Jan---Round 4 Curves

I made some changes to Dogs and Dots.  I wasn't coping with my round 3 rectangles with curves well, so I just chopped them off and made a small border of rectangles, added a 2" black border and started adding curves.  I used both needle turn applique and iron on applique.  I may add a little embroidery to the floating dots, but for now it is time for the quilt to hang on my design wall.  I'll be making some trips by it--- taking peaks to see if  it needs to have a surprise here and there.

curves!

This is wild....I enjoyed making the curves!  I am also thinking about embellishing this when it's finished...
Hopefully with the last round I can pull it all together!

Me and You: True Blue

Rectangles and lots of curves added so I'm all caught up! I remember my grandmother making yo-yo's and thought they would be fun -- and they are. I plan to add a decorative button to the center of each so will look for some when we go to Panama City next week (fabric store, here I come!) Can you believe that I have so many different blues in my stash -- and there are more to come. This quilt is fun, not knowing what might be added next! For the curved patches, I used instructions from Kathryn Schmidt's book "Rule Breaking Quilts."

Curves, hmmmmm . . .

I hope my little circles will count for my curves. The star is a half circle that I inset, but it doesn't show. Actually the star was a circle, but I liked the look of the half circle sitting on the rectangle. It still looked a little static to me so I added the little circles to add movement and to encourage the eye to look for all the other dots and circular curvy things. The size is about 31" by 24".

.

Idea: Circle Blue Jeans Quilt (Curves)

The Vintage Craft Basket: FREE QUILT PATTERN: circle blue jeans quilt

June's Lib RR Round Two - Squares

I added squares cut out of the World Wide Swap fabric.  I did use templates and rotary to cut these as it was difficult with all the seams.

I was going to put the squares at different angles, but decided to keep them oriented so they are all at the same - but they show movement by where they are in the distance from the triangles and distance from each other.

This piece is now 30" x 31" - I'm probably going to trim it so it's square.

Either before or after my round three (rectangles), I'm going to add something to make this so it's more lap sized....

Round 3 Strips

 I had a long band of red and white strips that were left over from an earlier project.  I had sewn the little pieces together as Leaders and Enders during that project, and the band was in my Orphan Box.  I added a ticking strip on each side.


Altogether it was long enough for two sides, contiguous or the two short sides.  This is the choice I made.Current size is 25" X 43".


Sara

Round 3 Rectangles

Finally!  I've been thinkin' and thinkin' and the result just looks so easy, but I had to get to a place where I could "cogitate" about the colors.  I wanted more lights and I picked a few at a time.  I was thinking I might want to make it into a curve and now with round 4: curves, I may just do that.  But before I do, I must practice.

There's a bit of a stretch through the middle, that I hope won't interfere with the quilt when I quilt it.

I think batiks stretch a bit more than other fabric when sewing them and the border is already curved a bit!  LOL!  :)  http://pattilousquilts.blogspot.com/

LibRR1 Round 4: Curves

Thank you again to all of you who are participating in this online Liberated Round Robin! It's been inspiring to see your creativity!

Those of us needing more time to get caught up, or if you want to add even more rounds inbetween the ones we have suggested - of course go ahead!

For those ready to more on >>>>> Wouldn't it be fun to add some curves to your project?

You can do this by doing applique, sewing bias strips down, sewing circles, making curves seams with different fabric, or _________ (you fill in the blank with your idea!).

As before: please post a photo on this blog when you complete the round (include the measurements and the URL of your blog), and if you have used an internet resource to construct your curved round, do share the link with us or just tell us what you were thinking as you worked on your project.  Check back to see what others have done - and do write comments!

Also, be sure to click to verify that the correct information for you has been added to the Who We Are page.

We have at least three weeks to work on this round; our next and final step for this first Liberated Round Robin will be posted on August 12th.**  We may push this date back a week or so, to give everyone more of a chance to get caught up.

If there is interest, we'd like to do another Liberated Round Robin sometime in the fall - but this time it will be set up so different people (who participated in this first LibRR) will be able to sign up to write up the directions for a round! An email will be sent out in September.

Round 2 squares

Finished this round tonight, and quilted the last [bottom] border after adding it.  I wasn't sure I wanted to add on all four sides, so there was an "incubation" period while I watched a waited for direction.  Finally with the change in colors and size, it seemed like the right thing to add the bottom border in squares also.

The top squares are printed on the fabric, so no complicated construction was required.  I liked the idea of having one "regular" set of checkerboards that were NOT wonky to show that this was indeed intended to be a "squares" border.

The other three borders were pieced in a slightly wonky way.

So far the "quilt as you go" method is working well.  Current size is 25" x 31"

Sara

June's Lib RR Round One - Triangles

Here are my triangles!

I did the first side (it's on the left in this photo) ages ago then had happy distractions.  I was originally planning on making two sets of triangles as I did when I was making some flying geese a while back.  But when I tried to make the reverse geese things just would not line up (as I am using the presewn fabric I received in the World Wide Swap) and it looked sloppy and unusable to me.

So I changed my method for making the triangles.  I cut the grey fabric strips then used the rotary to cut out triangles.  Using different colored pins I put three pins in the fabric for each triangle, (so each was color coded and I was able to remember which pieces went where).  Then I used the grey triangle as a template and cut swap material fabric.  Then I sewed the short side up - then I pressed the seam open and sewed the other side up.

Before joining to the center block I straightened up the edges...  But my project is no longer square - it measures between 19 and 21 inches depending on which side is being measured!  It's all flat though so I'm happy with that.

These were the original types of triangles I wanted to make - but I've pretty much mastered this method now so will try not to use it again soon.

I wanted to try the QAYG method for adding rows that Sara described but since I'm behind with the challenge and have used my pins for another project that is waiting to be FMQed, I am just going to go ahead with adding my squares to this project...

So now on to Round 2!

: )

Me and You: True Blue

Today I've officially caught up with an added Round of square patches, stars, and letters. Having fun with this one!  Rectangles coming up.

Round 3!

Busy busy here in the land of garlic, cheese and red wine!

I give you my Round 3

It's looking a lot better now that I've added the blue piano keys and another wide black border.

This is getting big - and I mean big!  It's covering up my Haunted Houses quilt which was big enough.

Me and You: True Blue

So here I am starting over at this late date -- but I'll catch up. The fun thing with this start is that I haven't a clue where I'm going, probably what a RR is supposed to be. I'll be using blues as quite a few seem to have accumulated on the shelves. The 2nd goose on the top right is in need of a bit of discipline as she seems to be staggering about quite drunkenly! Nuff for today, though! Mary

Round 2 Encore

Okay! Forget my last post about Round 2.

There has been a massive rethink and a lot of frogging (rippit rippit).

I'm still not happy with it, but I think I can now see where the problem lies.

I've got to continue the next round with blue and then do the same big black border.  It may not be liberated, but it's continuity.

Casa Loma -- all finished

This piece just seemed quite complete with rectangles and squares so I added a black binding to frame it, signed it on the back, and called it finished. The real truth is that I couldn't wait to give it to my friends! They are delighted with it, and I had a great time making it. This is my first try with using raw edge applique and I really like what I can with that! And I've time to start a whole new RR!!  Mary in Panama

Round 3

I tried several options, and finally decided the two borders (rectangles) looked best with the fabric I used with the flying geese. As busy as the fabric is, other options looked disjointed.

And I do love the fabric. :)

Round 3

This is so fun!

This is so much fun. There is such a feeling of accomplishment for each new addition.

Now just to get to the rectangles so I can catch up with the rest of you.

Judith in AZ

Jan Round #3 Rectangles

If there are rules in Liberated Quilt making, I think I broke them in this round.  For some reason---not sure why I thought my little quilt top needed some curves.  So after putting together a variety of black strips from my bits and pieces bin I just took a pair of scissors and made curves.  Then I realized I needed to get square again---some how.  After much thought, picture looking, Internet searches, I decided to just do it "Jan's Way".  Well, not sure that was the right way, if applique is not a round of the future---it will be one of my things to do on this little top---need to cover some mistakes.  I machine appliqued my quilt top on to yellow border fabric.   I didn't think about was running out of fabric--whoops.  I want this project to be strictly from my bits and pieces--well I just made it with 10" of yellow left over.  Dogs and Dots started with a center 9 patch block that was 6 1/2" square and the quilt is now 20" square.  Having fun with this little LRR, hope you are too.

QAYG borders on LRR

I mention QAYG borders for this project in an earlier post.
This is how you do it:


I took the top I had with the middle and triangle borders added, and I quilted it.  [I think I will add some more quilting in the white spaces later.]


Then I laid out a three fabric sandwich on the edge where the first border will go.

Top border fabric [black and white check] face-to-face with the top; backing border fabric [green] face-to-face with the back.  Pin all three edges together.  No batting at this point!

Sew these three layers together.  I'm using a quarter-inch seam.

Now take your strip of batting and BUTT it against the edge of the three fabrics you just sewed together.  Using a zig-zag stitch sew together, just catching each side without overlaping them.

Here's what it looks like when you are done.  This method avoid having two or three layers of the batting on top of each other.

Then you flip the two border fabrics over that seam and press.

Now you quilt this border.

Trim off the excess batting and fabric.

Front has grown by one border side [black and white check].

And the back has grown by one border side [darker green].







Not too tough!
And there are no "covering" strips to add over the seam on either side.


Negative side:  You can't rip this border off easily if you later want to change your plan!


Sara

Round 1 Triangles

I hope the next rounds get easier on this brain of mine. I just get so intimidated knowing that so many of you are going to see it. After worrying about it for several days I just did something fun for me. :)

Round 3 Rectangles

Hi, here's the simple construction I promised :-)

and here's what's left of the border fabric :

I think even the small dark blue stripes are rectangles and you can consider this as a big log-cabin block ;-)

The  fabric of the wider log came through our ww-swap into my stash, it's from Kathy and I think it's just perfect . And now it's gone, sigh .

Still having fun with the RR

Heidi

Plain borders and Off on a Side Track

My brain finally registered the "suggestion" from several in this group, that adding a "plain" border might help the looks of subsequent borders.  I mean, this could actually apply to me and solve why my next border wasn't looking right when I laid it loosely on the top!  Huzzah!  I added some plain red narrow borders.

Then I read a reminder on Melody's blog that it is easier to quilt borders AS THEY ARE ADDED, than it is to quilt them when they have all BEEN added.  Because you will always be working close to the outer edge of the project.

Having that thought in the back of my mind, I was constantly perusing my LRR on my "design wall", and it suddenly stuck me.  I could be QUILTING these borders AS I ADDED THEM.

Well that certainly let me off the hook for adding my "squares" border right now!

I set right to work:

I've done all I'm ready to try today.

And now I do have to think about the Squares Border!

Anybody else trying "Quilt-As-You-Go"?

Sara

It's all JUNE's Fault

My RR now looks like this on the design wall.



Thanks June for asking the question that prompted me to consider the possibilities and move the icicles row from round 1.  Now my L-shaped quilt is C-shaped.  I really have to get busy making strips and letters (and maybe more log cabins) and fix that ;-)

Blue & White Squares - Sophie's Round 2

Here are my borders for round 2:

I immediately thought of log cabins as a representation of squares. The large ones are 3-inches–I described the stamped foundation on my blog, here: Log Cabin Squares. For the smaller white ones, I used the same foundations, but didn't add the last round of logs. They are 2-inches. The letters in the word border are based on squares (and have quite a few squares in their construction.) The word row is approximately 4 1/2 inches tall.

Here's how the borders look, sewn in place.

The piece is still, definitely rather L-shaped. I hope to remedy that with round 3.

Because I am always curious about how big the other LibRR's are, I measured mine for you. It's approximately 26 inches tall and 28 inches wide at the bottom edge.

Like Sue R., a theme has emerged for me . . . though it may not yet be obvious to anyone else ;-)

Round 3: Rectangles

I surprised myself by completing Round 3 so quickly by using strips for a slanted border. I cut a piece of thin scrap fabric, 5" wide by the length of the quilt to use as a foundation for the strip piecing, then stitched the strips at a 45 degree angle. I made 2 of these and planned on making 2 more for the round 3 borders. Then....a little laziness crept in. I wondered, "How would this border look if I made it 2" wide instead of 4.5" wide? So I cut each of the 2 strip pieced borders in half lengthwise, and I had 4 borders for round 3.

Auditioning fabrics for a plain border before round 3 wasn't working; nothing looked right. So another quick decision was made: Cut strips of various brown fabrics and stitch them to the quilt in log cabin fashion. My quilt is definitely ready for a wide border in Round 4, so that it will grow to be a lap quilt. It's now 42" x 42".

Round 3: A theme emerges!

As I look at my quilt I see a theme recurring quite unintentionally...at least consciously..evidently it's all about the circles!

Isn't liberated/improvisational quilting exciting? The quilts are infused with the makers' intuitive reactions to color, shape, size, balance, pattern...

The Liberated Round Robin project is so satisfying...quilts incubating and emerging little by little...it's tantalizing..no wonder we love it so! A journey undertaken with not as much thought given to the end, as the complete enjoyment of the process. It is the journey..not the end that is so wonderful! Perhaps my quilt shall be named Zen!

Rounds 2 and 3!

I left town to go to my stepson's wedding and you guys did Rounds 2 and 3!  I had to play catch-up.  Round 2 was squares.  Hmmm...my squares are log cabins and I tried putting them around the triangles, but the design was less than pleasing, so I took out some of the triangles and installed log cabins.  Then I decided it needed a border and Round 3 was strips.  How fortunate.  So a mostly blue, some green, and a little pink piano key border was next.  It's the start of a happy quilt, but it's getting big, it's 31" x 44" now.  How long are we doing this?   And what am I going to do with all those little left-over log cabins???   

Round 2 complete

 

I decided, it's complete. On one hand, I just had enough of making these squares, on the other hand I don't want this to get so big and thought it already looks a bit crowded.

And with that decision, I still haven't cut into the 'real stash'. Still using my scraps. 

After some pondering I know what to make for the next round, it will be a very simple construction.

:-)

Heidi

Added letters to Casa Loma today for RR #3. To explain: our friends named their house Casa Loma but they like to tell of how they sailed their boat searching in many places for a spot where they could build "a shack." That is how they refer to their house. Mary in Panama

Center block

This is my center block, now to just catch up with you all.

Oh Boy!

Oops, I hit the return and it posted before I wrote anything. this is my first post to a blog, scary. I am joining your Lib-RR at a late point, but hope to catch up. This seems like so much fun!

Jumping in!

Seems like I've been doing everything except the RR. But I was thinking thinking thinking about it all along. So, at last, I've caught up with triangles and squares and today am working on the latest round by making letters for CASA LOMA which is to be a thank you gift for a British friend. The figures in the piece are done with raw edge applique (my first time) using a novelty fabric that arrived in my WW Swap package. They are just right for this piece as my friend's house is on and island, on top of a hill in the jungle, with mangroves and the sea at the bottom.  Mary in Panama

Sophie's Triangle Round

I've added borders to the left and bottom of my center.

 

(Pay no attention to the pattern from my flannel-backed tablecloth showing through ;-)

I knew immediately I wanted to make triangle shaped icicles for round 2–the quilt insisted that I add the word icicles and that it had to be on the same border with the icicles themselves. If you look closely at the letters, you'll see that all but the c's are based on triangles. The large tree (made from triangles) was an easy choice.  I made it much larger than the existing trees in an attempt to create a little perspective in my snowy landscape.

I didn't find a rule that said the borders actually had to fit the sides of the quilt-in-progress, so I figured it was OK to be liberated and leave it hanging off the edge.  I'll have to deal with it eventually, but for now, my quilt is L-shaped ;-)

My fabric choices were meant to add some print and texture to the work-in-progress while continuing the graphic, simple blue and white center.

From 'On point' to ' Square'

For this Round I decided to bring my block 'on square' in which I placed liberated square blocks. This brought the colours from the previous round into the scheme. Now looking forward to the following round.

LibRR1 Round 3: Strips, Strings and Rectangles

Make one or more borders using these elements. Run them horizontally or vertically; make wonky log cabins or string blocks; cut stripsets into other shapes; or add liberated letters.

Remember that squares are also in the rectangle family....try liberating Bargello, Irish Chain, or Trip Around the World blocks, to name a few.

Add plain borders as needed to make your quilt visually pleasing.

Added July 5th by JD: Please include the measurements of your project in your post and double check the Who We Are page to be sure the correct information is included for you!