::Different Perspectives::

Wanted: Seattle Quickbooks for Mac expert willing to trade for fabric or instruction!

I feel like I’m spinning my wheels here.  I finally stepped up to getting Quickbooks.  This led to upgrading my operating system which caused Word and other programs to be incompatible.  It sadly doesn’t stop there…I seem to have something not quite right with my systems preferences, so my folders and documents won’t open and to boot, everything I created on Friday doesn’t exist.  Insert deep breath here and acknowledge that Rome wasn’t build in a day.  I wish I wasn’t such a neophyte when it comes to computers, but I’ve come a long way.

The drag is, I haven’t had an ounce of time to sew.  The good news is classes are going well.  I’m in catch-up mode to show you all what we’ve been doing since I myself have nothing.

Last weekend at Make*Do*Mend Studio we covered what you can do with the Double Trouble Block.  It was fun to have the class filled with students from other classes plus a newbie.

A full class in itself is the best teaching tool because you have multiple fabric combinations that you didn’t pick out that create different looks.

Lights, darks, prints and solids all look different when laid out.  The design layout that the students are drawn to give you more examples of what the block can do.

Petrina had completely revamped her design once she got home.

Allison changed up her fabrics last minute so she could include them all.

Noelle went all solids and for some reason I’m lacking a photo.

It was convenient to have Drygoods Designs right next door when the design needed something added.

And what’s a trip to a fabric shop without a purchase?  Check out these beauties.  I’m in love with this Cloud 9 and that Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet, well I want it in every color.  On the bottom there, flannel!  Already have a quilt that this will back.

Wish me luck with Quickbooks!

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::Seeing Value Workshop:: $85 Saturday, January 19th from 10am-4pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio.

Learn how color value can transform your quilt making design process.  Create multiple designs with your newfound knowledge of value and simple half square triangles.  All levels of sewists welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

::Whole Cloth Quilt Finishing Class:: $85/Tuesdays, January 22nd and 29th at Make*Do*Mend in Ballard.  Quilt top, batting, and a backing…baste, quilt, and bind!  Learn the essential basics of finishing a quilt without piecing a thing!  Create a simple crisp modern baby quilt while learning the process.  Quilting designs with a walking foot will be a covered.  Walking foot required.

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::Seattle Modern Quilt Guild Holiday Sew-In::

I’m kind of a mess, so yesterday it was a blessing to be surrounded by friends, and many whom I consider family at The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild’s Holiday Sew-In at Island Quilter on Vashon Island.

Island Quilter’s bright and large space accommodated our large group.

It was Merry Christmas to us, because Anja and Paul opened up what they call “The Vault.”  Which meant there were loads of out of print fabrics for us to purchase!  I went home with some Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet.

Working on gifts was of course high on the agenda and I heard between the mimosa’s and cookies that some made it a highly productive day.

I managed some infinity scarves and an apron.  I love the pharmacy on the island too for gifts and picked up some awesome stocking stuffers.

A little show and tell of our newest baby quilt.

Thanks to all who made it a great time!  You are all sunshine on a cloudy day and I really needed it.

xo

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::Sunday Stash on Monday::

Saturday I headed over to Vashon to teach an apron class.  This class was somewhat out of the norm for me to teach, but I generally make a stack of aprons around the holidays as gifts, so I thought I’d pass that knowledge along.

I wish I would have thought to get a photo of everyone while they were still there.

These two ladies were friends and we had a great time.  My favorite part as always is to see what fabrics people pair.

The dolls with the Denyse Schmidt Vine on the reverse was my favorite combo.

I also plan on making myself an apron with the Virgencita and those Kaffe triangles.

Already made pillows with this fabric.  Island Quilter also had it in the off white background.

This new Alexander Henry I couldn’t break free from.

The scale is HUGE.  Skirts, backed with flannel whole cloth baby quilt…not sure what I’ll do with this one.

I really wanted to get some of the Kaffe Fasset Voile for more infinity scarves.  It was the first time I’ve laid eyes on it, but I’m already overloaded with the Anna Maria Horner line so I had to stop there.

This Saturday will be the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild’s Sew-In at Island Quilter from 10am-6pm.  Grab some friends (all welcome!) and your projects for the day.  I really think this is to be an event not to be missed.

Island Quilter will be selling out of print fabrics at a good fair price and have the rest of the store 20% off!

Hope to see you there!

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::Psychedelic Baby Block Class::

I taught the Psychedelic Baby Block class for the first time on Saturday.  I learned a lot about the direction I would like to see this class go.  In fact, I see a weekend workshop in the future!  We’ll all be getting together in the new year for some further instruction as they grow their quilt.

Top of the list favorite when teaching is seeing the ‘fabric personalities’ of students as their projects evolve.

Michelle just went for it, stepping out to make some additional solids purchases to ground her Kaffe prints.

Sarah’s fabrics and colors matched what she was wearing.

Students provide great teaching examples through their individual fabric choices.  I like to use their projects to help explain what happens when certain fabrics are chosen and how they can interact.  Sarah’s was a good example of using tone on tone prints and/or small scale prints to provide the look of a solid.

My other Sarah has a fondness for Kona solids, so it was no surprise that she showed up with some lovely colors to choose from.  I think she’ll be thrilled with the progression.

Cathy went all solids as well and had a palette chosen prior to the class.

I never got a good photo of Mary’s.  Her colors were dark and saturated with a punch of hot pink that didn’t show up well in the photos.  She was hoping to go home and place a coordinating print in the center.

When I returned home I had a copy of FabShop’s Webcents in my mailbox.  Guess who was the featured teacher?!  Teresa Coates crafted a great article.

Even though I feel a little weird about the large picture of me, the layout is awesome!  There are also some articles featuring Keli of Drygoods Design and Monica of the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio.

For me today, the stocking sample for my Improv Strip Pieced Oven Mitt or Holiday Stocking Class.

Aliens and VWs, too weird for a Christmas stocking?  Yes or no?

Happy Sunday!  xo

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::Sunspots Quilt::

I miss the sun.  Today I could use some for sure.

So this is as close as it gets to a sunny day in these parts.  The yard needs a mow, there’s morning glory everywhere and now the leaves are coming down, but truthfully, I don’t care.  I’m content to ignore it all and stay inside to sew.

I picked Sunspots up from Krista’s and threw it in the wash this morning along with some other quilts I’ll be showing off here soon.  Krista’s quilting just shrunk in so nicely!

We had fun deciding together what quilt designs should go where as we swilled beer.  I can’t tell you how fun it is to work with a long-arm quilter that you adore.

I’m not sure what quilting element I like most, the swirls within the sun, the way the quilting in the background forms triangles, rectangles and squares,

or that little moon Krista quilted in.

Three awesome quilting elements make this quilt so fun.  Krista’s amazing!

It looks rockin’ from the back too!  So happy, don’t know what I’ll do with it.

Sunspots was inspired by Denyse Schmidt’s Crazy Star from her amazing book Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration.  I avoided the piecing on muslin and strip pieced instead.   The final star is finished like a wonky star nine-patch block.  I just didn’t want fussy or the same size points so this worked nicely for me.

I just dumped out my scrap bin that I use exclusively for strips for this one.  Pulling oranges, reds, yellows and some browns.  I never would have put brown in had it not been for DS’s inspiration.  It makes so much sense to have that dark value of course.

Any one going to the Block Party Quilter’s show this weekend?  I’m thinking of heading over on Friday.

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::West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio Opening::

The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild was lucky enough to test drive the newest sewing studio in town last weekend.  I think I walked around with my jaw dropped.  The space is positively perfect.  It even has a huge couch in the back to hand-stitch hours away!

Monica Skov, who also owns the West Seattle Fabric Company will host an open house at the new space this weekend.

The studio location is at 5910 California SW, 98136, about a mile or so south of the shop.

Doors are open on Saturday the 13th from 11-4pm and Sunday the 14th from noon to 3pm.

Rumor has it there will be prizes, one of which will be a pass to take my Whole Cloth Quilt Class.

In preparation for the class, I swung by the shop today to pick up some fabrics for two new samples.  Cute as heck prints, paired with cozy flannels, my favorite.  I love that Monica carries solid flannels.

And while I was at it, I picked up some other fabrics I’ve been craving.  I seem to be in the mood for blues and purples, eh?!

I look forward to cozying up in this fab space and teaching some classes.  There’s a Modern Charm Quilt on the books too.

Have a great weekend, hope you can make it!

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::Whole Cloth Quilt Finishing Class:: $85 Thursdays, October 18th and the 25th from 6-9 at the West Seattle Fabric Company.

Quilt top, batting, and a backing…baste, quilt, and bind!  Learn the essential basics of finishing a quilt without piecing a thing!  Create a simple crisp modern baby quilt while learning the process.  Quilting designs with a walking foot will be a covered.  Walking foot required.

::Half-Square Triangle Class:: $85/Saturday October 27th from 10am to 4pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio.

This versatile quilt block lends itself to endless designs. We’ll cover quilting basics such as picking fabrics, matching seams and create perfect points.  We’ll play with a layout that suites your style and you’ll walk away with ideas for a multitude of quilts. All level of sewists welcome.

::Modern Charm Quilt:: $85/Thursday November 1st and 8th from 6-9pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio. Proper technique is the foundation of any quilt.  Come learn how to pick and properly cut fabric, match seams and rows and come up with a square quilt in the end.  A great class for all levels of sewists looking to improve technique.

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::Seattle Lone Star Quilt Finish::

What happens when you start piecing stitch and flip triangles and squares into a 16-patch?

Well, a star is born!  In Seattle it is not uncommon to see just a lone star or two in the sky.

The squares in this quilt are scrappy and a bunch are leftovers from the Blind Copilot Quilt in our book Quilting Modern (which is available again btw)!

I love that you can use up the smallest bits of fabric and that I have another sample for my Stitch and Flip Triangle Workshop in November.  You can see a few other great examples of this block in the Quilting Modern Flickr Group.

Krista Wither’s did the quilting.  We collaborated on the design.  I wanted something that would help define the large triangles that formed the star since they were a little off-set.

The background quilting needed to be a bit denser to advance the star and we went with this shape.  It worked out fabulously in my opinion!

Now I can stare at all those little scraps when we read at night.  I’m not much of a wall hanging gal, but if Roan had a larger room this might be up.

I love this Lizzy House print on the back.

After messing around as usual with the back, I went with one lone wonky star and showcased some favorite fabrics in the points.

This quilt will be on display as part on Krista’s exhibit at Island Quilter that opens on Friday night.  Hope to see you there!

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::Improvisational Elongated Triangle Blocks:: $45 Thursday October 4th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Create an edgy block of triangles with this simple improvisational technique. Follow up with an invisible zipper class or create your own quilt. All levels of sewists welcome.

 

::Invisible Zipper Class:: $45/ Thursday, October 11th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Installing invisible zippers if easier than you think. Come learn how to make professional looking pillows, you’ll be hooked! All levels of sewists welcome.

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::Opposing Triangles Remake Quilt Top::

Time for a remake of Opposing Triangles for Krista.  I couldn’t procrastinate it any longer with her exhibit at Island Quilter right around the corner.

We collaborated on the fabric and I went with cutting a bit differently, but overall, the design remained the same.

Oh, and it took a load of pins to get the white outlines to align, plus some quality time with the seam ripper.

All of this was good practice for my improvisational elongated triangle class.  I learned a ton and have a few other designs in the works.  I don’t think I’m going to make it to that new coin quilt or magic number quilt before those classes start.  Hope some of you will want to join me regardless.

There’s something about these triangles that I just love.

The colors are very similar to the first Opposing Triangles, so of course I love it.

I dropped it off on our way out of town to Portland.  I hung out with Jefe for our anniversary.

We did what every happily married couple does for their anniversary, we went to see a soccer game.  Last year Vancouver, and this year Portland.

The in-laws all came, because that’s how it works.  My sister-in-law and I sat snuggly in a suite and the boys with the Sounders crowd.  It’s fun to hear the stories of the former teams from my father-in-law and apparently in 1975 in a playoff between the Sounders and the Timbers there were people in the trees outside the stadium trying to catch a glimpse.

Then we ate and drank ourselves through Portland.  The weather was *%#!ing brilliant to boot!

I have three full days of work and then a load of quilts to bind.

Seattle Star is almost there, it was my road trip project.

Sunspots.

Point A to Point B.

Hopefully, I will be displaying some of them here soon.

Have a great week.

xo

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I got three two spots left in my Improvisational Coin Quilt Class!

::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing and strip piecing while creating a modern coin quilt loosely based on a tradition Chinese Coin Quilt Design. A great quilt to feature your favorite prints. All levels of sewists welcome.

::Magic Number Quilt:: $85 Saturday, September 22nd from 10am to 4pm at theQuilting Loft in Ballard. Pick your favorite fabrics and learn this system of using block sizes that fit together automatically for flexibility in quilt design.

::Seeing Value Workshop:: $85 Sunday, September 23rd from 10am-4pm at Island Quilter on Vashon Island.

Learn how color value can transform your quilt making design process.  Create multiple designs with your newfound knowledge of value and simple half square triangles.  All levels of sewists welcome.

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::Point A to Point B Quilt Top::

I’m calling it Point A to Point B quilt top, not only because of the obvious, but changing directions is my usual mode of operation (or mode of procrastination).

I won’t even bother to show you were I started, but will say it stunk and I had to move forward or backward depending on how you look at it.  Some triangles were saved and others scrapped.  The verb “scrapped’ may be my new favorite.

My next point is I have a new class sample for my Improvisational Elongated Triangle Block Class.

This is good news, except I was really needing to get to work on this Magic Number quilt displayed with sleepy Jefe and TV transfixed small child as a sample for my Magic Number workshop that is offered first (a new coin quilt class sample wouldn’t hurt either).  As I’ve said, I sew much faster in my head than in real life.  There is still time I hope.  For now envision it all pieced and surrounded by that lipstick solid fabric.

Now hold that vision, because I need to get this pieced for Krista into some Osnaburg fabric background by Friday.  This quilt was the original reason for the making of the first quilt and procrastinating the second quilt and so on.  Thank goodness for procrastination or all that collaborating about fabric, quilting other quilts, drinking beer and laughing with Krista might never have happened.

Oh, and look what she sent me yesterday.  Drool.

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::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing and strip piecing while creating a modern coin quilt loosely based on a tradition Chinese Coin Quilt Design. A great quilt to feature your favorite prints. All levels of sewists welcome.

Read Full Post »

::Sunday Stash::

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a Sunday Stash, but yesterday I taught an Improvisational Strip Piecing Workshop at Island Quilter on Vashon and they were having a sale!

So I rounded out my Erin McMorris Park Slope collection.  I don’t know what it is about this line or what the hell I’m going to make with it, but I love it.

My friend/student Suzie juiced up her Martha Negley collection.  I had to resist the feathers.

Their Kaffe Fasset collection and Kaffe Club are massive and I’ve been using a load of the shot cottons they have in stock.

It’s fun to see the full range of the colorways all together, and it keeps going around the corner.  If you are around in October, Kaffe Fasset will be at Island Quilter for a workshop and lecture.

The space is so light and bright and they are so accommodating and hospitable that it is a joy to teach and sew there.

We had fun strip piecing.

We’ve got a Value Class scheduled there next, but I’m also super excited about the Stitch and Flip Triangle Workshop and mostly because of this beauty.

I passed through West Seattle on my way home from the ferry and picked up my Seattle Star from my long arm quilter friend Krista.  Can’t wait to get this bound and some photos up!

Off to work, happy Sunday!

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::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing and strip piecing while creating a modern coin quilt loosely based on a tradition Chinese Coin Quilt Design. A great quilt to feature your favorite prints. All levels of sewists welcome.

Read Full Post »