Colour Value Mystery Solved: Evening Light

 My Colour Value Mystery Quilt-Along (QAL) wrapped up last Thursday.  Over 1200 quilters signed up to receive the clues.  I don't know how many sewed every week, but I was excited and inspired to see all the different versions taking shape as some chose to share their progress in the Quilting with Canuck Quilter Facebook group. 

The theme of this QAL was how different fabric choices and value placements can affect the design of a quilt.  I made two versions using the same fabric and the same pattern but using the fabrics for different elements in each quilt.  Here's how that worked out.

Evening Light by Canuck Quilter Designs
Traditional version on the left, modern version on the right.

I find it fascinating how my eye is drawn to different parts of the design in each version.  In the version on the left, I see rows of chunky starburst.  In the version on the right, my eye places equal, if not stronger, emphasis on the groupings of four 3D pillars where the blocks meets and the white star seems more delicate.

This design is Evening Light, originally released in 2021.  I have updated the pattern with guidance on choosing fabrics to make the traditional (on the left above) or modern (on the right above).  

I tried to include dual illustrations, showing the appropriate colour values for each version, but that made the pattern cluttered and confusing, so I settled for illustrations showing the values for the modern version.  If you're making the traditional version, use the color/fabric key to help make sure you're using the correct fabric at each step.  You can read more about colour keys here.  If you need help figuring out relative colour values, your might like to view your fabric selections in grayscale.

Have you experimented with swapping color values or otherwise moving them around in a design?  How did it turn out?

Happy quilting,

Joanne

Pattern available as a download in my Etsy shop

Field of Leaves

I love quilts with leaf blocks.  Scattered Leaves, the first quilt pattern I ever wrote featured leaf blocks, and I've written a few more over the years.   When Island Batik sent me an advance peek of their Earth Essence collection,  I couldn't help myslef.  I designed another leaf quilt.  

Field of Leaves by Canuck Quilter Designs.
Fabrics from Earth Essence by Island Batik, a division of Lumin Fabrics
Photo by Jerry Khiev of Lumin Fabrics

I'm really pleased with the leaf block in this one.  In many of my previous leaf quilts there was a tiny bit of paper-piecing in the center leaf tip.  This one is FPP-free.  Stitch-and-flip corners make all the angles super simple.

Closeup of leaf block in Field of Leaves
Fabrics from Earth Essence from Island Batik, a division of Lumin Fabrics

I had to fiddle a little bit with a frame around the leaf to get the leaf centered in the setting I chose, but I think it was worth it.

The alternate blocks could not be simpler.  They are squares cut from strip sets.  Easy peasy.

Field of Leaves by Canuck Quilter Designs
Fabrics from Earth Essence from Island Batik, a division of Lumin Fabrics

Another favourite feature?  This quilt requires no sashing and no borders!  I'm not a fan of measuring and sewing sashing and borders.  I do it because sashing and borders can be really useful and important design elements, but it's always fun to come up with something that doesn't need either.

Obviously, the golds and earth tones of this version strongly suggest fall, but go ahead and imagine something different.  Take a look at what Anja of Anja Quilts made with this pattern.  

Field Of Leaves quilt top made by Anja of Anja Quilts

Anja reports that different Kona cotton reds are very close in value. I can see some variation here if I look closely.  I'll keep that in mind when I select reds for my own red and white version, but honestly I think it looks stunning even with very little value difference.  It could be a two fabric quilt.

A scrappy version would probably look fabulous too.  I'm on a scrappy bender right now, trying to use some up to make room for more.  I wonder if I have enough red scraps?  Maybe I should dig into my fall rusts and oranges.  I wonder if I could bring myself to just throw all the colors together?  Probably not.  I know myself!  I need control of the scrappy!

I'm off to dig in my scraps.  I'll report more on that later.

Happy quilting,

Joanne

Field of Leaves is available as a pattern download
 in my Etsy shop, or you can ask your
 favorite quilt shop for a print version.

Shifting Crystals

 I'm excited to share Shifting Crystals with you! 

Shifting Crystals by Canuck Quilter Designs
Made with fabric from the Fossil Finesse collection from Island Batik, a division of Lumin Fabrics

It needs another photo shoot.  My supportive husband trekked out with me on a very cold January day so we could take pretty pictures before I shipped the quilt to Island Batik for their April catalog.  By the time we photographed this quilt my fingers were freezing.  I landed flat on my back when I slipped on the ice.  I was ready to be done and rushed through. I think I might manage better pictures now that the quilt is back home and the weather has warmed up.  

The chevrons in this design are strip-pieced, so they are quick and easy to make.  If you've made Leading Edge or Echo Point you know how these work.  The key to making these is the diamond-shaped segments cut from the strip sets.  The pattern illustrates and explains how to measure the diamond segments, but you might also find this tutorial helpful.  Just remember you should NOT be measuring along the top edge of the strip.  Trust me.  Just check out the tutorial and the instructions and email me if you still need help!

What about the stars?  These all all made with stitch-and-flip tecniques, without cutting and sewing individual triangles.  If you find it challenging to trim QST so the seams stay on the diagonal to get the crisp star points in these stars, scroll down to the last part of my QST tutorial to see how I do it. 

I spent some time mulling over pressing directions for these stars.  Press to one side?  Press open? There are some intersections with the potential for a lot of bulk.  In the end, I figured out it was possible to plan the pressing to spin the seams allowances in all those potentially bulky spots, including in the blocks and between blocks.  The pattern walks you through all of it, showing what direction to press and spin so that everything flows together, rather like the seams in the 9-patch in this tutorial.

What colours would you choose to make this quilt?  I'm considering rusts and earth tones for a version with extra columns to fit a queen sized bed.  The pattern is single size, but it would be easy to expand by adding columns and making the top and bottom colour blocks taller.  So many possibilities...

Happy quilting,

Joanne