please give me ideas...either as a whole or individually....you can see that some are crooked and the colors are so far off from each other...then there is the one that doesn't match.....My MIL made the star on and my SIL made the others....I really cant take them apart because she passed away and MIL wants something made from them.....

Hi Deanna, I like the idea of the animal ones as pillows and the star I might be wrong here, but, I think that stitch is called "Chicken Scratching" and yes the centre of a table cloth would be lovely

I've got another tip for the "visualizing" problem.
Do you know this optical toy similar to Kaleidoscopes? it is a lense which fractures a view up into many, many little parts. Look through such a lense at your 4 blocks and you will get an impression of a main color and how a scrap quilt from these will look.
It is not expensive and very helpful.
Greetings.
Eva

1 comment

by camylow 07 Aug 2009

thanks I will look into it...

My Ideas,

With the Star one, what about using it as a centre for a table cloth and the others I would go with pillows.

Let us see what you come up with -
Hugs Yvonne

Hi Camylow,
do you have scraps of the used fabrics?
If yes, you could make some crazy style patches as "betweeners" to give the contrasting colors a flow.
4 blocks are very similar in style- if you do not have the original fabrics you could choose matching colors from all ! blocks and make some new to add for a baby quilt.
I read a wonderful advice in a book about scrap quilts: why use one color if you can use 100. This will be charming.
And the outstanding star block for me is the center of a winter/ snow wallhanging. Framed by embroidered stars + snowflakes (one colored), maybe alternated by plain blue squares (this will repeat the background theme).
One could add an embroidered winter poem on an additional block to calm down the design.
If this is to much effort: potholder.
Just padding and binding, ready.
Here is a link to one of my favorite books about color choice.

4 comments

by evajungermann 06 Aug 2009

And for the distortion problem:
another good advice from Roberta Hortons book about scrap quilts: if it is to short, add to it; if it is to large, cut it off.
Easy rule and leads to interesting and charming quilts. But you have to switch off the "perfection button" in your head. Wonderful lection.

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

thanks.....I just have a hard time visualizing things that do not match....

by asterixsew 06 Aug 2009

Sometimes it is difficult doing something that your heart says you dont want to do but you know has to be done. Whatever you do will be right and your mil will be so happy

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

this i know to be all 2 true

I like Martine & jrob's ideas. I do believe a wall hanging would b the way to go. *

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by camylow 06 Aug 2009

thanks

I like what Martine said and I can see Royal Blue or Green used as the 4 new block colors. (I see Royal blue and green in all of SIL blocks) Perhaps do an embroidered animal redwork on those 4 and stitch them all together. Remember MIL will LOVE it because her 2 best girls worked on it.;)

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by camylow 06 Aug 2009

so your saying the 2 best girls are Deb and me.....thanks...What do I do for the size of these blocks 18x18...If I make the others that big, won't it lookm a little strange? and for the star, what would you suggest as other designs....

They are not that bad. I think I would take off the outer border they are the ones making it look so crooked. I would then square them up and put a neutral border around them 4 inches or so. Wall hanging or small lap quilt. The star is really nice you could always use it for the reverse side with some other blues and whites make the lap quilt reversable. Just a thought. Lisa

3 comments

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

Since MIL is the one who did the star, I had thought a small lap quilt would be nice out of it...what is a good lap quilt size, and what else could I add to it...besides plain fabrics

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

Lisa, what color would you recommend...possibly a cream color might set them off nicely.... since they are 18x18, then add 12" for sashing...that would be just under 4' square....what could I do 1' more accross and 2' more for length? that would make a 5x6...enough for a small child to share in it....

by quiltgrama 06 Aug 2009

Lap size quilt is usually about 40 x60. Play around with fabric placing it around the squares. The four together will make 40 x40 need something in the middle maybe.

I'd either make a small quilt hanging for your MIL to hold or the bell pull. By the way, I THINK that star is done in a technique called "chicken scratching". It's done on that type material using the squares as your guide. I did some YEARS ago, but these hands would never be able to do it now! You can even the sqs. out by adding your own borders. Be sure & post what you do with it!

1 comment

by camylow 05 Aug 2009

That must be what it is...lots of work involoved from what I see....

I would go with blhamblen idea

I would unstitch the borders that are on them now...add new coordinating sides and sew together like a bell pull..(wall hanging) Put the star in the center!

1 comment

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

Since my SIL passed away in 2008, I could do the animals in a wall hanging with her 2 granddaughters names on one of each...thanks for the idea....

What about a wall hanging. Make a 9 patch compostion, MIL in the middle, SIL's in the corners, four rather neutral new ones that would separate the colourful blocks and a border. Just square up the ones with crooked outlines. I think that might be nice.

3 comments

by camylow 05 Aug 2009

what do I do about such contrast in color and being so crooked,,,look at #4 dino and you can see what I mean...I don't want to hurt her feelings, But I don't think I can sew that block into something and make it presentable...these are all 18"x18"

by gerryb 05 Aug 2009

It will be presentable for your MIL as she loves it for what it is...not for the colors. Don't worry about it, it will be beautiful to her & loved, that's all that counts!

by camylow 06 Aug 2009

thanks. its just really hard for me to coordinate something that just doesn't match in some format

Deanna they are all cute - why don't you put them all together in one quilt - make another couple like the star one and whip it out for a gift or a wall hanging - you could also put them on a sweatshirt or cardigan, too. *4U

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by camylow 05 Aug 2009

that star one is hand done and is very cross-stitch detail...I could never whip that out in this life time...if you really look at it, you can see there are so many little stitches to make it stand out like it does...She must have spent days doing that square up...each little check in the material has a certain stitch to give you the 3d look...

Have you seen "quiltingqueen"s website--she does terrific things with quilting and memory items--bet she would have some great ideas for you. Maybe she'll read this or contact her through her website, which is shown below, or maybe try PM to her.

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by camylow 05 Aug 2009

I did...she sesnt me a flier when she sent her block in...beautifully done in her work style...

my opinion pillows lol just my humble opinion but you know the saying about opinions right lol

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by camylow 05 Aug 2009

thanks...That will probably be what I do with the animals...maybe I could make a lap quilt for the star one...

heres block 5

1 images:[1]

here io block 4

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here is block 3

1 images:[1]

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by marymoore 04 Aug 2009

oh i love that bear see i can see the bear and the bug together as a pillow

by camylow 05 Aug 2009

this is my favorite in the animals...

here is block #2

1 images:[1]

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by marymoore 04 Aug 2009

oh i love these wow what about throw pillows

by camylow 05 Aug 2009

actually I did think of a pillow for this one...then I could put one of her grand daughters name unde it...maybe do the little lion as another for her other GD

block #1 made by MIL

1 images:[1]

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by marymoore 04 Aug 2009

yes pillows

by shirlener88 04 Aug 2009

either make more like this or use material close to this - with the others - I bet they would be cute or pillows.