SEW KATIE DID

::Stash Archive Value Quilt::

sewkatiedid — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:09:37 +0000

I’ve been busy cutting and trading charm squares. The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild conducted a charm square exchange and then I’ve been exchanging with friends to add some print variety to my charm collection for an upcoming Value Quilt Workshop.

We’ve been pulling a single color and cutting 6″ squares for the trade. Red, pink, orange, yellow and purple have been covered. Grey tomorrow. I’ve been destashing some extra sets here and there on my Instagram if you are looking to bulk up on some extra of a certain color.

Some of those charms have made their way into this stash quilt. How delightful to see all the fabrics from my stash and others in a single quilt, no control on color, just value.

Now that I have a few of these value quilts, it’s nice to gaze at them and see the fabrics that have disappeared from my stash. A Value Quilt is really a great tool to archive a fabric stash.

Since it kept growing and growing, finally finishing off queen size I decided that an all over quilt design was the way to go and made a date with Sandie to use her long arm. I’m not even sure what this design is called, but it seemed so fitting.

This was my first foray with wool batting. I like it’s loft. It has little grip on the quilt top like cotton, so it will take some practice like all new things.

I considered serging the edge before applying the binding to help with the shifting, but ended up just going the regular route with little trouble. This Aneela Hoey print was stuck in my head as the binding.

This Alexander Henry Smitten Kitten print has been hiding out in the stash for ages. I picked it up for $6 yard on Ebay ages ago. I’m still stashing the blue color way for another back.

It’s actually a print that I would have happily used solo if the yardage was ample, but it needed some width, so I added the blocks.

With the nights in Seattle still being comfortably cool we’ve already gotten some use out of this quilt.

Happy Father’s Day everyone! I’m going back to bed, because I got up way too early.

::Shopping Solids::

sewkatiedid — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:01:43 +0000

I’ve got this Barn Quilt Block idea that I’ve been playing with.

It started with pulling out my Prisma colors that I still have from high school.

Although I’m not much for drawing out quilt design, I still use them here and there when it comes to a traditional square block. My original thought was robin egg blue, white, grey and orange. One of my favorite color ways.

Drygoods Design carries the Michael Miller Cotton Couture which I’m drawn to more and more. The hand is soft and the weight perfect for quilting.

My color way changed when Keli and I picked this Michael Miller Les Amis Ripples flannel up.

Does the color way look familiar?

I put them all together with some purple. It’s interesting how color and value are relative, the purple makes the grey in the flannel appear to have a purple tint. I’m looking forward to working with more of these solids.

Quilt’s basted, quilting tomorrow.

::Scrappalicious Double-Trouble Quilt::

sewkatiedid — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:05:45 +0000

Thanks to Sandie the Double-Trouble quilt is quilted and hopefully bound with Kei Dots (also Sandie’s suggestion) by the time I hit the Gig Harbor Guild tomorrow for a lecture on Quilting Modern.

You know I’ve got a thing for triangles right?

The double-trouble block originated from a quilt we designed for Quilting Modern called Swirling Medallion.

This quilt went through some morphs before ending here with the triple diamonds. Here’s just examples of what you can do with this block.

Chevrons or zig-zags.

Multiple diamonds.

Blocks on point.

Alternating side blocks,

and my favorite, the big radiating diamond medallion.

I have a bunch of leftovers that I’m hoping will make it into something soon.

Looking at these photos makes me so happy to have a large grey design wall now.

Happy Tuesday!

::Virgencitas::

sewkatiedid — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:44:29 +0000

No one does Mexican folklore fabric like Alexander Henry. I’d like to know the story behind what draws them to this genre of art?

I picked up more of the La Virgencita line when I saw it at Island Quilter. Island Quilter carries two color ways and they ship!

I’ve now made an apron and a set of pillows for Christmas time with the purple color way. The metallic bling adds some nice depth.

The tea colored background made it into the back of my Seam Ripper IPA quilt. I really wanted to showcase this fabulous print and did not piece a thing into the backing.

I bought some more to make my sister-in-law pillows for her birthday. Raised in Catholic schools she has collected virgin statues for years.

My new favorite this year that Island Quilter has is Lupe. It’s a delicate print that will make its way into napkins or little girl projects.

Perfect Sunday Stash!

::Hexying::

sewkatiedid — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:18:36 +0000

Officially a verb.

Only one more row to sew by machine.

Inspired by this fantastic load of laundry that is actually fun to fold.

This sample will be hanging soon for the machine quilting hexagon workshop in July.

::Stash Additions::

sewkatiedid — Mon, 27 May 2013 16:24:27 +0000

When I shop with Quilt Sandwich, I drop a load into my cart and then edit myself back out. I like to curate a coordinating stack with one focus print and its supporters. I grew up in a household of Japanese art, brought back by my folks when we were living in Tokyo. Not all Japanese fabric speaks to me, but the whimsical Alexander Henry Anasema Doll fabric did.

Only Alexander Henry would think to add the detail of a heart to make this doll’s lips.

The others are stunningly detailed too.

The hair, the kimonos and the background all shine.

I paired some small scale Lizzy House Pearl and Circles in grass green and this other almost solid called Piper Scales in orange made by Dear Stella.

The black and white flower is by Erin McMorris. She does flowers well and I stopped by her booth to tell her so.

Look what she’s got coming for us! I’m buying this whole modern line for sure.

Hope you’re having a great weekend. I was ready for some down time after Quilt Market and Jacquie’s and my workshops last week.

::Market and Quilting Modern::

sewkatiedid — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:14:33 +0000

Jacquie and I will be hooking up today at 3pm for a book signing at the Interweave (F+W) booth here in Portland at Market. I’ll hope to get an updated photo today.

I wanted to drop a late minute reminder to those of you thinking of attending our workshops at Island Quilter this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that there are a couple spots left. Lodging is available (in fact Jacquie and I will be staying at Camp Burton too!) Really hope you can come take in a class and some time on the island.
Quilting Modern Workshops at Island Quilter on Vashon Island May 20th, 21st and 22nd are up on the website!

Lodging at Camp Burton is available from Sunday May 19th through May 23rd. Choose from single, double and triple occupancy. Please contact Island Quilter with any questions in regards to lodging.

Please be sure to check the current ferry schedule for departure times and which terminal location is best for you.

Here’s the line-up:

Slice and Dice Workshop/Slice and Insert Technique and Projects:

Monday, May 20th from 10am-5pm/snacks and light lunch included.

Join authors Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen for a full day workshop focusing on the improvisational Slice and Insert piecing technique from their book Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts. Learn the basic technique and a new adaptation, a foolproof strategy for matching inserts, simple techniques for adding complexity to a design as well as how to work with even width and wedge shaped inserts. Combine simple sewing with a new skill and create your own linear design. Katie and Jacquie will share quilts from the book as well as new designs to inspire you.

All Hexagons All the Time Workshop:

Tuesday, May 21st from noon-6pm/snacks included

Love hexagons, but dread hand piecing? Love sewing hexagons by machine, but find marking tedious? Be prepared to love machine-piecing hexagons and master the dreaded Y-seam with ease. Students will make the All Hexagons All the Time lap-sized quilt and sew all those hexagons with no marking. In addition Katie and Jacquie will teach a quick and easy technique for cutting all those hexagons in no time.

Going Crazy Workshop/Modern Crazy Piecing:

Wednesday, May 22nd from 10am-5pm/snacks and light lunch included.

Step into the present with this modern version of crazy piecing from the Going Crazy Chapter in Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts. Katie and Jacquie’s free-flowing take on this technique will leave you inspired to find a place for crazy-piecing in every project! Once you’ve mastered the technique, we’ll focus on finding a place for those crazy pieced sections in your quilt. Jacquie and Katie will share multiple projects to spark your creativity and set you on the path to your own crazy-pieced design.

We’re really looking forward to these workshops!

::Echino::

sewkatiedid — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:28 +0000

Drygoods Designs had a lovely pillow made with this line of Echino in their spring window for awhile. Keli always creates such showstopper windows.

I love the colors, the patchwork look and the different print designs of each square. I got to thinking of the condition of our couch cushions, especially after Jefe’s wine glass got into a fight with that lego piece and peppered them in red. I started formulating a pillow plan.

The Starfruit Michael Miller Cotton Couture might or might not become piping. I plan on combining these with some other Echino in my stash. The shop also carries an extra wide muslin that I like to line my pillows with.

Drygoods is celebrating their anniversary! Here’s the details:

It starts on Monday and ends Friday night. Code is HAPPY30 – spend $30 on fabric (not other products) and receive 30% off. A lucky shopper who uses the code will be announced to receive their order on us (all purchases made with the code will be entered into a drawing).

Happy Shopping! I’m having a great time at Quilt Market so far.

::Nine-Boxed Quilt::

sewkatiedid — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:47:43 +0000

Some quilts take time to finish. Mostly because those other quilt ideas get in the way. Sometimes even those quilts take awhile too. I’m pretty sure I have a box of those “ideas.”

When I looked at the November date on this photo and the rainy blustery day I was thankful that it looked like this today.

Nine-Boxed’s original story and making details are here, but as I said it sat for awhile and on a quilting exhibition to Sandie’s for another quilt I thought why not just quilt it too. She happen to have this design board already loaded so we went with it.

I’ll admit this quilt has grown on me a bit. I wasn’t so sure I liked it at first and am now kinda wishing as I look at the photo that maybe I could have at the very least thrown it in the dryer for a bit to decrease it, poor thing has been rolled up in the closet for a month or longer.

In person it is really the Carolina Chambray that makes all those bits shine. The blocks consist of a simple nine-patch made improvisationally. Links to a few tutorials on the technique are also available on the original post about this quilt.

My twist was adding in a block when creating the nine-patch block that was entirely made of strip-piecing. I’ve got a whole tote that contains scraps that are strips and they were calling me. There are some goodies in there.

I also added a block of background fabric into the nine-patch construction here and there. I always like that “floating” look.

Backing I bought ages ago on sale when Drygoods first opened and for the binding I revisited that scrap strip tote for scraps of binding left over from other quilts.

It has no home yet.

I’m off to market tomorrow and then teaching workshops with Jacquie on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Come join us if you can!

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::Happy Mother’s Day::

sewkatiedid — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:22:25 +0000

We’re lying low for Mother’s Day. We have a family dinner planned and the rest of the day is designated for cleaning out the ~~new~~ old Vanagon we just purchased. I’m promised a new hoodie from our neighborhood brewery once they are back in stock, but only on the condition that I retire my old Tractor Tavern one. It said so in the card.

I treated myself to a spree at Stash in Columbia City. Happy Mother’s Day to me!

The summer like weather in Seattle has gotten the best of me and I put together this combo while I was in the shop. Stash is carrying a load of the Michael Miller Cotton Couture. The quality and softness of these solids is incredible. I narrowed it down to these four and the prints.

I think I’ll splash in some dusty purple from my stash to pull in the Alexander Henry. I’m so drawn to the colors of this print.

I’ve purchased this Tula Pink in another color way at Stash. This is just another example of an good active solid. Something to help meld other prints together in a quilt.

Roan, always such a serious child, gave me this for Mother’s Day. I’m off to be as nice as a ninja, though I might skip being like a hippo and go for a run instead considering the amount of bacon and pancakes I just ate.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all.