Big Progress on CQJP's

Busy, busy, busy, stitching, designing, sewing ~~ sewing, designing, stitching, busy, busy, busy.

Arranging the Crazy Quilt 2012 blocks.

The design that I liked best was having the twelve blocks around a centre panel. I had originally planned to have the centre panel as one whole piece of fabric in a colour that was used in the embellishing on the main blocks, namely teal or turquoise.

After auditioning many fabrics in that colour range I changed my mind (I'm allowed to do that).

They were all too strong and powerful and dominated the quilt.

After spending a whole year hand stitching these 12 blocks, I do not want the centre panel to be the focus, so I opted for making four more crazy blocks for the centre but in the muted white/greys that are a part of the main blocks.

So, over the last couple of days I have machined 4 crazy quilt blocks, but so far only hand stitched on one of them. I should have the other 3 hand stitched in the next few days, and then I can start sewing the blocks together.

Here are the 4 white/grey blocks.

Work on that crazy quilt continues .

Designing the Crazy Quilt 2013 blocks

Last year was great. 

I worked through my chosen 'limited' colour scheme and theme, and completed each of the 9" blocks with loads (and loads) of hand stitching, texture, beads and other embellishments. 

I enjoyed every moment of it......

but, oh boy, it was hard work keeping up with all that hand stitching.

This year........I'm changing the PACE 

This year..... I am in URGENT need of some colour in my life

This year.... I am going to use all the BRIGHT colours in the colour wheel
This year.... I will not use any DARK shades of any colour

This year..... I will NOT be using embellishments

This year.... I will use only THREADS on the blocks

This year.... I will use my SEWING machine more

This year..... the blocks will NOT be square

This year.... the 'blocks' will be a few DIFFERENT shapes and sizes
This year.... I will use only use fabric that is in my STASH, I'm not to buy any more fabric

This year..... I am going MINIMALIST

This year.... I will create a very NON-TRADITIONAL crazy quilt 

This year.... I am aiming for it to be an ART quilt, of sorts(!!)

This year .... I'm creating a bigger CHALLENGE for myself

Ok, so who picked up on the 'minimalist' bit, haha.

Are you wondering how a crazy quilt can be minimalist ~~~ so am I ~~~ but I'm going to give it a try anyway, lol. I need to spend less time on this quilt than I did on last years quilt, because I have other projects and 'deadlines' that take priority this year.

In my previous post I showed you the fabrics that I will be using.
So, using those fabrics (and I have since added some purples to the mixing pot) here are my first two "bare shapes" for this quilt. 
The black outer bit is only a card template at this moment, just to give you (and me) an idea of how the final shape of these particular blocks will look, so it may (or may not) not be black in the final work.
Each one measures roughly 11" x 5" at it's widest and longest points.

This year.... I am going to have some FUN.


And now...... on to TAST 2013

This is going to be a completely separate project from the quilt.

It will take the form of a wall hanging, and, again I want to use lots of BRIGHT colours.
I will make (create) the surface of the background from wool, and fiber, and fabric.
There will be NO design element for the stitches. 
It will be totally random. 

CHANCE will determine every aspect of this.
I will take whatever TAST stitch occurs each week - that is the first RANDOM aspect to happen that I have no control over.
And then.......every placement, every thread, every fiber, every stitch, every characteristic, every style - will be taken by chance, and will be innovative, fresh and contemporary.
I have a plan of how to achieve this, but as this post has already become an 'epic' novel, I shall save that detail for another post.


So there you have MY GOALS for 2013. 

Having now put it down in writing, I am accountable.
Here's to a BUSY year ahead.

Happy Stitching