How do I modernize 1980's quilt blocks?

[Judy M.]

My neighbor gave me 12 quilt blocks that she purchased at a garage sale. They are 12 1/2 inches in size. The focus fabric in most of the blocks has that dripped paint look. The background is white with splotches of a light and medium dusty rose, greyish blues and a muted blue/green and some pale lavender for good measure. The other pieces of fabric in the blocks include white and the light and medium dusty pink.

Any ideas on what fabric to use in the sashings, borders, etc. to modernrize this set of quilt blocks?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Judy

[Judy M.]

Any chance of a photo?

I'd suggest you put them up on a design wall and live with it for a bit, see which colours dominate or sit comfortably. Perhaps try a few swatches of colours pinned between the blocks, one colour at a time. These can even be paper, it's just to see colour balance. Don't be affraid to be a bit adventurous with the colours either, perhaps find one of the less used ones that could do with coming to the fore.

Keep playing every couple of days, when you've found the right one, it will shout at you!!

Good luck.

[Mandella E.]

I wonder if you should try to modernise the blocks, unless you really can't live with that 1980s look? After all we have 1930s &40s reproductions, and civil war ones. Perhaps one day people will be searching for examples of 1980s quilts. My suggestion would be to get some age-appropriate fabrics and finish it off as a period piece.

[Diana U.]

I am assuming that there are only 4-6 different fabrics in the block. Maybe if you built on those and pulled more scrappy-ness into it. (is thata word?) I like Roberta Horton's recommendation. If something looks like it doesn't go with it, try more of it.

[Diana U.]

I like Sharyn Craigs method of handling funky blocks... I have all her books ( Great Sets. Setting Solutions, Twist and Turn, Designing New Traditions among others) and she deals with different sizes (blottos, block exchanges ) of blocks, working with color and style variances and other quilting design problems.

She says:

1/ Identify the problem... which you did... 1980s color.. change of style... uninspiring blocks.

2/ Establish your goals... ( just examples of goals ) [list]
make a period piece which honors the original quilter...
OR
....use the blocks to make an contemporary quilt with old blocks...

Do you want to brighten up the colors or tone them down?

make a quilt for myself or a friend or a charity

use up the blocks and get them out of the closet

challenge my creativity .. take this opportunity try something new .[/list:u]


Develop a plan and define your resources... figure out what you need to do to accomplish your goals.
[list]

It was mentioned earlier ... put the blocks on a design wall and live with them

Practical .. do you have more fabric to work with or do you have to buy more...

Explore your stash for fabrics that will work with your blocks ... then go shopping... flea markets, garage sales, antique/junk dealers might be a place to start. ... consider using old clothes of the same period ( do not expect to find cotton clothes.. these were the days of poly)

Go through books/ magazines for ideas on novel ways to work with the blocks ... I love tilting blocks or putting them inside frames or coping setting... this helps with size problems.

SET YOURSELF A DEAD LINE... or the loose blocks will live with you for ever.
[/list:u]


I also like Joan Hanson book... SENSATIONAL SETTING

SIMPLE STRATEGIES FOR BLOCK SWAPS ... new ... by Lynn Roddy Brown...

SMASHING SETTING by Margaret Miller

All of these books give great ideas on how to arrange blocks.

GOOD LUCK

[Diana U.]

Hi Judy,

I feel you. Those pastel muted colors were not my favorite even in the1980's and really look dated today. Consider yourself lucky that they do not match your living room sofa. There's probably a reason why these fabrics aren't being reproduced today. They are not old enough to be considered classic (like 1930's fabrics) and certainly do not have the timeless look of civil war reproductions.

Without seeing the blocks, it's difficult to advise you. However, you might consider picking some coordinating fabrics in bold, bright tones of the same colors for sashings, borders, and/or appliques. I'm anxious to see what you do with them. This is an interesting challenge.

[Diana U.]

I was thinking about the fabric selection because 80s fabric might be really hard to match up...

I would probably try to go either darker or lighter rather than try and get a real close match...

If I wanted to make the blocks stand out I would frame them in darker fabrics... a small half inch frame or flange then a frame.. then into a setting even darker hue of the color I have chosen. I think darker would draw attention to the blocks and make them pop. Black makes brights really pop. BUT with 1980s dusty... I would go for colonial / Wedgwood blue, to navy. Or you could go Rose to Burgundy....

I would try and scan the color at a paint store and get color chips to show all the colors that blend... from light to dark. Those paint-chip computers are great for matching colors.

If I wanted the blocks to float I would go LIGHT. I would frame the blocks in fabric that matched the background I was going to use... Square them up to the same size. ( MANY QUILTERS have a difficult time making blocks that are the correct size.... before scant quarter inch, accurate cutting tools, etc.) Then sash the blocks with your background fabrics, your blocks would sort of float in the background.


Just some idea...

[Diana U.]

If the blocks are all pastell-y enough to blend together, I'd think about appliquing something overtop -- how about something really crazy & bold, such as from the Possibilties line? We'd love to see these blocks, before & after! Kathy B.

[Diana U.]

It might help for ideas if you know the name of the pattern or something close to it, but you've gotten some great suggestions so far. I second Nancy's suggestion of bold, bright colors to contrast the pastels, AND LadyRag's suggestion of framing & setting into a dark color. I love brown, and it work with those colors (if they're those southwest kinds of pastels I'm imagining) and brown is both timeless and modern.
And if the pattern is something you don't really care for either, you can always cut the blocks up and make them look really different! Can't remember where I've seen that done, and I think it would take some nerve to cut up finished blocks, but it could be fun! (and I mean cutting them into maybe 4 parts, not cutting the fabrics out & starting over...)
Let us know what you do when you get there!
Florence

[Diana U.]

Are you using the blocks to make a quilt for you, or did your neighbour fall in love with the blocks and wants you to make her a quilt? That could make a difference in how you proceed.
If you are doing this for yourself, you could overdye the blocks, that way you could modernize the colour scheme and make it easier to find fabric for borders and sashings.
Or, you could just sew the blocks together without borders or sashings and bind the quilt with a "close enough" fabric.

Jean in Windsor, ON

[Hannelore N.]

No suggestions from me, because you don't actually say if you like the blocks/colours. What you do with them would very much depend on that.

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

Hi Judy,

As has been said, lots of great suggestions here.

Just to amplify what was said in an earlier post, I'd put them up in a place where you can catch a glimpse of them from time to time. Let your brain just cogitate on them for awhile. Quite often your unconscious mind will reach a conclusion on what to do and inform your conscience mind what the plan is.

This is the approach I take when I'm participating in our local quilt shop's challenge. They typically have chosen 4 fabrics out of which you have to make a quilt. Oftentimes the choices are not to my taste. I still "force" myself to take on the challenge even if I dislike their choices of materials (everyone's taste is different). I've been pleasantly surprised by the outcome in the past.

Also, I've used this approach to design in general. The "mason" quilt I'm working on now (it's in my show and tell section) caused me quite a headache. I had the whole quilt designed, and I had allocated a particular size area to include Mason's name. However, he had one too many letters for everthing to fit easily in the space using readily available (EQ6) paper pieced letters. I left the materials and the nearly assembled quilt out for weeks so I could see it as I went about my business. Eventually my unconsious mind annouced what the solution was and I was back on track again. And, to top it all off, I really do like how that name block came out! I was afraid it would end up looking like I forced it into the design instead of being a real part of the design.

Sharon

[Judy M.]

Judy, I think you need to decide if YOU even like the fabric & blocks. If you don't, just put them away and don't waste the time on something you don't like. In 20 yrs. maybe those colors will come back in style and you'll really want to work on those blocks. Judy in Torrance