Caledonia Calling: Green Scrappy Lattice Quilt Top

 

 Caledonia : Green Scrappy Lattice Quilt Top

I started this quilt back in February / March, with thoughts of Scotland in my mind.  Ahhhh! 

 

 

Green Scrappy Lattice Quilt blocks laid out on the design wall.    This is not quite the finished layout, but getting closer!

It may still change before settling on a final layout, but we're getting there ...  From this smaller picture, I can see that too many of the plaids are lined up on the diagonal.  I'll have to mix those in a little better now, too.  

 

How the light and dark green blocks came together. 

A simple solution for the corner blocks.

 

Donna Jordan has a tutorial for how to make this quilt with scraps [See video linked below ...].    

I used a couple of green jelly rolls from Nana's Creations on Etsy, because I liked the combination of greens and textures she put together.   

 

Donna Jordan recommends using printer paper as a paper piecing template, cut to an 8-1/2 inch square.

I made strip sets out of the jelly roll strips (6 strips), and then subcut them into 6 inch blocks laid diagonally on the paper.  Then you can fill in the corners with whatever you like that contrasts.    

 

The next step is to iron the blocks flat, and then trip off anything that goes beyond the paper. 

 

I have lots of those triangles trimmed from the corners -- so I worked them into a border ...  flying geese and pin wheels.

Then I had to tear off all the backing paper.  That was easier than I thought it would be because the stitch length was shorter than usual and did a nice job of perforating the paper.  This was suitable work for one of my Quilt Ladies groups where you have to bring handwork while you chat with the Ladies. 

  

Once the blocks were all ready to go, they went up on the design wall to audition placement for the final layout.  This was the initial trial run ...  I was not so impressed with it in this first go round with the bright greens on one end and the dark greens on the other.  They needed to be better integrated ...

  My young artist friend Aidin came to visit and he gave me a helpful design consult.

 

 

 

Detail shot of the pin wheel border, made from all those cut-off corner triangles.  I didn't have enough to go the whole border, but I think the asymmetry works here. 

Detail shot of the flying geese border blocks, made from cut-off triangles.  I just couldn't bear to throw those away!
 

I am very happy with the way this quilt turned out. ;-) 

 

 Donna Jordan's Easy Tutorial for Scrappy Lattice Quilt.

 Dougie MacLean singing Caledonia.

 

Back from Scotland April 2026

Waterlogued image of the ruined Castle Locranza, at the top of Isle of Arran. 

I am just back from a trip to Scotland with my old friend, J.  This is our third trip (in the last 20 years) to see Scotland together.  This time we focused on Isle of Arran and Loch Lomond.  I picked the general areas to explore this time, and J did arrangements (the logistics) to make it happen.  

Between Arran and Loch Lomond, we stopped at the beautiful Lochwinnoch wetland bird sanctuary.  I must have been so overcome by the beauty that I neglected to take any pictures there.  We took a nice walk along the paths and watched the birds over the water there.  Very nice!  

The "Big Loom" at The Weaver's Cottage in Kilbarchan, Scotland.

We also stopped at The Weaver's Cottage, a Scottish National Trust site.   There were three people there working, and no other visitors, so we had their full attention. They have a very large and old loom set up for demos.  It was weighted down with old curling stones (The big round stones on the floor).  The other really unusual thing about it was that the treadles were built into a pit in the floor -- That's how big this loom was!  It was set up for twill when we were there.  You can see the additional reeds hung on the wall above the fireplace.

 

 

The Master Weaver explains ...

  

Here we are "talking shop" at the end of the tour.  The master weaver lady asked me if I wove, and I showed her pictures of my 2 overshot coverlets.  She was quite impressed, as overshot is a very different style from the tartans they were weaving in Scotland as displayed on the wall.

They also asked about American quilts ... and it occurred to me that those are two of the great innovations of America in terms of creativity: overshot weaving patterns and quilting designs. 

It has inspired me to get going on a new project on my own looms.  I do miss the physical act of weaving, and have been paralyzed as to what to do next.  Seems like that would be a good time to work up a kit?  I am waiting for my husband to set up the sectional beam on the "little" 4-shaft loom before I start another coverlet. 

Waterlogued image of a hawk at the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Center.

We also visited The Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Center where we got to see many raptors up close and personal, along with an informative demonstration.   The thing that surprised me the most was the fact that people don't need a license for falconry in Great Britain.  Because it's centuries old, people think it's their right, never mind that they don't know how to treat / handle the birds.   It's easy to mess them up.    Much of their work revolves around education and conservation, with some rehabilitation.

This visit has inspired me to work on the next Quilt Jam Challenge Quilt ...  Stay Tuned! 

But first, here are a few more pictures from the trip:

 The Cal-Mac ferry that runs between Arrun and the mainland with a stunning rainbow.

 

 

Waterlogued image of Goatsfell, the highest point on Isle of Arran.   

It's just a little too short to be classified a mountain.

 

Waterlogued image from along the water's edge at Brodick, Isle of Arran.  

The clouds are obscuring the highlands in the distance.

  

 

Waterlogued image from my hotel room at the Balloch Hotel with a view of the River Leven and out to Loch Lomond.  Lots of boats, but not so many people as it was still early in the tourist season.  

  

Waterlogued photo of the Castle at Balloch, along River Leven and Loch Lomond. 

 

Waterlogued image of Ben Lomond from on the water of Loch Lomond.  

 

Waterlogued image of a Red Canoe on the shores of Loch Lomond, Scotland.

  

 

Friends for Life! 

M & J on Sweeny's boat tour of Loch Lomond. 

Colors of Scotland

I ordered this 3/2 cotton Sherwood Forest warp from Blazing Shuttles.  She's an amazing Dyer who's been at it since the 1970s, so she's honed her craft well.  Usually her stuff sells almost as soon as she posts it to her shop website (or in live classes).  This set stayed up on her website longer than usual ...  [I get why she doesn't put much in her shop -- The documentation to post a product takes a lot of time and effort.  I have seen photos of her at her live workshops with tables piled high with painted warps.  I suspect that is where she sells most of her wares.  And many weavers have multiples of her warps in their stash.]

Fairy Glen by Gerry MacDonald Artist [Photo from here.]

The colors kept haunting me -- There was something familiar about it, and then I realized it reminded me of Fairy Glen on The Isle of Skye when we visited in May a few years ago.  Yes-- much more red than I expected.  Kind of like this Sherwood Forest Warp!   You don't really think of the rust / red as part of the Scottish landscape, but there it is ...

This photo does not show the colors as I remember them that day.  I seem to have lost a bunch of my own pics from that era.  Alive only in my memory now.  ;-(

I wanted to get a Blazing Shuttles Warp in part to study it:

• How far apart are her color intervals?  
• How do they move across the warp?
• How do the colors transition?
• What should I use for a companion warp?
• What weaving pattern should I use to highlight the warp (not lose it).

 

Highlands ... In the Distance - Let's Do 52 - Week 17

In the Distance - View from The Old Man of Storr - Isle of Skye, Scotland

Same image as above but made black and white

with Silver Effects Pro - "Wet Rocks" Filter.

Which do you prefer?

I think the reason I love this landscape is because it reminds me of a whale coming up for air, and the hump in the middle in it's dorsal fin breaking the water. 

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Water Lilies at Dunvegan Castle Gardens - Isle of Skye Scotland

These water lilies were absolutely gorgeous and blooming while we were visiting Skye.  I think I had every one of these water lily varieties in my own pond at one time or another.  They seemed like old friends coming out to greet us!

 

This GIANT anemone also caught my eye.

 Thistles and Sea Holly.

 

Incredible Astilbe gardens there, too!

 

 

 And 2 waterfalls.

 My Travel Buddy and meal splitter : Janice B.

 

Setting the place : Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Again, this camera just did not do the skies there any justice.

View from near the Castle, looking out over the Loch.

Glen Elg Scenic View in Western Scotland

These gorgeous landscapes in Scotland!  

These pictures do not do those gorgeous skies any kind of justice.

Magnificent and ever changing -- not washed out as seen here.

Fireweed along the scenic view.  

 Glen Elg area, Western Scotland.

Lovely fig and goat cheese salad (artfully presented) for lunch at the Glenelg Inn, with a "manly" Victorian pink lemonade to drink.

 

This is what else was on the menu that day.

 It's these little hidden gems that make having a guide so worth while!

We never would have found this place otherwise.