Wednesday 3 March 2021

I love a tulip

Hmm.  I have been itching to start  Ann's AHIQ quiltalong.  As regular readers of this blog may remember there are few things I love as much as a good tulip, so a tulip-y quilt felt right up my street. It is especially welcome since I have moved house since last spring.  I have already put some tulips into the new garden, but nowhere near enough.    

However, this has already presented me with a few challenges.  Not a bad thing, but maybe this wont' be quite the simple sew I thought.  First up, I wanted to use scraps, since the only properly scrap-based quilts I have made were both lego quilts (and much as I admire Julie's many variations on this theme, I'm not inclined to go there again).  Turns out my current way of quilting doesn't generate masses of scrap.  This is my entire collection

and there are quite a few bits in that box that are big enough for me to consider including them in a top, so they are not really scraps for this purpose.

Second up, I can't quite relinquish all control, so wanted some sort of limited palette to play around with.  Hmm again.

I almost put the scrap box away and started again.  In fact I pulled a lovely assortment of blue and purple shirts that would make an excellent starting point for a quilt.  Maybe they still will, but in the end I stuck with the scraps.

This is where I got to at the end of the first session. You can see that I have already had to start pushing at the edges of my limited colour range but they seem to hang together alright.  

Now for a few days of nice, straightforward sewing before I have to start mithering away again.


9 comments:

patty a. said...

Your blocks are looking good. I am not use to seeing a limited look from you, but I am sure you will spice it up as you continue on with this.

Julierose said...

Your blocks look great--lots of nice blues--I only have 4 little blocks so far...and I am not that thrilled with them;(((
Mine are way too wild--even for me!! I may begin yet again...
and so it goes...hugs, Julierose

Ann said...

I hadn't really considered before but you use up almost every scrap in each quilt you make. What if you pulled a couple of shirts or shirtsleeves for your tulips? Or put something else there instead? I like your ESS blocks so far. The repeated gingham works well.
Lucky you to be able to grow tulips. It's so hot in the summer here the bulbs need to be dug up and put in an extra freezer if they are to bloom next year.

Paulette said...

Your blocks are looking good so far. Your creativity always shines through no matter what limitations you're working with, and I've no doubt it will with this tulip quilt as well.

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Oh my, you are off to a wonderful start! Love these blocks.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I hope that your scrap bin holds out for longer than you think. I like the start!

liniecat said...

Wondered what a tulip quilt would be as I read your post... and there was me expecting a more obvious tulip flower lol
This is intriguing and it will be fun to see you 'follow' such a definite pattern!

Will the blocks have sashing or be joined as is?
Happy to post you some scraps if you do need a top up lol

audrey said...

These look great. I'm having a little trouble with this prompt too, mostly because I have too many scraps and can't seem to narrow things down!

Mystic Quilter said...

As you can see I have begun reading blog posts in the incorrect order!
You have a smashing supply of scraps in this container for strip blocks and tulips.