Shade for My Horse

Created for Project Quilting 17.3 Year of the Horse challenge. 

The year of the horse is being celebrated in the upcoming Chinese New Year. Instructions were to "find your inspiration from the turn of the year, in the animal, in our hopes and desires for the near future". I was not inspired by the horse or the hopes and dreams of the near future.

I clicked on the link provided by Trish and discovered that red is used in almost all Chinese New Year decorations. Red is something I can be inspired by. So I went with that. Since I'm the scrappy strip quilt lady, I opted for string blocks using as many red fabrics as I could find and adding in touches of gold because all the images of the Chinese New Year included pops of gold. I sewed them together in rail fence fashion, then quilted it with gold metallic thread because it seemed appropriate.

I liked it, but thought it needed something. Not a horse because I'm not into horses. Maube a tree. I like textural trees and have added them to several quilts in the past. But did this fit the theme this time? Well, yes. I made a ltree and added it to my quilt. Next summer that tree will provide shade for my horse. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And I have a quilt that will go on my wall and make me happy.

Created by Diane Lapacek, Poynette, WI.

16" x 20"

A Tree on Plaid

 Created for PQ 17.2 Scads of Plaid challenge.

I wanted to create my own plaid for this challenge. I have made several quilts over the years using Ricky Tim's convergence technique and have always thought it had a plaid vibe.

So I dug in my hand dyed fabric for a piece with enough colors flowing across it. I forgot to take a picture of it before I started. Sorry. Anyway, I cut 4 squares from it and converged them according to Ricky's instructions. 

I liked it, but, being me, I thought a tree would make it better. So I pulled lots of fibers from my supply, wound them together and stitched them down to make a tree, then appliqued it on. I bound the quilt and called it done.

Created by Diane Lapacek, Poynette, WI.

21" x 19"

Drunken Flowers

 Created for Project Quilting 17.1 Clean Slate challenge.

Last summer I got an inkling to make a low volume quilt. Low volume has never been my thing. But I made one. And then I made another one. And another and another until suddenly there were 8. I  was thinking maybe just 1 more before going back to my usual lots of color style. Then this challenge came out. It was telling me it was time to wipe the slate clean and go on to my next thing. I had recently seen a picture with drunkard's path blocks put together to make flowers and knew it was time to play with it.

So I drafted a drunkard's path block and ended up with this quilt. I thought I was making a table runner, but now am thinking maybe I'll hang it lengthwise. And, if I'd used a softer yellow instead of gold, I'd have made another low volume quilt. Hmmmm.

I think drunkard's paths might be my next series.....

Created by Diane Lapacek, Poynette, WI.

Squirrely Kim

 

 

Created for the Project Quilting This or That bonus challenge. Full disclosure here. Kim is my daughter-in-law. When she was dating my son, they would come for dinner at our house once a week. Then the guys would clean up the kitchen and I taught Kim to quilt. I helped her learn the basics and then she inspired me to be more creative. The ideas flying through her head always amazed me. They still do. So I got her bundle. Actually, I got Trish's, too, and Kim bought them both for me for my birthday in January. I decided to make both of them in the style of me. I love super scrappy. And Squarey has been a favorite of mine ever since Kim made a Squarey quilt for her bed many years ago. So Squarey it is for the Kim bundle. 

Then, because I could and I love textural add-ons, I added a tree. I used multiple fibers and twisted them together and stitched them down to a foundation, cut it out and sewed it on.

And I thought it should have a squirrel (or three), so I cut some out from the squirrel fabric in the bundle and fused them on.

In the interest of full disclosure, here's the rest of the story. I originally hung this quilt the other say so it had a branch coming across from the right instead of a tree. I took photos and was playing with them when I decided that I liked it turned this way better. It meant removing a couple of smaller branches that would have been too low on the tree when turned this way. I also had to cut away the hanging sleeve and add a new one to a different side. And I had already fused down the squirrels. I heated them up with the iron and pulled them off. I wasn't sure how it would work, but it was fine. There was only one spot that I ironed with a paper towel over it to remove the excess stickiness. A quilt is never finished until it's finished, after all. 

Created by Diane Lapacek in rural Poynette, WI.

35" x 27"

Button Blooms

 Created for Project Quilting 16.6 Button it Up challenge.

What a fun challenge! This is why I love Project Quilting. A new challenge comes out and you create something you had never imagined before. And, before you know it, your walls are filled with amazing quilts.

I was immediately excited about this challenge because I have a dishpan full of buttons that I've collected over the years. And using something that has been on a shelf for a long time always makes me happy. Of course, I started with a crazily pieced background. After all, why would anyone use one piece of fabric when 50 will do. I layered it and quilted it with wavy lines going top to bottom, then pulled out my buttons. Some were handmade, many had been recycled from things headed for the rag bag and many had come from who knows where. I chose a few to get started, then found some fibers to make stems, adding knots to them to make them a little more interesting.

Created by Diane Lapacek in rural Poynette, WI.
12" x 24"

Which Way???

 Created for Project Quilting 16.5 Follow Your Arrow challenge.

For this challenge I created string blocks with arrows in assorted sizes, then put them together pointing every which way. Then I quilted it with lines that went every which to add to the confusion. Of course. it needed to be named Which Way??? And, although it's not my favorite, I like it way better than I thought I would. 

Created by Diane Lapacek in rural Poynette, WI.

14" x 27"

Garnet Coasters

 Created for Project Quilting 16.4 Birthstone Challenge.

Interesting week around here. Suddenly it's Thursday and I have not made a start on this challenge. So, time to do something totally not me. No orphan blocks, no string quilting, no crazy scrappiness. Just some cute little coasters.  I've seen these around and decided to go for it. A couple hours later, I was done. 

Created by Diane Lapacek in rural Poynette, WI.

Each is 4" x 4".