Torrance Beach in Fall Light & JoAnn Fabric Ready for Holiday's!

Art quilt 'Grey Star' with new borders added this week.

Walking along Torrance Beach in fall light.

Looking north across Santa Monica Bay. 

And south toward Palos Verdes.

I visited JoAnn Fabric in Torrance, CA this week.

Christmas has arrived at JoAnn's!

And more Christmas displays.

Hello quilt friends and happy Friday from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have cool sunny fall weather, perfect for hikes in the hills and walks along the beach.

Torrance Beach is a good walk. The City of Torrance keeps their section of the beach and city up well; clean with good planning.

I pieced more borders onto my art quilt 'Grey Star.' I started it as a challenge, the AHIQ challenge, floral. I chose a small blue floral as the main fabric, then chose the color blue, from the floral, as the focus color with yellow and red adding spice, forming a triad color scheme. Then I pieced units and arranged them until I was mostly happy, keeping it small. That's the plan so far.

If you want to see an exciting piece of improv quilt design visit Ann and see her happy work.

She was in one of Freddy Moran's recent classes and Freddy, as we all know, has a wonderful way with color and design.

And that's the news from the rancho where I'm remembering to be thankful and we're enjoying walks in the cool weather.

I'll be by to visit.

Modern Quilt 'Grey Star', Rob Appell of Man Sewing, Fields From Above

'Grey Star' modern quilt design as of today.

Grey Star came from these units.

Happy November 1st from Rancho Palos Verdes!

We're enjoying sun and cooler temperatures, the winds have slowed down and humidity is higher,  so the wild fires have slowed way down around here.

Northern CA had a huge wildfire in Sonoma County, hopefully that's been contained today. What a mess. God bless everyone living in that area.

This week was busy but I managed to get some time in arranging, unpicking, repiecing and naming my latest modern art quilt, 'Grey Star.'

Yes, I do plan on paper first but arranging with the actual colors and prints always looks different and suggests other possibilities. My design inspiration here comes from the concept of layering. The thought being that at least a couple of different themes are going on in the design and they combine to make a unique statement.

One of my inspirations in the quilt world is Rob Appell of Man Sewing. He does a wonderful example of layering in his YouTube video tutorial, Fields From Above. 

What's your current project inspiration?

And that my quilt friends is the news from the rancho, where bits of time are being used to experiment and further the progress of modern art quilting!

Taking walks and keeping life rolling takes up the rest of it.

I'm remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Art Quilt Mojo Returns, Jane Davies Modern Abstract Artist and Pumpkins Around Town.

Piecing and gathering units.

Began piecing here.

Experimental piecing arrangement, too predictable, took it apart.

Another try at arranging, still too contrived, I sliced it in quarters.

Now things are flowing the way I like them, I can add color where needed.

More auditioning units, I like the saw tooth border, not the squares on point.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where cooler fall temperatures are wonderful and almost Happy Halloween!

Local pumpkin patches are getting lots of business and children are excited about dressing up for harvest parties or trick or treating and getting way too much candy.

Last couple of weeks I have been slowly getting a new art quilt together. I don't like working with traditional piecing for very long as it bores me to death! So I put the 'trad' stuff away and began by throwing caution to the wind. Boring stuff be gone.

I've been spending time looking over Jane Davies', professional abstract artist, YouTube videos on her process. 

Robert Burridge, another exciting abstract artist, has a lot of good YouTube videos on everything from choosing color to layering. He titles his videos 'Another Bob Blast Video',  he does blast out great ideas easy to understand and make your own.

And so quilt friends the fall time is being enjoyed here and abstract art visions are dancing in my head. Let the fun begin.

How are your project adventures coming along?

I hope you're enjoying fall, or spring for those of you down under.

Always remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt news Friday! Watermelon Summer Quilt Almost a Finish, Flannel Batting and 'Envelope' Closure

This was the start of my Watermelon Summer table runner.

Here's two borders added.

Final border added. Then flannel batting in the middle and backing sewn to top.

Back design on Watermelon, I haven't started machine quilting here.

Machine quilting has been started!

Crochet baby blanket x2 for grand daughters expected before Christmas.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where the weather is fine, sunny days cooling off in the evening.

I've been volunteering at a charity quilt group where baby quilts are made and distributed to those in need. The baby quilts are tied and I've been helping with that. I like a tied quilt, soft and fluffy. We tie the quilts with a double stitch, then a square knot, sturdy.

And I've been crocheting up a storm as 2 new baby girls are expected before Christmas. And I teach beginning crochet at a local women's shelter. Lots of fun.

Also I had a chance to get some finishing touches on my Watermelon Summer table runner. I decided to use flannel for batting, I researched and found that flannel was often, and is still often, used as batting. It makes for a lighter quilt with a nice drape and is also easier to machine quilt on, not so much shifting. You still need to pin well.

I wanted to use the 'envelope' or 'pillow case' method to finish the sides of this quilt because it's small and I wanted to experiment.

I laid the flannel down and then the backing right side up and the top, right side down, on that. The flannel and backing were about 2 inches bigger than the top all around. The top needs to be carefully laid out and smoothed onto the backing from the center diagonally out toward each corner. 

If you aren't careful to do that you might get ruffled sides that won't sew down flat.

Then pin the sides like crazy and look to see that it is all flat, no ruffling.

Then sew the sides making sure to leave an opening big enough to turn the quilt right side out easily.
Trim back and batting even with top before turning.

Turn, poke out corners with a chop stick, and carefully press. Press opening seam allowance and then sew closed with 1/8" top stitch.

Then I pinned and top stitched 1/4" all around. I like the method well enough to use again.

Have you tried this method on any of your projects?

There are a lot of tutorials out there if you want to try for yourself.

That quilt friends is the news from the rancho, where progress is being made and projects are getting closer to being finished!

Always remembering to be thankful!

I'll be by to visit.

'Borders in Quilt Land', the Journey and Beach Timeout

I started with a medallion of HSTs in Barn Raising formation, what next?

I know I've said it before, this book, by Gwen Marston, is full of great inspiration.

Then I started adding borders gradually, 6 borders here, I put it away for awhile.

I used the orange floral from the center medallion HSTs for the corner block in the last border.

The white dot border contrasts the thin black dot borders.

This last border opens the design up.

Our afternoon at Torrance Beach, watching seagulls preen and nap.

Santa Monica Bay, you can just see the San Gabriel Mts in the background.

Many variations of blue in the waves, ocean and sky.

Happy weekend and hello quilt friends from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have cooler, sunny skies.

This week I had time to pull out my HST medallion quilt in Barn Raising formation (I must think of a better name for that one!) and sew on the final border. I'd put it away not having any inspiration for a finish. After rereading and soaking up inspiration from Gwen Marston's book 'Liberated Medallion Quilts', and getting busy with other things, ideas began surfacing. 

I kept thinking about how this quilt needed contrast for a good finish. 

So fabrics were auditioned and the white dot fabric won out with the orange floral for the corner blocks. I could call it a done deal.

And then we took time to enjoy an afternoon at Torrance Beach. Seagulls seem to have the life, relaxing and napping on the beach, then out for a fish dinner when they get hungry.

And that is the news from the rancho quilt friends. I hope you're enjoying your projects and the changing seasons too. 

I'm remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Liberated Medallion Quilts, Cotton & Steel's Jubilee Collection, A Walk in the Park

A walk in the park, Averill Park in San Pedro, CA.

Ducks, frogs, turtles and fish fry of some sort live in this pond.

The promenade and gazebo, looks like a good place for wedding photos.

A thing of beauty, an old gnarly tree residing along a path.

This week I pieced more borders around the center medallion.

The prints are by Cotton & Steel, many of them from their 'Jubilee' collection.

It measures 54" x 45" here. Is it done? I've changed my mind before.

Lots of great inspiration packed into this book by Gwen Marston.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes, where we have clouds and light rain, refreshing!

This week we walked in the park, while the sun was still shining. The squirrels and park wildlife were entertaining. A little dog, on a leash of course, nearly lost its mind over the ducks.

Being inspired by Gwen Marston's book, Liberated Medallion Quilts, I cut and pieced borders onto the medallion of Yankee Puzzle blocks that I had declared 'done.' Sometimes in designing and piecing a quilt I get to a road block and declaring it done helps me put it away for a while until the creative juices get replenished/renewed. 

That Quilt Friends is the news from the rancho where pumpkin patches around town are beginning to take shape. What was it that Linus from Peanuts and the Gang used to get excited about this time of the year? I think it was keeping vigil for the coming of the Great Pumpkin , yes, that was it. 

Fall is a wonderful time.

What are your favorite fall past times you look forward to?

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Color and Design Progress Geometric Modern style Quilt with Borders and Fall!

Arrangement decisions begin.

More units added to the mix.

Possibilities....

Border candidates, yes, they're Kona Cotton solids!

Happy Friday!

Tomorrow is the first day of fall.

Quilt news this week; more arranging/design and color fun. 

I've been piecing units and cutting borders, etc. very busy. I'm working on several projects at the same time, for some reason I don't feel as pressured. I notice several of my blog quilt friends work the same way with good results.

If you're looking for inspiring color and process, I suggest visiting; Audrey, Donna , and Gwen Marston Quilts on Bing/Images. I like variety, it's the mix that makes an interesting recipe.

September weather on the coast has been fabulous. Coast breezes come up and clear the humidity, lovely.  

And that is the quilt news from the rancho where progress is being enjoyed and I'm getting into the fall mindset. The temperatures will start to cool down and then it's time to think of stews and roasted butternut squash. What's your favorite fall menus?  

I'll be by to visit.