'Smoky Plum' Blocks, Grape Hyacinth, Sew Stitch Snap Share #25, Debbie Jeske's 'Grape Fizzy'

My 'Smoky Plum' sampler blocks, 12 1/2" when trimmed up, started last summer.

Quarter Circle block, I liked this one so I made two for this sampler.

Nine Patch block with a good example of smoky plum.

We visited a botanical garden last weekend, the grape hyacinth put on a fabulous show.

We saw historical pictures, antiques and records of early settler families here. 

Happy Monday and May 1st is tomorrow! 

We've had showers and sun trading off, typical spring weather, right?

I pulled out my 'Smoky Plum' sampler blocks from the Improv Piecing class I took last summer with Debbie Jeske teaching it at Gossipium Quilt Shop  in Issaquah, Wa.

I was working on the rail fence block last night and got fed up with it. I picked out seams and strips and left them in a pile imagining the worst. Then I went to bed.

This morning I got up and looked over the pile and did some rearranging. Then, sewed up strips into blocks and hey! not half bad after all. That goes to show that working when you're tired is not always a good thing.

I have one more block to make up and haven't decided yet what it will be, maybe a 'crazy' block.

There might be sashing between the blocks, still thinking on that. Got any ideas?

Did you notice, no orange!

We visited a local botanical garden, spring flowers were everywhere. There was a beautiful walk down to a stream, very refreshing. Grape hyacinth, rhododendron, and camellia were blooming, just to name a few.

Visit Debbie Feske at A Quilter's Table to see her 'Grape Fizzy' quilt. She made it for the 2018 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Ultra Violet Edition. Fun design and colors, don't miss it!

I'm also linking up with Sew Stitch Snap Share hosted by Linda @ Koka Quilts. It's a great opportunity to share and get inspired, stop in to see.
Thank you, Linda.

That's the news from the shire. Have a great week and I'll be by to visit!

Color Inspiration Everywhere, AHIQ, Debbie Jeske's Improv Quilt, Color Wow!

Photo of moss in rain, color inspiration for my 'Uptown' quilt.

A color/design influence on "Uptown'.

'Uptown' also inspired by a Tonye Belinda Phillips' pattern, 28" x 28".

'Attract' quilt top 30" x 38".

Close up, Kona solids, navy blue, purple, yellows, oranges, pink etc.

'Attract', my improv design with final borders, started last summer.

Mt. Rainier, a definite color inspiration in the Seattle area.

The snow last Christmas 2017, an influence of grey and white.

Fall pumpkins, look at that orange and the colors that go along with it!

'Open wide pouch', pattern by Anna Graham. I finished it today, 7" x 10".

Better lighting. The fabric is machine quilted and pieced by me.

Hello! From Renton, Washington highlands where we are have sun and warmer temperatures.
Time for hiking!

This week I've been thinking about color inspiration and about what has influenced my color choices in some of my improv quilts. I started going through photos of last summer, fall and winter and it's easy for me to see where my ideas have come from. 

I finished my 7" x 10" 'Open wide zippered pouch', free tutorial by Anna Graham, see link above.

I used my left over machine quilted fabric practice pieces. The machine quilted fabric was a little bulky to work with and didn't need lining. And it makes up cute pouches for storage.

If you want some 'wow' in your day, stop by Debbie Jeske's blog to see her amazing new improv quilt, 'All In'. She's got both great design and color in that one. And she's used some exciting Kona solids, always a good choice. She'll be teaching a class for her improv techniques with her new quilt.

I've taken one of her improv classes at Gossipiun Quilt Shop, last summer, it was excellent.

I'm linking up with Kaja and Ann for AHIQ. Thanks Kaja and Ann for hosting. Stop by and share your improv work and see what others are doing, it's a great opportunity.

Have a good weekend, and I'll be by to visit!

'Uptown' Log Cabin Blocks, Double Water Wheel Block Piecing, Temecula Quilt Co. Sewing Tool Organizer

'Uptown" Log Cabin Blocks arranged, 28"x 28".

I foundation pieced the log cabin blocks on flannel.

Piecing, pressing, and arranging Double Water Wheel block for my traditional sampler.

Vintage style sewing tool organizer, 8" x 2 1/2", from Temecula Quilt Co.

Hello from the Pacific NW! 

Where we have spring weather; clouds, rain and cool temperatures.

This week I worked on arranging my 'Welsh Folded Log Cabin'  style blocks. My inspiration came from Tonye Belinda Phillips' pattern of the same name, 'Welsh Folded Log Cabin.'

I had my log cabin blocks sewn together but I wasn't happy with how they looked. So blocks were unpicked, moved around and turned upside down. Then I sewed them back together and I think I'm happy with it now. I'll give them a few days before it's final.
I'm naming the log cabin block small quilt 'Uptown'.

Design should be slow, as Rayna Gillman says in her book, Create Your Own Improv Quilts . This is a great book for design ideas, not to copy but how to get your own ideas cooking.

I also did some research on Welsh Quilts and found a lot of information at http://www.welshquilts.com by Jen Jones. Jen has written books on the Welsh quilt and quilting tradition.

And I had time to cut out, sew together and press the pieces for my Double Water Wheel block, from a free traditional quilt pattern called 'Rest and Refreshing' by Piecing the Past Quilts.

My sewing tool organizer came in the mail. It fits perfect in my sewing drawer and holds scissors, seam picker, small ruler, marker etc. all those important things that can get tossed around and jumbled, not any more! It's 8" x 2 1/2" x 1". Temecula Quilt Co. sells them,  in other sizes too.

It's a fun online quilt shop, with great patterns and fabric, traditional with a fun design spin.

That's the news from the shire, where progress is being made and we're using umbrellas to stay dry.

Share a smile and brighten someone's day!

Wasabi #3, Sew Stitch Snap Share, and Needle Book Finish

Time for pin basting.

Now finished, the back of Wasabi 3 with left over HST's .

Front of Wasabi #3, started last spring, finished.

Quilted/Kantha stitched needle book with ribbon ties.

Opened out with felted, dyed, wool needle keep, and pocket.

Hello from the Pacific NW where we have grey clouds and rain.

Last week I finished my small quilt, Wasabi 3.

We were staying with family last year in Rancho Palos Verde, CA, right next to the Pacific Ocean when I began piecing the blocks together from scraps. It turned spring while we were there and the colors I used in the quilt remind me of the cliffs and spring colors there. 

I was inspired by Gwen Marston's 'liberated' style and I was inspired by one of the blocks in co-author Amanda Jean Nyberg's book, 'Sunday Morning Quilts.' The blocks have horizontal strips with one vertical strip to finish the square. The squares in my small quilt are 5" finished. Then I used borders/HST's to fill it out. 

Also last week I finished a needle book made from a linen/cotton/muslin cloth 'sandwich' I had filled with kantha stitch. It's linen with cotton batting in the middle and muslin on the other side. The stitching was too beautiful to throw out so it's now repurposed. Making sewing accoutrements is one of my favorite fiddly things to do.

I'm linking up with Linda and Julie for Sew Stitch Snap Share, where fun projects are shared along with lots of inspiration. Stop by to visit and be amazed!

Thanks Linda and Julie for hosting.

That's the news from the shire.

I'll be by to visit.