DEAR JEANNE UPDATE #1

I'm still working on the drafting of patterns to use in my Dear Jeanne quilt -- that part is easy.  But, I keep anguishing over a possible color story for the quilt.

Below, are three versions of the 'Sawtooth Star' (or Keepsake Star) that I've tried.  The yukky first one is already in the trash.  The second one is better, but I'm just not feeling the purple.  The third one I like.  Guess I'm just a red person and may break my self-imposed rule of no red in this quilt.  My Grandmother was always right -- she said every quilt needs some red in it.

I made two of the 'Court House Steps' block.  In my eyes, the red one wins (of course).

Here is the 'Calling Card' block in the two colorways.  In the purple version, I used one side of a blue dotty fabric; in the red one, I used the reverse side.

I also intend to include twelve 5" applique blocks.  So I experimented with this one (no red).  I've framed these pictures with a black border to kind of get the effect of the narrow black sashing I'm considering.

That's it for now.  I'm anxious to get going on this quilt.  Don't be surprised to see some more red in the future!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Quilt Shop Gal for Creative Goodness Party Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday

DEAR JEANNE

On my bucket list of quilts has always been a 'Dear Jane' quilt.  But, I'm going to call mine 'Dear Jeanne'.  In my line of women of my family there are four of us with the middle name of Jeanne; and hopefully, some day (but not too soon) there will be a fifth generation named Jeanne.  She can then have this quilt made by her Great Grandmother, Sally Jeanne.

So, I'm in the planning stages.  It will be in the format of a 'Dear Jane' -- a sampler of small blocks.  The original quilt contains 169 blocks (13 blocks by 13 blocks plus the border); I'll be doing well to make 49 blocks (7x7).  The designs were drafted 4 1/2" in size originally; mine will be 5 inches.  I'm in the design and drafting phase right now using designs of blocks I have used in quilts over the last 30 or so years rather than the designs from the original quilt.

I'm also pulling fabrics from my 30-year scrap stash to establish a color story.  I'm thinking purple, pink, blue, black, gray, and white.

I made a couple of blocks to sample the size and color.

Yuk!  Don't like this one at all.

I'll refine the color choices as I progress.  For instance, I'm throwing out that pink in the corners of the star block above.  Actually, I think I'll throw the whole block away!

So, here is the same block with different fabrics.

I'm liking the idea of the blues with the gray/white/inky black -- the purple not so much. 

 I'm dying to exchange the purple for red; but I promised myself no red or brown this time.  I feel it is so important to get the color story right for a sampler with scraps quilt to control the busyness.
It must be time to step back a couple of days; let the colors percolate; and the quilt might tell me what to do.  Maybe a teal instead of purple; or possibly break my rule of no red this time.

 Currently, I'm hand quilting a couple of tops; so there won't be any finish action on this blog for awhile.  I plan to take it slow on the 'Dear Jeanne' blocks, too -- maybe two or three a week.   You can expect some in-progress reports on those in the future.

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday