I received the sweetest letter this week from Laurie, who makes regular quilts as well as paints barn quilts. She chose my Home, Sweet Home pattern to make her design, and thoughtfully included a photo of her barnquilt, featuring the local councilwoman, Ruby. Ruby, according to Laurie, “has made it her mission in life to spearhead a Community Outreach program to bring residents together for the betterment of our community.” This barn quilt was presented to her on her birthday. The website for Laurie’s group is Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail, if you are interested. Click on Tour the Trail to see them all. Can’t wait until mine is up there with all the others–thank you, Laurie!
Here’s a rendition of the front of the pattern, with all its variations. I usually just make one, and oh, maybe another, and every once in a while I’ll go back into a pattern and rework the clockworks at the center to either improve the pattern, or make it into a more comprehensive pattern.
This is the one I’m working on now. For ages, it’s been a simple pattern/block, but when Anne sent me a photo of her Poppies quilt, I knew the potential was much much greater for this little block:
My sketch:
The software I use, Affinity Designer, added a few new tools so I could color in the blocks with “fabrics,” helping me visualize what it might look like. I woke up one morning, thinking of a fat-quarter short stack of red/white toiles I had, as well as stack of French blue fabrics, and spent some time drawing this out.
I have been struggling with this, though, because how do I draft a pattern out of this idea?
A block with several parts, cut in half on the diagonal, with seam allowance added on one side?
The quarter block was even messier.
So I have resigned myself to just making a stack of blocks and then cutting them. I finished this week and am now playing the take-a-photo-rearrange-the-blocks game.
I have a small space for sewing, but it works for me, even though it can get a bit out of control on occasion.
I can already see I need to make one more to replace one that just isn’t going to work. I put these here so you can see I’m just like everyone you know: I stay up later at night, cut fabric, make a mess, try to herd cats (so to speak) while trying to put it together, all the while wondering– do I really want to re-do this pattern? It’s just that Anne’s is so inspiring. Sigh. You can find more of her brilliant work here: SpringLeaf Studios on ETSY.
Finally satisfied — or just ready to be done — I started sewing the blocks together. Anne has already warned me about those borders.
Another pattern that started out just a pattern for a block, then morphed:
And another:
Is it because re-invention is sometimes easier than invention? I love all the traditional blocks, but think some could lend themselves to new treatments, just like when we replace the window coverings. Or choose a new hairdo, which I’m currently struggling with now.
Hot Tip: It’s easier to search in DuckDuckGo for a new haircut than in Google. Google’s search engines have some infamy now in techie circles as being too bogged down, too tied to ads and AI murkiness to deliver decent search results. I agree. There are some other tricks to getting past the inundation of ads on Google, but we are all still battling with the greed of our Digital Overlords on social media (which is why I still write a blog, and why I don’t have ads).
Today I read in a Washington Post article (link should allow you to read) about how our Master Overlord Google is training its Artificial Intelligence (AI) on any and all artists’ works online. Many artists are taking them down from Instagram, because the Master Overlord Meta (formerly Facebook) is also training its AI on what’s on Facebook, Instagram and other social media. Cara, the app, seems to be the landing site for many. Here’s WordPress’ statement on their AI policy, which is the software I use to write this website: clear as mud for non-techies.
Okay, that’s all pretty depressing: I guess eventually we’ll have AI fabrics and AI quilts and there will be nothing original or new. And all our designs (that take days to convert into a pattern) will be subsumed in the Great Quilt AI.
Sigh. Time to download Cara?
In other, hopefully happier, news, I received my latest batch of Painter’s Palette Solids in the mail, so I can proceed with another block of the New York Beauties. And I’m working on some reverse appliqué for this one, made out of Grunge fabrics:
This reminds me of Italy ‘s color-drenched houses. But back in Southern California, the summer heat has arrived, the air conditioner will soon be pressed into service, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll get some decent tomatoes this year before they all burn up.
Happy Summer Sewing!
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
You’re the second blogger I’ve come across today who’s revisiting an “old” design, to create a refresh. Anne’s modification to your pattern is stunning, especially with her wild floral prints. But we aren’t surprised about her design skills, are we? It’s great that you’re remaking your design in a new way (love those asymmetrical blocks in the borders), and even better that you have the tool (Affinity) and skills to do that. I hadn’t heard of Cara. It makes me sad to know how AI is killing originality… just like Meta has ruined Instagram. Yep, I’m one of those “old people” who wants the world to stop, and return to what it once was. I’m only grateful that I won’t be around when it’s even more out-of-hand. But on a happier note… keep up the great work on your quilt remake. Your colors are gorgeous!
you had me at ❤️🤍💙. This the season!
And when I saw those houses, my brain immediately said Burano before I even read your next sentence! I have a table runner in grunge with a similar vibe, I’ll have to send you a photo.
The barn quilt is absolutely stunning, and what a great blog post revisiting things that evolved over time. I love seeing how an idea starts and grows into something new.
Oh, and Google has jumped the shark, I believe.
The houses are so colorful and cute. Definitely brings back Italian memories. I love that pink mock up of the poppies. Your layout looks great. Ahhh….the new “do”. Seems like I’m always in search of that. I just wish I had the curls I had when I was young. NO summer here yet. We haven’t had sun for 3 days and June hasn’t hit 80 yet. Not a happy camper here! 😦
I think it’s wonderful that your pattern has been made into a barn quilt. I love barn quilts and we don’t have them here so I’ve never seen one in real life! I also love your grunge houses and poppy blocks. I’ll look forward to following your reinventions. Good luck with finding a new hairdo 🙂
What delightful stories you have shared in this post Elizabeth! I love the barn quilts story and have visited the Chatt Hills website to find out more. I would love to go and see them in real life one day! But I am surprised too, to find I was in the very region when I travelled around the US in 1980! How lovely to see your very own quilt design featured.
Also I love seeing the collaboration between Anne and her version of your poppy design. There is a lot of discussion about Cara over on Threads. Who knows where social media will be in the future with the takeover of AI becoming more and more prevalent?
I like the morphing of Poppy in both color variations. And I like the concept of reinventing. In some ways that’s what inventing is, some farther removed from the original than others so to be less noticeable.
As to AI: I’m wondering if artists felt as threatened when photography was invented as we do now anticipating AI? They survived.
Wow! This post is jam packed! Oh, the Poppies. I am glad to see them again. I bought the pattern a while ago but had to put it in my “Squirrel” folder. I have certain things (quilting related) that I need to get done, so when I find something I really want to make, I put it in that folder. I even put a note on it that it looked better without sashing! I really like the new spin on it too.
Those grunge houses also caught my eye. I could see them as a table runner or a wall hanging. I’m not too keen on reverse applique but it might be fun for something small.
The AI thing is really scary. I’m not ready for it but I’m going to have to get educated really soon:(
It was nice to see all of the Home Sweet Home blocks in so many different fabric ways.
I’m sure liking your red and blue version with the Poppy block. I had forgotten about those partial blocks along the sides. Instead of a full block, I made my side blocks with just the three segments needed, adding on an ample bit of extra for trimming later. Too hard on my brain to figure exact sizes. I also skipped adding the smaller triangles in the center and appliqued the circles on once the blocks were sewn. There are a few things I’d do differently if I could now but I’m happy to have one more quilt in the done pile. Love the colorful houses you have in the works. The Grunge gives them some really nice texture. Keep up all the wonderful work and please keep sharing your ideas. Thanks for the shout out/link too!
I see your pattern redo as an example of “working in a series”, i.e. exploring a design idea. Nothing wrong with that! As for AI – I’m putting my head in the sand and wishing it would go away which is probably not a good thing. Absolutely LOVE your grunge houses!!!! The colors are spectacular!