Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Quilt News! Three Coneflowers Medallion with Borders Quilt Top Finish, Spring Flowers Up, Log Cabin Blocks in Housetop Formation

Jonquils...

Wind Flowers...

My finished quilt top, Three Coneflowers with Borders....

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Of course spring officially starts on the 20th of March but here locally in Lake Wilderness Arboretum, Jonquils and Windflowers/Anemone are blooming now. Also blooming are Camellia shrubs, Crocus and Hellebore, etc. It is colorful and exciting.

This last week I finished up the top of my Bramble Blooms l QAL project. I call it Three Coneflowers Medallion with Borders. I wanted to keep the outside border dark to contrast with the light border preceding it. I had a difficult time trying to decide how complicated to piece that final border. But finally inspired by Linda at kokaquilts and her housetop logcabin quilts, because they look so fun! I realized that the BBl qal project just had to get finished so I could move onto something else! I tried new techniques (raw edge machine applique) and got some good tips from Audrey at quiltyfolk. Thank you Audrey.

Now did someone say Log Cabin blocks in housetop formation? Here I come!

What projects are you finishing up?

I'll be by to visit.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Quilt News! In Pieces! Piecing Together Blocks for Sunflower Panel Border and Cutting Strips for Improv Borders for 3 Coneflowers Medallion Quilt with Borders BB Challenge..

Strips cut for improv borders for my version of Bramble Blooms Challenge..

These blocks are for two different projects, maybe more, I tend to 'over' piece.

 Hello Quilt Friends!

Happy March! busy month with spring right around the corner and Easter at the end of the month, not to mention lots of family birthdays! Whew, but it's exciting.

This last week I've been piecing and pressing fabric and blocks for different projects. I like to have strips of fabric and blocks ready for experimenting and interviewing before final design decisions in my projects. I find that having a good neutral fabric handy really calms the color hysteria that can happen in the design process. Because I am rapacious when it comes to color!

That is the news from the valley where we have sun/clouds and Daffodils are beginning to bloom.

What progress have you made this week?

I'll be by to visit.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Quilt News! 3 Coneflowers Medallion with Borders Quilt Challenge Update and Progress, Second Border and Counting....

First Border, dark half square triangles all around.

 

Second Border, light.... there will be more!


Hello Quilt Friends! 

Sun mixed in with clouds this morning. 

And I'm reporting my progress on 3 Coneflowers Medallion Challenge Quilt in the way of two added borders. Visit Audrey @ quiltyfolk to check out the Bramble Blooms challenge prompts. I'm using the prompts as a general guideline that's how I work.

A lot of my inspiration comes from Gwen Marston's books. Her book Liberated Medallion Quilts is packed with great design ideas in the 'liberated' way. 

That's the update from the valley where more design, piecing and progress will be forthcoming soon!

I'll be by to visit.



Friday, February 16, 2024

Quilt News! Bramble Blooms Challenge Progress on 3 Coneflowers Medallion Quilt, First Border Half Square Triangles Piecing, Happy Friday!

First border of half square triangles laid out around center medallion

Border piecing in progress...

 

 

Hello quilt friends! 

This a quick update on piecing progress on my 3 Coneflowers Medallion Quilt started as I joined in the Bramble Blooms challenge by Audrey @ quiltyfolk

I decided the first border would be 1/2 square triangles and the piecing has begun. Other projects are being moved foward but news on those later.

Today the sun is out and I must get out and walk in it!

Hope you enjoy your Friday too and find a place to relax. I'll be by to visit!

Monday, February 5, 2024

Quilt News! Bramble Blooms QAL Progress, 3 Coneflowers Medallion, Machine Applique, Raw Edge....

Flowers and stems auditioning...

Started sewing pieces down ...

Now onto the first border....

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

I wanted to post my Bramble quilt along project, 3 Coneflowers, progress. The colors came together as I remembered one of my favorite art coaches saying, 'Light, dark, light, dark' and that helps me when choosing what color to lay down where. 

Then I found a few 'raw edge' machine applique tutorials that made sense to me and I was brave and sewed the pieces down! Next onto cutting out and piecing the first border.

That is the Bramble QAL news from the valley!

Have you made any choices or progress on any projects, that's half the fun isn't it?

I'll be by to visit. And Linda @ Koka Quilts says and I quote, "May the usual creative chaos continue!"

Friday, February 2, 2024

Quilt News! Log Cabin Quilt in Furrow Configuration Finish! My Barn Raising Medallion with Borders Quilt Top Ready for Big Stitch Hand Quilting, Koka Quilts for Color Pop Inspiration!


Batting cut out for Barn Raising Medallion with Borders quilt top, 56"x 56".


Quilt backing pieced for my Barn Raising Medallion quilt top.

My Log Cabin Quilt in Furrow Configuration, 43 x 43" finished!

 

Hello Quilt Friends from the valley where we are enjoying warmer temperatures and projects are being moved forward and finishes are happening!

I finished sewing the binding down onto my Log Cabin Quilt in Furrow Configuration, it's hand quilted with #8 Perle cotton in Topaz, and measures 43" x 43". This one will be a gift.

Then I bravely pulled out my quilt top Barn Raising Medallion with Borders, started about 5 yr.s ago. I was studying Gwen Marston's books Liberated Quiltmaking ll and Liberated Medallion Quilts, published by AQS, and working on 1/2 square triangles and borders. Borders add lots of color and design interest right? I measured/cut out batting and pieced a backing for my Barn Raising Medallion quilt top last week. Next will be pin basting and starting on hand quilting.

Then after all the hard work, I was ready for relaxation and inspiration, which I found in abundance at Linda's Koka Quilts. I got my color fix and tons of inspiration and technique tips, thank you Linda!

And that is the news from the compound, where life is good! 

What are you moving forward or finishing this week?

I'll be by to visit.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Quilt News! Hand Sewn Rice Bag with Sashiko Stitches Finish! Improv Log Cabin in Furrow Formation Binding Finish! Temperatures Warmed up a Little Here, Yey!

My Rice Bag finished @ 3.5" Sq. sides and bottom @ 4" Sq. , it's lined.

I was inspired by several different patterns; mixed and matched, to get to this finish.

Red Amaryllis flamboyantly blooming in my kitchen window, it now has four blossoms opened.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

The temperatures have warmed up a few degrees and the frozen rain on the ground is starting to thaw here. I braved a walk to the mail box and was very careful to avoid the slippery spots. I made it back safely. It was good to get out for a walk. Last post I said I was glad that there had been no snow yet. Well now there has been snow and frozen rain plus wind, but as I said it's now warming up and thawing a little. I'm thankful.

And I've finished my Rice Bag project. I wanted to make one up so I researched different patterns and tutorials. I decided the first one was going to be small because I wanted to hand stitch it. I did stitch most of the seams by hand but finished around the top and tabs with machine because I figured they would get more wear and I think machine stitching is a bit sturdier. I used scraps and improv piecing for the sides and used Sashiko Stitches for embellishment. Fun project, I will make more in different sizes. Jean Wells has interesting tutorials on her rice bag pattern and it's worth a watch!

My Red Amaryllis now has four blooms open and what a treat to see on a dark stormy morning. They will grow and thrive out in the yard in a protected spot (from the heat) in S CA. As my daughter-in-law said, "O those, my dad grows those in his back yard." Wonderful for him. Here in the PNW the bulbs have to brought in for the winter of course.

My Improv Log Cabin in Furrow Formation, 42" x 42" is done! I finished the binding last week. I was inspired by Temecula Quilt Co.'s quilt pattern Down Home Darling. And that quilt was inspired by a vintage quilt Sheryl Johnson, owner of Temecula Quilt Co. found. My blocks were a different size than the blocks in Down Home Darling and I made the starting red square different sizes to add challenge and interest in piecing, thus the 'improv'. Next post I'll have photos of the finish.


That is the quilt news from the valley where projects are getting finished and I'm dreaming up more!

I'll be by to visit!