Wednesday, December 07, 2005




















Kaleidoscope City...

I just taught a class on the Stack and Whack method of peicing, Saturday. It is a method taught by Bethany S. Reynolds, in her books The Magic of Stack and Whack and Stack and Whackier. I had six students in the class, which is a full class for me. It was six hours long, and that might explain the barkin' of my doggies- that's a slang term for aching feet, Lucy. We really did have a good time. The top quilt that is set in black is my Xmas quilt and the first Stack and Whack I had ever done. Sarah saw it on Simply Quilts and showed it to me. Way cool, I thought. I named it, "Oh Holy Night," because they kinda reminded me of stars. The original fabric- and all the blocks are from the same peice- was of these very nice kimonos. The two blocks that are sitting by themselves are the ones I made in class to demonstrate how to choose the fabric, how to cut and then sew. This fabric didn't look too interesting on the bolt, but it was a Stack and Whack fabric, so figured I'd give it a go. It's turning out prettier than I thought it would. Yes, there are only two blocks done, because the teacher doesn't get a whole lot of sewing-machine time in. The bright orange and pink blocks are leftovers- the ones I liked the least- from a baby quilt I made for a friend. The tropical print quilt is leftovers from a baby quilt I made for a cousin's son. Seems a bit girly, but then, I set his in royal blue. His daddy is a surfer dude, so it seemed appropriate.

There are several things I like about this quilt peicing method. First, it uses those larger scale fabrics that we rarely get to play with- other than borders and backing. The hunt is always fun when I visit my favorite quilt shops- I grab them whenever I find them, because a good one is a rare find. Second, one slice is all it takes to cut out a whole block. Each block consists of only 6 peices- even a 9-patch has 9 peices! But it still looks more interesting than just 6 peices. It goes together very quickly. Third, you never how each block will look, when it's been stacked and whacked! It keeps the process interesting. All in all, I like the variation in the looks of these.

10 comments:

Samantha said...

Iwent through a huge stack n whack phase a while back- and that led to huge stash building when i saw fabrics i knew would be just perfect... Your are lovely! Thanks for sharing!

Finn said...

Wow..those are awesome blocks!! I'm always impressed with the results of stack and whack. Have never tried it myself, but your could tempt me...*VBG* Each and every one is a winner!! High Five for a job well done.

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

That top one really DOES look like a cathedral stained glass window! BEAUTIFUL! I love how these come out and the different things people have done with them.

Bonnie

Hunter said...

Oh my goodness. They looked like stained glass. And I'm fascinated by hexagons and I think this technique looks a lot easier to execute.

Thank you so much for sharing.
Darilyn

Caroline said...

Gorgeous! I *love* Stack N Whack quilts, even tho I've only made one myself. Really beautiful projects, especially the first one. I would never have thought of using a black background, but just look at the sensational results! Awesome job!

Darcie said...

Nines, Your SnWs are just gorgeous. I especially love the top one too. The one that you did for the surfer dude's child (LOL) is really fun looking...I bet it looked great against the blue...very...surfy!

Thanks for sharing.

Quiltgranny said...

I love the top one - I've never done a stack and whack and if I could predict that mine would look like that, I'd be doing it in a flash!

I've been remiss in remarking on your other postings, and thanks so much for sharing them. I smile when I read your blog - and I love all the footprints!

Love, too, that you have a stewdio like mine!

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh how fun are these! I've been wanting to do a stack n whack and just haven't taken the time! I LOVE the blue baby quilt and the second favorite is the blocks just laid on that black - oh I love those pinks/yellow/oranges!

What great fun they are!

Tonya Ricucci said...

I love those bright pink and orange ones, with hints of lime. Those were your least favorite? Wow, can only imagine how great the others were. All very fun.

Holly said...

Your kaleidoscope blocks do remind me of stained glass windows - they are so awesome - really, really beautiful. I've never seen any that pretty. Makes me want to try stack n whack.