Liberated Round Robin 2 --- Step 4

Good Morning --- This is Jan with Step 4 or the Final Step for LibRR2.

Everyone has made some creative quilt segments and it  has  been fun seeing how each person interrupted the steps and made them their own.

We have slashed, cut, created unruly fabric, re-purposed crumbs and spiced it up with color.  Now it’s time to put it all together into a completed quilt.   For this step I’m thinking  of a word

Serendipity.

Serendipity is the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things.

Put your quilt top or quilt top  pieces on the wall, step back.  Start arranging your pieces into a look that makes you feel good.  Maybe take a photo of your quilt top or your various quilt top options.  What does it need to make it “pop”?

Should you have a border?  Solid or maybe Sawtooth?
Does it need more accent color or pattern?
Maybe some applique or embellishments?

What is your top missing? Or what does it need to be complete?  How does it make you feel?

You be the judge.

Use the gift of Serendipity to complete your quilt and most importantly have fun.  

For your final posting---Create an artist statement about your quilt
                                        Post with photos
                                                      descriptions, 
                                                      and size of your completed LibRR2 quilt.   

My Final Posting for LibRR2 --- Since I knew where the final Step 4 was going to take us I decided to use Serendipity and complete my AAQI quilt.

After placing my mini quilt on the wall, taking a few photos, walking away and coming back just to look at the quilt I decided the quilt needed some "bling".  So I added a few square purple beads.  I continued my thought that the quilt looked like it was exploding and added the beads to accent that feeling.  I then completed the quilt with hand quilting. 

I'm calling my quilt Celebrate.  The liberated log cabin seems to be exploding with excitement.  I found it interesting that during the time frame this quilt was created, the Federal Government pledged to spend more money for Alzheimer's Research.  Since day one this mini LibRR2 quilt was earmarked to become an AAQI quilt, it seems the quilt is celebrating the exciting news to help find a cure for this devastation disease.

The quilt measures 9 x 8 inches

I look forward to seeing every ones completed LibRR2 quilt.  Have fun with your Serendipity!

It's Purple---Step 3 Complete

After much thought---I decided that my color for Step 3 needed to be Purple.  I noticed many little bits and pieces of purple in the feed sack fabric and since this is going to be an AAQI quilt, purple just had the be the color of choice.  My big problem was what to do with it.  I started thinking about some liberated flying geese.  Then I was going to make my fabric from Step 2 into to liberated stars, but nothing was looking like I wanted it to---so I started cutting strips.  I noticed that the black in the original log cabin seemed to be exploding out the side---so I made one liberated star to accent the movement of the black fabric in the original block.  What fun!!  I love not knowing exactly where you're going until you get there.

The little quilt measures 8 x 9 inches and is ready for Step 4.

Step 2 Ready and Waiting

I found some additional feed sack fabric and decided for my Step 2 to make a piece of cloth from the feed sack crumbs.  My fabric measures 6 x 7 1/2".  I'm not sure if it will triangles, stars, squares or strips or ?????.  So, I've decided to wait for Step 3 before I put things together.   But I know for sure when this little LibRR2 quilt is finished it will be donated to Ami Simms for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.   AAQI quilts must be no larger than 9 x 12 inches.  This will be a true mini.

LibRR1 It's a Winner

With much encouragement from my hubby, I entered a Quilt Show that was held yesterday.  The show was held in East Perry County in Southeast Missouri.  This is 30 miles north of Cape Girardeau where my hubby grew up and where we lived for 11 years.  Anyway, he liked "Dogs & Dots" from our First Round Robin.  So I entered not thinking anything would happen other than us spending a wonderful Saturday looking at quilts in the various venues of this historic area and attending a Bed Turning by Ann Hazelwood  What a surprise.
"Dogs & Dots"  won 2nd place in the Art Innovative Wall Quilt Category. 

Thanks everyone who participated in creating LibRR1 and I know we have some winners developing in LibRR2, too.

Round 1 Completed

It has been very quiet around the homestead today.  Hubby is trying to get over the Spring Bug that has everyone coughing, sneezing, and just plain feeling bad.  So, before Missouri started to get into the second half of their NCAA Tournament basketball game, I thought I would take a few minutes to hunt up an orphan block for LibRR2.  Well I just couldn't stop myself and I finished Round 1.  Clare this was fun, thanks for getting us started.
My orphaned block was a hand pieced Log Cabin.  Probably made around the 1950's as it is made from feed sack.

The block was a 6" square.  I decided to add some punch with a new piece of black and white dot cotton.  I put away the rotary cutter and just made some slight curved slices.  Restitched (using the machine).  Then since I like small quilts I dug out the ruler and rotary cutter and trimmed the block to a 5 1/4" square. 

So here is my beginning, it will be fun to see where we go from here.

Dogs and Dots Final Round

My Liberated Round Robin quilt top Dogs and Dots is finished and ready for quilting.  I added a 2" border of various fabric I used in the project, readjusted some dots and, of course,  one more dog with a dotted sweater.  I'm not sure how I'm going to quilt this little project.  Any suggestions would be welcomed.  The top measures 22 x 22 inches.   I have a Mary Engelbreit looking laundry room and I think this little quilt will work perfect as a wall hanging. 
This has been a great Round Robin.  I had so much fun and it has been a real learning process for this Rookie.  I do hope we do another one in the near future.  Thanks so much for a wonderful experience!!

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.

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.

Jan Round 2--Squares

Round 2 was a real challenge for me---I'm not sure why??  Other than the fact I'm a Rookie at this liberated piecing.  I decided a small black border was best for dividing Round 1 & 2.  I tried many squares before deciding on the five little 1 inch squares floating in a border.  I wanted them to be turning more, but couldn't figure it out.  I did introduce a new fabric pattern.  The green border has both dots and squares---hope to use it again in another round.  I'm learning so much with this Round Robin.  I thank our leaders for a great challenge.  I'm headed to my sewing room now to start another Liberated Medallion Quilt, for fun and I need the practice!  I'll talk more about this quilt in my blog:  http://www.familypatchworks.blogspot.com/.  Looking forward to July 1.

Round 1 Complete

I have spent the past few days looking at quilt books, auditioning fabric, sketching, and just plain thinking about what I was going to do for Round 1. This afternoon I had an opportunity to spend time with my little center block and my sewing machine. I stared going in a totally different direction with the triangles and then all of a sudden, I realized sawtooth triangles had a dog t00th look---why not. My theme seems to be headed toward dogs and dots---so I decided to go with fabric that had dots and the yellow was added for a little spark. This was a true liberated experience---for all my books, auditions, sketching I just sat at the machine and let it happen. I think the "happy" center block still looks happy and I had fun. Looking forward to the June 10 round.

Center Block

My Liberated Round Robin center block is also from my Worldwide Swap Partner--Shirley in "beautiful" Montana. I love this happy little 6 1/2" square nine-patch. The colors are wonderful and will give me the inspiration to step out of my more conservative color scheme. Looking forward to getting started. Jan in MO blog: www.familypatchworks.blogspot.com