Just so we’re all on the same page. You all know I’m a nut case, right? My Four Seasons Quilt Swap package is in the mail. I made it. A day late and it only took 5 attempts. Please someone remind me the next time I sign up for a swap that maybe I shouldn’t because, you know, I’m sort of obsessive about the whole thing and maybe the pressure of making something beautiful for someone I don’t know isn’t the best thing given my tendencies.
Mental health aside, I actually found lots to love in this project. I tried out several new techniques as I went from one plan to the next. Experimenting with a purpose. Plan D worked and is deserving of it’s own post. This is a post showcasing the losers, everything that came before I got there.
Plan A for me always involves a literal interpretation of the theme. I never end up using Plan A because I’m not very good at doing pictorial quilts. I wish I was but I’m just not. I just couldn’t see taking this where it needed to go within the time frame for the swap.
I pieced the background. The large trees are faced with silk organza, sewn on with an edge stitch. The silk is easy to work with, turned nicely and didn’t add much bulk. It was hard to get the tip of the smallest tree pushed out. I think it would be a good material for circles. The other objects are wool felt. I’m looking forward to embellishing this and using it as a seasonal wall hanging.
Plan B, Perfect Flying Geese. They measure 2″ x 4″ finished. I made them using the Angler 2. There’s probably some blood on some of them (thank you very much for all the well wishes and genuine concern! it really made me feel better and not so embarrassed about the whole thing). Flying Geese are always twice as wide as they are tall. Not sure I ever consciously thought about that but it makes for endless setting options because two together are a perfect square. I had these guys all over the wall in different combinations. Ultimately they just didn’t excite me. My choice of background fabrics was just boring. Next…
Plan C, as I was arranging the Perfect Flying Geese on my wall I was totally attracted to the zig zag setting. The idea: 16 rows of eight 1″ x 2″ geese blocks. I pulled out fun and loud and arranged them in a pleasing order, a solid Kona cotton alternating with a print.
I started with two sample rows. Joining the geese side by side and then into rows was some pretty darned precise piecing. I took a look at the zig zag quilt posted on Purl this month. She did it this way but the blocks are much bigger. The smallness of my blocks wasn’t leaving me any fudge factor for getting everything aligned.
Plan C1, I pulled out my Denyse Schmidt Quilts book to take a look at her zig zag quilt. Denyse uses templates. I created a template for my triangle and did some samples. Wavy Gravy. Like I was ever going to be able to join 16 of these little guys together to make a straight row. Please comment if you’ve made a zig zag quilt with templates. How do you keep them straight?
Plan C2, paper piecing. I used EQ6 and created a foundation pattern. I loved the results. Perfect triangles joined one next to the other. Not good was the enormous amount of effort to create each row. Given my deadline for the swap, it was just too tedious an exercise to repeat 16 times.
Well, I can see where it may have been too much work for the time frame, but I love the fabric combo in C2. And I have already registered my love of your little winter landscape on Flickr!
Plan A is stunning. Phenomenal. Jaw dropping. The others are lovely and wonderful, but Plan A made me stop in my tracks!
Wow, you really went to town on this swap, didn’t you? I personally like the flying geese. They’re pretty colors but I think that what makes you think it’s boring is just that it needs a shot of an accent color. The background choice is pretty. I’m wondering if a nice orange border would make it pop. Hmm, such gorgeous fabrics for the geese. And the final zig-zag strip is fantastic! Maybe you’ll finish that up for yourself? And then show us? Hint, hint. So now I find myself very curious as to what your final choice ended up being. Oooh, such suspense! (Glad to know that I wasn’t the only one who was a little late. I feel so guilty.)
Zig zag quilt with templates… hmmm. Did you cut the pieces sideways (or diagonal?) so that the bias isn’t on the long edge? And then maybe if you piece alternating directions so that on one seam you’re sewing in one direction, and then go the opposite way on the next seam (am I making sense to anyone else but me)? Or spray the heck out of it with starch?
Anyway, I can’t wait to see plan D!
I love the sky in Plan A. It’s pretty cute too, so I look forward to seeing if it resurfaces next Christmas. You could probably do an entire master’s thesis on flying geese or zig zaggy triangles. I’m with you that paper piecing is the way to go. I’d love to see the zig zag finished later when you have more time — ha!
Can’t wait to see plan D!
Plan A is very beautiful! You always use the loveliest fabric combinations. Very excited to see Plan D!
already said it at flickr – I really love plan A… but I understand that it might give you nothing, as christmas is gone (and with the trees it DOES look a bit christmasy, though I still love the design!) and in thoughts we are already heading forward to spring.
I also think plan B is great – makes me think of a snowstorm…
whatever you will do – you’ll make it and shoot the bun. no doubt!
I love all three (and a half) plans. I really admire your commitment to see a project through until you meet your vision. Can wait to see plan D.
Hi! Just found your site yesterday. Love it!
I made a zigzag quilt almost two years ago, and I’m trying to remember exactly how I did it. I know I didn’t use templates.
Oh, wait, it’s all coming back to me now. I had blocked out the trauma. Some of my pieces were slightly too small. I don’t know what I did to them during cutting, but, um, they weren’t the right width. So, my problem wasn’t with straightness, it was with attempting to connect squares that were too small. That was fun. Don’t do that.
The thing about zigzag quilts, though, is that they are so visually appealing that perfection isn’t as important as with some quilts. Or, at least that’s what I tell myself. Although, the quilt is still titled the World’s Ugliest Quilt, so I’m not sure I buy that whole philosophy! You can see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beautyandthebug/2239230594/
Wow, if these are the losers, I can’t wait to see the final product!! I’ve got a zig zag quilt on my list but I plan to do larger squares (like the Purl quilt) so hopefully I won’t have this issue…
I didn’t know you had sign up this swap. I love the plan A and the B and the C. Waiting to see the winner!
Hi – Net said it best in her comment. And I’d like to add, I love the design. It’s a little on the folk art side. -Canadian Gail
I saw these on Flickr and thought they were all winning ideas.
I know what you mean about pictorial quilts. I kind of don’t like doing them but probably the most successful quilt I ever made was pictorial so I am obviously not a good judge of what I ought to be spending my time on!
I really like this post. It is very interesting to hear what you like and what you don’t about each piece. If you are looking for a zig zag effect I saw this beauty on E-bay just before I read your post.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-BASKET-QUILT-CHEDDAR-LIGHTENING-BOLTS_W0QQitemZ370016994479QQihZ024QQcategoryZ63634QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Oh my! And I thought I had a touch of OCD.
I love all of these although I have to agree that C2 is the winner. I can’t wait to see the final product.
[...] Tackling Plan D led me back to EQ6 for design inspiration. A search for “Geese” resulted in 48 hits. These four blocks jumped right out. They’re called Crazy Geese, 1 through 4. I printed paper foundation patterns for an 8″ finished block. The fabrics and color scheme carried forward from Plan C2. The Kona cottons were used for the block components containing a Flying Geese pattern. [...]
I love that you shared all your different ideas. It is always fun to see the thought process a person goes through while working on a piece. I love your pictoral scene. So much fun!
OH WOW….which will you do?
Plan A is really pretty – I think it will be a beautiful wall hanging! I love the flying geese… I’m sooo sorry they were painful – I’ve never attempted them, but I think they’re very pretty. Em
I just found your website tonight (via wee-wonderfuls) and I love it! I wish I had the patience and sewing skill to quilt, but my skills make your wavy gravy look perfectly straight. Ah well. At least now I can come and quilt vicariously through you. I really enjoy the way you outlined your processes too. It’s always fascinating to see how an artist works from their inspiration to the final piece. I’ve got you bookmarked so I’ll definitely be back…
Happy creating!
I love seeing your process here. As for the Denyse Schmidt zig zag — um, she uses templates? I made a variation of the Big Zig quilt and it was just squares cut on the diagonal. I’ve done it small scale as well — using 5″ blocks as the start point and had no problems doing it that way either. I’m thinking about trying it again even smaller too — way too much fun!
Angela’s quilt is fabulous. No curves in her piecing. Go take a look here:
http://quiltincorn.blogspot.com/2007/07/cause-i-cant-crochet.html
and here:
http://quiltincorn.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-hate-housework.html
Clarification: when said templates on the DSQ design I was referring to the fact that her zig zag is formed by triangles joined one next to the other. A traditional flying geese block is a rectangle (a single triangle with wings). The zig zag pattern is created when these rectangles are joined together and the wings are the same fabric.
I’ve been dying to make something with the zig-zag flying geese for awhile now, but just haven’t found the time. Thanks for the inspiration! Maybe someday soon those zig-zag geese will fly on over to my house.
That zig-zag makes my heart sing! I just love it!!
What fun projects! I really like flying geese patterns. I can’t wait to see what you decide to do.