Planning + Improvising with Pas de Deux

a modern sampler quilt

I just love to plan things. I enjoy the big-picture thinking involved, the excitement of the imagined outcome, plus organizing all the little details to best advantage. So when I make a collaborative charity quilt with my bee mates at do. Good Stitches, it can be a practice in letting go. In this quilting bee we all use our own fabrics, so it’s always a bit of a surprise what comes my way: a good surprise!

This time we’re sewing a Pas de Deux quilt, which is a modern sampler quilt made up of various patchwork groups that weave together in a not-so-straightforward manner. My bee mates are tasked with sewing different-sized blocks in different colors, with the ultimate hope that

1. our patchwork pieces can be joined together

and

2. the patchwork forms an overall rainbow blend.

A challenge for sure.

I’ll be sewing lots of sections myself, which gives me the chance to coordinate and adjust. I’ve just finished this Transparency patchwork group, which I shortened because the quilt was feeling orange-heavy.

Transparency slots in here with neighboring patchwork.

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TODAY’S STITCHED IN COLOR IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY~

Floyd the Fox

Hey, European readers! Do you love Art Gallery Fabrics, Ruby Star, Fableism and Cotton & Steel? Then you are going to be soooo happy to find Floyd the Fox - a modern fabric shop that ships from Germany. You’re welcome!

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Above Transparency is a bright orange group in Wedge Cross patchwork. According to the Pas de Deux pattern, that bright orange Wedge Cross was sitting directly below to the dark navy Postage Stamp Stars group. Unfortunately, the bright orange and dark navy were creating too much color-contrast in a quilt that is supposed to be a rainbow blend.

That’s why I added this green/yellow strip of Wedge Cross blocks between the dark blue patchwork (above) and the orange patchwork (below). Green and yellow act as visual buffers so that the navy and orange no longer speak loudly and rudely to each other.

I could add in this green/yellow strip because I had shortened the Transparency group accordingly. Now we have a better rainbow blend, over all.

Today I’ve received a new section from my bee mate, the Checkers patchwork at right. I’ll add some pieces around it to fill in the gaps and blend the colors.

I’m just loving this process! In the beginning I got to create a plan and share my vision - that’s the preparatory phase that I relish. Now I am reacting and responding to the patchwork that I receive - that’s the challenge and joy of collaborating, which brings another layer of satisfaction to the project.

Looking forward to completing this patchwork puzzle!