Tuesday, December 5, 2017

It's a Bird, It's a Plane

Propeller Baby Quilt
Flying geese complement the airplanes. Their dark background contrasts nicely with the light background of the propellers.

Propeller baby quilt with flying geese sashing
Propeller baby quilt with flying geese sashing

But what to do for the posts? What about circular designs already printed on a dark blue fabric? Too dark.

Propeller baby quilt with flying geese sashing and dark blue posts
Another post possibility for Start Your Engines quilt

These small red circles are blocks I still haven't put together from Audrey's Quilty 365. They look like the Japanese flag but seem a bit small against the blues.

Propeller baby quilt with flying geese sashing and red circle posts
One post possibility for Start Your Engines quilt
That blue fabric that didn't work for posts also doesn't work on the border. It's enclosing the quilt too much for me. A lighter border might work better.

A bit more thinking and I'll have the right choices.

Dia de Muertos and Coco
We took my family to see Pixar's new movie, Coco, after Thanksgiving. Craft in America's episode, Neighbors, played recently and was amazingly pertinent to my recent trips and the movie. By comparing Dia de Muertos celebrations and art in LA and Oaxaca, Mexico, it increased my understanding of the festival and enjoyment of the movie. Then the show segued to weaving and dyeing. Turns out those cochineal dyes in 19th c. British uniforms come from a scale insect that lives on prickly pear cactus. After silver, the dye was the most important export in the 15th and 16th centuries. Mexico lost its monopoly on cochineal dyes after their Independence. Development of synthetic dyes almost caused the demise of the industry but it resurges today as people realize many of the synthetics are carcinogenic. Shades from pink to scarlet to dark red are created by varying the original yards and the time and temperature of the dye baths.

When Alamo Drafthouse plays a movie they include a special menu reflecting the show's theme. For Coco that included quesadillas and a butternut squash milkshake.

Alamo Drafthouse guitar-shaped menu for Coco screening.
Alamo Drafthouse guitar-shaped menu for Coco screening.
Although my first reaction was that I'd never thought of squash as a dessert, I do have a recipe for zucchini pie. When chopped zucchini rests with sugar it releases lots of liquid just like apples. Although I liked this in the '70s, it's way too sweet now. Perhaps I'll combine it with apples and reduce the sugar. Ha. Just in time for the holidays.

Enjoy the day, Ann

31 comments:

Julierose said...

I love your addition of the flying geese to these blocks--Very apropos...lovely colors in these hugs, Julierose

patty a. said...

The flying geese are wonderful. I am sure you will come up with a solution for the corner squares.

Pam said...

I love seeing your pictures as you work through this design! I like the red circles in the post. Thanks for sharing your process!

liniecat said...

Fantastic propellers! I'm ex RAF so the only thing missing for me is a red, white and blue one LOL
Really striking and fun to look at and the geese certainly break it up and compliment the props too!

Janie said...

Flying geese perfect addition.
Thanks for the info on dyes, interesting.
Squash and pumpkin are very similar and I'm enjoying
the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and cookies and pumpkin spice ice cream etc. now available
for holiday treats. So good!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Love your 'propeller' quilt, those flying geese fit in well.

audrey said...

This project is just getting better and better! The rich blues with that bright orangey red is a stunning addition. Isn't it fun to play with color and design!

Robin said...

The propellers are so interesting. The white with red dots draws the eye directly to them and it can't quite deviate to see the other blocks. You'll come up with something perfect, I'm sure.

Mel Beach said...

The flying geese units are a wonderful addition and add such great movement to your evolving top!

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

Wow! It looks 3-D!

Kaja said...

This is looking excellent! I love the flying geese with the propellors both in terms of the shapes and the colours. Can't wait to see what you do next.

cspoonquilt said...

What a wonderfully graphic quilt. The flying geese are perfect in the sashing and I think the dots for post work too! Fabulous!

Cathy said...

Oh, Flying Geese caught up in Propellers! Wonderful addition especially in those colors. Question: are the propeller center circles all the same size or is that an optical illusion?

In re Oaxaca and Dia de los Muertos...they trigger such nice memories of my two trimesters of college at the University of the Americas in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. I saw the Dia de los Muertos celebration during my time there and since travel was cheap then and school was only four days a week I traveled all over. Oaxaca was one of my favorite places. I bought a turquoise and silver ring there and had to do without meals for about a week in order to cover the cost since I didn't have much money to spend. I still have the ring.

And zucchini...my aunt was the zucchini queen. She could make anything from "fudge" to bread to cake to casseroles to shakes out of zucchini. We always laughed about that when we went to family reunions at the farm where she lived. After she died I made a fun zucchini cookbook in her honor to send to all my siblings for Christmas.

You seem to trigger a lot of memories for me every time you post!

Ann said...

Thanks, Julie. Flying geese are almost always a good choice. I enjoyed deciding which propeller colors to emphasize.

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. I've always liked these geese. I think I have the posts worked out.

Ann said...

Watching others work out their designs is more fun for me than the finished project. I think we makers like to see how others handle the challenges of creating. I do like the red circles, too, but think these were a bit too small. Thanks for writing, Pam.

Ann said...

I'd almost forgotten you were in the RAF. You can always make them in those colors although I do like the idea of lots of "British flag red." (Must be channeling the soldier quilts in NYC.) Thanks for writing.

Ann said...

I love reading about dyes but never have gotten into dyeing my own fabric. I've tried several times but unless someone pushes me, I don't do it.
I love pumpkin treats, too. Good point, Janie. Now let's go get some pumpkin ice cream.
Thanks for writing.

Ann said...

Thanks, Linda. I hadn't thought about how they tie together.

Ann said...

Yes, it is fun to play with the color. I liked the group of tertiary (browned) fabrics but fortunately, there were a few bright colors. And they worked well when I brought them out. I think it makes a difference in the rhythm and advance/recede effect. What do you call that? Anyway. Thanks for writing so enthusiastically, Audrey. It encourages me.

Ann said...

Thanks, Robin. I agree. The white is too bright and too prominent while the red dots are a bit too small. They are roughly the size of the propeller centers so I thought it might work. It does stop eye movement. I have an idea for larger circles.

Ann said...

What a compliment from you! Your recent flying geese quilt moves so wonderfully. Good luck with the show.

Ann said...

Thanks for the lovely compliment, Glen.

Ann said...

Thanks, Kaja. I like the association of flying things and am pleased with the size of the sashing, too. I always like red but was a bit afraid I was pushing too far since the propellers are much quieter. Well, a little quieter.
I hope your paying project is coming along and you'll have sewing time soon, too.

Ann said...

Thanks, Claire. I like the idea of graphic. And I like playing with fabric so cutting lots of pieces for the sashing seems much more fun to me. These dots need to be bigger, don't you think?

Ann said...

I picked these dots from my Quilty365 stash because they are almost alike and the same size as the propeller centers. Good eye. But the sashing is wider and I think these dots need to be bigger.
What a lucky person you are to have spent part of a school year in Mexico. I've been for vacations several times and stayed with a family for two weeks in an exchange program but never made it to Oaxaca. It's now on my list. Oh, how I remember the days of choosing art over food. So glad you still have that ring.
Zucchini is more versatile than I'd thought. I'm going to get that recipe out and rework it with less sugar. Maybe add apples and/or pears. I'll send it to you for critiquing when I do. Sounds like we had similar fun families. Lucky us!

KaHolly said...

Your quilt is coming along nicely, Ann!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

And thanks for sharing with 'sew stitch snap SHARE' :)

Ann said...

Thanks, Karen.

Judy said...

I love the quilt and the wonderful fabrics that you're working with!

Ann said...

Thanks, Judy. They were too interesting to discard and I’m enjoying the setting variation.