Quilt Improv Colorful, Two Finishes, Kona Cotton Wasabi Border, Flowers

Piecing small improv Log Cabin blocks here.

Apron finished and in the mail!

Wild Daisies and Mariposas along the beach cliff walk.

My Mother's Day flowers, note the yellow-greens and violet-blues!

Improv Log Cabin Blocks in border.

Borders and corners on.

Happy Friday from the coast!

We're having spring weather with showers, wind, clouds and sun.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and I'm still enjoying my flowers, the color mix is lovely.

I got my apron project done and it's in the mail to DDIL. The ruffles add lots of fun.

The borders on my Improv Log Cabin quilt are sewn on and I think I'll name it 'Beach Cabins.'

I used Kona Cotton solids, batiks and prints in this quilt. This is another quilt inspired by Gwen Marston and her book, 'Liberated Medallion Quilts', publisher AQS. This top is finished.

And here's a tip, if you are or become a member of AQS you can buy some of Gwen's books from AQS at a good price. I think the membership is worth it just for that. I don't want to forget to mention you will also get a discount on the classes they offer.

That's the progress report from the rancho, where we're wearing sweaters and hats.

And remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

'Ponies' Quilt Top Finish, Improv Piecing for my Medallion Style Log Cabin Quilt, American Quilter Magazine and a Rainbow.

Piecing improv border for my Log Cabin quilt below.

My Log Cabin improv/liberated quilt waiting for another border.

'Ponies' medallion style quilt top finished, my design.

I'm making HSTs for a new idea I have, inspired by Gwen Marston's book, 'Free Range Triangles.'

'Color Fade Quilt in Reds' piecing directions, this looks like another good idea.

We hiked after dinner and got showered on and then treated to this rainbow.

Happy May, another beautiful spring month!

I've been improv piecing a border this week, to add to my low volume Log Cabin Quilt.

Medallion style, a center with borders, has been my focus lately.

I should name this quilt something else, Like maybe 'Cabins on the 

Beach,' I'll give it some thought.

Then I finished the 'Ponies' quilt top, again, it's medallion style. I enjoy the fabric border with ponies in the print. It's by Cotton + Steel Rifle Paper Co. It will make a little girl smile.

HSTs are stacking up for a new design idea of mine, inspired by Gwen Marston and Carol Jones's book 'Free Range Triangles.'

Red in all it's glorious variations will star. The Color Fade Quilt directions came with the layer cake stack of Spectrum Reds by Cotton + Steel. That would make up a nice quilt too.

Then there's the beautiful rainbow we saw on our after dinner hike after being showered on. You can see the Pacific Ocean in the lower right with the Catalina Islands in the background. Living on the coast is an adventure.

Have you picked up and read the new American Quilter Magazine published by AQS? Or the newest Quilting Arts Magazine published by Interweave?

Both are packed with great design, ideas and quilters adding their exciting take on making quilts.

Lots of inspiration in those two publications!

That's the news from the rancho, where I'm remembering to be thankful, getting things done and enjoying the spring.

I'll be by to visit!

Kona Cottons, New C&T Block Tool Reference, Hand Quilting and Getting Ruffled.

My hand quilting projects, small and large.

Apron project gets ruffled.

New handy reference guide for block layouts and yardage, it was on sale.

Kona Cottons were also on sale, Citrus, Coral, Red, they were speaking to me.

Hello and Happy Friday from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have high clouds, a little wind and it's cool today.

I'm making progress on my hand quilting projects and being careful not to let the tension get too tight. The idea of course, is not to let the stitching gather the quilt fabric.

The apron I'm working on for my DDIL, is getting ruffled along the lower edge and ruffles can be a little fiddly but I enjoy the challenge.

There was a good sale on at JoAnn Fabric, I got a deal on the reference book, 'Quick & Easy Block Tool! by C&T Publishing. My blog friend, Cathy @ saneandcrazy.blogspot.com recommended Lady's Art Company Block Tool, as a reference guide. I haven't found that one for a good price yet.

And the Kona Cottons were on sale so I brought home Citrus, Coral, and Red yardage.

Just the colors to add warmth and contrast. 

What are your favorite 'signature' colors for contrast?

That's the news from the rancho.

Where I'm remembering to be thankful and keeping warm.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt/Sewing News, Kona Cotton 'Splash', Bright Modern Sampler Hand Quilting Progress, And Happy Easter!

I've started sewing an apron for my DDIL.

Apron pocket detail here.

My afghan/blanket project is coming along, for another DDIL.

More hand quilting is getting done on my Bright Modern Sampler.

Here it is in 'flimsy' stage.

Happy Easter to you and your family!

Happy Almost Easter!

From Rancho Palos Verdes, where we have mild spring weather, sun and clouds.

How do you and your family celebrate Easter?

This last week I worked on a sewing project/apron, and more crochet on my Afghan project, both are for DDILs.

And hand quilting progress has been made on my Bright Modern Sampler. I stretch it out on my bed during the day so I can enjoy looking at it, it's bright and cheerful after all, might as well appreciate it during the process.

Have you seen Robert Kaufman's new Kona Cotton color of the year? It's a turquoise they're calling 'Splash!'

I do love a good turquoise and a lot of my current projects have turquoise in them.

That's the news from the rancho,

 where I'm remembering to be thankful and spring is in the air.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, Improv Block Inspiration Remembered, with a Touch of Butterflies

My Improv Strip Block that inspired my Cream and Coral runner design. 

My improv blocks inspired by an 'Improv Piecing' class I took by Debbie Jeske.

I'm hand quilting my Cream and Coral runner, inspired by my improv strip block. 

Final border sewn onto HST Barn Raising Medallion with borders.

Beach level, coast off Rancho Palos Verdes, looking north.

We hiked down to that beach on public land north side of the Trump National Golf Course.

2019 April calendar butterflies!

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have sun and clouds with a touch of butterflies.

Painted Ladies are still flying around fast, no lounging around for them.

and Cloudless Sulpher  butterflies can be seen here and there, they don't stay still for photos either.

And Happy April, I've posted my calendar butterflies.

I'm hand quilting my Cream and Coral runner. I finally remembered where I got inspiration to piece it and found a photo of my improv strip block started in the class I took from Debbie Jeske , 'Improv Piecing' held in the Gossipium Quilt Shop in Issaquah, Washington. It was a great class and Debbie is still full of good ideas, visit her blog to see.

The final border has been sewn onto my HST Barn Raising Medallion, a finished top now.

And then we hiked down to the beach last week, sand and waves, sun and wind.

There were wild flowers, lizards and pelicans too.

We saw container ships, pleasure and fishing boats on the water.

That's the news from the rancho.

Where projects are getting finished and spring is in the air.

Pollen is in the air too, allergies anyone? 

Remembering to be thankful

 and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, Thin Borders, Improv Piecing and Hand Quilting is a 'Bear.'

Thin black border added to my HST Barn Raising, the blue floral border is next.

Hand quilting has begun on my Bright Sampler.

I'm improv piecing 3 1/2" sqr. small Log Cabins for another border.

It will look something like this.

My 'low volume' improv Log Cabin quilt, 27 x 27", so far. Maybe one or two more borders to go.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where spring is in the air with sun, clouds and a little wind.

This week progress in quilt projects has been good. I work a little on this and that and trade around.

I've added several thin borders and I like the color/contrast statement that happens. That's in the medallion style of quilt construction which I've been specializing in lately.

My 'low volume' improv Log Cabin quilt looks great up against a window, like stained glass. I'm giving it another border of small improv Log Cabin blocks and then a solid border in Kona cotton solid 'Wasabi.'

Hand quilting on my Bright Sampler is in progress. It's like taming a bear, with time and patience it will get done and hopefully I'll live to tell about it.

Also 'Simply Moderne, Quilts and Crafts' issue 16 is out, published by Quiltmania.

I highly recommend it, they are modern, yes, but not painfully so, they're not afraid to acknowledge traditional and to let some artsy stuff sneak in. I love their style!

Excellent reference and inspiration.

Also have you heard, Pantone's new color of the year is 'Living Coral.'

Fabulous! There are QALs and contests involving the new color, but I have enough going on now without starting another project, really. So I will enjoy seeing all the new quilts using 'Living Coral.'

Are you going to start a new quilt using 'Living Coral'?

That's the news from the rancho, 

where I'm remembering to be thankful and progress is being made.

I'll be by to visit.

Adventures in Piecing, Hand Quilting and Border Choices, Cotton+Steel's Les Fleurs, Spring and Butterflies!

Improv pieced units auditioning in relation to the center piece.

More piecing auditions.

We went hiking on the Los Liones Canyon Trail.

We saw wild parrots, lizards and wild flowers.

This is now pieced, bordered and basted, 20 x 38". I'm beginning hand quilting.

Hand quilting started with basting in orange thread.

I can't remember the inspiration for this project. It'll come to me.

Next border (1" wide) for my improv 'low volume' log cabins, Kona cotton solid in berry.

Next border (2" wide) for my HST 'Barn Raising' in Cotton+Steel's Les Fleurs. Love the blue and coral next to the reds.

Happy blue floral.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where it's officially spring. Last week or two there's been an amazing Painted Lady butterfly hatching out around here. There were butterflies everywhere, in the parks, streets, yards and along the coast trail. They were dancing around and wouldn't hold still for a picture. Beautiful.

I've finished piecing and basting my runner, hand quilting is started. Its center piece I had used in the backing of my Butterfly quilt, but I decided it needed to be on the front and center of a quilt, it was too fun to be just a backing. So I unpicked the machine quilting on my Butterfly Quilt (now hand quilted) and took the center piece out of the backing. Now I've added to the center piece and I'm very happy with how it looks.  I forgot where my inspiration for that piece came from. I need to remember to figure out a name, it'll come to me sooner or later.

  

And I've decided on the next border colors for two of my projects. Now the borders are cut out ready to be pieced on and then on to the next decision.

My Traditional Bright Sampler is now layered and basted and hand quilting will soon begin. I roughly followed the free BOM patterns from Piecing the Past Quilts, their 'Times of Refreshing.'

I used bright modern colors and chose to arrange the blocks differently and finish the borders differently.

Also we hiked along the Los Liones Trail in Malibu last weekend. A flock of wild parrots flew in and squawked at us. We heard quail in the brush and saw wild flowers and tried to stay clear of the poison oak. An invigorating hike.

That's the news from the rancho,

 where progress is being made and I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit!