Golden Gate #3

Pattern Inspiration: Gate #3

The beauty in this gate, I think, is in the combination of patterns.

The sunburst in the lower portion is fun, and despite the fairly drab mustard color paint (which, as you can see, I tried to "liven up" with some blues and greens), the overall effect is fairly happy-making. Plus, if you look carefully, you can see the sun reflecting one of the heart-shaped side gate patterns to the right of the door! But my favorite part of this whole setup is the design at the top.

Big surprise there! There are lines or breaks in the gate that split the squares into triangles, making this a smorgasbord of triangle piecing. So, in other words, get ready to see some triangulation... my own definition of it, anyway... I already bought the fabric for this one.

Stay tuned for updates, or head on over to my Instagram feed to see my work in progress.

Thanks for all the support, guys!

-Ashley

Golden Gate #2, check!

Oh, the diamonds! The four-point stars!

This project had it all. Geometry, measuring, and a lot of free-wheeling. You might remember that I am a self-proclaimed "triangle-phile," and well, I do believe that I'd like to officially add diamonds (rhombuses, if you will) to my list of sewing shape celebrities.

As you can see, I marked the quadrants. My philosophy on marking is to err on the side of YES. Even though it can be (or it IS) tedious, I find that it pays off, especially when geometric shapes are involved!

But wait. What started out as an exploration of these four-pointed rhombi quickly moved into a focus on what I determined to be the negative space of this quilting design... the star.

Here you can see the free-motion doodle I placed into this star-shaped area. It not only made the diamond "pop," or "puff" up, but the use of blue thread gave the star area its own stand-out design.

Thanks for all of your support!

See any gates out there you think I'd like? Let me know on Instagram with the hashtag #gatesofthesunset, or tweet me @alphabetashley!

See you soon!

-Ashley

Golden Gate #2

Pattern Inspiration: Gate #2

This gate is almost begging to be made into a quilt design.

You'll find this gate, literally, next door to GG#1 on 12th Avenue just off of Judah street. It just goes to show how packed this neighborhood is with these delicious doorways! One of my favorite parts of this door is the top right section, where the top of the middle diamond is shorter, giving it more of a gemstone shape. I still can't figure out if that's an optical illusion or not. Any mathematicians out there? In any case, I love this gate.

It's essentially made from blocks of four 60 degree diamonds whose points join in the middle. Speaking of which, I just watched this great free tutorial by Liza Lucy on Creativebug in which she shows how to cut these very diamonds! Ha. But, I'm still not sure if I'm going to make this gate pattern through piecing, machine quilting... or go crazy and do both!

Stay tuned, or keep up with my progress over on Instagram. Trying this design out with me? Use #gatesofthesunset to show it off!

-Ashley

Golden Gate #1

Pattern Inspiration: Gate #1

I can't help but notice all of the design and quilting pattern inspiration when I walk through my neighborhood in San Francisco. The homes here in the Inner Sunset range from (may my 74 architect friends and family forgive my poor use of terminology) beautifully ornate Victorian single family homes to sparsely ornamented apartment buildings. The landscape changes from street to street, and even within each block. But no matter which avenue you find yourself on, you'll be sure to see a variety of these stunning iron gates.

This one is simply amazing (minus the weed growth in the corner!) and I love it. It's found on 12th Avenue, otherwise known as the flattest avenue, making it a commonly traveled street for me. I'm always struck by its crisp lines, its secondary diamond pattern, and its obvious nod to Art Deco stained glass.

And so begins my pattern inspiration series! If you want to join me on Instagram, use the hashtag #gatesofthesunset, even if you're not physically in the Sunset! Or, like me, if you plan on making a design or quilting pattern inspired by these glorious golden gates, I'd love to see it.

Have a great weekend!

-Ashley