspired to start my blocks now!

jillytacy said...

I love the wonky log cabin block! Embrace the wonky, you can do it! The sticks and stone blocks for your guild are neat. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's done.

KateKwiltz said...

Love the block, and love the fabrics you used, especially the cherries!

Elsie Montgomery said...

Cool block! I'm eager to see how the quilt will turn out.

Crazy sign. I lived in a town that had one almost like it. The arrow pointed in opposite directions and the words said, "ONE WAY"

Libby said...

Great block! What are your plans for the wonky wall hanging?

sewkalico said...

Ciao Amici! Great that you are learning such a beautiful language. I learnt a few words when I had an Italian boyfriend ;-)
Your posts are bright and beautiful! Don't stress about the fabric/you debate. You are clearly much better than you think you are!!!

meggie said...

I love your potholder, & this wonky block. somehow I cant let myself go to that extent!
I agree, that some times blocks or quilts go where THEY want, & not where I want!

Clare said...

I have the same problem. The fabric tends to take charge and the blocks end up not as you want them, but as they wanted themselves. Can be disheartening at times. Perhaps we should devise our own private challenge!

Love those signs.

jacquie said...

great block, my friend!! looks like you and the fabric were pretty sympatico! so, do we get Italian word of the week. I want to learn too!

Laurel said...

What makes a log cabin wonky? Misplaced color bars, or width, or angles? Any/all of the above?

Lisa said...

I love that sign! Sometimes I think the signage is the building I work in is "unhelpful" but I don't think it's quite that bad.
Your colours for the log cabins are great - lots of zing. Don't worry too much about whether you love ach one, just think about how they will contribut to the whole.