Playing with Stripes

This spring, I completed a little table runner from a scrap of striped fabric I won at a quilt guild winter auction.  

     I had found a great tutorial from Jordan Fabrics showing a technique for this fabric line, Hoffman Artisan Elemental Stripes.  Video here.  I really liked how it turned out, and had a request for a wall hanging in similar colors.  Unfortunately, I had used every piece of the scrap I had won in the table runner. 

     I never need much of a push to buy more fabric.  I started looking around, but of course, now the fabric is no longer really current.   I couldn't find the exact fabric I had won, but found a bright circus-y version -

A pastel version-

and a muted grey and sand colored version.  

    I was kind of regretting the purchase of the circus colored fabric.  It was so outrageously bright.  I was looking for a quick project before diving back into "On Ringo Lake" and started cutting up the fabric.  I was thinking a few wall hangings (maybe to put up on Etsy - as I am in the process of totally revamping that site of mine), or maybe a baby quilt (ditto).    

Once I started putting it together, I loved it.  I set out a 4 block square (about 18 inches square)

Then I did a 16 block square - about 36 inches square.    Maybe a baby quilt if I add a border.

Then I kept going until I ran out of blocks.    Now I am loving this so totally as a large lap quilt.  But, I like longer quilts, so I actually ordered up MORE of this fabric to add a row or two to the length, and then I'll have enough to make some wall hangings. 

So, when I was ordering up that extra fabric, I found some other colors, too.  No half measures for me!  Now I have a dark orange version -

A light creamscicle version -

and a blue version - 

    I can't wait to play around with these beautiful fabrics.  I think the neutral gray/sand one will be stunning in a large piece.  I recently purchased the EQ8 software, and am starting to try designing some other patterns with striped fabric.  I also want to work on the block sizes to get wall hangings and baby quilts to sizes I prefer.  Stay tuned! 

Take care,
Gretchen