Friday, December 30, 2016

AHIQ and a Liberated Finish 2016

'Santa Clara Fog' 10" x  13" by Janie.

My 'Liberated Diamonds' small quilt, 12" x 16".

It's still cold and snowy here in New Hampshire!

I'm teaming up with Ann and Kaja working on improvisational, liberated, art quilts.

'Santa Clara Fog' is all done. It's part of my Santa Clara series; working with clear, saturated colors using white as a strong background or contrast. It has a lot of grey but it still belongs in the series.
I started with strip fabric I'd sewn and using a template I cut squares and added white strips to those squares. I squared those again this way and that and then arranged and sewed the blocks together.

My 'Liberated Diamonds' is also in Santa Clara style but has a strong dose of 'liberation.'  It's almost done just needs the binding hand stitched down on the back.
It's put together with 'x's and o's' style blocks.

I love working small I can get a lot of my ideas worked out quickly. 

Hope you're all staying warm and enjoying the season. I'll be by to visit!!

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Fun Ideas for Holiday Break Time.....





 Holiday break time! Relax with family, read good books, watch movies, eat cookies, etc.
Here are a couple of enjoyable places to visit while relaxing.

Missouri Star Quilt Company comes up with so many great ideas. They have a wonderful take on a butterfly block, fun.
Butterfly tutorial


And over at Pam's blog, Hokkaidokudasai.blogspot , she's enjoying holiday with treats and stitching projects with friends.

Enjoy!!!

Friday, December 23, 2016

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!



"To us a child is born, to us a son is given...
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6 

Let the festivities begin!

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Art/Modern Quilt finish, more Blocks, more Snow.


The sweet little prince who lives on the west coast.
More snow anyone?

Improv experiment #1 finish,  13" x 10".
More improv blocks made up.


Greetings from the North Pole!!
Not really, I'm in New Hampshire, but it's starting to look like the North Pole.

I hope you're having a Merry Christmas time. It's so close I'll just call it!

I've finished my small art, improv quilt, #1. It's the beginning of working out some of my designs from my design book. More to unfold, more blocks to play with.

The picture of my grandson, our oldest grandson, 6 months old, in front of the Christmas tree was so adorable I had to include it to cheer everyone up, he's the sweet little prince who lives on the west coast. He's learned to sit up and is now eating and enjoying bananas.  I'm in love again.

Have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!!
I'll be back in January some time.
I'll stop in to visit.



Friday, December 9, 2016

Liberated Small, 3 1/2" Strip Blocks, Snow, Creative Fire

Time to get the snow blower out.

The little prince, unhappy.

The little prince, happy.

Cutting blocks to size, 3 1/2" sq.

Rows sewn together, 9" x 12".

Happy Friday from New Hampshire!!
There's been snow and there's going to be more snow. I'd better get used to it, right?

We're here helping my daughter's family with the arrival of their third child. He's now 2 months old and full of cuteness, time flies. 

I had a bit of time to experiment with some liberated blocks I'd made up. I cut them down to 3 1/2" sq. using state of the art technology, a cardboard template. It worked well, actually. 
I followed Gwen Marston's advice and didn't over think block arrangement. I bought her online course from iquilt, 'Abstract Quilts in Solids.' I love the way she talks about 'play time at the sewing machine,' in the course. That's the way to get into the flow; to relax and enjoy the process.

Hopefully you're able to stay warm where ever you are and keep the creative 'fire' burning.
How do you keep your creative 'fire' burning?

I'll be by to see what projects you're working on!

Friday, December 2, 2016

Butterfly for December, Butterfly Four Patch, New Blocks Liberated Style

Interviewing new block arrangement.

Design book ideas.

Butterfly for December 2016, Gaudy Commodore & Common Jay.

Finished the 2nd quadrant of my butterfly four patch quilt.

Liberated butterfly blocks, 4" x 4".


Happy weekend!!

Hope you got a lot done on your projects! I had a little time here and there which adds up.

I've started a new art/modern quilt. I don't know whether to call it minimal or maxi in style. Those are fun words to use sometimes when I'm in the right mood.

I've also finished another quadrant of my butterfly four patch. I decided to make it in quad fashion to help with color arrangement. I might design like that again it makes decisions easier and keeps me from getting over whelmed.

My calendar butterfly, the Gaudy Commodore is native to Africa and feeds on nectar. It's blue in winter form.
The common Jay Butterfly is a tropical swallow tail. They feed on nectar too. The males are often found cavorting in mud puddles.
You learn something new every day!

Well I have to run, a trip to the craft store is next.

Have a happy Friday!!!