Gourmet Values

jill here...The newest edition of Modern Patchwork has arrived!  You can purchase a copy by checking out the link.  It is filled with many wonderful projects...27 to be exact!  This is the first time we have published with Interweave and we enjoyed the association.

Our quilt is titled "Gourmet Values".  The following photos will take you through a little design tutorial, explaining some of our process.

Last Houston market, our friendly help purchased (at sample spree) a Robert Kaufman 10" square collection.  They know how much we love Carolyn Friedlander: not only is she a wonderful designer but a really nice person.  Her latest, "Botanics", uniquely colored and graphically pleasing, sat on the shelf begging for a new creation.   Three values of every color (plus a white) spoke for a modern transparency.  The grey background was chosen from her previous line Architextures.

Four values from dark to light work well to create transparency.  The changes in scale and pattern create interest.

Ten inch squares created a cutting challenge...a fun one!  The medium and medium dark fabrics intersect to create a darker intersection or overlap.  The dark line appears to weave over/under to feature the dominate bars.  The white adds a sparkle of brightness.

Turned vertically, the bars have a very different appearance.  We had more choices of fabric within the package that we didn't use.   It's hard to narrow good choices.  Sometimes less is more.

April West added her quilting touch.  The vertical organic leaf shapes are a nice counter balance to the strong horizontal rectilinear lines.  The binding inserts are just a "little taste of the unexpected",  drawing the eye to the edge. The instructions in the magazine give you the pattern and tips to make it!

This polychromatic color scheme works because all the colors have the same undertone and are equally balanced with the light grey background.  This would be dynamite in a monochromatic or achromatic scheme. Patterns and textures could add the variety.  The strong lines make it very gender friendly.

Enjoy the day!  "till next Tuesday.....