Quilt News! Hand Embroidery Progress, Sunflower Panel Quilt Top with Borders Backing, Inspiring Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy Book by Sara Larson Buscaglia

Farm and Folk Quilt Alchemy by Sara Larson Buscaglia excellent documentation and inspiration!!

My new hand embroidery alphabet project... back stitch with 3 strands of cotton embroidery thread.

Sunflower Panel Quilt top with Borders with backing layered underneath ready for piecing.

Local Hot Rod car show, Dodge Barracuda!!!

Camaro SS 68'.... Super clean....

Camaro SS 68' back view, one of my favorites in the show....

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Heat wave in the valley for a few days, it's summer!

 

I have pieced together the backing for my Sunflower Panel with Borders Quilt top. I used leftover blocks and leftover fabric pieces for the back. The next step will be to measure out the batting and sandwich it together with the top and back and then get it pin basted. I plan to machine quilt it with fine cross hatch machine quilting. I'm going for the finish.

 

I saw this book; Farm and Folk Quilt Alchemy a High Country Guide To Natural Dyeing and Making Heirloom Quilts From Scratch by Sara Larson Buscaglia at my local library and I checked it out. I saw that it was about dyeing fabric and I'm not real interested in that but I was curious about her process. As I began to read it I saw at once that we were kindred spirits. Sara is so into detail and careful about her process I was fascinated. She and her family live in CO for one thing and she homeschooled her kids. We lived in CO for a while and I homeschooled our kids too. 

Then in her chapter 3 Quilt Alchemy and Chapter 4 Quilt Making Skills she explains some of the thinking behind some of her quilt designs and her process. Her explanations are excellent and so thorough. This impressive book is published by Abrams Art Books.

 

Then there was the Hot Rod Car show in a local town and we had to see that. The presiding rock band played oldies but goodies to set the mood. We saw amazing examples of classic hot rods (muscle cars). Someone had restored a 68' Hot Rod Lincoln Continental, legendary. I was drawn to the 68' Camaro SS.

Someone had cleaned and restored it to perfection. That is a super hobby. 

 

If you get a chance visit Debbie's blog where she talks about her 'Sardine Pillow' project. It was a gift for her grand daughter who loves it and I think I have some grand kids who would enjoy having a sardine pillow too. What a fun idea.

 

And that is the news from the valley, where I'm drinking my water with ice cubes.

What progress have you made on your projects this week?

I'll be by to visit. 

 

Quilt News! Scrappy Quilt Back Planning for Sunflowers Panel with Borders Quilt Top, Finished Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt with Machine Quilting and Binding. Jolene Klassen's Book Scrap Quilt Diary Inspiration...

Binding for my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt top pieced and ready to sew onto front/back.

I'm interviewing backing fabrics for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top, runner size.

I'm also using orphan/leftover blocks to piece into the backing for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top,  runner size, 36" x  58".

Backing finished with machine quilting and binding on my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt.

Finished Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks Quilt, 21.5" x 25.5".

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Summer rain today with cooler temperatures, refreshing. 

 

I finished my Small Improv Rail Fence Blocks quilt, 21.5" x 25.5", last week, by machine quilting and sewing on the binding by machine too. Just right to keep on a table, I think the blues are refreshing, like a summer rain.

This summer my goal is to finish, finish, finish!

 

My project this week is to piece the backing for my Sunflowers with Borders Quilt top, runner size, 36" x 58". I'm in the 'interview' process now. Deciding fabric color/contrast and how much piecing I'm willing to put into this backing.

 

And I'm still being inspired and relaxed by reading/studying the quilt photos in Jolene Klassen's book Scrap Quilt Diary. Her quilts and the way she uses colors are profound and so practical.

This is quilting at its best.

Sometimes we as quilters or want-to-be quilters are led to believe that to be a quilter we must buy expensive equipment. And then we must take expensive hard to get to, week long classes. And some of those quilt class teachers can run their classes like military basic training, I've heard the stories!

I absolutely do not agree with any of that. Of course there's nothing wrong with taking quilt classes or traveling to get to a class, that could be fun. And if you have the money buy good equipment.

 

What I'm trying to say is that quilting is an art form and a process. You are a quilter because it interests you and you are learning or want to learn how to quilt. Realizing that time is not a measure of your quilting ability but something to balance and 'use wisely', will set you free from being anxious about how long the process is going to take. Be in the now. Read books about quilting that make sense to you. Learn to sew, start piecing small projects. Don't be over awed by quilters who seem to know everything and have everything. They got to where they are by many small steps, really!

Enough with that. 

 

That is the quilt news from the valley. 

How are you doing with your projects, any finishes? Any starts?

I'll be by to visit.