Art Quilt Mojo Returns, Jane Davies Modern Abstract Artist and Pumpkins Around Town.

Piecing and gathering units.

Began piecing here.

Experimental piecing arrangement, too predictable, took it apart.

Another try at arranging, still too contrived, I sliced it in quarters.

Now things are flowing the way I like them, I can add color where needed.

More auditioning units, I like the saw tooth border, not the squares on point.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where cooler fall temperatures are wonderful and almost Happy Halloween!

Local pumpkin patches are getting lots of business and children are excited about dressing up for harvest parties or trick or treating and getting way too much candy.

Last couple of weeks I have been slowly getting a new art quilt together. I don't like working with traditional piecing for very long as it bores me to death! So I put the 'trad' stuff away and began by throwing caution to the wind. Boring stuff be gone.

I've been spending time looking over Jane Davies', professional abstract artist, YouTube videos on her process. 

Robert Burridge, another exciting abstract artist, has a lot of good YouTube videos on everything from choosing color to layering. He titles his videos 'Another Bob Blast Video',  he does blast out great ideas easy to understand and make your own.

And so quilt friends the fall time is being enjoyed here and abstract art visions are dancing in my head. Let the fun begin.

How are your project adventures coming along?

I hope you're enjoying fall, or spring for those of you down under.

Always remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt news Friday! Watermelon Summer Quilt Almost a Finish, Flannel Batting and 'Envelope' Closure

This was the start of my Watermelon Summer table runner.

Here's two borders added.

Final border added. Then flannel batting in the middle and backing sewn to top.

Back design on Watermelon, I haven't started machine quilting here.

Machine quilting has been started!

Crochet baby blanket x2 for grand daughters expected before Christmas.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where the weather is fine, sunny days cooling off in the evening.

I've been volunteering at a charity quilt group where baby quilts are made and distributed to those in need. The baby quilts are tied and I've been helping with that. I like a tied quilt, soft and fluffy. We tie the quilts with a double stitch, then a square knot, sturdy.

And I've been crocheting up a storm as 2 new baby girls are expected before Christmas. And I teach beginning crochet at a local women's shelter. Lots of fun.

Also I had a chance to get some finishing touches on my Watermelon Summer table runner. I decided to use flannel for batting, I researched and found that flannel was often, and is still often, used as batting. It makes for a lighter quilt with a nice drape and is also easier to machine quilt on, not so much shifting. You still need to pin well.

I wanted to use the 'envelope' or 'pillow case' method to finish the sides of this quilt because it's small and I wanted to experiment.

I laid the flannel down and then the backing right side up and the top, right side down, on that. The flannel and backing were about 2 inches bigger than the top all around. The top needs to be carefully laid out and smoothed onto the backing from the center diagonally out toward each corner. 

If you aren't careful to do that you might get ruffled sides that won't sew down flat.

Then pin the sides like crazy and look to see that it is all flat, no ruffling.

Then sew the sides making sure to leave an opening big enough to turn the quilt right side out easily.
Trim back and batting even with top before turning.

Turn, poke out corners with a chop stick, and carefully press. Press opening seam allowance and then sew closed with 1/8" top stitch.

Then I pinned and top stitched 1/4" all around. I like the method well enough to use again.

Have you tried this method on any of your projects?

There are a lot of tutorials out there if you want to try for yourself.

That quilt friends is the news from the rancho, where progress is being made and projects are getting closer to being finished!

Always remembering to be thankful!

I'll be by to visit.

'Borders in Quilt Land', the Journey and Beach Timeout

I started with a medallion of HSTs in Barn Raising formation, what next?

I know I've said it before, this book, by Gwen Marston, is full of great inspiration.

Then I started adding borders gradually, 6 borders here, I put it away for awhile.

I used the orange floral from the center medallion HSTs for the corner block in the last border.

The white dot border contrasts the thin black dot borders.

This last border opens the design up.

Our afternoon at Torrance Beach, watching seagulls preen and nap.

Santa Monica Bay, you can just see the San Gabriel Mts in the background.

Many variations of blue in the waves, ocean and sky.

Happy weekend and hello quilt friends from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have cooler, sunny skies.

This week I had time to pull out my HST medallion quilt in Barn Raising formation (I must think of a better name for that one!) and sew on the final border. I'd put it away not having any inspiration for a finish. After rereading and soaking up inspiration from Gwen Marston's book 'Liberated Medallion Quilts', and getting busy with other things, ideas began surfacing. 

I kept thinking about how this quilt needed contrast for a good finish. 

So fabrics were auditioned and the white dot fabric won out with the orange floral for the corner blocks. I could call it a done deal.

And then we took time to enjoy an afternoon at Torrance Beach. Seagulls seem to have the life, relaxing and napping on the beach, then out for a fish dinner when they get hungry.

And that is the news from the rancho quilt friends. I hope you're enjoying your projects and the changing seasons too. 

I'm remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.