Quilt News, Happy Holidays! Four Small Scrappy Quilts Finished with Yellow/Brown Sunflower Batik and Burnt Orange Print Binding! Spreading Holiday Cheer One Cookie at a Time!

A scrappy table/hot mat with Burnt Orange print binding finish for a gift.

Another finish, Two Hour Glass Blocks and a Wonky Flying Geese Border with Sunflower Batik binding.

I changed the binding on this small quilt from a solid purple to a Sunflower Batik in yellow/brown.

Binding finish here in Burnt Orange and Brown Print.

 

 

Happy Holidays Quilt Friends! from the valley where we have rain and clouds.

I have been baking Gingerbread cookies and Oatmeal cookies to share around the neighborhood. Nothing like a good cookie to spread holiday cheer!

I finished my four table mat quilts last week for gifts, yes! I found a beautiful Sunflower Batik at the local JoAnn Fabric and I knew that would work for a cheerful binding on a couple of my table mat projects. 

I had sewn a purple binding down onto the front of one of them, ( you can see it in my previous post ) but wasn't happy with the solid purple. So I unpicked it and sewed on the Sunflower Batik instead for binding, a lot better for a bright look for the kitchen.

And that is my quilt project finishes. I'll see you in January!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!

I'll be by to visit.

Improv Log Cabin Blocks Hotmat with Borders Almost Finished, Fabric Choices for New Sunflower Medallion Quilt, Improv Hourglass/Flying Geese Hotmat with Borders Now Quilted

 

Fabric for Sunflower Medallion Quilt Borders.

Quilting done, back and binding on my Hotmat project.

Hotmat Improv Logcabin Blocks with Borders, binding pinned down on back.

Improv Hourglass/Flying Geese with Borders now quilted, binding next.

Hello Quilt Friends, it's almost Thanksgiving! 

We do have a lot to be thankful for don't we?

Last couple of days I've quilted two of my hotmat projects, Improv Logcabin Blocks with borders and Improv Hourglass/Flying Geese with borders. The binding is now sewn down onto the back of the Improv Logcabin Blocks hotmat. I'm using one layer Insul Bright and one layer cotton batting for the inside. Three more are waiting to be quilted and finished for gifts.

And I've been adding to the stack of fabrics that will go into the borders for my New Sunflower Medallion Quilt. As I choose the colors and lay them next to each other I begin to see new possibilities for new projects. Always moving forward, right?

That is the quilt news here in the valley where I'm looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with good food, family and friends. Please pass the Pecan Pie!

What colors are inspiring you lately? I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Sunflower Fabric Panel for New Medallion Quilt, Piecing Quilted Hot Mat Project, Quilty Folk's Bramble Blooms QAL started and Sharing Fall Colors....

Fall colors on the dogwood tree in our back yard.

I pieced the applique center piece for Audrey's Bramble Blooms QAL.

Solid colors added to my stash for borders around the sunflower panel.

Sunflower fabric panel, approx. 44" x 22", bought at the Quilt Barn in Puyallup, WA.

 

Piecing progress on one of my hot mat projects, red violet strips added.

Happy November Quilt Friends! 

Fall leaves, pumpkins/squash at the local markets and shorter days are here! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and I'm sure you are too.

This last week I visited the Quilt Barn in Puyallup WA and found a beautiful fabric panel of sunflowers. I also snapped up a few solids to mix with my stash for adding pizzaz to the borders of my new Medallion Sunflower Quilt I envisioned right there! Fall colors are my inspiration.

Also last week I found time to add two red violet strips to the borders of one of my Hot Mat projects. I'm piecing several at the same time for holiday gifts. 

Audrey at Quilty Folk is hosting Bramble Blooms QAL. I'm in! She emphasized the relaxed spirit of the QAL so that sounded like a winner. I pieced the applique center with 'obscure' neutral fabrics from my stash. Maybe I should have pieced it a little more wonky but I used my ruler and it will have to do. See, here I am over thinking it already. Next will be designing the flowers to be appliqued.

And the dogwood tree in the backyard looks so gorgeous in fall colors I had to share a photo of it. Orange, red, yellow,  yellow green, green....

That's the quilt news from the valley where for me color inspiration is in the fall leaves. What fall projects are you working on? What color inspiration are you looking at?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Hand Quilting Wonky Squares in Purple Finished, Sashiko Bookbag Finish, #4 in Liberated Small Quilt Series Final Border

44"x 12.5" Wonky Squares in Purple runner hand quilted, binding in progress.

 

Binding has been machine sewn onto the front and I'll hand sew it down on the back.

My Sashiko/Boro bookbag is finished! Approx. 16" x 15".

Finally #4 in my Liberated Small Quilt Series has its final border sewn on.

Hello Quilt Friends from the valley where glorious fall colors are showing up everywhere!

This last week I finished hand quilting my Wonky Squares in Purple Quilt runner and sewed the binding on the front and started hand sewing it down onto the back. It measures about 44" x 12.5". I was inspired to make Wonky Squares in Purple by Debbie @ aquilterstable when she posted about one of her Bee Sewcial challenges called Albersesque. The challenge called for designing quilt blocks with the artwork of Josef Albers in mind.

My Sashiko/Boro bookbag also got finished up and it's just perfect for transporting books to and from the library, very useful. I used some trimmed scrap corners from one of my quilt projects, they were too colorful to just throw out, and I boro/sashiko stitched them down on the front. The back is just as beautiful with a pocket done in rice stitch. The pattern is from one of my many Sashiko project books.

#4 in My Liberated Small Quilt Series has its final border pieced on. I think fall colors have influenced my color choices because I see a lot of orange, yellow and green in that quilt.

And that is the quilt news from the compound.

I hope you're breathing in the fresh fall air and enjoying the color like I am.

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Improv/Wonky or Liberated Small Quilt Border Piecing Progress, And a Quick Look Back Paying Homage to Quilter Gwen Marston, Happy Fall!

Purple strip on the left new, plus yellow/green border all around.

New improv/wonky Flying Geese border on the right.

Border in solids added all around.

Four rows of small improv blocks with yellow/green strips between blocks from this to....

...this, strips of yellow/green between each row.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Happy fall! The rain has cleared and we are off to a sunny fall day.

Some progress to report on my small quilts to be used as table toppers, mug rugs etc. for gifts for the up coming holidays.

I'm having fun piecing improv/wonky/liberated borders. Many quilters prefer to use the word wonky or liberated instead of improv and I can understand that. Some improv quilters have made improv to be a very complicated process maybe because they are trying to sell their book as well as their particular method of improv.

Which is just fine but it can add a little confusion.

 

Gwen Marston in her books, Liberated Quiltmaking ll and Liberated Medallion Quilts, both published by American Quilters Society, cuts through the fog and explains that liberated quilt making has actually been going on for a long time and it's not as difficult as you might be led to believe. Gwen left us with many excellent quilts and books to document her thinking and we are all indebted to her. Thank you Gwen.

 

Also visit Audrey to see her fabulous liberated piecing projects. A couple of her quilts were chosen to be on display at the New England Quilt Museum now showing a fine selection of Gwen Marston Quilts.

Now back to liberated scrappy, piecing.

Have a wonderful day and I'll be by to visit.

 

 

 

 

Quilt News! Improv Saw Tooth Border Tutorial, Log Cabin Improv Quilt Pin Basted, Hand Quilting Progress, Zinnia Needle Point Project Finish!

Improv Saw Tooth Border tutorial #1, cut two contrasting fabrics the same length and width.

Improv Saw Tooth Border tutorial #2; layer fabrics right sides facing up.

Improv Saw Tooth Border tutorial #3; slice with gentle angles, slip bottom fabric on top every other 'tooth.'

Improv Saw Tooth Border tutorial #4; with right sides together sew 'teeth' together with 1/4" seam, continue until all 'teeth' are sewn together then press seams to one side.

Log Cabin Improv quilt pieced back view.

I'm hand quilting my Log Cabin Improv quilt with Pearl Cotton #8.

Zinnia needle point project is finished, 5 x 5"!

 Hello Quilt Friends! 

Fall is right around the corner, exciting right? I enjoy the seeing the pumpkins and squash at the local markets and farmer's markets. Our family's fall birthdays are coming right up too.

This week I'm working on hand quilting my Log Cabin Improv quilt. I'm using Cotton Pearl #8 in Topaz. And in my last post I wrote that I was going to hand baste it but I did not! I pin basted it and that works out fine too.

I'm starting to piece together new Improv Saw Tooth borders for my small quilt mug rugs and table/kitchen mats as you see in the brief tutorial above. I'll have them finished for gifts for the holidays soon. I think they'll be colorful and useful.

And I finished my Zinnia needle point project. Needle Point is like a color puzzle to me and I enjoy the challenge. I think mindset has everything to do with hand work. I'll block it and tack it to a 5 x 5" frame. I don't put my pieces under glass, just preference. 

And that is the news from the valley where soon fall colors will blaze the landscape.

What fall projects are you working on? I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Cannon Beach, Oregon Vacation, My Log Cabin in Furrow Variation Quilt Now Basting by Hand.... September is Almost here!

Vacation house we stayed in at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Hydrangeas, lace cup variation, in Cannon Beach garden.

My Log Cabin Quilt in Furrow Variation , 44" x 44", ready for hand basting.

Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, looking out onto the Pacific Ocean.

More gorgeous gardens, Crocosmia, Hydrangea, Jupiter's Beard etc....

Asters are superb this time of the year, in Cannon Beach garden.

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

 

I'm back from our family vacation in Cannon Beach, Oregon and recovering!

Cannon Beach is a vacation town and the gardens and vacation rentals are kept up nicely. The beach is huge and majestic, the weather was mostly sunny with a little wind making it just about everything you could wish for. So aside from a bit of sunburn and glare headache it was great! 

 

Today I cleared off my work table for hand basting my Log Cabin in Furrow Formation quilt top, 44" x 44". The blocks are approx 5 x 5". I have another quilt top that I might get hand basted while I have my work table cleared. Something different to get focused on right? 

And that is the quilt news from the valley where I'm getting back into the swing of things. What do you do to recover from vacations? Have you started on new projects for fall yet?

I'll be by to visit.....

Quilt News, Scrappy Heaven, Four Patch on Point Quilt Top Finish, Bar-B-Que at Lake Wilderness, Color in Nature is the Muse for Today....

At Lake Wilderness, bar-b-que coals burning down, almost ready...

Four Patch on Point blocks in piecing process.

Blackberries are getting ripe.

I don't know its name but the flowers and colors are beautiful.

Oregon Grape grows wild in the PacNW.

Black Currant also grows wild...

My Four Patch on Point top pieced with border, 48" x 54".

Tiger Lily at Wilderness Lake Arboretum

One of my scrappy art quilts, Three Pinwheels, showing why I like white/neutral borders.

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

From the valley where summer weather is easy living. Walks in the park and through Lake Wilderness Arboretum are on the daily schedule. Blackberries are ripe and we're picking them for freezing for winter treats, pies, cobblers, a little jam, etc.

And I finished piecing my Scrappy Four Patch on Point quilt top and added borders, done at 48" x 54". Beth at Four Patch Fourways! has a good tutorial on ways to finish Fourpatch blocks that helped me in deciding the finish for my Fourpatch blocks. Thankyou, Beth, great inspiration!

Thinking of color inspiration and color in nature? ...which is easy this time of the year, visit Jean Wells at her blog, Dreaming in Color, an Invitation From Nature for her inspiration and beautiful photos on texture, line and color.

That is the quilt news from the valley, where I'm remembering to be thankful and helping out when I can. Are you enjoying summer's bounty, what's your favorite wild fruit? Or favorite fruit at the Farmer's Market?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Log Cabin Improv Quilt Progress, Day Trip to West Seattle in Search of Rare Book, Four Patch in a Square Blocks Final Arrangement

Lincoln Park, West Seattle, I'm next to one of many Redwood trees.

Alki Beach, West Seattle, we waded and got warm in the sun.

Spud Fish and Chips restaurant across from Alki Beach has been here since before WW2.

Final arrangement for my Four Patch in a Square quilt blocks, 42" x 48".

More 'logs' have been added to blocks in my newest Improv Log Cabin quilt.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

The summer sun has been heating things up around here this last week. The nights cool off so that's good! I hope you're all managing to find cool places and remembering to keep the ice trays full.

This last week we drove to West Seattle to the library there in search of and to check out, a rare textile art book, Ayako Miyawaki, The Art of Japanese Applique', published by The Asahi Shimbun and The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1991. As you may know textile art is one of my fascinations. I found out about this book by reading Okan Arts blog post on Patricia Belyea's favorite Japanese art/design books.

While there we had to stop by Lincoln Park and Alki Beach, and eat at Spuds Fish and Chips, where the best fish and chips anywhere are served up. I grew up in West Seattle and I still enjoy visiting there. 

And that is the quilt news from the valley, where I'm remembering to be thankful and progress is being made, slow but steady.

I'll stop by to visit!

Quilt News! New Log Cabin/Court House Steps Improv Blocks, Sashiko/Boro and Traditional Hand Embroidery Projects

I finished another 'tray cloth' for my kitchen with Traditional and Sashiko stitching.

Boro Stitching on the front piece of my new book/shopping bag.

New project, Log Cabin improv blocks being 'interviewed'.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

News from the valley where we are enjoying the summer breezes making everything feel fine!

I finished my latest 'tray cloth' or glass drying towel with Traditional Hand Embroidery and Sashiko Stitches. They work well together. The fact that it's useful is a big plus with me.

And another new, useful project is my book/shopping bag, it will measure approx. 18" x 17". I had some leftover triangle pieces trimmed off another project and they were too colorful to throw out so I'm stitching them onto the front piece with boro stitches which is also called Japanese Running Stitch. One of my favorite books on Boro is by Harumi Horiuchi, Mending with Boro, Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques. Harumi's book is beautiful and she writes about stitching and mending with your own unique style as an art form. Yes to that!

My new Scrappy Log Cabin/Court House Steps Improv Blocks are going to be about 10" square, most of them are there now. I'm deciding on the final layout. I do seem to favor log cabin blocks, I know. Mary Hogan's book, Log Cabin Improv: Quilts with a Twist on Tradition, has been a great inspiration for me. 

That Quilt Friends is the news from my sewing room to yours. And what new projects are you working on and what summer adventures are you planning?

I'll be by to visit!