around and around and around we go

I've told you before about the round robins we make with some dutch quilting friends. A round robin is a quilt top you make by making a centerpiece and after that adding rounds. We let the quilts circulate and add a round for all our friends. This is a lovely process since every time someone adds a round, the quilt transforms before your eyes. We have no rules about the rounds, you can really add what you like, keeping in mind of course the owner. As my friend Muriel said: sometimes the new round is about the colors, sometimes it is about the shapes. Sometimes you try to add to what is made, sometimes you break the tradition. Thinking about it and visualizing is a big part of the fun.

Last time my center block became this quilt top. The last round, putting the quilt "en point' I added myself. I am thinking of adding maybe one more round of smaller pieces. Purple is really not my color at all, but I love it in this quilt.

I added two rounds for Nicolette's round robin. I love doing them! I added some blue to the color pallet that matches the blue in one of the fabrics used in the center.

You can find all our round robins and updates in the double dutch flickr group, click here to explore. 

See you soon

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black and white dancing together, side by side through stormy weather

I was singing this song (2brothersonthe4thfloor) while hanging this round robin on my exhibition line. I was immediately inspired to grab fabrics and make some drawings of options for borders that came to mind. As you may know I love round robins, me and my double dutch friends have some circulating and I have added to a few before. You can read more here, here, here, here and here

This time I made stacked bricks by sewing 19 1 1/2 inch strips together, only after that cutting them in four portions of 3 1/2 inch. This saved a lot of time. I thought the round robin could use some smaller piecing after somewhat bigger strips. I echoed the "arrows" in the corners of the second border. I love the result!

Hope you like it Francis!

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the basket round robin

My own round robin started with a basket. In aqua and grey, which is a color combination I love.  Lots of lovely rounds were added by my Double dutch quilty friends. Slowly more limish green and purple were added. I'm not a purple person, but I couldn't help my self, I love it!

I received it back at our last meet and I decided tot put it "en point", which is a very professional quilting term for adding triangles to the sides. I had no idea how to do this with such a big thing. So I started sketching and browsing and measuring and pulling fabrics.

For anyone who is a little rusty in calculating how big a triangle should be when you only know the diagonal this is a useful link. I'm very proud of myself to calculate, cut and sew in a flow without making mistakes!

I chose a glittery white from michael miller, one of my favorite amy butlers (it reminds me of martini's with olives for some reason), a small flowery fabric (I bought in France) and an oakshot purple.

Did some sketshing and calculating, and this is the result, on my new showline of course!

See you soon!

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Merry go round

I love the round robins we do for double dutch! The XS group (those who live near) came to see my new home, chat, drink tea and sew a little. We exchanged some round robins too.

I got my own back, on which I can't wait to add another round. And I got the one from nicolette. I had made the second round a while a go and I love what the others added. To me a round robin adds an extra challenge above a bee. You have something hanging on your wall, you add to the design choices others made and it isn't just a block but a border you add. I choose to add stacks of bricks in soft and hot pinks, petrolish colors, greys and whites. In the corners I repeated the square in squares in black. I love the result! I'm learning to love black in the designs too! It took me some time, but I'm starting to take to it!

 

See you soon!

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Merry go round

I love making the round robins. I can't explain, but to make a block fore someone is nice. But to have something someone made in front of you and adding to it, gives it just a bit extra for me. This one is for my virtual friend Dutchcomfort. She has added something beautiful to almost all the round robins in the double dutch club. She makes things meticulously and added borders with lots of work in them. And for those who know me a little, ahum, I try, but.... neatness or to much fuss is not my middle name. So, I  did really made an effort this time! Hope you like it Nicolette. The before picture is here.

I think (haven't checked yet) she used the left over triangles from the x&+ blocks we made for here in the Comfort circle. I had saved those scraps too. She made little windmills (pinwheels is the real name I think) out of them. And this I think, shows the versatility of the HST (Half Square Triangle). I used the same triangles in a whole different way in my border. I'm beginning to get more used to using dark greys and blacks in quilts. I especially love the dark border she added here! I fussy cut the little butterflies in the corners and I really love the result. But I have to say goodbye to it, someone else will make another border.. That's the merry go round life of a round robin. Off you go...

See you soon!

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Round Robin - Let's tone it down just a little

I had a hard time deciding what to do with this round robin for our double dutch club. Dutchcomfort added such a nice border with some squares in squares. So much detailed work! I wanted to tone it down a little since the center colors are pretty fierce and I thought it was a little busy. I contemplated putting it "en point" by adding neutral triangles to the sides, but that would mean a big solid space, I had questions like which color, should it be a solid, etc. I laid it out, put it back, laid it out, etc. But than I just started putting some fabric from my stash next to it. When the red and white checkered cloth and the soft green solid. were laid out around it, something clicked. To keep a connection to the center I made tiny hour glass blocks for the corners where Yellow, orange, orange and green found there place. I really love that it became a whole while adding the borders. I'm curious on what the next person will add. The before version is found here.

Ik wist niet goed wat te doen met deze Round Robin voor het Double dutch clubje. Dutchcomfort had er een prachtige rand om heen gezet met vierkantjes in vierkantjes, harstikke veel priegelwerk en zo mooi gemaakt. Maar ik had het gevoel dat er een beetje rust in moest worden gebracht en wat zachtheid. Maar ja, hoe dan. Ik heb overwogen om hem "op de punt" te zetten door effen driehoeken aan de zijkant te maken, wat voor kleur dan en wordt dat niet weer te saai. Hele gesprekken had ik met mezelf. Ik spreidde hem uit, stopte hem weer terug, weer uitleggen, etc. De foto van hoe hij was zonder mijn toevoeging vind je hier.

Toen ben ik gewoon wat stoffen uit mijn voorraadje gaan trekken en die ben ik er om heen gaan leggen, om te kijken wat er gebeurde. Toen ik het rood witte ruitje en het zachte groen neer legde klikte het plaatje ineens of zo. Ik heb dus best brede stroken er aan gezet om rust te brengen. Op die manier kon ik in de hoekjes kleine "hourglass" blokjes maken. Daar liet ik dan weer wat meer kleuren uit de kern terug komen om het geheel weer rond te maken. Ik ben wel blij met het resultaat. Ik ben benieuwd wat de volgende hier dan weer aan gaat toevoegen!

Tot gauw!

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Round Robin - Basket case

I made a starter block for a round robin of my own for the Double Dutch group. I used a tutorial from the random sampler over at Bloominworkshop! Such a lovely QAL, which I won't join since my to do list is too long as it is. But something like it sure is on my want to do list! I used a fresh aqua/green print by Amy Butler and a texty fabric (one of my favourites) for the background. Traditional but fresh and modern, don't you think? I love that combo.

Ik maakte ook een middenblok voor een round robin voor de double dutch club. Ik gebruikte een tutorial van de "random sampler" bij Bloominworkshop. Een geweldige quilt-along waar ik helaas niet aan mee mag doen, aangezien mijn to do list langer is dan ik kan onthouden (dat is de grens). Maar ik wil zeker een keer zo'n soort quilt gaan maken.
Ik gebruikte een frisses aqua/groene print van Amy Butler een een tekst stofje (ben ik helemaal weg van) voor de achtergrond. Een mega traditioneel blokje, maar toch met een frisse modern look, vind ik een leueke combi!

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Round Robin, de 3e ronde

I added a border to the round robin! from the white line out is mine.

Ik maakte een rondje round robin. Vanaf de witte rand naar buiten zette ik er aan!

 Tot gauw!Pin It

round robin

In the double dutch club, we also started round Robin's. I got one to add a border!

In de double dutch club heb ik weer iets nieuws ontdekt. Of eigenlijk niet nieuw, het is heel oud en ik wist wel dat het bestond, maar ik had jet nog niet eerder gedaan. Het idee is dat iemand een blok maakt, hem doorgeeft, die persoon maakt er een rand omheen, etc. Tot iemand zegt zo is het genoeg, of deze wil ik hebben! Weer een nieuw experiment, ik heb nu mijn eerste ontvangen die al een poosje circuleert. Nu is het dus mijn beurt om wat toe te voegen!

Hij is mooi he? zo leuk ook dat in het randje wat Lotje er aan heeft gezet zowel het oranje, als het oud rose als het petrol van de eerdere toevoegingen terugkomt. Ik moet dus op zoek in mijn stofjes voorraad, dat vind ik misschien wel het leukste deel van het proces.

tot gauw!

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