Saturday, May 5, 2018

Arranging Sampler Blocks; Third Try is the Charm, Garden Inspiration

Rhododendron heaven at the botanical garden.

My grandson enjoying the rocks and water.

Pond/little stream with lots of frogs and lily pads.

Clematis blooming.

Botanical garden entrance.

Piecing bits for blocks and backings.

Pressing strips and trimming.

My 'Smoky Plum' sampler blocks, first arrangement.

Second arrangement, almost but not quite.

This is the third arrangement, I like this one.


Happy May 5th, other wise known as, Cinco De Mayo!
We're having guacamole and chips with our dinner to celebrate.

We had sun and warm weather this last week so we took a trip back to a local botanical garden with our grandson and his mom. It was just as beautiful as last week, with lots of blooms and new green leaves everywhere. We strolled and watched our little grandson explore and do everything little boys do.
So much color inspiration and lots of pollen, I started sneezing.

I sewed together the final block for my 'Smoky Plum' sampler quilt, pieced liberated style. Then I took some time to get the arrangement just right. So far I'm satisfied with the third try. I'll let it rest a day or two to make sure.
The inspiration for this quilt are as follows; Debbi Jeske, whose class, Improv Piecing, I took last summer at Gossipium Quilt Shop in Issaquah, WA,
and Gwen Marston whose book 'Liberated Quiltmaking 2' is simply one of the best books on the 'liberated' style of quilt making/design out there.

And since 'good design is slow design', quoting Rayna Gillman from her book, 'Create your Own Improv Quilts', I'm going to take my time deciding how to finish this sampler up. 

  That's the news from the shire where spring is in full swing.
Have a good day.
I'll be by to visit.




6 comments:

Mystic Quilter said...

Looks like you all enjoyed a great day at the Botanical Gardens, ponds, lily pads and frogs are a match made in heaven although I'm not too keen on the frogs!!

Queeniepatch said...

The block arrangement improves for each try, I think. I like the 3rd one best, too.
You went to a beautiful garden, the rhododendrons are also blossoming in Tokyo right now. Isn't it nice after such a cold winter?

Pamela said...

What fun at the Botanical Garden! Your piecing and arranging look great.

Janie said...

Thanks Pamela, the arranging is a challenge for me because they're big blocks #1 and then I want the
light and dark balanced, which is a bit of a challenge because there is a lot of dark in the blocks.
But I'll persevere and get it worked out.

Kaja said...

I love a good garden visit. :-) Isn't it funny how even small tweaks can make a difference? I like these blocks a lot and agree that the third version is the best.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Little boys and water - always fascinating to watch. Your grandson is blessed to have you nearby to enjoy time with him. I'm joining you in sneezing.