It feels like a really long time since I have put out a Colour Inspiration Tuesday Collection. In fact, it is a long time in the life of a blog…. 12 weeks, with Christmas and New Year and two Beary Colourful Bear patterns and all sorts since then!
Since the last Colour Inspiration Tuesday Collection there have been a lot of people come on board with the Beary Colourful BOM and the Monthly Colour Challenge who may not have explored the dim dark past of the Chameleon. I am truly delighted to have you all join us, and I hope you will also enjoy some of the other ideas that I explore here in between the bears.
A quick summary of the ideas behind Colour Inspiration Tuesday Collection 5…..
Vanuatu Turtle Appliqué Finished! – A Splash of Color Quilt-Along Update
Done! My Splash of Color Quilt-Along quilt top is constructed. The red border strip is added, the piano key borders are on, and the Vanuatu Turtle appliqué is laid out and stitched down. Both layers. Happy days!
The last time I formally up-dated you on this quilt for the Splash of Color quilt-along, I had all the major pieces constructed and the centre blocks pieced into one unit.
Then I decided this quilt needed a little push to get it done on time and out the way of some other projects. So I nominated it as my One Monthly Goal for my link up with Elm Street Quilts. By that point I had finished constructing the pieced part of the quilt top and had fused down the aqua turtle appliqué pieces.
Since then, I have been working very hard on this project. And now I have finished sewing down the aqua Vanuatu Turtle appliqué layer, fused on the red overlay and just this morning, finished sewing that down too! So, that means my quilt top is finished. 🙂
The current link-up for the Splash of Color quilt-along at Busy Hands Quilts requires that I have a finished flimsy quilt top to enter. So we are good to go! With 19 hours to spare! As I pointed out in my One Monthly Goal post, this last minute thing really has got to be wound back a little……
Vanuatu Turtle Appliqué Progress and Process
Anyway, I thought you might like to see some pics of the progress between the last update and the finished top, so here are the highlights.
Stitching down the first layer of the Vanuatu Turtle appliqué.Aqua layer of the Vanuatu turtle appliqué finishedLaying out the red Vanuatu Turtle Appliqué piecesAt the moment, my go-to appliqué technique is raw edge appliqué. Fast and furious for busy mums! I free-motion straight stitch around the edge of each piece 4-5 times to secure them well for everyday use.This morning…. mild relief as I hit the last appliqué piece.Finished!
Here’s the back. I simply use the batting as the stabiliser for my raw edge appliqué when I can, so currently this quilt has the top and batting layers but no backing.
The back of my raw edge appliqué
Next job…. piece a backing and get this quilted. Any suggestions on a quilting motif? I think perhaps some sort of large simple swirl/wave curl pattern in grey might be in order. I certainly don’t want to add to the complexity of this quilt any further.
Have you seen the other completed quilt tops in Myra’s Splash of Color Quilt-Along? I have enjoyed this exercise immensely and I’m going to get a finished quilt to keep…… Not something that happens at my house very often. I only Start quilts to keep. I usually Finish quilts to give away! Anyone else out there with this problem?!! I suspect I am in good company…… let me know. 🙂
Would you like to keep in touch with Clever Chameleon and the fun quilty ideas I design as well as find all over the internet? You can follow directly for email updates, or through Bloglovin’, Pinterest or FB. All your follow options can be found here. Thanks for your support!
About a month ago I signed up for the Splash of Color quilt along from Busy Hands Quilts. The rules mostly consist of a few deadlines for the quilt stages, and that the colours of the quilt are to be predominately black and white with colour highlights. Apart from that, the direction the quilt takes is up to each quilter.
The fabrics for my Splash of Color quilt inspiration.The colours in our Vanuatu bedroom.
Since that post, we have been back to Vanuatu to continue Paul’s humanitarian telecommunications research. While we were there I acquired more fabrics specifically for this project :). And some more inspiration. I decided to add a little greyed blue or teal to my splash of colour, thanks to the Vanuatu décor in our bedroom.
Here is my final pile of goodies to work from:
The white, grey and teal fabrics are from my stash here at home. The red and black fabrics are all from Vanuatu.
Finding Quilt Inspiration in the Everyday: Day 25
The next challenge in the Splash of Color quilt along was to choose a quilt pattern. Well, I am not known for working to a quilt pattern. So I have opted to design as I go, as per usual. But I do have a basic idea of where I am headed. I am making a turtle quilt inspired by the tribal turtle motif on two of the original fabrics.
Turtle motif on fabric from Vanuatu
I have now designed my turtle appliqué. It is influenced by the turtle above, but also by a beautiful turtle batik I have in my collection. If you like batiks, you might recognise this fabric, its been around for a while.
Turtle batik fabric from Lunn Studios for Artisan Batiks from Robert Kaufman Fabrics
I actually started a quilt for my nephew two years ago inspired by this turtle batik, that I also intended to put a turtle appliqué on. But he got a monkey quilt instead. Long story for another day. But it s nice to be returning to the turtle idea. Perhaps I can knock off this UFO too.
My Turtle Appliqué Quilt Design Concept
Here is my turtle appliqué design:
My turtle appliqué design on a very basic rendition of a black and white background
It is quite likely that the quilt background will be significantly different from my quick diagram. The basic plan for the background of the quilt is to create 8×6″ finished blocks out of the black and white fabrics. Some blocks will be fussy cut 6″ squares. Some blocks will be created from 4″ and 2″ squares, with possibly some half-square triangles and/or pinwheels thrown in. I will decide on their overall layout at the end. Basically, I am going to give the free die that comes with the Accuquilt GO! cutter a whirl.
Then, the intention is to add a 1″ red border, and then an 8″ piano key border in black and white. It will finish at 66″ square and I will bind it in red. Or teal. Subject to mind changes, of course!
Where am I at?
Well, the sharing link for having the fabrics cut opened 10 days ago or so. So, you can tell I am a little behind schedule as usual. But the link is not closed yet, and I have my appliqué printed, traced and cut out, so all is not lost!
Turtle appliqué templatesHere are my turtle appliqué pieces. The teal fabric will be mostly covered by the red, so I bought a cheap Prima solid for this layer.
I actually have no intention of pre-cutting my black and white fabrics. I will do this as I create blocks. Not efficient if I was producing a quilt from a pattern, for sure. But it is the way I design quilts from scratch. So I am claiming that this QAL stage is done to my satisfaction. And I hope you will find my design process more interesting if I actually report it like it is rather than showing you just the end result.
If you would like to see the other projects in this quilt along, the original ideas links are found here. There were 14 projects joined up from the very beginning – there may be some late comers too if you keep an eye on the progress linkys. There is certainly a great variety, you are sure to see something that inspires you!
Last week I wrote about a long held ambition to make one or more picnic quilts modelled on children’s games. And there was one game that I mentioned that then stuck in my mind. Not because I particularly wanted to make it. But because I wasn’t sure how I would make it. The challenge of the how kept wandering through my head. 🙂
Finding Quilt Inspiration in the Everyday: Day 19
The game, and the picnic quilt idea in question, is hopscotch. The design is simple. Hopscotch layouts are made up of easily pieced, large blocks, with one semi circle that could be appliquéd on. Appliqué the numbers on, and its done! Except…..
Except that hopscotch is long and skinny. Like a bed quilt. And you really do not need to be handing out free passes for hopscotch on the bed, right? 🙂
So, how to make it square like a good picnic quilt? Do I just fill in the rest of the quilt with cute pictures or prints? Seems like a lot of extra work for no real gain except size and shape.
How was I inspired to further the hopscotch picnic quilt idea?
Eventually I came up with a design that I think I like. Two hopscotch fields side by side. Twice as much fun, and half as much waiting! Yay!
Hopscotch picnic quilt idea
And now that it’s square, I could put a noughts and crosses (Tic Tac Toe) board on the other side. The brilliant thing about pairing these two games is that neither needs playing official pieces. Stones/pinecones will do for hopscotch markers, and sticks, stones or leaves or any number of things can be substituted for Xs and Os, as long as you have two distinct sets.
Noughts and Crosses picnic quilt idea
One last happy thought I had about the Tic Tac Toe board is that it has territorial boundaries for children to sit within. Great for kids who have a tendency to squabble about others encroaching on their space while they are eating lunch….. not that that would ever happen on a fun family outing…..
All that said, I still think I want to try making a backgammon board picnic quilt first! Then I’ll have to teach my kids how to play. 🙂
There are lots of subtle ways you can personalise a backgammon board. into a picnic quilt.
Do you have a favourite board game that would make a brilliant picnic quilt? Share your idea with us – we’d love to know.
What could be more everyday inspiration these days than Emoji?!? They are everywhere. On your phone, on social media, in advertising, on fridge magnets, stickers, tattoos, cushions…. 🙂 here…… You name it, someone has probably stuck a smiley face on it. Do you know where Emoji started? You might be as surprised at their long history as at their very recent rocket to fame.
Finding Quilt Inspiration in the Everyday: Day 18
My daughter bought the emoji cushion pictured above while we were living in Germany. All the other kids had a cushion on their chair at school, but initially she didn’t want to conform. At home in Australia she didn’t have a cushion on her chair at school. So at the time, even something so simple seemed to be a threat to her identity and a source of homesickness. But in the Christmas Markets we found familiar and happy faces…… She chose the expression she wanted. I am not sure I would have been comfortable at sitting on this particular face, but she was happy. I should probably just be thankful she didn’t choose the poop emoticon…. LOL
How am I inspired by Emoji?
You could have a lot of quilt fun with emoji-like pictures, and get in some appliqué practice at the same time. Draw up your own series of yellow faces, turn them into appliqué squares and put them together quilt-as-you-go. Here’s an example of a design I would enjoy making. I have coloured it using classic yellow emoji and my great aunt’s garden as inspiration.
Smiley-face quilt inspiration
There are all sorts of icons now recognised within the emoji family – including animal, food, flags, activity, travel and object emoji. Here’s one guide to a vast array of Emoji for inspiration. Just remember, existing pictures are subject to copyright, so don’t cut and paste willy-nilly. But thanks to the simple nature of emoji, and the public nature of the general idea, you can easily draw your own variations.
I hope this inspiration has put a smile on your dial. A smiley-face quilt would be very easy to create, and would make a fun addition to a young person’s bedroom. If I wasn’t already in the process of making my daughter a quilt, this would stand a chance of getting made!
P.S. Did you know that there is such a thing as World Emoji Day?!? Yes. Really. 🙂 17th of July.
Next job…. piece a backing and get this quilted. Any suggestions on a quilting motif? I think perhaps some sort of large simple swirl/wave curl pattern in grey might be in order. I certainly don’t want to add to the complexity of this quilt any further.
31 Days of Finding Quilt Inspiration in Real Life
Do you have a favourite board game that would make a brilliant picnic quilt? Share your idea with us – we’d love to know. 
