Quilt News! Hand Embroidery Progress, Sunflower Panel Quilt Top with Borders Backing, Inspiring Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy Book by Sara Larson Buscaglia

Farm and Folk Quilt Alchemy by Sara Larson Buscaglia excellent documentation and inspiration!!

My new hand embroidery alphabet project... back stitch with 3 strands of cotton embroidery thread.

Sunflower Panel Quilt top with Borders with backing layered underneath ready for piecing.

Local Hot Rod car show, Dodge Barracuda!!!

Camaro SS 68'.... Super clean....

Camaro SS 68' back view, one of my favorites in the show....

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Heat wave in the valley for a few days, it's summer!

 

I have pieced together the backing for my Sunflower Panel with Borders Quilt top. I used leftover blocks and leftover fabric pieces for the back. The next step will be to measure out the batting and sandwich it together with the top and back and then get it pin basted. I plan to machine quilt it with fine cross hatch machine quilting. I'm going for the finish.

 

I saw this book; Farm and Folk Quilt Alchemy a High Country Guide To Natural Dyeing and Making Heirloom Quilts From Scratch by Sara Larson Buscaglia at my local library and I checked it out. I saw that it was about dyeing fabric and I'm not real interested in that but I was curious about her process. As I began to read it I saw at once that we were kindred spirits. Sara is so into detail and careful about her process I was fascinated. She and her family live in CO for one thing and she homeschooled her kids. We lived in CO for a while and I homeschooled our kids too. 

Then in her chapter 3 Quilt Alchemy and Chapter 4 Quilt Making Skills she explains some of the thinking behind some of her quilt designs and her process. Her explanations are excellent and so thorough. This impressive book is published by Abrams Art Books.

 

Then there was the Hot Rod Car show in a local town and we had to see that. The presiding rock band played oldies but goodies to set the mood. We saw amazing examples of classic hot rods (muscle cars). Someone had restored a 68' Hot Rod Lincoln Continental, legendary. I was drawn to the 68' Camaro SS.

Someone had cleaned and restored it to perfection. That is a super hobby. 

 

If you get a chance visit Debbie's blog where she talks about her 'Sardine Pillow' project. It was a gift for her grand daughter who loves it and I think I have some grand kids who would enjoy having a sardine pillow too. What a fun idea.

 

And that is the news from the valley, where I'm drinking my water with ice cubes.

What progress have you made on your projects this week?

I'll be by to visit. 

 

Quilt News! Scrappy Quilt Back Planning for Sunflowers Panel with Borders Quilt Top, Finished Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt with Machine Quilting and Binding. Jolene Klassen's Book Scrap Quilt Diary Inspiration...

Binding for my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt top pieced and ready to sew onto front/back.

I'm interviewing backing fabrics for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top, runner size.

I'm also using orphan/leftover blocks to piece into the backing for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top,  runner size, 36" x  58".

Backing finished with machine quilting and binding on my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt.

Finished Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt, 21.5" x 25.5".

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Summer rain today with cooler temperatures, refreshing. 

 

I finished my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks quilt, 21.5" x 25.5", last week, by machine quilting and sewing on the binding by machine too. Just right to keep on a table, I think the blues are refreshing, like a summer rain.

This summer my goal is to finish, finish, finish!

 

My project this week is to piece the backing for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top, runner size, 36" x 58". I'm in the 'interview' process now. Deciding fabric color/contrast and how much piecing I'm willing to put into this backing.

 

And I'm still being inspired and relaxed by reading/studying the quilt photos in Jolene Klassen's book Scrap Quilt Diary. Her quilts and the way she uses colors are profound and so practical.

This is quilting at its best.

Sometimes we as quilters or want-to-be quilters are led to believe that to be a quilter we must buy expensive equipment. And then we must take expensive hard to get to, week long classes. And some of those quilt class teachers can run their classes like military basic training, I've heard the stories!

I absolutely do not agree with any of that. Of course there's nothing wrong with taking quilt classes or traveling to get to a class, that could be fun. And if you have the money buy good equipment.

 

What I'm trying to say is that quilting is an art form and a process. You are a quilter because it interests you and you are learning or want to learn how to quilt. Realizing that time is not a measure of your quilting ability but something to balance and 'use wisely', will set you free from being anxious about how long the process is going to take. Be in the now. Read books about quilting that make sense to you. Learn to sew, start piecing small projects. Don't be over awed by quilters who seem to know everything and have everything. They got to where they are by many small steps, really!

Enough with that. 

 

That is the quilt news from the valley. 

How are you doing with your projects, any finishes? Any starts?

I'll be by to visit. 

Quilt News! Machine Quilting Art Quilt Progress, More Jolene Klassen's Scrap Quilt Diary Inspiration, Apples and Pears Hand Embroidery Project Finish

My small art quilt top, 21" x 26",  layered with batting and backing ready to be pinned for machine quilting.

My art quilt, Improv Rail Fence Blocks, quilted in fine cross hatch.

I finished my hand embroidery project, #22 Retro Fruits embroidery pattern by Colonial Patterns.

Scrap Quilt Diary by Jolene Klassen is full of inspiration!

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

July hasn't been too hot here, just right for trips to the river. 

This last week I've finished my hand embroidery project, Apple and Pear, #22 Retro Fruits by Colonial Patterns . I use back stitch and choose my own colors, very fun. I use 3 strands from the stranded 6 ply cotton by DMC. Often I mix colors in the three strands to get the color I want.

And I pin basted my small art quilt Improv Rail Fence Blocks and machine quilted it in a fine cross hatch.

I've been inspired by Jolene Klassen's book, Scrap Quilt Diary , there are so many good ideas in her book. She machine quilts some of her projects and hand quilts others. Simple but brilliant, yes, why not do both as we wish? Why do we have to only machine quilt? Why do we have to only hand quilt? And do we as quilters need to be in a hurry all the time? Now I'm getting philosophical, but these are some of the things I think about when looking through Jolene's book.

 And that is the quilt news from the valley where I'm relaxing and getting into the summer vibe. 

Do you have any finishes? I'll be by to visit. 

 

 

Quilt News! Sunflowers and Chairs Quilt, Quilted and Finished! Christmas in July?? Yes, Christmas Hourglass Blocks Rearranging and Planning.

Machine quilting my Sunflowers and Chairs Quilt.

Machine quilting progress..

These are my Christmas Hourglass Blocks in design process, for a runner size..

Pinning on binding, binding is 1 3/4".

My Sunflowers and Chairs small quilt finish! 30" x 40".

Improv Chair blocks 'on the drawing board...'

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends from the valley, full of sunshine.

This last week I finished my Sunflowers and Chairs improv quilt, 30" x 40". The  quilt started when I was inspired to make a few improv chair blocks by Debbie's post @ aquilterstable. I got out my graph paper, pencil and ruler and sketched out some chairs. Then I decided which sizes I wanted and cut out chair pieces for three or four chairs. Deciding what would go around the chairs took a while. I began interviewing fabrics and colors and began piecing the background together. I had some beautiful batik fabric with sunflowers and I wanted to use that, it reminded me of warm summer time.

I've been on a 'finishing' line of thinking lately. The goal is to get some projects done and sent off so they can be used and enjoyed.

While I was searching for backing fabric I came across my Christmas Hourglass blocks that needed to be rearranged for best effect. I enjoy piecing hourglass blocks and when I get into the process sometimes I get careless as to placement and then later need to unpick and turn a few hourglass blocks to work with the whole. The Christmas Hourglass blocks will be runner size when done, nice on a table for the holidays.

And that is the news from the compound. How are your finishes coming along? Are you working on any Christmas in July projects?

I'll be by to visit. 

Quilt News! Fun Ruby Star Society Quilt Fabrics, Getting Another 1/2 Square Triangle Blocks Medallion with Borders Quilt Ready for Hand Quilting..

Happy Independence Day!! We have so much to be thankful for.

This quilt, 54" x 54",  is finished and ready to be sent as a wedding gift.

My unfinished 1/2 Square Triangle Medallion Quilt with Borders, 54" x 58", layered and pinned for hand quilting.

Close up of some of the RSS fabrics in my unfinished Medallion Quilt with Borders.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends!! Cool summer here, everything is green and verdant.

A couple of years ago I bought yardage and precuts of RSS fabric prints mostly in reds and pinks leaning into neutrals. (And obviously I'm not afraid of red and pink!!) I've used that fabric in different projects and in 3 different quilts. Two of those quilts are finished and the last one is pin basted ready for hand quilting. I also used Kona Cotton solids in  purple and navy blue for 2 of the borders in my unfinished quilt. The binding fabric I will use for that quilt I ordered from an Etsy shop and it is Strawberries in Plum. That will repeat the colors in the purple and navy blue borders making the quilt design work as a whole. That's how I choose colors in my projects, they have to work well together, (no one hogging all the attention.) I love the RSS Strawberry print fabric it comes in a lot of different colorways, if I were rich and greedy I would buy some of each!

My finished quilt 1/2 Square Triangles in Barn Raising Formation Medallion with Borders, 54" x 54" is soon to be mailed off as a wedding gift. I use long descriptive names to set my quilts apart because lately my quilts have all had a lot of red and pink and 1/2 square triangle blocks in them. 

And it's Independence Day weekend!! Bar-b-ques and vacation! 

Have a wonderful weekend, I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Quilt Project Organizing and Planning, Jolene Klassen's Book Scrap Quilt Diary, Happy Father's Day! Rain and Wild Roses Today

My current library books..

My newly pieced quilt top, Four Patch on Point 7" blocks with Borders.

I'm still sewing together Sunflower Pincushions, here's my latest..

Closeup of my top; Four Patch on Point 7" blocks with Borders..

Wild Roses are blooming now, can you smell them?

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Summer will be officially here this weekend such a vigorous time of year. Birds, flowers, trees etc all happy and growing with amazing vitality. And God Bless our fathers, I hope you had a great Father's Day!

I've been slowly organizing my quilt projects this last few weeks. I've measured my finished quilt tops and wrote the measurements in my quilt/art notebook . Then I noted if my quilt tops had a backing finished and ready to go with it, and if not I noted the measurements that would be needed so I could search my stash and scraps to meet the need, maybe considering buying yardage if needed.

And then when I figured the top and backing were together and ready the next consideration is the batting I'll need for each. And also very important to decide is the quilting method, hand quilting or machine quilting. I can machine quilt my smaller art quilts and maybe even hand quilt a few. The bigger quilts however will be done on a long arm by a professional. I don't have the room for a long arm and my arms and back don't want to be subjected to the stress of machine quilting on my domestic machine. I'm trying to be realistic and start moving toward getting my quilt tops finished and done. It relieves stress for me to get the process organized, it feels much more doable.

I'm reading some good books from the library and my copy of Jolene Klassen's book Scrap Quilting Diary. Jolene's book is beautiful in examples of contrast, piecing and scrap taming. 

And we welcomed a new baby born into our family last week. We are happy and blessed.

I hope your projects are moving along. What are your 'finishing challenges' and how do you work that out?

I'll be by to visit. 

Quilt News! Four Patch Blocks on Point Quilt Pieced and Borders Added,,,, Jolene Klassen's Book Scrap Quilt Diary, Glorious Peonies Blooming!

Half inch borders added, more to come...

My Four Patch Blocks on Point Quilt pieced, blocks 7" when finished.

Peonies are blooming at the arboretum...Super!!

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Spring is full of color inspiration, are you soaking it up?

I've got my Four Patch on Point Quilt pieced and I'm adding borders now. The first border to go around will be 1/2" finished and there will be more. Probably a 3" border will get pieced on next, maybe with corner blocks, to be decided soon. 

Jolene Klassen's book Scrap Quilt Diary has been encouraging me along the scrappy path. She has an amazing way with 'taming scraps and making them into a pleasing quilt.' She talks about using light and dark values to 'make the design visible.' Great advice, so obvious but so easy to forget!

Another excellent source for scrappy quilt education and tips is Bonnie's 'Quiltville Scrap User's System'. Lots of good ideas to make your quilt life a bit more organized and productive. And productive doesn't have to mean fast, slowing down to smell the flowers is a wonderful concept.

 Speaking of flowers, the peonies are blooming in the park and they are spectacular.

What are you making progress on in your quilt world? I'll be by to visit.