Improvisation progress in May

This week I did a little work on my improvised quilt inspired by Piet Mondriaan's "Composition in Red, Yellow and Blue".

Last month I showed some red half rectangle triangles I wasn't satisfied with. This month I sewed the red triangles together along the short side; that really did seem to be the best arrangement. The yellow and blue I cut as flying geese right from the start. I didn't manage to work out how much extra I needed to cut for the seam allowance, as a result most of the geese have been beheaded!

This week I'm going to make two more blue "geese" and continue to make my Mondriaan inspired block. Then it'll be time to think about the other corners - more triangles? more squares? And it needs more fabric on the left hand side, probably empty space, but I just don't know yet.

I've been trying to make a circle a day in the Quilty 365 project, but I've fallen behind. Here are this month's improvised circles as of last Wednesday. I'll be showing all May's circles here on Tuesday.

I've recently learnt how to make free-hand curves; I bet you'd never have guessed! Even so, this one, with all straight lines, is my favourite:

with 21 pieces. cut-offs from various farmer's wife blocks, and they are tiny pieces to start with! Although it will look better after pressing, it's not a very circular circle!

I'm linking to the Ad hoc improvised quilting link up hosted by Kaya and Ann

Click on the button to see more improvised patchwork quilts.

Happy sewing

Marly.

May greens for RSC 16

Each month Angela chooses a different colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and this month that colour is green.

I'm making bears' paws this year and here are my four green ones. After stepping in green paint these bears have all painted their nails black and white for a change! an idea I copied from @hoosiertoni and Jessica at Quilty Habit.

I've been making the HST's as leaders and enders while making other things, mainly 1930's Farmer's Wife blocks. I seem to be forever cutting black and white triangles, but all the rest is pretty effortless, unlike the FW blocks!

I'm linking to 

   and  

Click on the buttons for more scrappy surprises!

Happy sewing

Marly.

Quilty 365 scrappy appliqué circles May link, April progress

Audrey at Quilty Folk issued a challenge last autumn to appliqué a circle onto a square each day. I joined in on 1 January and  made these blocks in April:

April's blocks in chronological order, starting with the short column on the left: 1, 2, 3 April.

making a total of 121 blocks to date.

All the squares measure 4.5 inches, and most of the circles 3 inches in diameter. Special days' circles are 3.75 inches and there are three: family birthdays on 6 and 8 April, and a public holiday (King's Day) on 27 April. The pieced circles are all made from scraps, but I have cut into a few new fat quarters this month to achieve enough variety. Two of the squares are prepared, but not sewn yet! I hope to manage to sew three today, and be up-to-date by the end of the day!

I have been thinking about the layout and at present favour something like this:

most of the circles from the first three months

a rainbow arrangement of the background colours, although the regimented straight lines need some mixing up in the final arrangement. It definitely needs tweaking before I start sewing them together.  The main trouble with this layout is that I have to find a way to include these:

about 15 squares in non-rainbow colours

I've also started sewing the circles cut from behind the appliqué patches onto a 4.5" wide strip and

intend including them in the final quilt.

I'm looking forward to seeing more layout ideas.

I'm linking to:

     

Click on the buttons to see more quilt blocks from scraps

 Enjoy your Sunday everyone, and have a good week!

Happy sewing
Marly.