::Modern Crazy Piecing Play::

I’ve had two quilts in process for Jacquie’s and my crazy piecing class on May 22nd at Island Quilter.

I almost scratched this one, thinking it didn’t have enough dark values, but you know what?  No dark values=softer mellow feel and for a baby quilt that’s just perfect.  Everyone loves a mellow baby.

I had to confine myself with some masking tape on my wall to keep my size down.  My tendency is to get larger and larger.

With the floor freshly mopped I basted it this morning and didn’t even have to move the table out because of its wee size.

I have a HUGE tote full of neutral scraps and I crazy pieced a load of those into the background as well.  It just needed something in those zones.

I’m thinking sky blue vertical lines for quilting.  I want it to retain it’s soft drape and I only have cotton batting, so I’ll have to refrain from getting them too close together.

Then I couldn’t resist putting this up on the blank design wall.  All of it except the four rows that won’t fit.  Triangles are Saturdays class.  Large it will be.  My original plan was a lap quilt, but dreamt of it on our bed…then I thought, what the hell, what man wouldn’t want to sleep under mermaids with sea stars as pasties?

It needs some rearranging and those extra four rows, but I like it, all scrappy and such.

Roan’s been on the couch for three days with a virus, so my sewing time and catching up with him on Dr. Who has been steady.  If you’re an Instagrammer then I have also been destashing.  I’m here.

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The Flip Triangle is a day-long workshop where we’ll get you off to a great start in creating a modern quilt with sharp points and design.  Choosing fabrics for high impact, proper technique for cutting and successful piecing of triangle blocks will be covered.  Great class for beginners, but all levels of sewists welcome.

Experience: all levels welcome; great for beginners

Date: Saturday, May 4th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drygoods Designs in Ballard

 

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::Night Owl Quilt::

Oh, “Hi Night Owl!”  Did anyone have a baby that was a night owl?

The blue colorway and theme of Lizzy House’s Constellations line was perfect for a remake of the Supernova quilt from the book.

I searched through the stash for the focus fabric to be placed in the center.

Since I sized down the squares to four and a half inches this fabric needed to be small scale and “Not purple,” Jefe said (I still snuck some in).  I went with this cute owl print that Alexander Henry came up with some years ago.  I thought it fit the night time theme.  From there I started thinking about the color development for the rest of the quilt.

I was inspired by the colorway in this encaustic piece by Christine Terrell of Tincaustics that I picked up while in Austin.  This citron or chartruse color has taken me over.  I certainly need more fabric right?  So I moved onto hunting for some more of this color for the quilt and my stash.  My excuse was that they would help blend the lighter greens.

I did a few block alterations from the original book pattern to make it a little less square and more explosive.  Pulling a multitude of fabrics from the stash for all the different rounds was a fun way to use up a few smaller pieces that have been around.

This pattern is loose, fun and FAST!  I pulled it together in a few days.

I’d love to have this quilted for class tomorrow night in a woodgrain pattern, but need to pack up and get my lecture fine tuned for the Tri-Cities show this weekend.

I hope to meet you Friday or Saturday if you are on the east side of the state!

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::Supernove Workshop::

Tuesdays, March 19th and 26th from 6-9pm at Drygood Designs in Ballard.

This class will be a great opportunity to learn new techniques without intimidation. Play will both the shape and value in this class where you’ll take wonky star blocks to a whole new level with the Supernova Block.  The Supernova Block adds an improvisational triangle onto a traditional square block to create its swirling effect.  Your block design can go Supernova by creating one large block or multiple small blocks can create your quilt.

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::Constellations::

I can’t get enough of this Lizzy House Constellations, so when I walked into The West Seattle Fabric Company and saw it, I knew it was coming home with me.

I truly think Lizzy’s designs are some of my favorite currently on the market.

Her hit of whimsy is just the right amount and her colorways are always dead on in my book.

Behold, purple!  I love purple.

Genies, hedgehogs, cats…it’s all there.  Plus, I certainly can not have enough Pearl Bracelet in my stash.  This active solid makes blending other prints in a dream.

I’ve been itching to make a Supernova Quilt from the book with this line and with a class next week on it I’ve finally stepped into action.

Here’s the starts of my Night Owl quilt.  I’m fond of this owl fabric, especially this little guy.  Thought I would try my hand at some woodgrain quilting when I’ve logged some practice in.

It took great restraint to not add purple.

Quick, make a trip over before I go buy it all up!

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::Gifting Boys::

Upon the arrival of the bus, Roan and I use to have this routine.  It started with a hug and a kiss, a high five and then a bump. and ended with waving until the bus turned the corner and we could no longer see one another.  All upon the request of a sweet little boy.

With the blink of an eye he changed his tune and I had to adapt to his next growing-up stage.  Now I get a kiss blown to me before anyone sees and a hug before we leave the backyard.  I miss those moments when he would just reach up to hold my hand.  Life’s bitter sweet like that and I’ll take what I can get.

If you catch them at the right age it’s not all about Legos and Star Wars or hiding affection bestowed upon your mother.  You can still make them (or their mom really) something sweet and homemade to be loved for a bit.

Brother’s with birthdays very close together and just revolving around the sun for their sixth and fourth year are still of that age.

I made these two a little bit larger than normal to have a soft cosy feel.

Fourth’s closure is from my invisible zipper tutorial (Class Scheduled).  I wanted the back to have as much surface design as the front.

I finished off Six with an envelope closure since I decided to apply the age detail to the front.

 

There are some other details added in if you look close.

I’ve had this corduroy for ages and finally pulled it into a project.  In fact I’ve had all those fabrics for ages.  It’s fun to dig around in the stash.

As usual I lined these with muslin and serged all the edges, perfect for the wash.

 

 

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::Design Wall Play Date::

I woke up early this morning and finished the last few seams on my Star-Gazer Quilt top.  It’s cute, simple and I love the colors.  I really need to make it outside for some photos to bring out the baby blue.

But instead I opted to stay indoors and play with that bin of unfinished projects I was telling you about.

The values could use some rearranging, but I love seeing stash in one place.  These blocks and eventual quilt will become a gift for someone who helped me out a few years ago.  It might get some gray cut in like this.  To be decided at a later date.

I only put it up to take it right down, but it was enough to get us reacquainted with one another.

And another kind of triangle is taking shape.  I got a bit more of it up before the sun went down.  It most definitly needs some more dark crimson to make it shine.  I’m curious of its final outcome.  It’s already quilted in my mind.  This will be a quilt for me!  All these favorite fabrics couldn’t possible leave my presence.  Because Jefe might likely not go for sleeping under mermaids, it might have to be my couch quilt backed in flannel.

Then for good measure I cut this leftover starburst to bits.  It might never turn into a thing, but sometimes when I don’t know what to do with something I think, “why the hell not?”  Coin quilt popped into my head, but I just bagged it for now.

I also waxed every square inch of my body that needed less Alaskan in its life and got my brows done.  I’m ready for Quiltcon.

Are you?

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::No Name::

If you are on my Instagram you are fully aware of the layouts this quilt went through and in a previous post I was about to throw in the towel.  I can honestly say that in all the time my seam ripper and I have spent together, this quilt collected some togetherness miles for us.

But if the book and Jacquie have taught me anything, it was to be persistent and an idea would come.  Something different that would make you step back and say to yourself, “That’s it.”  I can’t emphasize enough what a design wall can do for you in developing your quilt AND your design process.

Matches my boots too doesn’t it?  I couldn’t help but move them into the photo when I caught the color in the background.

Jefe in the foreground here watching soccer in his pjs.  Have you worked with the Essex Linen yet?  This is the yarn dyed denim.  Unlike regular linen (Essex has some cotton in it) it stays the shape you cut it.

The original block design is from Joelle Hoverson’s book Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts.  I would categorize it under the technique of Slice and Insert (which Jacquie and I will be demonstrating at Quiltcon btw).  I was a little late to have it complete for my class, but will certainly have it quilt and bound before my next Slice and Insert Workshop.

Navy, it’s suppose to be the new black you know?  New territory color-wise for me, but most of these bits have been in the stash for a while.  I’m crazy for the Anna Maria Horner flower with the burgandy/red and the other deep purple is likely one of the first Amy Butler additions ever to make it into my stash.

It feels so good to stick with something and figure it out with a new twist.

Now it needs a backing, quilting and binding.

It also needs a name and I’m a bit stumped, any ideas?

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::Practice::

makes…not necessarily perfect, but what is?

 

Me likie.  Get some sewing in today?

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::Stepping Stone Block Workshop::

$85/Tuesdays, February 5th and 12th from 6-9pm at Make*Do*Mend in Ballard.

Two nights to explore the creation of your own quilt designs utilizing improvisational strip piecing in a log cabin quilt block. We’ll cover this improvisational patchwork technique while you construct blocks for your own quilt design! Please note this is a two-part class with attendance required for both sessions. A copy of Quilting Modern is required.

::Shattered Quilt Starter Workshop::

$85/ Thursdays, February 7th and 14th from 6-9pm at The Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Learn the tips and tricks of the Slice and Insert technique to create this two colored masculine quilt. Quilting Modern book required.  All level of sewists welcome.

 

 

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::Block Head::

Sometimes cast-off blocks discover their destiny all on their own.

I made a row of these stepping stone blocks when creating quilt backs for Roan’s Unknown Direction quilt.

I have a whole tote under our bed and two more picnic baskets full of these sorts of blocks, the unfinished, the ‘I don’t know what to do with you,’ and the ‘cut, but I’ve lost interest’.

They all rest in their own little bags conveniently provided by fabric shops with more flair than others with creative packaging.  I’ve found that these unfinished cast-offs make the best step outs and samples for classes.

I’d pulled the strip of blocks out from hiding and was contemplating a baby quilt until this pillow shape/size and the strip of blocks stuck in my head as a match for tomorrow night’s Stepping Stone Workshop at Make*Mend*Do studio.

I set to work this afternoon on quilting and as usual, my thoughts were that I would have this done by the time Roan walked off the school bus.  Why is it that I sew so much faster in my head?

I haven’t quilted anything with a stitch in the ditch in awhile, but the strip piecing that log cabins the blocks needed some.

Tomorrow I’ll change out thread to stitch the ditch down on the outside of the stones and fill in the blue with the same quilting design.

Hoping to have a pillow by Wednesday, but like I said, I sew faster in my head…regardless, I have something other than the quilt to show in the workshop.

Happy Monday to ya.

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::Sometimes You Got To::

Know when to hold them, and know when to fold them.

The process of designing a quilt can be one of my favorite parts of quilt making or the one that dogs me the most.

Sometimes there is just nothing wrong with the original design and though I try to mess and mess with it to make it original…it just goes back to being what it was, perfect to begin with.

Sometimes the fabrics and combinations of color and print are all that is needed to steal the show.

Truthfully, I’ve got more quilts in my head then time, so I’ve thrown in the towel with this puppy.  It’s time to get it sewn up for tomorrow’s class sample.

Maybe my students will come up with something new, they often do.

Then I can move on to this.

 

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::Split Decision Block Workshop::

$85/ Saturday February 2nd from 10am-4pm at Make*Do*Mend in Ballard.

Play with the slice and insert technique while creating a modern quilt that features snippets of your favorite fabrics.  This is a great class for all levels of sewists that want to explore a new technique and play with design.  All levels welcome!  Machines and tools provided.

::Stepping Stone Block Workshop::

$85/Tuesdays, February 5th and 12th from 6-9pm at Make*Do*Mend in Ballard.

Two nights to explore the creation of your own quilt designs utilizing improvisational strip piecing in a log cabin quilt block. We’ll cover this improvisational patchwork technique while you construct blocks for your own quilt design! Please note this is a two-part class with attendance required for both sessions. A copy of Quilting Modern is required.  Machines and tools provided.

::Shattered Quilt Starter Workshop::

$85/ Thursdays, February 7th and 14th from 6-9pm at The Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Learn the tips and tricks of the Slice and Insert technique to create this two colored masculine quilt. Quilting Modern book required.  All level of sewists welcome.

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::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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