Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Back to Normal . . . . .

Last week was a crazy fun blog week, between my top two all time favorite quilts, my giveaway, your quirks, and the Super Bowl, there was always something going on. It feels good to be back to normal this week, blogging about another one of my finished quilts, it's like having a great vacation but being so happy to be home.

I went through a brief, very brief, Asian fabric craze. I made quilt #3, Irish Chain Nine Patch, from Asian fabric, then started on this pattern. This pattern was from the 2005 Easy Piecing Quilting magazine, is called Oriental Plates, and was designed by Gai Perry.



I went right to town making those plates, I made several from different fabrics thinking I could pick my favorites for this pattern. I couldn't find any fabric for the "shelves" in the pattern or a border fabric to please me so I started thinking about what to do.......


Look what I found in my binder with this pattern, my rough draft of how I would change this pattern. This was my fourth quilt and I was already changing up the pattern, something I continually do today. I just can't help myself, I remember my Mom continually saying, "Thelma, can't you leave well enough alone!" Guess not.




Here it is....so instead of going with the plates on a shelf idea, I decided just to sew some rows of plates together and make some smaller plates for the border.

This is quilt number 4, I made another just like it for a friend which is quilt number 16. Number 16 lives in Boulder, Colorado.

This is the second and third quilt I made from a pattern out of a magazine.





The background fabric is a white on white gingko pattern. I think the quilting sets off the plates nicely.



I kept all these fat quarters of Asian fabric until just few weeks ago when I finally admitted my Asian fabric stage was over, and gave them all to a friend. I'm happy to have the space and she was happy to get the fabric.


16 comments:

  1. Thelma, I really love your version of the quilt! I don't miss the shelf at all and it looks really modern.

    Good for you in realizing your asian phase was over and passing those fabrics on to someone who loves them more than you do!

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  2. You did a great job changing up the pattern. I love your version. It must just come naturally.

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  3. That is pretty! A really like how you changed it up. I really like your version of the quilt best. You are a natural at designing I think.

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  4. Love how you changed the pattern. May we also make it as you did?

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  5. Thelma, your take on this pattern is so much better than the original!!! I love the white on white you used for the background. It really does set off the plates. I am completely in love with how you did the border. Great designing. Maybe you should think about taking that up as a profession? As someone else mentioned, you are a natural.

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  6. Thelma, your quilt is dynamite! I like it so much. My 30s repro phase is over but I have one set of blocks that need to be assembled and then I'm giving all that stuff to a friend. I had a brief Asian phase, too. Made one wonderful quilt for my DDIL. I suppose I should part with those scraps, too . . . .

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  7. I tell ya, you're a budding pattern designer, my friend. I absolutely LOVE your adaptation of the Asian plates design. 600% better than the original. Great job!

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  8. Oh, I much prefer your version - it's beautiful. I'm glad you didn't 'leave well enough alone' :-)

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  9. It's very inspiring!~ I'm glad you changed the pattern too, it has a much fresher look now. I love the quilting too. :-)

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  10. I have always wanted to make that Oriental plate block. Your idea for the setting is simply brilliant. I have a huge tub of Asian fabrics waiting for me to do something with them. I had in mind to do a Japanese Lantern quilt, but now that I see what you have done, I am changing my mind. We will have to talk about how you did the border...

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  11. Beautiful quilt! I like your version better. The quilting if gorgeous as well.
    Glad your back to normal :)
    Blessings,
    Donna

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  12. Well, all I can say is, it sure is good to be your friend!!

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  13. Thelma, I like your version of the quilt much better than the original. It is wonderful. I have 6 Asian fat quarters that I bought in a shop in Sedona, AZ last year. They are so beautiful but I just wasn't sure what to do with them. I have been thinking of calling that shop and asking them to send me fat quarters for the remainder of the collection. I didn't want an overwhelmingly Asian pattern but your quilt blocks are perfect. Would you mind if I borrow your idea? Now, about changing up patterns...I did the same thing to the very first quilt I ever made. I just look at a quilt pattern the same way I do a recipe. I read it carefully the take away the things I don't want and add in things that I feel will make it more to my liking. I can't think of a single recipe (except maybe no bake cookies) nor a quilt pattern that I have followed to the letter. I think it makes the quilt our own! By the way, I will be having medical tests the rest of the week so have a wonderful week and weekend and I hope to be back with bells on soon.

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  14. Thelma, this is really beautiful! You did an awesome job making it your own.

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