Design - Improv Handbook Score #2
On Monday I shared my first cuts into the string sheets I sewed up a la Improv Handbook score #2. I had such fun designing the rest of the quilt this week. Come see!
First I cut and put up on my design wall the large, main diamonds. I cut the triangles for those large diamonds freehand, aiming for equilateral triangles for practical construction reasons. Being equilateral, I can tip the triangles on their side, creating movement by changing the orientation of the string stripes.
Wanting more happy, tipsy diamonds (naturally), I cut a row of smaller ones and set it out below. Much to my delight, a zigzag pattern of background striping appeared between the large and small tipsy diamonds. Yay!
Then I was stuck. More tipsy diamonds? How many rows would look right? What scale would allow me to balance the rows I'd already made? A quilt composed entirely of those tipsy diamonds didn't feel quite right. Hm....
Here's what happened next! I cut my black and white string sheet into a bunch of even smaller equilateral triangles. They looked sharp stacked in a non-diamond layout. Those who've taken my Angled class might recognize that this whole quilt is built on the construction principles we practiced in the Indian Blanket quilt project. I feel moderately confident I can sew these different angles together, even though they're irregular due to the ruler-free paradigm. Moderately.
Then I decide that I don't want this quilt to be composed of simple, repeating rows of triangles. Adding a simple stripe of saturated sheet across the top suits me. A large, black and white triangle at bottom makes a statement in negative space.
The next step is to actually sew these puppies together. I started with the first design element - the large, tipsy triangles. Combining equalizing techniques (see back of The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters) and my understanding of sewing angles, I was able to cut background triangles that fit nicely with the freehand saturated triangles.
My first rows sewed together just fine. Maybe too fine. I'm a little nervous that I'll equalize and strategize the irregularities right out of the work! I love how Sherri's quilts have a topsy-turvy, free spirited personality. Here's hoping I find a way to take risks while joining these triangles.
Have a great weekend! See you on the other side.