magic numbers

:: Throwing Stars Quilt ::

June 15, 2020 By Katie

I cracked up finding photos I have of Throwing Stars. This little quilt really gets around 🙂 There’s photos of its prestudio starts in the little sewing room in the house and Birch Bay, as a quilt top on Vashon Island, and all finished at the front and back of our house, some during a snowstorm, Whidbey Island, Quiltcon…

Lately, you’ll mostly find it keeping me company on my couch. For always thinking it was oddly sized, it’s become my go-to lounging quilt since the day I laid it upon my lap to bind it.

One place it hasn’t been in all this time is here. Time to share.

I love scrap quilts. Scraps are an opportunity to play with ideas. They’re almost magical in the way that they bring back memories of past projects, people and special or not so special times. I even love watching people dig through the studio’s scrap bins to see the look of joy it brings to their faces. I feel the same. Sometimes they’ve found just the right scrap for their master plan, or a bit of a fabric they’ve always admired.

Those are the kind of scraps that made it into the improv triangles in this quilt along with a couple colors of yarn dyed Essex linen as background. The Essex, or something similar like a Carolina Chambray with all that soft texture really allows scraps to show their true character, giving them all a place to shine.

I sorta merged the block size system from my Magic Numbers Workshop (online tutorial here) with the pieced improv triangle (you can find the triangle technique in Quilting Modern).

I placed my blocks into the throwing stars shape as a layout example. I think I had to stop at about 12 block examples for the workshop, but I certainly could have continued as the layout ideas just wouldn’t stop.

Above are just a few block layouts repeated in the Layout app. The designs a few of my friends and I came up with during a little workshop run through were, like I said, endless. Repeating the block designs certainly isn’t necessarily and could create an improvisational design.

Of course, playing with color can only add another layer.

I debated going with swirls on this one with the quilting, but didn’t diverge from my straight lines. Initially I was a little unhappy with some of the quilting creating puffiness possibly due to poor basting, but as they say, it all came out in the wash.

I pulled from the stash for a backing. That might never end.

I’m guessing this won’t be the last example you’ll see from me merging these two techniques and you’ll for sure be seeing this class on-line in the next year, so hope to ‘meet you’ there;)

Garden Plot Magic Numbers Quilt

March 1, 2016 By Katie

Theses squares just reminded me of garden plots. This quilt’s four blocks were constructed using a method I call Magic Numbers. There’s really nothing magic about them, Magic Numbers is a system of using block sizes that automatically fit together for flexibility in design without alteration. That’s right, all tidy;)

It’s a great method if you want to hone your skills at designing your own quilts, pattern free, but aren’t quite ready to free piece it or figure out the math. It’s great for bringing improvisational pieced blocks together or for adding texture into a background with added seams instead of just one big block of fabric.

The quilting is my standard run-off straight lines, a quarter inch from each side of the seams. I used painters tape as my guide for quilting the lines into the wide purple sashing. I could have used Magic Number blocks instead of sashing if I needed more texture, but I think the blocks held their own.

I’m stilling piecing backs from stash. This improvisational back falls in line with my creative quilt backs post on building out on the design wall. Most of these fabrics are flannel, with a little hit of some quilting fabric and linen blend.

I branched out and played with an uplifting and happy thread color. As I was filling the bobbin with the orange, I became suspect about whether I would like the effect it would have on the fairly neutral back. In the finish the vibrant color added another level of texture to the back that a blended color wouldn’t have. What a happy surprise:)

The color way is crazy good and bold.

I generally don’t pick binding out until the quilting is done, but as I was putting this fabric back into the stash it came to mind it might work and that’s how it came to be. There’s not a lick of it in the quilt itself.

This is a real simple quilt. Anyone can quilt using this formula;) Seriously the hardest thing would be picking the fabrics or you could forget about that and just go scrappy. I’ve now made several quilts using the Magic Numbers method and each has a unique look.

Here’s some other examples of Magic Number quilts I’ve created. You can see more about this scrappy one here.

This one below is a great example of bringing the background fabric into the piecing to give the quilt’s blocks a floating deconstructed look. More about this quilt here.

I think it’s fun to play with how different each design can be.

Instead of offering this as a workshop I’m providing instruction for this method in Open Studios where we can merge some projects like box pouches and invisible zipper pillows. Really any project can be adapted. Simply respond if you’d like to schedule.

Happy week Peeps!

::Enter Sunshine::

November 25, 2011 By Katie

Scrappy Sunshine could not have finished up at a better time. We’ve had days and days of steady rain in Seattle and some rays of sunshine were definitely needed.

I made it using Magic Numbers.

I’ve had it on the bed for about a week and the weight with the flannel on the back is perfect. I keep thinking I’ll have a moment to spread it outside, but I’ll have to wait until this storm works its way through the Sound.

This morning we sat under it reading and I had the thought that it was time to share it.

This quilting wouldn’t have been possible with out the help of my dear friend Sandie and her generously offering her time and long arm to quilt it. We went with the Baptist Fan, which to me looks like a rainbow and fit into the whole theme of the quilt.

When it came to a decision on the binding, I decided to just not decide. I went scrappy. The back is purely Anna Maria Horner’s folksy flannel in this diamond yellow with the exception of the Roanism of “can we cuddle?”

This quilt is unusual in that it really isn’t my taste. I’m not even really sure if it fits into my home or bedroom for that matter, but it has grown on me. As we were quilting it and each row would puff up, it was pure love. Folded down at the end of the bed it is perfect, but I still want a king size value quilt for the end of the bed. I never seem to tire of making them.

Next week I’ll head to the laundry mat with it for a wash. I don’t think this would come close to fitting in my machine and it needs a run through. Maybe by then I can hang it out for a full photo.

I’m placing the binding on my Leftovers Quilt tonight and then it’s time to move onto something more improvisational. My mode of operation has some rhythm finally and working between improvisational and traditional quilting seems to keep me inspired.

My Anything Goes Quilt is back up on the design wall and after its fourth transformation (and visit with the seam ripper) it finally has a lay out that works (I think). Two more blocks and some paneling should complete it before I agonize over how to quilt it.

I hope you all had a day surrounded with those you love. I sure did.