by Sandra | June 16th, 2010
I decided to get going on the Goldfinch block as the pattern design was pretty much complete and ready to go. It will give me a boost of instant gratification when I need it most–during the summer when my focus is less than ideal.
I am using the same background fabric I used for the Wren block (Lakehouse Woodland Bird Teatime Florals III-antique writing). I used my new serger to serge the edges–fabulous.
I want the yellow of my Goldfinch to be not an “in your face yellow”. Sometimes reality doesn’t look that great interpreted in fabric. These are true yellows I have chosen in the above picture, but in a little bit less intense hues. Also notice the one dot fabric that is a mix of brown yellow green etc.? Without it, the yellows would look too blah and lifeless. This one fabric will help to add that pop that is needed to make the colors work together like paint.
As I started numbering my pattern, I realized I needed to pull the colors for the flowers. There is one piece that will go underneath the Goldfinch before I can stitch the bird. Did you follow? I am not sure I did.
These are my starting group of fabrics for the flowers petals. I will worry about the flower center fabrics later. Sometimes it is better to wait and see how it all develops before trying to choose every fabric I need.
I love to lay them haphazardly in a pile because I can see instantly what may not belong in the group, or how well they look together. Sometimes I am surprised by what works and what doesn’t.
These fabrics look more on the blue side, but really are a nice purple. The camera seems to pick up the blue tones and emphasize them.
Now to do my vinyl tracing for placement and then I can get started on the applique. I really like the colors I came up with so I am motivated!
Sandra, love the fabrics. Thanks for explaining about the speckled yellow fabric adding punch. I often will put fabrics together and they’re too sedate.
Have fun playing!
Insert spooky music …. again!
I do exactly that with fabric for a quilt ….. pile them up together to make sure they all belong in the pile! Then restack them a few times, just to make sure.
Judy B
The fabrics are beautiful.
Are you an early riser ? We have a bit of a time difference between us and I think I may be the first to see this.
What beautiful fabrics you have selected for the Goldfinch block, now I have a great excuse to buy lots of purple!! Do you have an idea of how many blocks you will have in this quilt?
Yummy palette, luscious yellows. Are those fabrics from your stash, or did you purchase them specifically for the goldfinch block?
Oh noooo Sara, I am NOT and early riser! Fortunately I can write these posts ahead of time if the whim strikes me and schedule them for a particular date and time to automatically post while I am sleeping.
Judy,
I still think we were separated at birth.
Denise,
To be honest, I have no idea. You guys are responsible for this quilt, since it was so often requested. If you are thinking how much background fabric you might need…. 2 yards should work fine and give you extra.
This is just a best guess based on the image in my head, but I am thinking lap size around 60″-65″ square or rectangular including sashings and border(s).
Frances,
I pulled them off the shelf in my stash. I did notice I was woefully lacking certain purples though! How did that happen? My stash is basically all commercial tone on tones and batiks and each shelf or shelves, holds a color and its range of values and hues. I buy new fabrics to fill in the value and hue gaps or out of pure desire. Which is often.
I also buy prints for overall coordination with borders, piping and such at the time I am actively working on a design. If I buy earlier, I always find something better later on and then I have this print yardage I can’t use. Remember I don’t do much piecing. Although Judy is having an impact on future ideas.
Today I am going online to buy some Cosmo embroidery thread to coordinate. Purple is not the first color I gravitate towards for some reason. I did buy a fine yellow variegated from the “Seasons” line of Cosmo threads. Gorgeous and in those soft values. sigh.
Melanie,
It is like we discussed, find a fabric that has the values of the fabrics you are transitioning.
For example, you have a light yellow, a medium yellow and a tan. Separately, these colors in applique will look, well, separate and lifeless unless you stand at a distance across an aisle or room (which is why many quilts look better at a distance, but fall apart closer up). It drives me crazy when it is dictated that quilts should be viewed at a distance. I get that with a pieced quilt, but NOT WITH APPLIQUE! But I digress….
ahem, back to my example….. if you use a (batik for example) fabric that has splashes of the lt. yellow, the medium yellow and tan in it, it acts to “marry”or blend those value steps together to the eye. It adds depth. Up close AND far away.
Oh Sandra, I really, really love the goldfinch block. Like Denise, I was wondering how many blocks you were planning to make. I have just about finished embroidering the veins of all the leaves of the “little bird quilt”, why did I decide to make a wreath! The bird is the only part left, was planning on changing it to a goldfinch, but will have to rethink. Now have to redo the sleeve on the quilt that is going to Knoxville as part of the TAS exhibit in the next AQS show. Mine is only a 1/4″ from the top instead of the required 1/2″. This is a part I hate doing at the best of times, ah well.
Hope that you are having the sunny weather that has at last come to the coast, albeit with the wind.
Have you thought of shore birds, egrets, osprey etc.???
just love your fabric choices ! Are you going to do a redo of the “little bird ” with that same backround and make the quilt consistant with that? Was the two yards you mentioned for that purpose ?
Look a your email , and tell me if I still go to Junk !
I’m not sure I understand about backrounds. If we need 2 yards, is that for the “little bird ” and “wren ” and “goldfinch ” , along with the other blocks that will be part of this quilt ? You mentioned that the “wren” will be fit into this quilt , is current “little bird” Block , also going to be the size that it is, for this project ?
Could you tell uswhat the sizes are ( current blocks ) so I can check out what size” Little bird ” redo should be ?
Thanks
Do you know the manufacturer of that dotty batik (the one that complements the yellows so well)? Hoffman? recent or retired?
The “Little Bird” is completely different and separate from this design Boop, although you could adapt it I guess if you want.
Yes, if you want all the same background fabrics, the 2 yards will be plenty (I am erring on the side of caution here) for all of the blocks I will create.
So far, the Nature’s Notebook series is the Wren and the Goldfinch blocks.
The Wren is 9.5″ x 9.5 ” and the Goldfinch is 10″ w x 16.75″ long. These are finished sizes.
Brenda,
I am not sure at this point the total number of blocks. At least ten, but don’t hold me to that.
I am trying to work these in for you all between the major quilt projects and workshop projects etc., so I apologize for being non-specific a this time.
I remember all of those leaves of the wreath when I was doing those veins. But oh isn’t it so worth it when finished?
Oh Brenda PS:
The sleeve is the part I detest the most too.
Frances,
I think this is one of the Kaufman Lunn Artisan batiks. I think they call them raindrops. I will look around online. I know I bought it recently so it must be still out there.
I Found the Fabric Frances:
It is from the Kaufman Elementals line by Lunn called “Praline Gold” and I got it from eQuilter: http://tinyurl.com/282lcx7
Do you prefash all your new stash fabrics before you put them on the shelf, or only when you actually go to use them ?
Any tips for getting the applique pieces EXACTLY on the correct spot ?
Sara,
I do not pre-wash my fabrics before putting them away. I don’t always pre-wash them before I use them either (I am not advocating this though). Although, lately I have found I need to pre-wash more and more.
Ummmmm, does anyone get the pieces in the right spot..ever? LOL.
This is why I don’t use a pen etc., that is permanent to mark my applique pieces. It may pass with the big-medium stuff with simple layering, but not with multi-layer SMALL intricate stuff like I do. There are always adjustments because we are…HUMAN. Each time we trace, place, cut, whatever, we add more imperfection to the original.
That is why I can always “fudge” the seam allowance or position a little bit if I use a chalk marking pencil. I am not locked into the marked line if things get a little bit off–and they do.
I have never had the experience of having complete fitting perfection. I always raise an eyebrow when someone claims to have had.