Monday, November 28, 2022

Quilt News! Hour Glass Medallion with String and Sawtooth Borders Quilt Top Finish, Star Ornaments for the Holidays and an Excellent List of Good Quilt/Stitch Books

Hour Glass Medallion with String and Sawtooth borders finished at 27" square.



 

My Holiday Stars with sparkles!


Quilt news from the valley, where we had a little snow this morning.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The simple attitude of giving thanks is powerful, clears your mind and opens your heart and don't we all need more of that?

This last week I finished my Hour Glass Medallion w' String and Sawtooth Borders quilt top @ 27" square. It's a practice run for finishing my Mostly Green Quilt top that has been stalled for way too long because of lack of inspiration. After reading Mary Hogan's book, Log Cabin Improv, I was very inspired to begin piecing string borders and sawtooth borders to finish up several quilt tops. Her book is practical and packed with excellent photos and tips.

Then at my local quilt guild meeting one of my fellow guild members offered to put on a quilt ornament class. At the last meeting she did a presentation of the Christmas ornaments she had made over the years and they were amazing! Later I went to her class and enjoyed myself and had a great time with my quilt guild friends learning to make a Christmas Star. It can be made with double sided fabric or medium weight paper, (I've done both.) It's folded and made with four strips. It is also called Danish, German, or Froebel's Star or Origami Folded Star. I'm going to be making more because they're lovely on the Christmas Tree.

And I wanted to share some excellent books that you will appreciate if you need inspiration or just enjoy reading about color and process in the quilt/stitching/art world. Read and enjoy!

#1 Mary Hogan's book, Log Cabin Improv.

#2 Jan Dowson's book, Expressive Stitches.

#3 Carolyn Forster's book, Hand Quilting Techniques for Farm House Style Quilts.

 And that quilt friends is the quilt news from the valley where it's the season to be merry and spread good will! How absolutely daring, right?

I'll be by to visit.

 


Thursday, November 10, 2022

Quilt New! New Improv Quilt with Hourglass Block Medallion & String Border Started, Hand Quilting in No. 8 Perle Cotton, Embroidery/Sashiko Samples

My design,  Hourglass Medallion with String Border, more to be added.

My scrappy runner with sawtooth border is in hand quilting process.

Samples of Sashiko stitches, for the 24 Days of Sashiko 2022 Challenge.

 

 

Quilt News from the valley! 

Temperatures have dropped and we've had a few frosts, leaves are falling fast.

I'm piecing my new improv Hourglass Medallion Quilt with String Borders, it's 16" x 16" so far. Have you tried piecing string borders or sawtooth borders for any projects lately?

And progress has been made on hand quilting my Scrappy Runner with Sawtooth Border, 18" x 36".

SashikoLab.com  has a challenge currently in progress, 24 Days of Sashiko in 2022. I'm following along and enjoying the process. Christmas ornaments maybe?

That is the quilt news from the valley where I'm looking forward to the Holidays!

Hot cocoa anyone? I'll be by to visit.


Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Quilt News! Finished 3 Quilts! New Sashiko/Embroidery Project Started and Happy November!


My Sampler Quilt finished, made with left over pieces and blocks, 43" x 49".

Sashiko Project on pink linen using DMC cotton floss 4 strands. 
 

Close up of my Color Squares Quilt, 58" x 46".

My Color Squares Quilt finished! Started about 3 yr.s ago.

My finished Medallion HST Study in Red Quilt, 50" x 50".

 

Quilt News from the valley!

Where cooler temperatures and rain off and on sums up the weather here. 

Last week I got 4 of my quilts back from Lorna, at Front Porch Quilts in Buckley, WA. She finished the machine quilting and I was pleased with the results. Then I hustled and sewed binding onto 3 of the quilts. There is just one more to bind, my Squares on Point Medallion with Nine Patch borders quilt, yes, it's smaller. 

The Sampler Quilt, the Medallion HST Study in Red and my Squares on Point Medallion with Nine Patch Borders are quilt study projects I pieced together as I was going through Liberated Quiltmaking 2, by the late Gwen Marston. I learned so much going through her book and stitching up projects using her liberated method!

My Color Squares Quilt was inspired by a small runner size quilt I saw in a Connecting Threads catalogue about 5 yr.s ago, its background was black and the squares were smaller. I have made three quilts of different sizes, using this basic design with a white background, this the biggest and is the fourth.

Sashiko.Lab currently has a stitch along going on, 24 Days of Sashiko. I am stitching along using pink linen as the base fabric and DMC cotton thread, four strands. Maybe I'll use the stitching to make Christmas ornaments. I have finished the first square and will keep going at my own speed!

Have you started planning Christmas ornament projects yet?

And that Quilt Friends is the quilt news. 

Remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit!