Tonight I got on a wild hare...

Hello!
Tonight instead of playing another game or two
of Freecell, Spider Solitaire,
Bridge Baron 19 or Internet Scrabble
while avoiding going to bed,
I decided to create a quilt on Electric Quilt 6.

I view Electric Quilt as a "computer game"
without the violence and with a useful and often lovely outcome.

Tonight I chose this antique quilt
which was made in 1896
and is currently hanging in the Quilt Room
of the Nodaway Valley Histoical Museum
 in Clarinda, Iowa where I am a Board member.

When I looked at my photo, I thought,

 "What a pitiful photo of this quilt!" 

While I worked on it, 

I decided the most appealing aspect of it

 in this photo is the aged antique look. 

It certainly is not the slightly unique, 

but not particularly interesting, blocks. 

But I was not to be deterred, so here it is.

How boring!

So that got me searching for 

and coloring a more interesting block 

and then choosing another nine patch alternate block to complement it. 

After I colored them a couple blues and white, 

I used the "Swap All Colors" tool 

and came up with this color scheme.

I have named this 100" x 100" quilt which has 81 - 9" blocks,

"Clearly you have made your point".

I think it is much more interesting. 

Don't you?

Never one to give up the fight easily and retire to bed,

I decided to reduce the number of blocks

 from 81 to 49 by removing the outside row of blocks, 

revising some of the coloring

 in the alternate blocks along the sides, 

inserting a middle border, 

and enlarging the outer border to 15" 

to keep the quilt at 100" square 

and allow the center 

to fit on the top of my queen-sized mattress 

and only the borders to drop over.

Hmmm, which do you prefer?

I'm glad I skipped my other computer games 

and went for "Electric Quilt."

I always feel more productive. 

If I do decide to make this quilt, 

I can use EQ6 to print off my rotary cutting directions,

 yardages and a printed drawing to select fabrics to match...

or not...as I desire.

I hope you dream of quilts tonight, too.
Carlene

Surfing in new waters

This week while surfing, I discovered Rocky Mountain Quilts

(which is located in Maine) which sells spectacular antique quilts.

http://www.rockymountainquilts.com/?gclid=COqA_r-DzqACFRk45wodF0MQzQ

I have included a few, but they have dozens and dozens....

maybe hundreds...of eye-popping quilts grouped by centuries and types such as

Amish, Crazy, African American, Blue and White Quilts, Silk Quilts, 20th Century Quilts, etc.

If you are wishing to be inspired, consider surfing, too!

Carlene

Surfing in new waters

I created this 100" x 100" quilt
(with slightly different inner borders)

after viewing a photo of an antique quilt online.

As you can see, green is a powerful draw for me yet.

What would you use to make the 378 half square triangles--

Triangle Paper, Wonder Ruler or traditional methods?

Also I discovered two more websites of interesting quilts.

On the BBC website I found information about England's

Victoria and Albert Museum current show of quilts from 1700-2010.

Check out the hexagon quilt probably made by a sailor.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8578091.stm

Below is the website where you can view the winners of the

Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2010 and 2009.

http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/quilt/

You know I loved the quilt entitled "Variations of Green" by Chinami Terai

which appeared with the 2009 winners.

http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/quilt/8/original1.htm

Keep quilting--in your style and with your favorite colored fabrics--or not.

Whatever you choose, I hope you have a lovely spring!

Carlene