Floating Squares, Take Two

That city fabric

Utopia/Frances Newcombe/Art Gallery Fabrics

has been patiently waiting to be put into a second quilt. And I had a plan.

It will be rotated so that the strips are lengthwise, but this is easier to read.

My first attempt at Floating Squares (Score #1 in Sherri Lynn Wood’s Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters) was to be the background for the first quilt from the fabric (Skyline), but I didn’t like it for that design, so saved it for this next one.

Blue was going to be the filler color, but I ended up liking the mint green better. That is easy enough to adjust.  So, according to plan, this would  be extended to become the first (bottom in sketch) strip. ETA This photo reminded me of this piece, which did not show up in the WIP pile, so I went on a hunt. I have tried many places, logical and illogical, but no sitings yet. I’m guessing it got swooped up when I was putting some other fabric away and it will be years before I see it again. Sigh.

The next strip of four flowers was inspired by a detail in the fabric. (Four because that was how many I felt like making. I could add if necessary.)

9 x 9

They would have either plain background between them or more floating squares.

Then a row of strings (Score #2) based on the bright colors in the fabric, then the fabric piece and another row of strings before the last background row.

First problem. In the left overs, I didn’t have a piece of the Utopia fabric 20 x 70–neither wide enough nor long enough. A lot of mental quilt designing followed that realization, but nothing felt right. So it sat and I did other projects and read books galore–not all were worth blogging about.

Then an idea. Abandon rows. Abandon strings. Maybe abandon flowers. Just do Floating Squares intermingled with large squares of Utopia. To that end I worked this afternoon. And this is what I have to show for it.

Not the final arrangement, of course

Not much to show for an afternoon of work. But you can see each of the three color combinations.

Sherri suggests limiting palette–I modified that. Where she says two fabrics plus a filler I said two colors plus a filler (and even the filler is a little bit pieced–the blue and mint).

I’m still aiming for 50 x 70. No danger of running out of fabric. Could run out of steam, though. Or really feel that the design says, “No more.” Time will tell.

I’ll be linking with Moving It Forward Monday (button in sidebar). Even though it is a design floor, linking with Design Wall Monday.

6/28/16 ETA: The time is right–linking with AHIQ (button in sidebar).

 

Advertisement