Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival, Fabric Shopping, and Quilt Top Finishes

Doll quilt top finished for my 'grand muffin', 5" blocks.

My 'summer improv' top finished with final border, 30" x 38".

Panera Bread, this is where I ate lunch, I like their hazelnut coffee.

Jo Ann Fabric store, I stopped in here, I had some good coupons.

 Big selection inside.

Always great books and magazines at Jo Ann's.

Sharon Boggons' beautiful book.

Happy Tuesday! From the Renton, Washington highlands.

Where we enjoyed a cool sunny day.

My blog friend, Carin, aka Queenie Patch went to the 17th Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2018 with friends and has shared her photos here! . What a fabulous quilt show, stop in to see the beautiful quilts!

And to celebrate sunshine after about a week of clouds and rain,

I had to go out and enjoy the sun and do some shopping on the side.

While at Jo Ann Fabrics  I bought enough flannel to use as a design wall.

The floor is very hard on my knees.

This week I pieced together a doll quilt for my grand daughter, her birthday is soon. I was watching an episode of 'Man Sewing'  and saw Rob and his daughter, Ruby, so sweet, doing a tutorial for a doll quilt and it was so cute I had to sew one up.

I also sewed on the final border of my 'summer improv' small quilt top.

I got a few things done this week and some play time in.

Because if I don't get out of the house once in a while everything gets dark and grim.

I hope you're having a productive week and taking time out to play.

Where do you go to play?

I'll be by to visit.

Shibori Dragon, Sashiko Stitching, Kaffe Facett Fabric in Border Units

Beautiful Japanese fabric and Japanese utility garments on display.

Examples of Japanese vintage utility garments collected by the owner.

This is a close up of shashiko stitching on the long jacket.

The Shibori Dragon quilt shop was friendly and well stocked!

The Shibori Dragon Quilt Shop, University Place, WA.

My stitched and pressed units for my improvised border.

Trimming up border units with KF fabric, batik and Tim Holtz fabric.

My butterfly quilt top finished with three borders.

Winter in our neighborhood.

Hello from the Pacific NW, where we are staying with family, helping out and doing a little sightseeing on the side.

Last Saturday we visited  The Shibori Dragon Quilt Shop in University Place, WA west of Tacoma.

I saw their display in a local sewing and craft show last fall and I didn't realize they were so close until I found their web site. The shop is 45 min south/west of Renton, where we are staying. 

There was everything you could want in a quilt shop and a large collection of Asian fabric and Japanese specialty fabric. The owner grew up in Japan, military family, and she had beautiful Japanese dolls and utility garments on display with wonderful shashiko stitching on them in the shop.

I made a pest of myself oohing and aahing and asking questions. If you are ever in the area, you must stop in!

I finished my small butterfly quilt top. As I was finishing piecing the borders I was thinking of working with units as Maria Shell talks about in her book, 'Improv Patchwork Dynamic Quilts Made with Line and Shape'. When I'm improvising, it's easier to get the process under control when I'm focusing on units. She's got good ideas for design.

I'm linking up with Kaja and Ann for AHIQ 29, where sharing of the 'improvising' sort happens.
Stop by for inspiration and to share your projects. Thanks Kaja and Ann for hosting.

That's news from the shire where I'm remembering to share a smile.

Have a good week and I'll be by to visit.

Borders and Sashing, Making Units or 'Bits' for Summer Project

Summer improv project with two borders added of string and saw tooth units.

Getting ready to pin and sew on another border.

Fifth border sewn on with string and saw tooth units.

My butterfly blocks are separated by 3/4" sashing.

They are mini blocks, 4 1/2" sq w/o seam allowances.

Happy Weekend! 

from the Pacific NW, where the temperatures have thawed and we have mist and clouds.

I've been busy sewing on sashing (butterfly blocks) and borders (summer improv).

In reading through 'Improv Patchwork, Dynamic Quilts Made with Line and Shape' by Maria Shell,

I've been reminded to pay attention to basic construction details we all know and practice (most of the time:), simple things like pressing new seams open and pinning before sewing that seam. Those two, time consuming little steps do make a difference. For instance, pinning eliminates 'wavy' borders.

And Maria in her chapter, 'Putting it All Together', talks about 'bit making', in other words, 'making a lot of smaller units' to be arranged into a bigger design. That idea makes the design process accessible and understandable. 

That's the buzz here in the shire, reading good books and making progress.

I hope you enjoy your day and remember to share a smile!

I'll be by to visit.

January Butterfly, Finished Blocks, 'Tiger Lily' Kona Cotton Color of the Year !!

Finished butterfly blocks, each 5" x 5".

January 2018, Common Lime Butterfly.

Old town street view, Poulsbo, WA.

Viking mural, Poulsbo is very proud of its Viking heritage.

Famous, Sluys' Poulsbo Bakery.

'The Quilt Shoppe', Poulsbo Washington.

Maritime Museum and visitor center, Poulsbo, WA.

Happy January from the Pacific NW.

Where we had a wonderful time with family, and a white Christmas.

We took time to sightsee and visit a quilt shop over Christmas vacation.

Taking the ferry from Edmonds, we landed in Kingston and drove to Poulsbo, WA. 

There we had to stop at the famous Sluys Poulsbo Bakery. Where they make from scratch, in small batches, all their baked goods. It smelled like heaven inside! And yes, we did buy some goodies to take back with us.

I stopped into 'The Quilt Shoppe' and bought some new batiks. They had some cute 'viking' prints made for them by Michael Miller , and a good variety of batiks.

And calendar butterfly for January is the Lime/Lemon Butterfly.

Their favorite food is cultivated lime. They enjoy mud puddling.

They live in areas near the equator.

Robert Kaufman's Kona Cotton color of the year has been published and it is 'Tiger Lily' , a vibrant red/orange! Of course I'm very happy about that, orange is one of my favorite colors.

I use orange as an accent. It can't be beat for the pop it brings and the life it adds to the party.

Yes, I've ordered a jelly roll of Tiger Lily already.

That's the news from the shire. 

Where I'm thankful for all of you quilt, color and design aficionados!

I'll be by to visit.

Piecing Units, Color Decisions, Quilt Finish, AHIQ # 28

Units and borders being interviewed to be added onto my art quilt.

Nice color for the table, 18" x 60".

We had a beautiful, white Christmas.

This is before the binding was sewn down, it's just pinned here.

Close up of Santa Clara runner, 18" x 60".

Hello! from snowy, icy, Renton, WA!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

I wanted to duck in for AHIQ # 28. I'm always happy to see all the projects and colors being shared 

in AHIQ hosted by Ann and Kaja. Do stop in and share and be inspired.

I've been piecing units to add to my improv challenge quilt, Attract. I started it over the summer.

In the photo the dark color is navy blue and the strip that looks dark blue is actually dark purple or violet. Some quilter's 'pull' fabric before starting a project. I don't work that way or using that terminology. When I'm looking for color inspiration I look outside of my fabric stash/sewing room.

I find inspiration in nature; the morning light in the forest, or over a pond. I look through good interior design publications such as Country Sampler BOHO Style, special issue 2017, or Romantic Homes, January 2018. I'm trained in interior design/art and I learned to guard and treasure sources of inspiration. Some fiber artists make up a cloth book filled with hand embroidery, lace bits, color samples from paper and cloth. Excellent source for keeping a record of favorite color combinations etc.

I usually choose just two main colors and then I choose two fabrics with those colors in them and from there I broaden my fabric choices always complementing the two original colors. So in a nut shell, that's my process in choosing the colors I work with.

Santa Clara quilt runner is finished and ready to brighten up the world.

Happy Holidays!

Remembering to be thankful here.

I'll be by to visit.

Santa & Reindeer Sighting, Ornaments Finished, Holiday Fun

'Grand muffins' visiting the Koi pond at the Carpinito Bros market.

One of Santa's reindeer making a quick visit before the big day. 

Moses the camel, supposedly descended from the first camels at the Nativity scene.

Santa and escort.

Littlest 'grand muffin.'

Fun with 'grand muffins.' 

Santa's helpers' cottage.

My Scottie doggy ornaments.

Hello from sunny and cold Renton, WA in the Pac NW.

Where we are busy enjoying holiday activities with son, daughter and their families.

We've been very busy.

We went to visit Santa and had to wait a few minutes while he was taking a break at a coffee shop. Break time over he jollied his way back to business to find out what the children wanted for Christmas.

Then we had to visit Carpinito Bros. produce market to see the 'nativity' camel and a couple of Santa's reindeer. Cookies have been made and eaten. Songs have been sung. We've colored with color crayons and made lots of art. I don't know if I can keep this pace up. But I'm smiling.

I hope you're enjoying the season, cold or warm.

Remembering to be thankful here.

I'll be by to visit.

New Improv Patchwork Book by Maria Shell, Christmas Ornaments, Butterfly for December

I'm making little felt Scottie dogs for Christmas ornaments.

Debbie @ Quilter's Table recommended this book, it came in the mail today.

Butterfly for December, Common Buckeye.

Happy December! 

from the Pacific NW where we are enjoying family visiting from out of town. Things will be hopping around here, great fun!

Ann  and Cathy  are hosting Kaleidoscope of Butterflies # 23 and this will be their last time doing so.
I'm linking up with them to spread butterfly goodness, visit and share.
I like to celebrate the first of the month by posting the featured butterfly on my butterfly calendar.

This month is the Common Buckeye. They are found in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas.

In the butterfly stage they prefer pollen from yellow flowers.

I found a free pattern for little Scottie dog/Christmas felt ornaments by Jenny B. Harris @ allsortsmakery.com. So I'm making up lots of them, very cute. I'll put a Christmas plaid collar around their necks too; festive.

Debbie @ A Quilter's Table recommended Marie Shell's  book, 'Improv Patchwork, dynamic quilts made with line and shape'. It came today and looks like a good book when I get time I'll be pouring over it.

Debbie makes wonderful quilts so I figured if she recommends a book it's got to be inspiring.

That's what's going on in the north woods where I'm going to be busy enjoying lots of grandkids for a week or so.

Enjoy your weekend!

I'll be by to visit!