No. 18

No. 18

53" x 40"

I love this one so much! The saturation of color, the shapes, the theme. It all rocks!

Making it, I encountered a lot of delays. 

1. The color palette drove me crazy. The first thought was to make the background out of the orange and pink on the left, but I didn't have enough fabric. Wanting to get started as soon as possible, I drove to a local quilt shop to search for something else I could use, or possibly they might have more of what I already had? They did not. I opted to make the background out of the 'so pink it's almost red' and another saturated but lighter pink--the two colors on the right side. However when I got home, I didn't like them as much as I thought I would. 

Then I realized it might be really good with both color sets! Yeah, let's do that!!

Then I ran out of the orange and pink on the left, got out my color swatches, and ordered some more of the same fabric. Then I had to wait for it to be shipped. Agonizing wait!! 

So, I started making the blocks, and ........eventually the new fabric arrived! And, the colors were different! Nuts!! 

Ultimately, I realized that the new colors were lighter, just barely, and would be PERFECT as the background under the light rays, right in the middle. Standing back, and looking at the journey of sourcing fabrics I wanted, the universe had other plans, and this assemblage landed in my lap. And, I believe it is so much better than what I thought I wanted.  

And, this theme played out 2 more times before I finished.

2. I thought the light rays had to be white. White in that spot looked so bad and I couldn't resolve what my head thought and what my eyes saw. My next thought was yellow. Wrong again. Then I tried something less conventional than what my brain wanted, and the light aqua blue looked amazing!!

The last one...

3. I wanted a specific shade of red for the binding. I only had a small scrap of it. The only other red I had enough of was the wrong color--too orangey. So I dug out my samples again, and ordered the red. And, I did not get the memo.  That Missouri Star sends crap damaged fabric. Which after significant effort I managed to get a refund for the fabric, but not for the shipping. I emailed 2 times, no response to either email. Then I gave them a bad review. After a week they reached out, and told me to email them for help. Um...nope, not falling for that again. I guess they wanted me to believe that if they were going to ignore me for the first 2 emails, I should trust them to do what is right for the 3rd email? Suffice to say, I will not be doing business with them again. 

The fabric they sent was faded in a grid pattern, so by definition, not a SOLID color. Very irritating.

I was so frustrated, I decided to just use the red I had, the one that was too orangey, and you guessed it, it was PERFECT. 

Lessons learned: Stop making drama for myself. Expect the unexpected. And, sometimes the wrong color is the right one!

Stitching the HST blocks.

Trimming them to size.

Repeat many many times, and stitch the blocks together. 

Then play with them before committing...because why not? oooh, fun!!

Then quilt the whole quilt. (You can see the minimal stitching below)

Then it is ready for applique!! Yeass!

I typically cut freezer paper in the shape of the finished piece to iron to the back side. With scissors, I cut out the fabric 1/4 " larger for the turned under seam. Next, fold the the seams under, using the paper as a guide, and press in place. Pull off the paper and hand baste the turned under edges. Pin to the quilt, and hand applique. 

This piece uses the last 2 humps cut out from No. 9. They were re-sized and re-shaped for this quilt. 

Next up, quilting the appliqued pieces, and marking the quilting lines. The big lamp humps were marked with 1/4" masking tape. The marking for the necks of the lamps was different. It probably would have been easier to just use a marking pencil, but I have had experiences that were difficult to get the marking pencil out...so.

I pressed freezer paper on top of the neck. And, then traced the shape with a blue pencil. Next was to draw the lines I wanted to stitch. 

I pulled the freezer paper off, and cut it to shape, and then pressed it back on. 

Then I added the 1/4" masking tape to the edges and marked the points to where the stitching would come. 

Then I removed the freezer paper again, left the masking tape in place, and started stitching straight lines to each point. Again, overly complicated...

Finishing up with the orange thread directly on the neck.  You can also see the quilting lines on the lamp shape in this photo! It looks so good!! I am happy!

The last part to show you is the overly complicated hanging sleeve. I don't know why. I cut out a bunch of different pinks and stitched them together. 

I think maybe I wasn't ready to be finished with this one yet? And now that it is finished, I am happy to have it hanging on a wall, and enjoying looking at it every day!

Ocean Blues

Ocean Blues

74" x 74"

I have finally finished my two sided pixel ocean quilt! It was delayed during quilting by my broken sewing machine. And it was such a wonderful feeling to have it finished at last! It is one of my favorites and is happily hanging on my wall now.

My intent was to create a wall of blue, evocative of the ocean. I began by selecting a color palette. Since it is impossible to pick accurate colors from a monitor, I have been collecting sample packets of solid colors from different manufactures.  

Here are three of them.  Moda Bella is on the table, along with a page of RJR Cotton Supremes.  I just got the Kona card standing up in the back. PS. These samples are a little expensive, and not available year round, which can be frustrating. Also, you may notice that some of the fabric swatches have been ripped off the cards. That is because colors are very fickle, they can look different in different surroundings. I pull off a little swatch, and then attach a sticker on the back with the name of the color.  Then, if I want to get some, I still know what it is.  The Kona is permanently welded to the page.  I have no idea how to separate those colors from each other, perhaps an exacto knife?

Moda Bella samples, with labels added

Next I kind of swoosh them around to see how they look next to each other. Once I am satisfied, I try to find these exact colors from quilt stores.  That is not an easy task!  For this project I think I shopped at 6 different stores to find my fabrics, and was unable to find 2 of them.  Some stores require a minimum purchase of a yard of fabric, which is more than I need.  So, it is inherently inefficient, and especially so when adding up all the shipping costs.  However, no one carries all the colors. What is up with that??? Ha!

Here is a stack of some of the new fabrics mixed in with the ones I already had.

Once I had my fabrics, I wasn't sure which idea I wanted to pursue on a large scale, so I made some little sample quilts first.  Perhaps you remember them from earlier posts in April and May of this year?

These are all so lovely, and I had other ideas I hadn't tried yet, but I knew I wanted to try the pixel one in a large quilt.  The stripey one I tried in two other slightly larger versions here and here. 

Let the rotary cutting begin! This part can be a bit tedious and led to repetitive use injuries.  I try to do it slowly with stretching in between.  It is FUN to see the different colors stacking up and ready for placement!

After I had a LOT of squares cut, I started putting them up on my design wall. I thought it would be fun and easy. And, it was fun, but it was not easy.  My original idea had more brown and greens and less blue. Like this:

It would seem that too much thinking sometimes gets in the way of making art. So, I took a lot of this down and rearranged it more than once, and kept trying.  I knew I was getting close when I had mostly blue. 

Next week I will post about the back of this quilt, because this is another one that has turned into a two-sided quilt! 

Charmed, part 2

Charmed, part 2

project 80" x 80"

Here are 4 blocks! The whole quilt top will have 16 blocks. And, I am currently in the process of replacing one of the blocks that I did not think played well with the others.  A photo of the entire quilt top will be coming soon!  Meanwhile, I like the way the alternating values of the quilt add movement and kind of make it sparkle.  The bright colors make me think of the fruit flavored chewy candy known as Starbursts. 

From the perspective of the whole quilt on a computer screen, you can not see all the lovely details of the fabrics this quilt is celebrating.  So I will include some closeups of the individual blocks, and the some of the fabrics. A few more:

And some closeups of the cute fabrics!

Love these cute tulips and the hedgehogs!

The lovely pink llama fabric!

Great little owl!

Capybaras!!

I love this bold graphic!

And, there is always room for some Yaks!!

Pop up polar bear! He looks so friendly, as if he is saying "hello there!"

Climbing trees!

Charmed - project

Charmed

project 80" x 80"

This one started as a challenge to myself.  It is named after a charm pack swap I purchased from Bunny's Designs, and I was wondering what to do with the unusual assortment of little 5" squares of very interesting fabrics!

I decided to try some monochromatic blocks and I was drawn to my comfort zone, the log cabin block.  I decided to alternate rows of solid colors with rows of prints to build my blocks.  Each block would be BIG, 20" square.  To select the solid colors, I opted for a gradient.  Here are a few combinations that are auditioning for a spot.

After cutting the strips the right sizes, which I am embarrassed to tell you that I did wrong on a number of occasions, I started selecting which prints to use.

I have been collecting fabric for many years and I have a lot to choose from.  Ultimately, the ones that worked were the ones that had a bit of value difference compared to the solids that surrounded them. 

Here is a close up of the pink block:

I selected squares for the center from larger scale prints.  I LOVE these polar bears!!

It was also fun to include some of my own batiked fabrics in the mix.  These lovely oranges (and one red), helped extend the possibilities for the orange block.  I tried not to use any fabric twice, but in the end, I did, at least a few times. 

It was really fun to revisit my old fabrics and mix them with the new ones.  It brought up so many memories, it was like looking at a scrapbook.  Next week, I will show you more of the fabrics I used and some of the completed blocks!  And, I will likely want to put something interesting on the other side!  At least this kind of sewing has been a really fun way to stay busy while I wait for my sewing machine (that I use for quilting) to be repaired.  

RJR Fabrics and New Solid Sample Cards

RJR Fabrics and New Solid Sample Cards!!!

I got in a new set of sample cards from RJR Fabrics!  I am so excited! It's like having a new box of crayons, or rather, a GIANT new box of crayons!

Here's one of the pages:

My only complaint is that they are are glued to the page.  And, for me, (and maybe everyone else too?), color is relative.  It looks different compared to what you put it next too.  Light is very important but so are the colors that surround it.  So, I am too perplexed by color to be able to order a color from a sample card like this.  Only one thing to do...

Rip them off the page!

This is so much fun! (full disclosure, I did it one by one, and put a sticky label on the back with the name and number of each color).  Anyway, I can move the little patches around and look at how the colors play with each other.  I love the combination above.  Reminds me of a salt marsh, which I must be thinking about after having read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Yes, now, I want to make a quilt with these colors, so I will be needing to order the fabric! And there won't be any surprises about the colors that arrive in the mail. And for someone as picky about color as I am, this is a huge and wonderful event!

The next one I played with I call, colors of kayaks! I can see a quilt here too! This is going to be so much fun! Did I say that already?

LOVE Flowers

LOVE Flowers
18" x 18"

My dear friend, Jamie Fingal, has a new line of fabrics coming out this fall at Quilt Market in Houston.  It is called Heavy on the Metal and it is produced by RJR Fabrics.  It is a labor of love and I expect it will be hugely successful for her!  If you check out her blog, you can see some of the fabulous 'heavy metal' art quilts she has made with zippers and safety pins and measuring tapes.  My favorite quilt is the little red and black quilt of a dress with the skirt made of red measuring tape fabric.  It is wonderful!

Jamie gave me let me choose 10 fabrics with the request to make a small 18" quilt. I selected these, along with a few extra from her lines Hopscotch and Sewing 101 to blend with it.

I 

The motifs are fun!  I especially like the zipper fabrics!  And, they all sparkle, just a little, with the use of metallics on the fabric.  I washed and dried my fabrics, and they held up great! I really enjoyed this small project, made that much easier by using Mistyfuse on the backs, cutting my shapes of flowers, stems and leaves, and then simply pressing them into place with the iron. So fast, so easy!  The quilting went quickly too!  And I added a bit of satin stitch and hand quilting to finish it off. You can see the entire fabric lineup on her blog.  I am wishing her the best of luck with this new line!

Florabunda Baby Quilt

Florabunda Baby Quilt
41" x 41"

I had so much fun making this little baby quilt with Melanie Testa's new fabric line Florabunda!  And, I am delighted to be part of the blog hop (see below) to showcase her new line!

I started making quilts many, many years ago.  My first quilt was a log cabin quilt.  After making a few traditional quilts, I was drawn into the world of art quilting.  The learning curve was quite steep as I had no real art background or training, but I knew that's where I wanted to go!  However, there are also times when my brain needs a rest, and I am drawn back to working with quilting blocks and commercial fabrics.  This was one of those instances, and it didn't disappoint.  I loved touching this fabric.  It was soft and the colors and patterns were so appealing to me.

I had an idea to use some triangles for this quilt, and started coloring on graph paper, and this is what evolved.  When the fabric arrived, I was ready to go!  The entire quilt went together in just a few days.

I added some hand quilting with Superior's heavy weight Sew Sassy thread, which looks perfect with the aesthetics of this quilt.

Here it is, photographed in the wild.  I would have put a baby on it, if I had one!  :)

Now for the blog hop info!

Twelve artists have joined with RJR Fabrics, Quilty Box and Melanie Testa to host an Instagram Florabunda introduction and fabric GIVEAWAY!  You are invited to join the Blog Hop each day, June 7 through June 16.  Please, visit and like all Florabunda Blog Hoppers on Instagram, including @RJRFabrics, @QuiltyBox,  and @MellyTesta to increase your chances to win! RJR Fabrics will post chances to win Florabunda Swag daily (June 11 through 16). Don't forget to check out Melanie Testa’s blog each day too. You will get highlights and interesting info about each participant!

Tiffany Hayes http://needleinahayesstack.blogspot.com June 7

Deborah Boschert http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/ June 8

Sara Mika http://www.mockpiestudio.blogspot.com/ June 9

Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.com/lyric-kinard-blog/  June 10

Kathy York http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com   June 11

Teri Lucas https://terificreations.com June 11
Susan Brusker Knapp http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com June 12

Leslie Tucker Jenison http://leslietuckerjenison.com              June 12

Tiffany Hayes http://needleinahayesstack.blogspot.com June 13
Jamie Fingal http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/            June 13

Debby Brown https://www.debbybrownquilts.com                June 14

Heidi Kelly http://www.hkellydesigns.com June 14
David Gilleland  https://www.facebook.com/VectorQuilts/                June 15

Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com June 15

One Earth

One Earth
47" x 47"

and other stuff going on....

Confluence.  I just love that word.  This quilt was the confluence of multiple things going on in my life and in the world.  Part 1: One odd piece was related to the terrorist attacks on Paris.  I had the television on, which is unusual for me because I don't have cable.  I was watching the news in horror as the situation unfolded.  That was the first I heard of the Climate Talks that were about to happen in Paris.  And the last thing I would want is for terrorists to prevent that from happening.  But I also had the fear, the unavoidable and understandable fear.  I was worried that it would be a set-up for another attack.

Part 2: And, I have been shopping for a new car.  The criteria was NEW, ah yes!, and it had to have better gas mileage than my old minivan.  You may be wondering, but this is how the second part of the story is related to the first part.  I want to do my part to help the global climate, as small and insignificant as it feels, it all adds up.  I went searching for hybrid or electric car.  I am so disappointed to tell you that it is just not working out for us.  My son is too tall.  He keeps hitting his head on all the smaller and more fuel efficient cars.  It doesn't help that he is so inflexible and refuses to sit in the front seat, that's the Aspergers...and it is something I can work on, but it will take time.  And I will have to temporarily give up another goal if this one becomes a priority.  NUTS!!  That left me shopping for a big car with bad gas mileage, and despite the fact that the price of gas is dropping, it just hits me the wrong way to buy a bigger and badder car.  And, it requires trying out more car models than I have the patience for.  I am the odd bird, I do not like to shop.  So for now, we are still driving the old car, and will continue to do so...

Part 3:  While at Quilt Market, I was given a giant stack of fat quarters of Me+You from Hoffman Fabrics.  They were very nice to touch so the first thing I did when I got home was to wash them and iron them dry.  It was a lot.  And since I like to sew, this was a gift I can totally appreciate!  Unfortunately, many of the colors are just not colors that I want to look at, much less sew with.  So, I took out the pretty and bright and pure colors and set them in their own stack.

That left the darker earth tones and the lighter pastels, each got their own stack.  They sat that way for a week, and one morning I woke up with this image in my head.  And, I knew that the earth tones would actually be for the earth image.  And, I LOVE the way bright colors pop with neutrals, so they would be the "i" figures.

It nagged me for 2 full days.  I think sometimes we call this the MUSE.   One week later the quilt was born, with slight modifications of the design, fully quilted, and ready to go.  I entered it into QuiltCon2016 on the last day of registration.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it will get in!

For me this quilt is about the expression: we have more things in common than the things that separate us.  We all have family,  and community, and we all live on one earth.  We have to take care of that earth for our survival.  The climate talks are a crucial part of that, but only one part.

Next week I will show you how I made it.  My studio assistant, aka, my daughter, helped me film a few very short videos with some techniques I used.  Stay tuned!