Kaleidoscope Korners and Judging

      I finished sewing the Yenter kaleidoscope blocks and put them on the wall. The borders will go on after the blocks are sewn. I tried half orange and half turquoise. Yuck! I then put all the orange up that the pattern calls for. Better, but then I found the identical fabric in blue and green on a big Quilted Twins sale. So, I will wait until that fabric comes in before I sew anything else.

     Also, got the results for the Quilts Unlimited Show from The View in Old Forge, NY finally after a 5 day delay. No more show entries for me.

Border and done or piece more

     I added the stop border on the kaleidoscope quilt and like the way it looks. I showed this to a good friend and quilter and she suggested I add large triangles around the quilt of middle colors and piece them into the borders. I wonder how much more work I should put in this quilt. I am thinking I should add the borders and move on. But she said to do a sample and see. Haven't got the motivation up yet.

Borders?

     I bought some fabric sight unseen in hope one would work with my kaleidoscope quilt. Hmm, not sure what to do.

It all clicked

     In April, I took a class with Sujata Shah on Organized Chaos, a kaleidoscope quilt. I spent two workshop days on it and innumerable hours and pieces of fabric (a lot not used) in putting the quilt together. I have always loved the kaleidoscope quilts. Ones from Wanda and Maureen have made me drool and I was glad to take the plunge. I needed a lot of advice and help because sometimes I got lost in the forest. I kept chipping away at it and added two additional rows to make it bigger and more rectangular. It was sewn in sections instead of the normal columns webbing that I like to do once Wanda explained it to me. 
    I used all stash fabric with some fabric strips given to me by a friend. I love the colors and movement and sparkle. It was slow with double pinning, but I wanted a good result. I was really never sick of looking at. I was frustrated at times, but the whole quilt was a great experience. If I had not taken the class, I would not have got off the starting block. I love all the different kinds of fabrics and colors used. 

     It is 55" x 72" right now. I would like to have a wide border, but what fabric? So, from early April until August 4th, it is sewn.

Just Six Sections

     The Organized Chaos kaleidoscope quilt is all sewn up into six sections just waiting for the other seams to sewn. It is very slow because of all the pinning matching up points. I am not normally a pinner, but I am forced with this. No matter how careful I cut, sewed, trimmed, etc, I could not get every point to line up but close. I need to not obsess on it, I did the best I could. I need about an uninterrupted hour and half to get this all sewn. All then, I am not sure what to do about a border. I just love all the colors.

Nine patching the Kaleidoscope

     Because there is so much matching to sew the kaleidoscope blocks together, I am trying to sew in smaller sections than my usual columns with the long seams. There are nine rows, so I am breaking the sections into nine patches of 3 x 3. So far, I have these done. There are 7 columns, so I am not half done. I have to pin every intersection due to the block construction. I can't even think yet if it needs a border.

Further along the kaleidoscope

     Finally, I finished arranging the Organized Chaos quilt on the wall and took it down. I cut 9" freezer paper squares and ironed all the corner pieces and the sewn centers to a numbered sheet. Since it is so complicated, I am sewing the blocks into large 9 patches, then assembling the whole quilt. Although I was very careful cutting and sewing the seams, I had to trim off a bit to make them even after I sewed the corners on. Instead of being 8 1/2" unfinished, I had to go with 8 1/4", so the finished blocks will be smaller.

Final layout on wall

Ironing on 9" freezer paper and numbering each block.
All the pieces will stay together until I sew them. 

I am sewing the blocks into 9 patches to handle the seams
easier as they are fussy joins.

Kaleidoscope woes

     In April, I took a kaleidoscope class with Sujata Shah called Organized Chaos. I made all the blocks with some extra for a bigger quilt than the pattern. I put them on the wall. I tried to make the flower blooms, every other block. I realized that I did not cut enough big triangles to make these. I don't have any more fabric on most of these to cut the bigger triangles. I did not realize I needed  at least twelve of the color when making the bloom. I am sort of stuck. Maybe I can find fabric close to the blocks I want to bloom. I would have chosen fabric differently had I known how this whole thing works. I am too far into it now to quit. My design wall is occupied and stalled. I wish I lived close to Maureen!

Workshop of wonders

     Last Friday, I set off in wet snow in a three hour drive to Ithaca, NY where the Tompkins County Quilt Guild was sponsoring 2 workshops with Sujata Shah. Two years ago, I took one there also and was fortunate beyond belief she came in from San Francisco and I got a spot. My friend, Elizabeth, and I drove down and found an Airbnb to stay in. We took all our food and cooked our own meals and packed lunches, which made it a bit more affordable. The first two days was Organized Chaos, a kaleidoscope quilt. The last day was Free Form blocks. There was a lot of cutting to do before we went, and I don't think I cut the right fabrics as I had to scrounge for some better strips. 
     Packing all the sewing stuff, clothes, and food items was a huge effort for me who hates packing. All into her Toyota Yaris. I am 5'8" and Elizabeth is taller. It all worked out. 

This is only the sewing supplies, minus the
trapezoid case of my Singer 301

     I only have about 30 blocks sewn and need about 60. So on my design wall at home, this is what I have. I put the corners in two of them so you can see how the pattern will look. I am going to make at least 30 more, and then figure out the arrangement. I have a better idea how to choose the fabrics and arrange the pieces in the blocks. I could have never have figured it out myself. Sujata is the best. My friend, sister in laws, and other women in the class were a great help.

    Yes, it was snowing all the way down there. Freezing cold Friday and Saturday, and then 70s on Monday when I returned. I saw this when I got home. I felt like I was gone a long time to have such a dramatic turnaround in my garden and trees.