Substitution Serendipity: Math Is Beautiful and a Skirt In the Works

Lars Meets Kaffe Revised: Math Is Beautiful, 54" X 54"

So last time I posted, I shared a new quilt design based on a doodle I found in Lars's math notebook:

Lars's Doodle and My First EQ7 Design

I created the quilt design in EQ7 quilt design software using out of print Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics from 2012, and then went on a mad, worldwide hunt to find the fabrics.  However, when the quilt shop in Switzerland emailed me about payment via bank transfer and notified me of "additional customs fees which may be significant," I canceled that order and headed to my LQS (local quilt shop) to look for substitute fabrics.  I'm glad I did, because I found a fantastic math fabric to use in place of the black and white polka dots:

Not only is this a math themed fabric, but it's the kind of math Lars was studying last year when he was doodling quilts in his notebook.  (In fairness to Lars, he did a great job in math this year and he claims that he created this doodle while he was sitting in assembly for the school talent show).

So it looks like I'm making another quilt with bright fabrics against a black background.  Although Lars's doodle could easily become a repeated quilt block, I decided to make it a one-block quilt with nice, large pieces to show off large scale print fabrics.  Also, I still have several long-term quilts in the works right now and wanted to mix in something quick and easy.

Speaking of the Big Haul quilt projects, I did manage to complete two more pineapple log cabin blocks for my California King bed quilt:

14 Pineapple Log Cabin Blocks Finished, 22 (or 28) Blocks To Go

These blocks finish at 17 1/2" so if I make 36 of them in a 6 x 6 layout I'll have a 105" x 105" quilt top before quilting.  Depending on how much quilting I do, there will be some quilting shrinkage as well as some shrinkage in the final wash (especially since I did not prewash fabrics for this one).  A 100" x 98" quilt is the recommended size for a California King with a 15" drop, but I'm starting to think that might be too skimpy on my bed, so I might add another row of six blocks to my original plan.  That would mean I need a total of 42 blocks for this quilt.  I sure hope I like it when it's finally finished (someday!).

But I haven't touched my Butterflies and Bear Paws quilt, my Jingle quilt, or my Frankenwhiggish Rose needle turned applique project.  Those are languishing on the shelf.  Meanwhile I'm itching to start on my Dear Jane blocks using these fabrics:

Fabrics for my Soon-To-Start Dear Jane Quilt

...And I have challenged myself to learn garment sewing, and first up is a simple skirt in this bold floral cotton voile print by Anna Maria Horner for Westminster Fabrics:

Pretty Potent Echinachea in Preppy, Cotton Voile from Westminster Fabrics

I bought a solid navy cotton voile for the lining and I just hope there's enough fullness in the skirt pattern so the voile hangs nicely.  What do you think?  The model is wearing the longer version of the skirt, but I'm planning to make the above-knee length.

I love the fabric print, though -- it reminds me of something I'd see in ready to wear from Boden or Anthropologie.  So far all I have done is purchased thread and notions and prewashed the fabrics.  Wish me luck!

Both of my boys are volunteer counselors for Vacation Bible School at church this week, so I'm hoping to get a lot of sewing done in the mornings.  Ideally I'd like to get my skirt made and also get my Math Is Beautiful quilt at least cut out and ready to go.  I might piece that one on my Vintage Singer Featherweight machine so I can alternate between that and another paper pieced pineapple block on my Bernina 750 QE without having to change my machine setup (I like to piece with lightweight Aurifil 50/2 cotton thread and a 70 Microtex needle, but I've got the B 750 threaded up with heavier 50/3 cotton Mettler thread and a size 90 quilting needle for paper piecing.  That gives me better perforation of the paper that I'll need to tear away at every seamline, and a stronger seam to withstand the stress of tearing paper away).

I'm linking up with Design Wall Monday and Main Crush Monday.  Have a great week!

Lars Meets Kaffe: When Quilting Is More Fun Than Math

Lars's Doodle Plus Kaffe Fassett Prints

The school year is ALMOST wrapped up.  Exams have been taken and the last day of school is this coming Thursday, June 11th.  As I was sifting through Lars's stack of notebooks, binders, and other backpack debris, I came across this lovely graph paper doodle in his math notebook:

 

How cool is that?  Unlike the (deliberately) insanely complex quilts that Lars likes to design in EQ7 software, THIS design would be quick and easy to make up, using only 8" squares and HST units (half square triangles).  So I sketched it up in EQ7 as a 54" x 54" quilt, initially using Lars's color scheme, but eventually deciding that these extra-large patches would be perfect for showcasing those large-scale Kaffe Fassett prints that I'm so fond of.  And I came up with this:

54" x 54" "Lars Meets Kaffe" Quilt Designed By Mom

I love it!  However, I was working with an older Kaffe Fassett fabric collection in EQ7, and was annoyed to discover that my lovely fabric selections were ALL out of print.  Meaning the manufacturer does not make any more of these fabrics, no one has them, and no one can get anymore.  Hmmm...  Discontinued fabric, no stock available.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Yet when there's a strong willed woman with her heart set on a certain fabric, there's usually SOME way to get it.  I was able to locate three fat quarters of this Iris and Peony fabric in the red colorway from an eBay seller:

I found two other long-discontinued Kaffe Fassett fabrics  at Glorious Color, a web site out of Pennsylvania that specializes in Kaffe Fassett prints.  St. Clements in Night will be for my 3" borders:

...and Cosmos in Cobalt is for the plain block in the center of the quilt and for squares and triangles adjacent to the red floral print:

But I was still missing several key fabrics, and I really had my heart set on them.  I finally, FINALLY found all three of them, from an online quilt fabric shop in... Switzerland.  Don't you judge me.  Just think of how much money I saved shopping online as opposed to actually TRAVELING to Switzerland to buy the fabrics!  Spot in White is my background fabric:

Sand Dollars in Green is also used in the background, adjacent to the black-and-white dots:

and this is what I came up with for the binding, Lotto in Green:

I had wanted to make something today, but since it's almost 5 PM and the fabric is shipping for Switzerland, that's not going to happen!  This will be fun to put together once the fabric does arrive, though.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Happy Stitching!