Top Punk - or that's what I call it!

My friend Babs really liked my Lazy Punk quilt.

Lazy Punk, 2013

She followed the making of Lazy Punk on my blog but she is a tactile learner which simply means she likes the hands-on approach to learning. She asked me to show her how to make the blocks. The basics are quite easy and straightforward. For Bab the challenge was colour and fabric selection. At first she felt that she had to match the colours and use subtle prints but when she understood that it is more about value and scale she was off and running! 

Here are some of her blocks. Isn't the this one spectacular? It is one of my favourites!

 

Here she got a little more daring and used two different fabrics for the arcs on the blades.

This one is more subtle but the fussy cut centre makes it special. You need to have some dull blocks to make the gems sparkle!

Babs loves the background fabric in the following block but didn't think she could use it. She did and it is great!

And yet another more controlled block with the fussy cut centre.

She just let go and had fun. I think this one is interesting and I love the dark background.

This is another dark background. I think the centre in this one makes the block very interesting and exciting!

So you are likely wondering why do I call Babs' quilt Top Punk. Well that is my name for it not hers. Babs doesn't like hand stitching so I told her to machine applique the pieces to the background. Rather than use a zigzag stitch Babs simply top stitched them down and they look great!

Babs doesn't like math or messing around with setting triangles so she decided to use a straight set for her blocks rather that setting them on point. The blocks are now assembled into a quilt top and here it is.....Top Punk!

I think it is gorgeous and Babs is so excited that she has started a second as a gift for
her daughter-in-law to be! Babs also attended the Open Thread Bar workshop on the weekend so she may use some of her fancy machine embroidery stitches and pretty threads on the next Punk-style quilt.

One of my favourite books for pretty quilt pictures is Brigitte Giblin's Feathering the Nest.

In some of the pictures you will see a pretty sewing basket made of pentagons. The pattern is available on Brigitte's blog.

I made myself a basket and showed Babs how to make them and she was off and running. Look at her lovely baskets! They are all made from samples of designer decorator fabric.

Babs has some lovely cording so she will trim the edges with that rather than pompoms. I think that will give a more elegant finish to these baskets.

The outsides of each basket are done with neutral colours. Babs wanted to showcase the lovely fabrics inside. Aren't these leaves interesting?

This one has to be the best of the bunch. I just love the vintage hot air balloons! Very vintage looking!

And this is just too pretty for words! Wouldn't it make a lovely gift with a couple of fat quarters and a little pincushion made with the leftover bits of fabric? Maybe even toss in some needles and a spool of thread!

That's it for today. I hope I got your creative juices flowing so until I post again, let your imagination run wild!