Saturday, April 28, 2012

Broken Sugar Bowls

I was inspired by this post from Susie at Starwood Quilter where she illustrates her version of a Broken Sugar Bowl block and shares an excerpt  from her grandmothers' diary - 1916!  http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2011/10/broken-sugar-bowl-quilt-block.html

Susie's block sparked my imagination of various settings and visions of possible color options - an affliction often common to quilters. I would like to share some of those visions today, along with an EQ7 file.   If you have EQ7 installed on your computer, you can open this file and continue designing with this block and layouts.


I wondered how Susie's version of the Broken Sugar Bowl block would evolve if I swapped the light and dark colors and incorporated them as alternating blocks. I used these two color combinations for the block.


This is a 16-block layout, alternating  with a specific  block coloring and rotation




This is the same 16-block layout, with  different block rotations. I like the illusion of rounded paths in this version.




What a surprise effect you get when you set this block into an on-pointe layout!  Wow! It makes me think of bamboo.



A final thought ....... I can visualize these designs very scrappy - using light and dark fabrics pulled from the same color family.  Very cool! 

Susie, Thank You for re-igniting  my creativity with this very traditional block.  I had been uninspired lately! 

What is your vision of the Broken Sugar Bowl block?
Here is the EQ7 project file.
http://www.box.com/s/45cff8a6ba43a206383f

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Hugs

It's wonders what a HUG can do
A HUG can cheer you when you're blue
A HUG can say "I Love You So"
or "Gee, I hate to see you go"
A HUG is "Welcome back again"
and bring a rainbow after a rain
The HUG! There's just no doubt about it
We scarcely could survive without it!
A HUG delights and warms and charms
It must be why God gave us arms
HUGS are great for Fathers and Mothers
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers
And chances are your favorite aunts
Love them more than potted plants
Kittens crave them, puppies love them
Heads of State are not above them
A HUG can break the language barrier
And make your travels so much merrier
No need to fret about your storing 'em
The more you give, the more there's more of 'em
So stretch those arms without delay
AND GIVE SOMEONE A HUG TODAY!!!