Whirlpool Blocks Finished, Quilting Sections, Officially Summer.

Whirlpool block #1 for my traditional sampler.

Whirlpool block #2, HSTs, ready to be pieced together here.

Pinned like crazy, another section ready for machine quilting.

Rail fence, sawtooth border 2017 summer challenge quilt. 

Happy summer and weekend! Summer officially started last Thursday, the 21st.

Long summer days and walks are relaxing. We walk past local ponds keeping track of the ducklings getting bigger and bigger. And the frogs are reproducing and threatening to take over the world until the big blue heron moved in for a while, and quieted them down.

A little drama.

This week I made HSTs using batiks. I trimmed and pressed them and they are both now sewn together with a thin border and a small setting block in each corner. They're for my traditional sampler. One more block to go. 

I'm roughly following Piecing the Past Quilts' pattern 'Times of Refreshing.'

Another wonderful online quilt shop with great ideas and patterns is Temecula Quilt Co.
They have a book coming out soon, Quirky Little Quilts by Sheryl Johnson, I think there'll be a lot of fun ideas inside.

Also I'm getting the machine quilting on my 2017 summer challenge quilt done. I'm working on quilting it section by section, slow going but quilting it with an all over pattern wasn't going to look right.

That's the news from the Pacific North West.

Hope you had a productive week and I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News!, On Point Blocks, More Piecing, Quilting Started

Trimming up half square triangles.

More trimming to size.

My sampler blocks on point, three more blocks to piece.

I started machine quilting my improv quilt started last summer.

Happy Father's Day!

What do you have planned, a bar-b-que or a quiet celebration with a walk in the park?

It's a beautiful time of the year isn't it?

I've been trimming, piecing and choosing color for the 'flying x block' for my traditional sampler quilt started last summer. I put up my design wall (flannel taped with painter's tape on the closet doors), and arranged the blocks on point. Three more blocks to go and some setting triangles, it's getting there.

And I started the machine quilting on my summer improv quilt. I began with the center 'medallion' blocks, slow and steady. I always pin like crazy when machine quilting to keep everything smooth and flat. Soon it'll be time to choose the binding. I use a 'skinny' binding on my small quilts, 1 1/4",

as a 2" binding is too bulky for something small. Dark or light binding? High or low contrast?

That's the news from the Renton, Washington highlands. There'll be relaxing and small celebrating here this weekend. I hope you've enjoyed your weekend so far.

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

I'll be by to visit.

16 Patch Blocks, Hiking and Admiral Butterfly Sightings, Joe the Quilter

Squares for 16 Patch block for my traditional sampler quilt.

Set of squares for 2nd 16 Patch block.

We hiked in the Kent Valley on Saturday in the Green River Natural Area.

Salmon berries are ripe, not real sweet, but good.

Natural shrubs blossoming, lovely smell.

Wild rose, fragrant.

Admiral butterfly, they don't stay still long.

Bird sanctuary pond, off limits to the public.

'Country road take me home to the place I belong.'

I saw Gold Finch but they were shy.

I think this was some kind of wild rose.

Bend in the Green River with pedestrian/bike bridge.

Happy Weekend!

Saturday here, clouds and sun, not too hot and not too cool. Good day for a hike. We drove to a natural reserve and walked around for some good exercise.

We saw Swallow Tail and Admiral butterflies, Gold Finch, Sparrows and chickadees.

There were wild flowers and blossoming shrubs, wild berries and poplar/cottonwood. 

Lots of color inspiration and fun.

And I found time this morning to get the squares for my two 16 Patch blocks ready to piece for the traditional sampler I'm working on. I'm roughly following the pattern by Piecing the Past Quilts, 'Times of Refreshing.' The blocks are 10" finished. 

If you want an interesting read about quilts in the fashion world, read Joe the Quilter's post entitled 'Calvin Klein and Me.' Well written with good insight and humor.

And I'm linking up with Sew Stitch Snap Share, hosted by Julie at justjulielou.blogspot.com.
Thank you Julie!
Stop in to share your projects and get inspired.

Well that's what I've been up to today.

Have you seen any butterflies in your garden?

How are your projects coming along?

I'll be by to visit.

'Homage' to Gwen Marston and her Liberated Style, Fun with Red

My 'liberated' log cabin blocks, 3 1/2" ea. after trimming.

I pieced them using two different reds and Kona 'snow', the white.

Using the same colors I pieced a liberated star, 9.5".

My liberated log cabins sewn together, 9.5".

Happy Monday and it's June! 

Summer officially starts the 21 of June. We're enjoying the longer days, it starts getting light here around 5:00 A.M. The birds start singing early and want everyone to wake up with them.

Good times.

This post is inspired by Debbie Jeske @A Quilter's Table. This month she is hosting her group of improv quilt friends @ Bee Sewcial and the challenge is 'Homage to Gwen Marston' by creating a 'sketch' focusing on Gwen's liberated style. To be pieced using reds and white!

So I got excited about that and pieced two blocks for the challenge and fun.

Thanks Debbie and thanks Gwen Marston.

Have a good week and enjoy the birds. 

 Have you seen any swallowtail butterflies yet?

I'll be by to visit!

Patchwork Pouch Finish, Butterfly Sightings,Quilting and Binding Done on Small Quilt.

I straight stitch quilted the front and back.

Tab sewn onto both ends of zipper.

This is the back of my zippered pouch.

The other side, I used Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Blend  and scraps.

Bottom view, boxed.

My small butterfly quilt, finished.

The pattern I used is, 'Mini Painted Ladies'. Maybe call this 'City Gals' ?

Back of butterfly quilt, fun with scraps.

Hello! Hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend.

We hiked and enjoyed the sun, then had a bar-b-que and enjoyed family.

The Monarch  butterflies are beginning to make their appearance around here. I've seen quite a few. They fly by fast, like they're afraid they'll get eaten.

I finished up the scrap pouch I've been working on. I wanted to try a different pattern. The pattern I used for this pouch, or I should say the directions I used, was Jenny Doans' MSQC tutorial, How to Make a Zippered Pouch, on YouTube; very easy to follow. I changed up the dimensions to my own liking but the rest was following her tutorial. It's a great tutorial by the way, no surprises. There is no lining, the directions call for zig-zag finishing the inside seams. I covered the inside seams with binding, hand sewn on.

Yoko Saito in her book, Patchwork Bags and Accessories , finishes her inside seams with binding, hand sewn on, and I like that finished look.

I'm also linking up with Linda @ KokaQuilts  for Sew Stitch Snap Share #27.
Stop in to share what you've been working on and to get inspired by beautiful projects.
Thanks Linda for hosting this opportunity.

And my butterfly quilt is finished with 1 1/4" binding, I use skinny binding for my  smaller quilts. 

So I've managed to move ahead on two projects this last week.

I hope you're enjoying the season. Are you seeing any butterflies yet?

I'll be by to visit!

Ad Hoc Improv, Light & Liberated, Small 'Cabin' Blocks, Fun with Improv

My Log Cabin Blocks final arrangement last week.

I sewed on two borders last week, blocks 6 1/2" sq.

Small log cabin blocks, before trimming.

Trimming and sizing almost done.

Small log cabin blocks trimmed to approx. 3" sq.

I like this arrangement! The blocks will be 2 1/2" sq. , finished.

Hello! It's time for AHIQ again. 

Up for the challenge? The theme is scale.

I thought about what I could do with scale and since I've been on a Log Cabin block roll, I decided to make up smaller size Log Cabins.

Looking at my 'liberated' light log cabin quilt with 6 1/2" blocks and two borders, I thought maybe I'd put on another border with small log cabins.

Getting out scraps I began making up small 'cabins'.  

When I got them all trimmed up, I changed my mind. I think the small cabins look great together as a mini quilt.

And 'Light & Liberated' isn't getting any more borders today.

That was my journey into scale for this month's AHIQ #33. Thanks Ann  and Kaja  for hosting.

Stop in to get inspired and see what other improv is going on!

I'll be by to visit. 

Improv/Color Inspire Trip, Butterfly Quilted, Published in Art Quilting Studio, summer 2018

My butterfly quilt, quilted with 'informal grid' machine quilting.

Back of my butterfly quilt with improv piecing, using up scraps.

Pink azaleas, color wow!

Exciting home decor in World Market  at 'The Landing.'

Blue embroidery on white cotton, classic, made in India.

Tea towels with fun color.

Beautifully designed teapot and serving pieces.

Blue and green dinner napkins anyone? I'll take them all, thank you.

'The Landing' shopping center close to Boeing Field, Renton, WA.

Dock at Coulon Memorial Park, on S. E. Lake Washington.

Part of Boeing Field can be seen from dock at Coulon Memorial Park.

Happy Weekend!

From Renton, Washington, where we are enjoying sun with clouds today.

Yesterday was a sightseeing, shopping, and color exploration day. And down into the valley we went to 'The Landing' a shopping center located close to Boeing Field, where the huge flight industry started.

We stopped at a park off Lake Washington and saw baby ducks and got rained on. We're used to that, what's a little rain?

At World Market, summer colors and displays were worth the trip.

Where do you get your color inspiration?

This week I finished machine quilting my small butterfly quilt with an informal grid. I had fun with the backing, very minimal, improv pieced using scraps.

And yes, that is Rayna Gillman's book in my photos, Create Your Own Improv Quilts. I love that book, it doesn't have patterns but it has great ideas. Thanks Rayna.

Also one of my projects was published in Art Quilting Studio  summer 2018, due out in June. I got a preview issue and it's excellent. Of course because my project is in it, right?

But aside from that there are some excellent quilts and projects and I highly recommend this issue.

Good read and inspiration. 

Thank you, Art Quilting Studio and Danielle Williams, Assistant Senior Managing Editor.

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