Quilt News, This and That Scrap Quilt Design Progress, Happy Independence Day! Rain and Shine

'This and That' close to the final layout, approx. 40" x 46".

Design process, interviewing blocks for layout.

Sunny at the playground!

Raining today at the pool.

Buttercups in the lawn.

 Quilt News from the valley, where we'll have a few rainy days then back to sunny days.

The trees and grass all stay green that way!

This week I've been interviewing blocks for the final layout of my 'This and That' scrap quilt pieced with leftover blocks and scraps from other projects. I wanted a neutral background for this sampler style quilt and so I decided to use some neutral fat quarters that I bought on sale at JoAnn Fabric. Those sales are great.

 

If you're looking for scrappy/innovative design inspiration, I suggest visiting Beth Sibley's blog Love Laugh Quilt and YouTube tutorials. Beth is practical and inspiring. 

And Carolyn Forster's book Big Stitch Quilting is a must read for excellent tips on hand stitching, hand quilting, and basic quilt construction/design knowhow, worth its weight in gold.

 

Where do you find design and color inspiration?

That's the quilt news, Happy Independence Day! I hope you're enjoying your summer.

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News; This and That, Sampler Quilt Design Starting, Miss Sunshine and Happy Friday!

I like the Ohio Star block in the left upper corner.

Maybe this arrangement in the middle?

My Granddaughter, aka Miss Sunshine!

Here she is practicing her scrapbooking skills.

 

Start on interviewing with left over blocks, scraps and this and that.

More what if.....Do I really want that medallion in the upper left corner?

What if I left that out and then added something else?

This is going to take a while, but that's okay.

 

 

Quilt news from the rain forest, today blue sky peaked out!

There has been arranging and piecing going on as I want to use up as many spare blocks and pieces as I can find. And what is the goal here? Well, to stay busy and keep my mind off the weather mostly.

Now where is that hand stitching project?

Make sure and read Big Stitch Quilting by Carolyn Forster, so much basic inspiration!

And here is a terrific book for modern hand embroidery and crazy quilting etc by Sharon Boggon, Creative Stitches for Contemporary Embroidery.

 And that is the quilt news from the valley, where I'm remembering to be thankful. And enjoying my grandchildren.

How are your projects coming along? Any hand quilting? I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Happy June, New Scrappy Improv Quilt Top Photos, Three Pinwheels in Neutrals

 

 

Quilt News from the valley!

 

 And it's June the month summer officially starts and pollen is giving me itchy eyes and sneezes. 

I finished my new scrappy improv quilt top, Three Pinwheels. And, good news, most of the technical issues, that were not allowing me to download photos onto my blog, have been resolved. Yey!

My new scrappy improv quilt is made of orphan blocks and scraps from other projects. I like to use up scraps that way for piecing and design practice. As I said in my last post, that I would get the photos of the finished top posted soon, and here they are.

And a reminder when improv piecing, to myself, Measure! and add on if a piece is too short.

Don't disrespect the fabric and try to cludge, it shows every time.

 

There's always something to be thankful for.

Have a great day and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Big Stitch Hand Quilting, Three Pinwheels Improv Quilt Design Progress

16¨x 12” Scrap Triangles, hand quilted redo and finish.

My Mother´s Day flowers, fabulous colors…

Arranging pieces and blocks for my new 3 Pinwheels improv quilt.

 

Quilt news and Happy Memorial Day Weekend from the valley! 

Spring weather here, showers and flowers.

I haven’t been able to post because of technical difficulties, which are clearing up slowly.

My little Scrap Triangle art quilt, 16” x 12” got a redo. I had finished it some time ago with sloppy machine quilting and I just didn’t like how that turned out! So since I have been enjoying slow stitching lately, I decided to unpick the machine quilting and then big stitch hand quilt it with #8 pearl cotton. And I’m glad I redid it because now that little quilt looks so much better.

I’ve been piecing together a new improv quilt I’m calling 3 Pinwheels, it’s in mostly neutrals and made of leftover blocks and pieces from other projects. This last week I finished the top and will soon get photos up and it will be hand quilted. Yes, I’m loving hand quilting, slower, but so much more meaningful.

If you haven’t read Carolyn Forster’s book, Big Stitch Quilting, a practical guide to sewing and hand quilting, you are missing out on great inspiration. 

Do you have any improv or hand quilting projects in the works?

And that is the news quilt friends, I’m remembering to be thankful and I’ll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Scrappy Small Improv Quilt Piecing, Stitch Journal Embroidery Progress, Hand Quilted Sample Finish, Free Style Embroidery Project Finish

Queen Anne's Lace Freestyle Embroidery Project Finish.

19" x 19" started in 2018, inspired by a photo, slow stitch!

Blanket Stitch and French Knots added to front of my Journal of Stitches.

I added some silk ribbons to the back page for embellishment.

My Running Cross Stitch hand quilting sample finished.

My Scrappy Improv Small Quilt project in progress...

This is a fun mix of mostly neutrals, the coral just had to be there.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! April showers bring May flowers!

I've been working on hand stitching, adding embroidery to my Stitch Journal and finishing up my Running Cross Stitch hand quilt sample. I was inspired to stitch the Running Cross Stitch hand quilt sampler by reading Carolyn Forster's book, Big Stitch Quilting, A Practical Guide to Sewing and Hand Quilting. It is a wonderful book with clear instructions and good projects. I'm looking forward to stitching up a few more hand quilt samples, next will probably be the Mennonite Tack.

I'm glad to get back to more hand stitching, it's relaxing and enjoyable. 

For a while I was caught up in the 'Make Thousands of Quilts as Fast as You Can' group. I started asking myself, 'What is the point of making hundreds of quilts as fast as you can?' I know the fabric manufacturers and quilt shop owners want us to buy more and more fabric and the expensive sewing machine companies want us to buy bigger, more expensive sewing machines all the time. And maybe some women after retiring have the need to push themselves into anything and everything.

 But aside from all of the above, aren't hand sewing and quilting supposed to meet a practical need for all women of all economic backgrounds? I know I've read that and I know women of very few means that still manage to piece and hand quilt beautiful quilts.

That's been my thoughts the last couple of years.  I'm getting back to the basics and recognizing the commercialism for what it is, all about money! Commercialism has it's place, but if that is your driving force then maybe in a couple of years you'll either burn out or start thinking for yourself, hopefully.

Again I recommend Carolyn Forster's book, Big Stitch Quilting, A Practical Guide to Sewing and Hand Quilting. Carolyn also has good YouTube tutorials on hand quilting. 

And that is the quilt news from the valley!

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

Quilt News, Spring Blossoms, Hand Quilting w' Running Cross Stitch, Slow Stitch Journal Progress with Closed Blanket Stitch.....

Cherry tree blossoms against blue sky.

Gorgeous.

Happy Easter!

Running Cross Stitch hand quilting sample, front side.

Running Cross Stitch back side.

My Journal of Stitches, title stitched w' Back Stitch...

I stitched the edges of the inside pages with Closed Blanket Stitch.

 

Quilt News from the valley, where it's cool with rain/snow this last week, it didn't stick!

Happy Easter to you and your family, that came fast! And we celebrate our Risen Lord, The Lamb of God. 

I found Carolyn Forster's tutorial on Hand Quilting with Running Cross Stitch on YouTube. Her tutorials on hand quilting are to the point and clear making hand quilting accessible to anyone. She also has a tutorial on hand quilting using Mennonite Tack Stitch, another great choice for hand quilting. And in other tutorials she demonstrates quilter's knot, hiding the knot etc, all those important techniques we experienced quilters know, but for a beginning quilter her tutorials are excellent/priceless !!

This last week I added the title on my Stitch Journal in Back Stitch and edged the pages in Closed Blanket Stitch, more to come. In previous posts I mentioned that I was inspired by and following the challenge by Sarah at her YouTube tutorials for Roxy Creations; Journal of Stitchery. I'm following at my own pace, slow stitch! But Sarah and fellow Stitch Journalists have many tutorials and examples of gorgeous stitching and embellishment, so much great inspiration. And I'm amazed how the design process for the journals is the same process for Crazy Quilting or any kind of art really. 

And that quilt friends is the news from the valley. 

Where I'm thankful for all our Savior has done for us, for all who believe.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Mini Quilts and Slow Stitching Added to Stitch Journal Pages, Spring Color Inspiration

Forsythia and ornamental Plum blossoms.

Lilies from the supermarket.

Forsythia in neighbor's yard, striking!

Page 1 and 2 in my stitch journal.. Page 1 features a little mini quilt I hand pieced.

And page 3 and 4....

Pages 5 and 6...more embellishment will be added to 6.

Back cover featuring a little mini quilt I pieced from small scraps.

This is the front cover with appliqué flowers, not finished yet....

 

Quilt News from the valley! Spring showers, blossoms and birds singing here.

I've been slow stitching and adding pages to my stitch journal, inspired by Sarah @ Roxy Creations.

And do visit Sarah and her friends, to see all their projects, which are many and varied! She works with paper, fabric, laces, buttons and threads, etc and makes journals, needle books, everything little thing you can imagine.

It very much reminds me of crazy quilting, the same concept really. The pages are small so it goes together faster than you'd think and the layers and slow stitching give a beautiful texture. I used lace from a vintage handkerchief I found in a thrift shop to border the back page and the lace hangs over for an informal scrappy look. More embellishment and stitching will soon be added.

On walks we have been enjoying the birds singing and the trees and shrubs blossoming. Spring is a thrill isn't it?

And that is the quilt news from the valley where it's time to visit the grandkids, so I must run!

I'm remembering to be thankful! 

I'll be by to visit.