Orange Flying Geese and Hourglass Blocks, Log Cabin Blocks Sashed and Bordered, a Hand Quilting Finish.

Orange Flying Geese in framed medallion with Hourglass blocks in the border.

Here I've pieced sashing between rows of small liberated Log Cabin blocks.

Closer view of blocks.

And more...

Borders have been pieced on here, 29" x 19".

Blocks started with scraps from another of my liberated Log Cabin Quilts.

Slowly building up, in liberated fashion, Log Cabin blocks from scraps.

This my #2 Log Cabin quilt with Kona Cotton solid 'Wasabi' border, 32" x 32", hand quilting finished here, border will be next.

Hello Quilt Friends!

It's sunny and warm here on the coast.

This last week or two I've been able to get a little of this and that done. I think breaking it up and working on blocks and projects here and there is the way to go, lessens the possibility of the dreaded burn out.

I finished my small orange quilt with challenge blocks of hourglass and flying geese and using the color orange, three in one! The Hourglass block for AHIQ, the Flying Geese chosen for Dawn's  24 SAL from a quilt book, pg. 24, and then using orange scraps for RSC color for February.

I'll pick a new block for Dawn's 24 SAL sometime this week. It is a good excuse to pick through  my quilt books and choose a new block. 

I finished hand quilting my #2 liberated Log Cabin quilt in neutrals. I used a lot of Kona Cotton "Wasabi' in that one, love the contrast.

From the scraps and left overs from my #1 and #2 liberated Log Cabin quilts I began slowly building small Log Cabin blocks for another project and that began several months ago. I added to them now and then keeping them in a baggie.

Well now I have them sashed and bordered, ready to be layered and quilted, #3 in a series of small liberated Log Cabin blocks. This one is sashed and bordered with neutral colors.

And that's the quilt news from the rancho, where projects are getting done, here and there, and I'm remembering to be thankful!

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News SAL Challenge 24, Additions to Small Liberated Log Cabin Blocks, More Piecing Units and a Small Quilt Finish

Small Art Quilt finish, this started as a challenge, I needed more time and made my own schedule.

SAL 24 book I'm using for inspiration, pg. 24, Flying Geese.

....said page...

My Flying Geese, made with HSTs, because I had them in my parts department.

Spare parts from other blocks made into new units.

I've been working on this set of liberated Log Cabin blocks for some time now.

Close up view, next will come sashing and a border.

Hello from the Rancho and
Happy Valentines Day!

We have sun and cool temperatures. It's early spring here.

This week I finished a small art quilt started as a group challenge. I realized I was going to need more time to finish this project right. So I set my own time frame, slow! Setting my own schedule freed up the creative juices.

I forget the theme but it was something to do with couture sewing. I left the basting stitches in because I like it that way and used big stitch hand quilting.

Also I read in Julierose's blog about Dawn's SAL 24. Basically you pull out one of your quilt books you've been meaning to go through and using that, you choose either pg. 24 or 42 or 2 or 4 and using the chosen page, piece up 2 or 4 blocks from that page. This is a very relaxed SAL, no deadlines,

just the thing for me.

As you can see, the book I've chosen is 'Gwen and Freddy Collaborate Again' by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran. It's a used library book, I bought it on Amazon for a good price.

And my small Liberated Log Cabin blocks are shaping up slow but sure. I keep them in a baggie and pull them out occasionally to add to them. They've been around for several months now. They are ready to have sashing sewed between the blocks and then between the rows. 

Slow and steady going.

That quilt friends is the news from the rancho, where I'm making progress unit by unit and I'm remembering to be thankful. 

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News, The Creative Journey, Orange and Green Units, Hand Quilting Progress

Hand quilting progress on my Bright Modern Sampler Quilt.

Practice arranging units from my parts department, not ready for a commitment.

More orange units, I know there's yellow too, close enough for me.

Green string units were fun to piece, I used MSQC's tube method, as in their 'Walk in the Park' Quilt tutorial.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have sun after a few days of wind and showers.

And I'm making progress increasing my 'parts department.'

Gwen Marston, mother of liberated quilting, advocated keeping a parts department, which is a collection of units or pieced blocks to use in sampler type quilts or any style you choose, of course.

You can keep a collection of units by color or style (string blocks or baskets etc.).

I've added a few orange units, four more hour glass blocks and tested out orange and yellow flying geese and I like them so there will be more. 

Most of my time this week was spent adding to my green units. String blocks were on the list, improv or not? I decided to use MSQC's tube method as in their 'Walk in the Park' tutorial. I wanted a graphic, clean edge look. As you can see, not all the strings are 2.5" wide, I couldn't help shaking it up a little.

More hand quilting has been accomplished on my Bright Modern Quilt, whew!

That quilt friends is the news from the rancho, 

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

I'm also very thankful for all you, my quilt friends, for tons of encouragement and inspiration along the creative journey.

I'll be by to visit.

Pink for February and Orange for RSC Color of the Month, Torrance Beach Feeding Frenzy

Hour Glass blocks in orange for RSC February color challenge.

My color calendar color of the month, pink.

Feeding frenzy at Torrance Beach.

Seagulls and ravens cleaned up fast.

Happy February!

from the rancho where we have sun and warm temperatures.

This morning while we were enjoying the beach, someone dropped off treats for the seagulls and ravens on the sidewalk, a riot of feeding birds ensued. Everyone walked around them. The birds had the sidewalk cleaned up in a matter of minutes. It was quite a show. 

My color calendar color of the month for February is pink and the RSC color challenge for this month is orange. I think the two go together well so I decided to join in the RSC orange challenge for fun. Color is so worth it!

Julierose pieced together some tiny Hour Glass Blocks, the squares she started with were 2.5" I believe. Visit her blog to see them. And yes, they were in oranges.

I caught the bug and made some Hour Glass Blocks in orange but I started with 3.5" squares. My finished Hour Glass Blocks are 2 3/4".

And so quilt friends, the piecing and color fun continues here.

I'll be by to visit and share in your color adventures.

Quilt News, A Tale of Three Red Quilt Tops, Improv Neutral Log Cabin Quilt Progress

1st Red HST Medallion Quilt top with HSTs inYankee Puzzle formation with borders. Final border in orange print.

Same as above, different lighting, 58" x 54".

2nd Red HST Medallion Quilt top with HSTs in Barn Raising formation with borders, 55" sq.

 Same as above, corner detail.

Fun mix of prints, solids and florals.

The orange floral, used in quilt top above, is Havanna by Patty Young, Riley Blake Designs.

3rd of my Red HST Medallion quilt tops, the HSTs are in Yankee Puzzle formation,  50" sq.

Same quilt top as above, with pink print final border and hourglass blocks in the corners.

More hand quilting progress on my improv Neutral Log Cabin quilt, 32" sq.

Hello quilt friends and happy MLK day from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Lots of this and that has been happening around here but I managed to squeeze in some project time.

I finished my 3rd quilt top in a series of Red HST Medallion quilts last week. I started them in 2017 when I bought a Red Spectrum layer cake (10"sq.s) by Cotton & Steel. At first I thought about making a giant quilt using all the squares, but decided against that. Then I decided on making them all into HSTs and then using those in smaller quilts.

After reading Gwen Marston's book, Liberated Medallion Quilts, I knew I wanted to use HSTs in medallions and then add borders. 

And so the fun and deliberating began. 

It's great to have the tops done. The binding on all three will be a red floral.

More hand quilting has been accomplished on my 32" sq. Improv Neutral Log Cabin quilt with flannel batting.

The binding will be Kona Cotton solid Khaki or Natural.

And you must visit Julierose  and see her recent quilts, they are fabulous! The Franken Flimsy and her Green Sampler are really amazing.

And that is the news from the rancho where it's a vacation/break day so I'll wind this up and go out and take a long walk by the beach, remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News and Hour Glass Blocks Big and Small, Kona Cotton Solid Wasabi Yellow Green.

More of this (hand quilting) on this, my improv neutral log cabin quilt.

I used flannel for batting, I prewashed and dried it twice.

And I like the improv log cabin borders for sure!

More hourglass blocks and improv units made.

Happy Quilt News Monday from the Rancho!

Where we have sun and warmer temperatures today.

This week I managed to get some different size hourglass blocks pieced up and some improv units that look good with the pile, so far so good. I'm trying real hard not to use 'gaudy' colors, must be careful to not overload those of a more sensitive nature.

Also I've made progress on hand quilting my neutral improv log cabin small quilt, 32" x 32". The green in the border is actually Kona Cotton Wasabi, a yellow green, not chartreuse. Chartreuse has more green in it. They're both very close but wasabi is closer to yellow. I enjoy color, can you tell?

And that is the news, quilt friends, from the coast where I've been walking in the sun and remembering to be thankful!

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, January 2020 Calendar Color White, AHIQ Challenge Hour Glass Blocks

My 2020 new calendar, featuring a color for each month.

Torrance Beach in the morning. Yes, there are surfers in the water.

This photo looks north, the San Bernadinos have snow.

Blue and white are good colors for January, I think.

Sampler Project in Neutrals, I'm slowly getting it together, I'll add hand embroidery.

I pieced some hour glass blocks, for the new AHIQ challenge.

This is a pile of pieced units I like to arrange and unarrange for fun.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes and Happy New Year!

We had warmer temperatures last week but it's supposed to get cooler again in a few days.

I managed to get bits of time for small piecing sessions. I'm looking forward to the AHIQ challenge which is using Hour Glass blocks. I've already pieced some blocks together, precision style, and next I plan on piecing some blocks improv style. I think the two together will be fun.

And I'm using greens which I don't usually do.

If you are new to improv piecing or design, check out Debbie Jeske's blog and quilts for great examples.

I found a 2020 calendar featuring a color each month. The January color is white. The photo shows a white staircase leading up to a gate, which I think, symbolizes looking ahead with hope to the future.

Color is exciting!

My Sampler Project in Neutrals is close to the final layout. It started as a challenge last year, but as I began working on it I knew it was going to take a while for me to finalize it. I dropped out of the challenge and just let the project takes its time. I was getting frustrated with the process and about ready to throw the whole thing out. It dawned on me the pressure of the dead line was killing my creativity. So instead of throwing out the project I 'threw' out the deadline.

And I like keeping units of piecing experiments and orphan blocks around to experiment and play with, arranging them this way and then that way. When there is no pressure I learn more and remember what works and doesn't work for me.

I do realize competition can be a good thing.

That quilt friends is the quilt news from the rancho, where looking ahead is a big deal.

And I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.