I am in progress with these I will applique them onto a tote bag or other small project.

Any suggestions for projects to add them to is welcome. I don't do big quilts but any smaller suggestions would be helpful.

More kaleidoscopes

Send them to me ;)

Seriously I think wall hangings would be awesome!

Good idea I'll have to mull over design ideas! OH I hate to spend time designing--not!!! I'd rather play on my EQ than eat!!

Really beautiful k-blocks! Thanks for sharing. :lol:

Those are all gorgeous!!!!!
They will be great on the totes! Table runner and placemats would be another option.

Those are awesome. I want to do a kaleidoscope one day. It's on my list. Hope I do as well as you.

Very pretty. I wish I could do that.

Those look so neat! How about making table toppers?

What is a table topper?

Why don't you do big quilts? Your blocks are beautiful!!

They are wonderful! Wall hangings, placemats, totes, candle mats, embellished clothing all come to mind.

I don't do big quilts because I get bored too easy and I don't have the time. I detest long seams. It is awkard under my needle and I have a hard time with a lot of bulk. I did one queen size several years ago but I wasn't selling my miniaitures to a local gift shop then and I did it all by hand over one winter before I had grandkids every weekend.
I spend most of each day piecing small items like hotpads checkbook covers bookmarks and lots more for a local store so I really don't have the time.
I am going to be taking my stuff to Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant Iowa this fall. I want to use the kaleidoscopes for totes but would like to try some new ideas. Hence the cry for help.

What exactly is a candle mat? Just a small quilt that sits under a candle?

If you'd like to learn to make the kaleidoscopes you can see my directions on my FREE teaching site http://www.bitsnpiecesworkshop.com
I just put the directions on there earlier this week. Every thing on there is free!! I love making them they are so much fun to make.

Rhonda,
A table topper is a round or square mat that is used on a table, similar to what a doily used to be used for. I have seen them done in hexagon and round shapes also. Size depends on the size of the table.

A candle mat is a smaller topper similar to a coaster, but large enough to sit under a candle.

Your kaleidoscopes are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your directions. You could certainly use them on anything .... including appliqued to a square for a pillow.

Thanks for the ideas! I wasn't familiar with the table topper term. I have made coasters out of the smaller ones. But other than hotpads I haven't tried any other projects with them in the past.

Those are really pretty!
I think on totes, table runners, candle mats....maybe a lap quilt.......

Really delicate and pretty looking kalidascopes [sp]. I put your free lesson on my favs. Thanks!

Oh Rhonda.....stunning love that pattern.......another one I'll just have to try real soon.....Thank you ......:-)

those are just beautiful!!! you have a great eye for seeing the best places to cut for a stunning result. :thumbup:

Those are stunning - I can't add anything to the above suggestions but I'd go with wall hangings! Maybe several small ones then group them together on a large wall. Then you won't get bored and you get a 'quick' reward. You don't have to finishe them all at once, you could add to the 'group' over time.

Now I'm going to look at your site for instructions, oh my to do list is huge and the garden is calling for attention but I just can't resist these!!!

K x

I have got to learn to do that! They're gorgeous!!!!!!

The trick to getting great kaleidoscopes is picking the right fabric. I explained this in the directions. I did some once with fabric that had a collage of kitchen items and it was ok but I wasn't real happy with it but I did sell the hotpads I made from it so it was ok. But I prefer the more dainty look of the flowers. I made some recently from a bird fabric and am not real happy with it so I didn't show it here. I think it looks funny to see a bird head repeated around the circle!! It one of them the head is chopped off and my mom didn't like that!

you have a done a beautiful job with these! I have bookmarked your instructions. I can't imagine me being able to do something that beautiful but I am going to give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing your work and instructions.

If you use a clear plastic for your template and use a marker to trace the features of the spot you choose so you can set it on the next repeat spot you will find it is so easy and fun!! If you have any problems just let me know. I have to tweak the size of my template some times to get the sections to join right and lay down right. It is so rewarding and surprising to see the kaleidoscope(wish it had a shorter name!) come together because you never know what it will look like til you get at least half of it together! I really enjoy them!
I hope to see what everyone does with theirs!!

Gosh, I don't know how to help ya, but they sure are pretty... Hrmmmm small? A wall hanging, maybe on totes or a lapquilt, table runner

Your projects are beautiful!!

I just took a kaleidoscope class on Saturday. What a fun new way to make a quilt!!

Have you posted any pics???? Turn about is fair play!! I showed you some of mine so now we want to see yours!! :D :D

I am working on appliquing a kaleidascope to a canvas tote. When I get it done I will post a picture. Someone suggested I do a wall hanging with them and I like that idea so I will probably try that next.

Rhonda, I'm wondering if you could shortcutt the K. process by using Bethany Reynolds Stack N Whack method? It seems to me that it would work and you wouldn't have to make templates. I've THOUGHT about trying it for kaleidescopes like yours, but I haven't tried it yet.

The stack and whack is similar in method but I like the dresden plate shape and the stack and whack I have seen is a triangle shape. It is really all in what you want it to look like.
I think the template method is really easy so I like doing it. The only hard part is erasing the tracing from the template between one K and the next. Which really isn't anything really.
I also like to pick out the sections that I think will get a neat or pretty K
It satisfies my creative need!
I do miniatures mostly so this seems big to me and is easier on my hands. I like doing applique but it doesn't sell as well as my miniatures so I don't sit and mess with the K's as much as I'd like. I am going to try a local fall festival so maybe the K's will go better there! Time will tell!
Thanks for thinking of me and your suggestion is a good one. I have never tried it because I have been playing with dresden K's for years before I ever heard of the stack and whack.

I would love to try this after I finish with my WIP. I would applique the pattern and echo quilt like Hawaiian quilt. Would that turn out cute?

I'm not familiar with a Hawaiin quilt. What is echo quilt? Is that where you quilt a little apart from the applique? I don't know how to do anything but quilt in the ditch. I have a 1950 reproduction Singer of a 1850 machine so it is only basic sewing no extras. I can't lower the feed dogs I've tried.

Those are so pretty and interesting. A wall hanging would be very interesting! Post picture with the finished projects!

When i do appliqué I generally (hand) quilt in the ditch AND echo about an eighth of an inch - relly makes the shape stand out!!!

K x

I do a lot of Drunkard's Path projects. I bet that would really make them look good also! I'll have to try it. I do all of mine on the machine tho I used to only do hand quilting but I have too much quilting to get done each day to take the time to hand quilt much. I like to sew my appliques on with a herringbone embroidery stitch by hand but that is about all I do by hand anymore.

I have some pieces that I got off of ebay a long time ago. haven't gotten to sewing them as of yet.
My question is...there is a hole in the middle of yours. Is there ALWAYS a hole? I don't think I like that idea....how do you cover it?

I chose to clip my template shorter so I didn't have to deal with the ends all meeting in the middle. You don't have to you can have yours without the hole but I just make a yoyo and sew it over the hole or I thought I might try doing the herringbone stitch around the raw edge in the middle and add a button in the center. It's just a design choice. I hate to mess with the center getting all puffy so I don't do it that way. It 's just like the center of an eight ponted star. You just have to be good at getting the fabric joined right so it doesn't puff up and I am not that great at it so I skip it. It's the easy way out for me.
When I learned to do a friendship circle that is how it was done on those with the yoyo in the center.