I learned something about myself, today

I'm with you John. I can appreciate some of the contemporary quilts I see, but I'm not inspired to try them myself. I think there are enough traditional blocks out there to keep me occupied for a long time. It is nice that we can all be different and still gather round the quilting frame to share ideas. Have a good day

Heather in West Oz

Actually I used 2 colors per block and made 4 different blocks. One of each color pair with a reverse of the 2 colors for each 9 patch. I just don't like the randomness of the design. I have felt this way about the quilts I have made for a long time. Take for example the

I pick up and read Art Quilt magazine and love to see what people are doing. It is truly amazing. I, for myself, don't feel compelled to try any of it though. Just knowing that somebody is doing it, is enough for me. I guess I would rather be really good at a few things that I can do, rather than average at a lot of things. That is why I specialized in the kind of woodworking that I did, and didn't go into the mass commercial market. I didn't make as much money, but I had a lot of fun. That, for me, is the true test of success. I seldom had a dull day in the workshop.

John

"John" wrote... Actually I used 2 colors per block and made 4 different blocks. One of each color pair with a reverse of the 2 colors for each 9 patch. I just don't like the randomness of the design. I have felt this way about the quilts I have made for a long time. Take for example the

John, I t hink it's incredibly important to understand what you like and value that. I have a good friend who is quite the artist (she made the sunflower quilt top that I now sleep under at every opportunity) and she spent a bit of time this morning gently chiding me for not trusting my own feelings about the quilts I want to make. The main thrust was "trust yourself." That's hard for me to do. But I'm glad to hear that you have found your ... I don't know what to call it, maybe your favorite part of the playground? Your quilts are exquisite.

Sunny

This is very interesting, John. The pattern you describe *can* be put together, beautifully, to make a regular pattern. There is a certain amount of rotation involved, but the resulting pattern, although not detectable as a nine-patch any longer, can be completely ordered. Try drawing a few on some paper and cutting them up and having a look (rather than spend time sewing!). I think I have also heard it called 'disappearing nine-patch'? or some such. At least, that is way I read your description of your experiment. I can't really do 'random' or 'scrappy' either! If I try, all the forces within me try to insist on making some kind of pattern >g< . In message , John writes

I have made the Disappearing 9 patch with strict attention paid to the twist and choice of colours,especially the centre square in a strong contrast. It is a regular and consistent pattern.IMHO .I NEED a regular design! lol.Here are 2 I have made.

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On Jul 17, 5:44=A0am, Roberta wrote:

I agree it is good to push the envelope. But where is it mandated that you must do a certain type of quilting that qualifies you as having pushed the envelope. I might consider pushing the envelope differently than somebody else. Maybe my approach is trying new color combinations on a traditional patchwork quilt, as pushing the envelope. Especially if those choices are different from my usual range of color choices. I don't think that it is a necessity to embrace a different style of quilting in order to "Grow". I think that perfecting a chosen technique is just as valid a way to refine your abilities as choosing a new technique. You don't have to suffer to grow. You just have to like the results of your efforts and see progress in those efforts. I guess that is what I mean when I say that I just don't like random placement as much as ordered placement. I don't say random placement is "bad". I think it doesn't appeal to me as much as ordered placement. Just like I don't like Impressionist Art (Gasp!), as opposed to realism. Just my personal choice, not the definitive word on the subject. It doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy Impressionist Art. It also doesn't mean that I am "wrong", or not progressing in quilting if I choose to stay within a certain discipline and enjoy what I do as I consistently improve within that discipline. I think that a sense of improvement in whatever you do is the best reward for your efforts, not some implied hierarchy of style, or method.

John

John, I'd call that "disappearing 9-patch." Nancy Brenan Daniel has written a couple of books about the technique. It's an easy way to create skinny sashings and cornerstones. A blogger (NancyRose, I think?) has an online tutorial, too.

I've made several. The most recent photos are in both the 2007 and

I use a charm pack of at least 36 squares to make the split 9 patch. The resulting 4 blocks sewn together into table toppers. I like the result because of its randomness (sort of like yellow brick road), but also the fabrics are related in color and theme. I am using these as quick gifts for friends and family.

Cindy

On Jul 16, 8:09=A0pm, John wrote:

I think you should read the above post again as it relates to the making of the 5ea. one thousand piece quilts. I used the same diagonal squares for all the quilts. I placed the squares in recognizable patterns on two of them and used random placement on the other three. Other than the placement, the quilts were all of a large size although not exactly the same size. Virtually all of bed size. that is about as controlled an experiment that I can think of. They were not made to test the theory of my enjoyment as to square placement, but were made for specific purposes. Like I said, I liked the ordered placement of the squares on the two quilts, more than I liked the random placement. One of the ones that were random was chosen to be placed on permanent display at the local library. You would think that I would be "most proud" of that quilt, but I am not. I am proud to have had it placed there, but I "like" the ones with the pattern better. This is what I am talking about, and I think this comparison is what I was trying to get at, when I first posed this theory. In another forum I was musing about this and somebody suggested it might be right brain dominance, that was formed by years of working with classical woodworking styles.I had posted that I had made a number of modern pieces of furniture for people, and while they were technically fine and the customers were happy, I lost interest in them as soon as they were delivered. My other pieces, which were of the Classical styles, I would hold in my shop and pour over them for a day or two enjoying them and looking at the detail and subtlety that was used to produce the piece. That is the sort of thing that I mean when I talk about liking the ordered nature of things, rather than the random. My eyes used to wander over the pieces and visually drink in the details that made up the whole. Not so with the modern almost machine made examples. Just my own personal story about how I approach design. I find I do the same thing with quilts I make. I finish them and lay them out on the cutting table for a day or two before I put them to their intended use. I pour over them and evaluate my execution of the process that is required to accomplish this particular pattern and note where I might need improvement. this is what I mean when I say I prefer ordered placement rather than free form placement or design.

John

Absolutely not - for some of what you said! Absolutely to other statements!. When I replied, I was just pointing out that, since you had experimented with the nine patch, you could make certain definite rotations, which would keep you within an ordered state, thereby transforming your own experiment from somewhere you couldn't comfortably go, to somewhere which would be different but definitely within the framework of the kind of quilting you like to do. Stretching your personal envelope is good for some; but, if you like to stay within a narrower framework than most, that's fine, too. One of my large stretches - that no-one else would even blink at - was doing visible quilting. I have taken 14 years to get to do quilting that is readily visible and, with variegated thread, some areas are even contrasting. There are certainly places I cannot/will not go - scrappy is one; raw-edged appliqué is another.

In message , John writes

Your quilts sing to me, Estelle. I enjoyed seeing them. Polly

"Estelle Gallagher" I have made the Disappearing 9 patch with strict attention paid to the twist

No question about your fine skills in piecing, Nann, but I'm especially enchanted by your use of color. How I would love to have you come share that with me. Together we could very probably have a very good time. Polly

"Nann" It's an easy way to create skinny sashings and cornerstones. I've made several. The most recent photos are in both the 2007 and

On Jul 17, 7:55=A0am, Patti wrote:

I did play with the rotation of colors and placement and I just didn't like any of the results that they produced. I tried all of the possible settings and yes, I could discern some patterns there, but the whole focus of the project was to produce a random crazy quilt like vision. I was constrained by the color choices I had made as I wanted them to be compatible with the surrounding colors of the room they would be used in. They were for a set of curtains for my sewing room. I would have hated to have spent a long period of time and come away with something that I would have looked at every day and thought, "Gosh, I wish I had done the traditional 9 patch". I think that the quote, "That if you gave infinite number if monkeys, an infinite number of typewriters, one of them would produce King Lear", might be a pithy quote, but I don't think it applies to me, in this situation. I spent a whole afternoon trying out enough variations of placement and color combinations to find out that the final opinion that I came to, was the one that was best applied to this particular test project. That choice, as I say, was visually less satisfactory, to me, than if I had just made a traditional 9 patch and been done with it as it applies to my liking the result. This, in fact, is what I have decided to do. I think everybody brings a personal need to their approach to design, and I just think I found mine. It may not be everybody's, but it is mine, and I am happy to have found out this element of my quest for a better quilting experience. There really isn't any right way only your own personal approach, and what is important, is that you be comfortable with your decisions. I am comfortable with mine.

John

John, I'm with you, I think.... I would have called myself a scrap quilt lover. And randomness seemed to fit in. I do admire the quiltville website, and the patterns made for tons of scraps. But my own exploration into random quiltiness has me convinced that I prefer ORDERED chaos rather than chaos for randomness' sake.

Take the Yellow Brick Road blocks I just finished. I saw the pattern and

Each individual block looks great (IMO). The pile of blocks is very pretty. I am sure there is a perfectly acceptable quilt top in there. But each time I try and lay out the blocks, I am stymied by the different shapes and the fact that there is no similarity in the 3 block types EXCEPT for the fabric. I place them, move them, re-arrange, and still have no clue as to the 'best' layout.

For me, it will most likely be the first and last YBR. (I am still looking forward to trying *OTHER* suggestions for FQ bundles... there were a number of quite interesting responses to my post).

As for *THIS* YBR, I am thinking along the lines of "if you can't beat them, join them". I am going to give in to the randomness, and just pull the blocks out of a bag and sew them as I go along. Otherwise, the blocks might well stay in the Ziploc along with other projects not yet at the UFO stage -- the PIGS (as I read in another forum) - Projects In Grocery Sacks.

I have done several YBRs and I agree it is hard to come up with a layout that looks "even". My rules of thumb are

As there are no quilt police sometimes I "break" all of the above rules in one quilt, but they do give me a head start to getting a workable layout.

HTH

Lizzy