Rejection, squaring up blocks, and the "big picture"...

Well, I always knew that I couldn't put every music block in the first quilt of this Baltimore Rhapsody project, but I am disappointed to exclude these three from my first quilt.  When I first envisioned the "symphony" quilt, I was going to put the viola in the same block as the violin, one on each side of the fruit compote, etc.  I was also not going to include the piano or timpani. 

Then, there is the last block I am working on right now...how could I not include it (as soon as I finish it, I will post it - it is so FUN!).

Now I see these three with a fourth block (doodled in my noodle...).  Then they will make a nice wall hanging.

I couldn't wait to finish the current block to square them up and start messing around with the arrangement of the sixteen blocks.  So now that I finished all the embroidery, it's time to trim and have a partial reveal.

When it all boils down, I mostly wanted to see the monster all together.

The ruler on the right has been very useful on this project.  It is made by Omnigrid and measures 15 inches square.  The Creative Grids ruler on the left is new and was especially designed to square up this size block.  It measures 15-1/2 inches square...PERFECT!

The blocks have had a final pressing, and I carefully, carefully trimmed away the excess background.  "Measure twice, cut once" is certainly appropriate in this case.

The new ruler made quick work, and I have a pile of blocks ready to be pinned to my design wall.

My strategy consists of arranging the blocks, considering color, which way the block "leans," and spreading out the various degrees of heaviness. THEN I STAND BACK AND SQUINT.  The squinting is key for me. 

Every time I moved blocks around, I took a picture so that I could reproduce that arrangement, if needed.

For the next picture, I inserted my unfinished block...mostly to get rid of the hideously ugly and old pink college blanket that is used for the design wall in the quilt cave.

I'm sure I will move them around some more.  I am making various sashing and border pieces, so it was time to have the blocks up on the wall so I could audition sashing strips and fabrics where I can see the whole thing.

The quilt is not this dark...my indoor photography needs a lot of help, mostly a better camera, I think.  It is really gratifying to see them all (mostly) and continue the planning.

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)

p.s.  I was openly WEEPING tonight after Downton Abbey, Season 3, Episode 4.  Spoiler alert: someone dies.  OMG!  I AM STILL CRYING...

Block 3 - bowing to Baltimore tradition...

I couldn't do a Baltimore Album influenced musical quilt without the most commonly seen musical instrument in antique Baltimore blocks - the lyre.  Harps and simple horns are sometimes seen as well.  I figured that the simplicity of the lyre would balance the complexity of other instruments.

The lyre was an ancient stringed instrument that had 3 to 12 strings, a simple way to tighten the strings to change pitch, and was commonly strummed with the hand.  Evidence of lyres dates back to ancient Sumaria, dating from 3000 B.C. (it is thought that King David played a form of lyre called a kinnor, as mentioned in the Bible).

Glue basting the petals of the country rose together, working off block.

The lyre was most popular in ancient Greece and appears in Greek Mythology where it was believed to be invented by Apollo.  A son of Zeus apparently played the lyre and the sound conjured huge heavy stones to move into place while the walls were built around the city of Thebes.
 

Gee...maybe if I had one of those, I could practice and at the same time conjure my housework to be done...  

Prepping the bases of the rosebuds.

I would guess that women chose the lyre for their blocks because the Greek myths were commonly known, it represented music and knowledge of the classics, and it was easy to draw.  

Referencing the pattern through the background, the stems, leaves, and buds are glue basted into place.

I chose to draw a large one and keep it simple by only depicting 3 strings.  I'm sure ancient man was blowing and beating on other things, making crude music or at least a beat to dance to, but I included a lyre as sort of the "mother" of later instruments.  

All the laurel branch pieces are placed and glue basted before the lyre and large rose are positioned.

Click here to see how I constructed the country rose, placed at the base of the lyre, crowning the laurel wreath.

Constructing country roses...

OK...I figured out how to build a country rose.  Here are the steps:

1)  Stop the procrastination and being a fraidy cat and just draw, damn it (the worst that can happen is that it will not look like a rose):

2)  Trace the rose onto freezer paper (don't reverse pattern), number petals, mark piece edges that tuck under others with little dash marks, then cut apart carefully with scissors.  (It's just like making a tiny jigsaw puzzle!)

 

3)  Choose fabrics that go from dark to light (outer petals to center).

 

4)  Count initial fabric choices.  Now count the actual number of freezer paper petals made in step #2 (don't count leaves...).  Okay...now count your initial fabric choices again.  Damn...now eliminate fabrics until the # of petals = the # of fabrics chosen  (this is the most painful step for me...).

 

5)  Arrange fabrics roughly in the shape of your rose to see if the color grade works.  If you like it, press the corresponding pattern to the RIGHT side.  Cut out pieces leaving an extra scant 1/8 inch on undashed edges, and an extra scant 1/4 inch on the dashed edges.

 

6)  Turn under edges using the glue stick applique method (see tutorial on the toolbar, above).

7)  Starting in the center, use tiny dots of Roxanne's Glue Baste ("dot, dot, not a lot") to layer pieces.  Make sure dots of glue are placed so that they won't hinder using a needle later.  I find pattern weights VERY useful during this step and I am handling the tiny pieces with my long tweezers instead of my clumsy fingers.  I am working right over my paper pattern.  If I am using TINY drops of glue, I will NOT be gluing my rose to the paper.   :o)

 

8)  Add connected leaves.

 

9)  Wow...that wasn't so bad (pat yourself oh the back...).

 

  
10)  When the Roxanne's Glue baste dries, using tweezers, gently peel and remove papers (these can be used again for additional roses).

 

11)  Do happy dance.

 

12)  I hand applique as much of this as I can, with silk thread, BEFORE I glue baste the entire rose in place on my background.  That way I am only dealing with the bulky background for stitching the outside edges.  

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)