Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Time well spent


Time spent doing nothing is also well spent :o)

This is one of those days when I have a lot to do,
but I am not getting much done.
Decided to play around with some scraps from my aunt's collection.

Last summer I got the rest of my aunt's fabric collection.
She does not enjoy to sew with machine anymore due to an eye injury,
so I got her fabrics and I have given her some abandoned cross stitch embroidery kits and
abandoned half done cross stitch embroideries from when DDs was toddlers.
A good trade for both parties :o)

I have already made one quilt from the fabrics, to my aunt's DH's 70th anniversary in 2005. It was very well received and my aunt recognized her favourite fabrics.
I am not sure, but I think I remember these blocks are 12" square - or maybe not.......





Many of the fabrics that are left are not prints and most of them are sheet and curtain quality,
stiffer than what we buy for patchwork these days.
Anyway - these fabrics will be used,
and I will give these quilts to my favourite cause - children with cancer - through the Norwegian Quilt Association.
I am mixing in my own fabrics where it gives the projects a lift,
so fabric collection wise it is good in several departments.

I have cut strips 2,5" wide and used the 45 degree angle on my ruler to make these blocks.
I have seen the pattern referred to as Bento Box,
but doing a search on the internet another pattern came up all the time,
and I could not be bothered to look through all the links.
I did however find this:

'O-bento' is what the Japanese call a packed meal, usually lunch. Bento boxes have internal dividers, and sometimes several stacked layers, so different kinds of food sit in their own little compartments. (This is nice if, like me, you don't necessarily like to mix flavours!) The whole thing is usually wrapped together with chopsticks in a cloth or special bag, and the goal is to make the whole package as attractive as possible - from considering the colour combinations of the food and presenting and garnishing it as neatly and artfully as you can, to co-ordinating the box, chopsticks and wrapper, and any other items like paper napkins, knife and fork or spoon, drink flask or thermos.

If you are into trivia, more on Bento Box here

According to the description on Bento Boxes I guess these blocks can qualify -
internal dividers and all.
It is nice to play with other fabrics than my own and take the challenge of making something from it. :o)

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the bento box lesson. They are really lovely-and the blocks are nice too:)hugs

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  2. These blocks are very nice. I really like the color choices. I did make a bento box pattern which was differnt than yours, but I like yours better. I do think you got a fair trade.

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  3. I love those pyramids! What a nice way to use scraps.

    Inga

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  4. This pattern looks different that the half log cabin block I've seen called Bento Box.

    I've been looking for a pattern to make a similiar block to these but the one I saw only used 2 strips not 3 like yours. Can you tell the measurements you're using for the strips and then to cut the triangles? Thanks.

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  5. i love the way you are using the colors and fabrics of your aunts

    ReplyDelete

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