::Spanking New Baby Quilt::

Baby shower (and baby) up and coming.  The baby, boy or girl, unknown.  My friend, like I, is one of the few that waits it out and like me she is likely to receive a load of yellow.

But no yellow by me.  Baby quilt here I come, or perhaps a whole cloth quilt is time runs out.

Of course the favorite bit for me is combining fabric.  If I had the room, not only would I be surrounded by padded (design) walls, but inspiring piles of fabric combinations.

So I’m thinking of messing with Magic Number Blocks since the deadline is looming.  Magic Numbers are a block building technique we touch on in Quilting Modern.

I hope to piece a few blocks in Magic Number fashion, but instead of recreating the block over and over like I did here for Scrappy Sunshine, I’m thinking to frame them in solids to save time.

Off to run and then work, but Sunday…sew, sew, sew!

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::Close to Finished::

I’ve made some major progress on two quilts in the past few days.

Anything Goes is quilted.  The vertical lines you all gave me the go on look awesome!  I didn’t go organic in their nature, but stick straight.

There are a few blocks that float off the edge of the quilt.  I created a binding with the same strip piecing as the blocks to complete the missing side.  I used the same technique showcased in Fresh Cut.

The front is mostly linen and the back a flannel in deep green.  I used a load of leftover strip piecing and one lonely block to finish it off.  It was a bear to square up in the end and I was happy I’m an over baster, because linen and flannel married like to move around a lot.

My only regret is not going a little further between lines.  The drape of the quilt with these two fabrics was so lovely and next time I’ll give those lines a little more breathing room to keep the softness.

This afternoon with the back door open and that robin singing, I had time to baste Psychedelic Baby.

I’ve got a quilting plan AND the day off tomorrow.

Life is good!

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::Summer Pop Quilt::

The name changed on this quilt.  I finished up the binding on Thursday during some waiting room time.  I was calling it Summer Effervescence, but ‘effervescence’ has been replaced with ‘pop’.

Three reasons for this:

1) Bubble quilting.  Super fun to do.  Jeffrey said he thought I was going to loose my mind doing it, but it’s kind of addicting.  Highly recommend it if you are a newbie to free motion.

2)  Pop Music. The waiting room solidified my distaste for Pop Music, so the word ‘Pop’ stuck in my head.

3) Soda Pop.  I actually drank not one, but two pops as we call it where I come from in one day.  This is unusual for me, but we went all American and had pizza for lunch and cheeseburgers for dinner and pop is the libation of choice with these foods.

The bubbles worked wonderfully on the flannel.  Pulling it out of the dryer was the most joyful experience.

I was concerned that the quilting canceled out the prints, but I actually ended up liking the effect.

By the end I certainly had my stitch length down, thank goodness for flannel, washing and drying to meld all those stitches together.

Plain ole solid binding worked out fabulously.  I think this is Kona Ice Frappe.

Now I need to vacuum up the dust, and LOOK sunshine!  Seattle has only had something like 74 minutes of 80 degree weather this year…polar opposite of the rest of the country eh?

I always like to do a little clean up before I move onto the next project.  It might look something like this.

Pulling from the strips scrap bucket.  It’s too balanced in its blue/orange.  I like to go more one color or another if it’s not scrappy.  Although, now that I’ve seen this wonderfulness I want to abandon it all together.

Do you have proportions of color you aim for or a formula that works for you when choosing prints?

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::A Value Quilt of My Own::

Wow, you all really came out of the woodwork on that last post!  It was delightful to explore some new blogs and I hope I didn’t miss anyone.

Don’t you wish everyone wanted to talk about quilts as much as us?

The quilt on the end of my bed received so much attention that I thought it was time I posted it.

It is the first quilt I’ve EVER made for myself back when I did the Value Quilt Quilt-Along using my Value Quilt Tutorial.

I’ve seen the same design recently on blogs as warm/cool.  From how I understand it, the same designs work with warm and cool half square triangles, because warm colors appear to move forward and cool colors tend to recede.  This contrast makes the design appear, but you still need value or the two triangles will appear blended.

You can learn a little more here.

My value quilt contains a load of larger prints and a high proportion of fabrics that would likely fall under the category of medium value if judged on their own.

Larger prints will generally have a mix of light, medium and dark values, and mediums next to darks or lights will create a less defined line.  These two elements created a quilt where the contrast is low, creating a less defined or blended design.

I also turned some squares to make some of the diamonds one color, ignoring value, which skewed the design in some areas.

I love that it showcases my fabric stash, especially since some of these prints are long gone.

But what I wanted to mention, due to all the comments on the last post was the quilting that was done by the fab and artistic Angela Walters (Quilting Is My Therapy).  I was able to meet up with Angela last Summer when I was visiting Jacquie.  The quilting is dense and amazing.  I only wish I would have made the quilt larger.

From the back the quilting really shines.

The flannel back really showcases it nicely.  I’m glad I only put a few spare hsts on the back.

I chose this print for the binding and never auditioned or doubted it.

My friend Chara did some headshots for the book and we thought it would be fun for some photos even though it didn’t make the final run.

(photo by Chara Michele Photography)

It’s perfect, in every way.  And best of all, It’s mine all mine!

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::Good-Bye Junuary::

First day of Summer and the sun has finally made an appearance in Seattle.

I did make it outside to work in the yard a bit and opened up the doors to mop so I could baste my appropriately named Dreamin’ of Summer Quilt.  Although it is made of flannel so maybe I should stick the word Seattle in its name somehow.

The blocks are left overs as I am trying hard to stick it out on finishing up dropped projects around here.  I think I’m done though, my brain is bubbling with too many new ideas.

Effervescent bubbles were suggested as quilting and I think I might start bigger at the bottom and go smaller as they raise and blow away.  That’s theory though, so don’t quote me.

Seeing as last day of school is today, sewing will take a back seat and slow down.

I loaded up the classes however, cause a girl has got to get out.

Hope you’re all getting some sewing time too.

 

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::Zip It Up::

This past week I’ve been working on getting samples done and Spring classes on the books.  I’ve made many a zip pouch and thought a class would be fun.

They make such great gifts that every sewist should know how to make a professional looking lined pouch.

I figured while I was at it, I would kill two birds with one stone and get the end of the year teacher gifts out of the way.

Last weekend digging through Kathy Mack’s scrap boxes at the Pink Chalk Studio I came up with the scraps to create these beauties!

The Lecien is a new favorite for sure and the trip to her studio inspired me to pull out the covered button bin.  Thanks Kathy!

Again, I dabbled in making Amy Butler’s Stash and Dash bags.  The pattern is just so finicky, or maybe it’s just me?

I actually took the large one apart and put it back together AGAIN before I was happy with it.  When using home decor they say, “no” to stabilizer, but I say, “yes.”

The set will go to my sister-in-law with Ethan and Ella’s quilts.

Off to sew.

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::Tilted::

Love how the quilting turned out on this one!  I didn’t really have a plan and was a bit worried.

Just wish I could get the plum sashing (it’s not brown) around the blocks to photograph correctly.  Brushing up on my photographic skills is quickly plummeting on the list.

I got ahead of myself and ordered some more Smitten Kitten for backing when I found it and then of course switched to flannel.

Which the flannel of course had its own spot on the front of the quilt too.

Some other favorite prints nestled in.

Including the wee block, which someone commented earlier that,  ”You  just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

Oh, and the binding dilemma.  Here are the contenders.

I almost went stripe and chickened out at the last minute.

I think I feel a Beginner Quilting Class coming on for this one, plus a lap size with chambrays, but a little less predictable.

Next on the list is quilting this big boy, which isn’t going so well.  I might be getting friendly with my seam ripper.

And then onto its Value Quilt sister which I’m as equally puzzled with how I’m going to quilt.

Of course there is a new pile of fabrics brewing too.

Thanks everyone for supporting my destash!  I had to shell out some cash to have my passport expedited for our weekend in Vancouver and of course support my own fabric indulgence.  I pulled a ton from the stash last night to list when I get back.

See you next week!

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::Viewing It Differently::

Do you ever make a quilt that you just love, but it sits waiting for the perfect person to come along and as it ages you start to not like it as much as you previously did?

I resisted the urge to create another quilt for my friend Laura’s baby.  I originally posted the Butter Block quilt earlier in the year.  It was the first ‘on point’ quilt I’d ever created.  I love the colors.  I love the print fabrics, and I of course especially love that it contains flannel (borderline problem).

Now that it is mailed I am appreciating it more and more.

I have just a bit left of some of these favorite fabrics.  Sometimes it’s hard to use the ones you just adore.

I’m so pleased it has a happy home.

 

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::Battening Down::

I’ve been doing a load of binding, with some exploration of new techniques too.

I tried my hand at using home decor weight for binding.  I was impressed with the results and it will likely last forever.  I recommend a small sharp needle though and it is a bit difficult to get into the fold of the binding since it is a bit less defined.

Jacquie and I talked about the Ladder Stitch she uses and that I’ve used previously for applique and I gave it a go on this quilt.  I was also trying to remember a knot for the end of the thread that I had learned in an applique class and found both tutorials here.

The stitches with the Ladder stitch magically disappear unlike the whip-stitches below.

My Mother was here and she showed me the stitch that she binds with which turned out to be the Ladder Stitch too.

I had noticed when we tag-teamed Baby Elio’s quilt she did a tack like stitch that I’d never noticed on her other quilts at the mitered corner (like above) and I took a liking to it.  I have since incorporated into my quilts.   We’ll see if it sticks.

As for thimbles, my Mother always used the leather ones with the metal tips.  I just bought myself the leather one here.  The plastic just never seem to be the right size and my finger gets sweaty.  Hate that.

Suggestions?  What do you use?

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::Seattle Modern Quilting Guild/June Meeting::

The sun shone brightly on Saturday and I was so thrilled that our turn out remained the core group plus some new smiling faces.

Our new member Amelia is in to creating by recycling goods.  She was working on embroidering a patchwork quilt of wool sweaters and shared with us this nine patch made entirely of upcycled hanker chiefs.

We did a brief show and tell for the rest of us at the end.  I unfortunately didn’t think of getting out my camera.

Our main mission at this meeting was to make wonky stars for our friend Season who had her baby this past month.

We collected up scraps and with a brief tutorial started our blocks.

This was all good practice for me.  I’ll be teaching an Improv class on wonky stars at Fabric Crush on Monday the 21st from 5:45-7:45.

The fun was all over before you knew it.

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