Fargerike class

So yesterday was a fabulously colourful day in my neck of the woods. The morning was wet and grey when we started on our test drive of the colour theory class, Fargerike. For those of you who are not speaking Norwegian, fargerike has two meanings – colourful and colour kingdom, both appropriate for this class. Seriously, wouldn’t you too just want to dive right in here?

We were starting out in a quite orderly manner with each colour numbered and in the right place. There was some serious prepwork on my behalf putting all of these together.

The kits looked great spread out against the black tables and had to be photographed properly.

A few hours and 10 exercises later the students all had a working colour wheel and 60 glorious blocks.

Then I emptied my bag with scraps from cutting circles and the students practised putting colours together according to what they’d learned in class.

We used half an hour or so at end of the day to play with the blocks, trying out different layouts and discussing quilting options.

Even our classroom was appropriately decorated for a colour class. Isn’t this wall just awesome!

Choosing colours is personal, we all have different tastes, but there is always something to learn from working with a colour wheel. Knowing a few different ways to put colour together, and seeing how colours interact and change each other, are valuable tools in any quilter’s belt. It was a very informative day, not only for my students but also for yours truly getting constructive feedback regarding the class. Putting together a curriculum which is both challenging but not too challenging and at just the right amount of time is a challenge itself, so getting to do a test drive of a class that I have been planning in my head for months is invaluable.

A big thank you to my colourful students, may your days and quilts be filled with colour!

Round and round

I don’t know if you’re sick of rainbows already, but I’m still enjoying playing with little pieces of colour.

Even though a colour wheel made from circles looks totally awesome,

it’s not practical for my purpose as the coloured parts are too big, so back to the wheel of panties.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Photo challenged

I set up an improv photo set yesterday to photograph the colour theory blocks.

Like so many times before, I found getting just the right amount of light a challenge. Trying to avoid the glaring light from the sunny day outside, I was looking for a way to make an angled surface on where to hang my blocks. Ironing table to the rescue. Covering it (let’s face it, ironing board covers do not stay pristine for a long time around here) with a piece of white fabric, I leaned it against the table.

 

Perfect – just the right angle and at a comfortable height.

Would you believe the circles in the two top pictures are the same? I had to check myself that they really were and that I hadn’t mixed up the blocks.

I have found that leaving a little of the white background in the pictures gives more accurate colours, but these things still happens. Oh well, “It’s all relative” is one of the exercises in the class and here’s the perfect example. Colours really do change depending on which colours they are next to, but maybe not as much as these.

The kits are bagged and tagged and ready to go. Funny that the little zip lock bag contains a whole quilt top. Fabric is not that voluminous is it, that is until you try to squeeze more into your already packed stash..

Thanks for stopping by!

288

The number of rainbow coloured "panties" on my table ready to be made into imperfect colour wheels soon. I gave up on finding the perfect tints and shades after quite a few misses, so these are close enough for now. I'm doing a test run of the Fargerike colour theory class this weekend and am getting my ducks in order. They are glorious, aren't they!

To waste or not to waste

Usually I would classify myself as a frugal quilter. I will cut my fabrics and fusibles and batting with as little waste as possible. Working my way through 40 different fabrics for an upcoming test run of the colour theory class has changed that a little, at least for these Rainbow kits.

I’m using an Accuquilt Go which requires strips 1“ wider than the shape and for my test drive last fall I cut my strips using a rotary cutter. To speed things up a little, I am doing the following:
- tearing strips just adding another 1” to the width to compensate for any distortions of the fabric (1” not necessary, ½” would do)
- cutting the strips into lengths like I did the last time. I’m cutting 4 rectangles at the time, it speeds up the next step
- ironing each length; folding it in half, then in quarters accordion style and pressing the folds
- feeding them through the cutter factory style. I should probably do this on the kitchen counter; our old dining room table is making scary squeaky noises when I crank up the machine.

There’s more waste this way, but it looks so pretty and it will find a home - eventually.

Am I a fan of the cutter yet? Not really, but I’m sure it will grow on me, especially when I start cutting circles tomorrow. Anyway, I am very happy working with a rainbow of colours in the midst of winter. I don’t know how it is at your part of the world, but this is what the wardrobe at my physical therapist's looked today – dark and dreary.

I was quite happy to have to stop by our newly opened fabric store Stoff og Stil afterwards to buy more fusible; much more pleasing, right!

They opened on Thursday and I have been there three times already picking up things I needed for class. I know, it’s a hard life.

Tonight was the monthly meeting in our regional guild, Rogaland Quiltelag, and my friend Mona-Lisa brought two projects she has made from my book. Aren’t they so much fun, they put a big smile on my face!

Guild meetings are always fun – meeting friends and seeing what others are working on. Today was our annual meeting with all the formal issues like going through the annual report and electing new board members. We have experienced some difficulties getting enough board members for the last couple of years. Does your guild have the same problem, or have you had this problem in the past? If so, what did you do to solve the problem?

Thanks for stopping by!

Rainbow Round Six

The colour theory blocks were assembled into a rainbow top some time before Christmas. I was so happy with the warmish brown fabric which I found in my stash as it enhances and bring all those different colours together. That’s a quite tall order I’d say.

Because of the weather, getting proper pictures was quite challenging. The first day it was too much sun and the fence would cast shadows from the back. Then it was too much wind and it would blow this way and that. Then too much snow. Then too much rain. Anyway, now the pictures have been sent off and even with a few days to spare. Puuuh.

Will I quilt it? Sure. Some day, when the how-to’s have grown upon me. Right now I’m just thrilled with looking at the top.

Rainbow Round Five

Shaping up!

Not wanting to waste a moment putting this together, I have skipped the design wall step and just laid them all out on the table. Working with a rainbow of colour everything will look good together. Right?

On a totally different note - grandson got through surgery with flying colours and is back home already. Thank you for your happy thoughts and well wishes!

Rainbow Round Four

If you’re thinking I have lost my mind and am appliquéing tiny little rainbow panties into my sketchbook, you’re not totally wrong.

They may look like panties, but these two pages are my colour chart.

Having used an AccuQuilt cutter to cut lots of little circles, I was left with these fun leftover shapes. Now, my hoarding heart wanted to save them all to make them into something, but my mostly sane mind tossed them away. Not until I had snipped a little piece of each fabric though, I’m not wasteful you know.

I made a mistake cutting rectangles, double folding my fabric instead of accordion folding them, which left me with quite a few less-than-perfect shapes even though I cut only 4 layers of fabric at a time. I used my iron to press the folds so they would lie flat, and I will most certainly do this again. It sped up the process doing one step at the time, and then feeding them through the cutter, one after the other. Great workout for my arms indeed.

Fortunately the circles look perfect...

Rainbow Round Three

Rainbow Round Two

So, if collecting all the fabrics for the colour theory quilt was Round One, I managed to get through Round Two today. Fighting off the beginning of what appears to be a new airway infection, this was not a small task I'll tell you.

I now have 2 strips of 36 rainbow fabrics and 4 neutrals, 7" and 2 1/2" wide. They look fab from every angle, but hopefully I can move on to the next round tomorrow - adding fusible to the narrow strips and try out the cutter. I don't know why I thought this project would be easy breezy, but it's gonna take a while...

A wonderful weekend to all of you from Rainbow Land!

Task of the day, November 12

I will be teaching a hands on colour theory class at Nordisk Quiltetreff (an event for the Nordic countries) in May 2014 so I have been searching for properly coloured solid fabrics. Today my first order arrived, a rainbow of cotton broadcloth. Well, I believe that what it is callled, we call them bomullslerret.

I have to see them live to decide which colours to use, and there are lots I won't be needing and quite a few missing, particulary in the orange departement. Oh well, on with the search. My sample needs to be finished by the end of the year so no time to waste. What a dreadful job, huh;)

I'll post pictures from the weekend classes as soon as I upload them onto my computer.

Have a wonderful Monday!