Quilt/Sewing News, Kona Cotton 'Splash', Bright Modern Sampler Hand Quilting Progress, And Happy Easter!

I've started sewing an apron for my DDIL.

Apron pocket detail here.

My afghan/blanket project is coming along, for another DDIL.

More hand quilting is getting done on my Bright Modern Sampler.

Here it is in 'flimsy' stage.

Happy Easter to you and your family!

Happy Almost Easter!

From Rancho Palos Verdes, where we have mild spring weather, sun and clouds.

How do you and your family celebrate Easter?

This last week I worked on a sewing project/apron, and more crochet on my Afghan project, both are for DDILs.

And hand quilting progress has been made on my Bright Modern Sampler. I stretch it out on my bed during the day so I can enjoy looking at it, it's bright and cheerful after all, might as well appreciate it during the process.

Have you seen Robert Kaufman's new Kona Cotton color of the year? It's a turquoise they're calling 'Splash!'

I do love a good turquoise and a lot of my current projects have turquoise in them.

That's the news from the rancho,

 where I'm remembering to be thankful and spring is in the air.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, Improv Block Inspiration Remembered, with a Touch of Butterflies

My Improv Strip Block that inspired my Cream and Coral runner design. 

My improv blocks inspired by an 'Improv Piecing' class I took by Debbie Jeske.

I'm hand quilting my Cream and Coral runner, inspired by my improv strip block. 

Final border sewn onto HST Barn Raising Medallion with borders.

Beach level, coast off Rancho Palos Verdes, looking north.

We hiked down to that beach on public land north side of the Trump National Golf Course.

2019 April calendar butterflies!

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have sun and clouds with a touch of butterflies.

Painted Ladies are still flying around fast, no lounging around for them.

and Cloudless Sulpher  butterflies can be seen here and there, they don't stay still for photos either.

And Happy April, I've posted my calendar butterflies.

I'm hand quilting my Cream and Coral runner. I finally remembered where I got inspiration to piece it and found a photo of my improv strip block started in the class I took from Debbie Jeske , 'Improv Piecing' held in the Gossipium Quilt Shop in Issaquah, Washington. It was a great class and Debbie is still full of good ideas, visit her blog to see.

The final border has been sewn onto my HST Barn Raising Medallion, a finished top now.

And then we hiked down to the beach last week, sand and waves, sun and wind.

There were wild flowers, lizards and pelicans too.

We saw container ships, pleasure and fishing boats on the water.

That's the news from the rancho.

Where projects are getting finished and spring is in the air.

Pollen is in the air too, allergies anyone? 

Remembering to be thankful

 and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News, Thin Borders, Improv Piecing and Hand Quilting is a 'Bear.'

Thin black border added to my HST Barn Raising, the blue floral border is next.

Hand quilting has begun on my Bright Sampler.

I'm improv piecing 3 1/2" sqr. small Log Cabins for another border.

It will look something like this.

My 'low volume' improv Log Cabin quilt, 27 x 27", so far. Maybe one or two more borders to go.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where spring is in the air with sun, clouds and a little wind.

This week progress in quilt projects has been good. I work a little on this and that and trade around.

I've added several thin borders and I like the color/contrast statement that happens. That's in the medallion style of quilt construction which I've been specializing in lately.

My 'low volume' improv Log Cabin quilt looks great up against a window, like stained glass. I'm giving it another border of small improv Log Cabin blocks and then a solid border in Kona cotton solid 'Wasabi.'

Hand quilting on my Bright Sampler is in progress. It's like taming a bear, with time and patience it will get done and hopefully I'll live to tell about it.

Also 'Simply Moderne, Quilts and Crafts' issue 16 is out, published by Quiltmania.

I highly recommend it, they are modern, yes, but not painfully so, they're not afraid to acknowledge traditional and to let some artsy stuff sneak in. I love their style!

Excellent reference and inspiration.

Also have you heard, Pantone's new color of the year is 'Living Coral.'

Fabulous! There are QALs and contests involving the new color, but I have enough going on now without starting another project, really. So I will enjoy seeing all the new quilts using 'Living Coral.'

Are you going to start a new quilt using 'Living Coral'?

That's the news from the rancho, 

where I'm remembering to be thankful and progress is being made.

I'll be by to visit.

Adventures in Piecing, Hand Quilting and Border Choices, Cotton+Steel's Les Fleurs, Spring and Butterflies!

Improv pieced units auditioning in relation to the center piece.

More piecing auditions.

We went hiking on the Los Liones Canyon Trail.

We saw wild parrots, lizards and wild flowers.

This is now pieced, bordered and basted, 20 x 38". I'm beginning hand quilting.

Hand quilting started with basting in orange thread.

I can't remember the inspiration for this project. It'll come to me.

Next border (1" wide) for my improv 'low volume' log cabins, Kona cotton solid in berry.

Next border (2" wide) for my HST 'Barn Raising' in Cotton+Steel's Les Fleurs. Love the blue and coral next to the reds.

Happy blue floral.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where it's officially spring. Last week or two there's been an amazing Painted Lady butterfly hatching out around here. There were butterflies everywhere, in the parks, streets, yards and along the coast trail. They were dancing around and wouldn't hold still for a picture. Beautiful.

I've finished piecing and basting my runner, hand quilting is started. Its center piece I had used in the backing of my Butterfly quilt, but I decided it needed to be on the front and center of a quilt, it was too fun to be just a backing. So I unpicked the machine quilting on my Butterfly Quilt (now hand quilted) and took the center piece out of the backing. Now I've added to the center piece and I'm very happy with how it looks.  I forgot where my inspiration for that piece came from. I need to remember to figure out a name, it'll come to me sooner or later.

  

And I've decided on the next border colors for two of my projects. Now the borders are cut out ready to be pieced on and then on to the next decision.

My Traditional Bright Sampler is now layered and basted and hand quilting will soon begin. I roughly followed the free BOM patterns from Piecing the Past Quilts, their 'Times of Refreshing.'

I used bright modern colors and chose to arrange the blocks differently and finish the borders differently.

Also we hiked along the Los Liones Trail in Malibu last weekend. A flock of wild parrots flew in and squawked at us. We heard quail in the brush and saw wild flowers and tried to stay clear of the poison oak. An invigorating hike.

That's the news from the rancho,

 where progress is being made and I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit!

Floral Medallion Style Quilt with Four Patch Border, Yellow Daisies!

Four patch border pieced on, now approx 38 x 42".

My floral medallion style quilt with four borders, not done yet.

Daisies along the coast trail are happy in the sun, look close for lots of bees.

The trail is greening up, birds are singing!

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have sun and wind today, rain off and on.

And it's March, spring starts officially this month! The bees and daisies are making a rush for it.

This week I pieced onto my floral medallion style quilt its four patch border. I think I'll add one more border about 2.5" wide, shooting for 42 x 46", and then it will be a finished flimsy.
This is for a certain little girl.

Cathy has finished her 'Fractured Rainbows'  quilt and it's fabulous, you must visit her blog and see for yourself.

She still has snow on the ground where she lives, brrr!

There's always inspiring designs and quilts on her blog, thank you, Cathy.

That's the news from the rancho, where I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Four Patch Border, Spring Colors Already? Butterfly for March

This Four Patch border will be the fourth border when it gets pieced on.

Stacks of four patches, do I see spring colors or what?

We've had rain and it's looking green around here.

Peacock Butterfly for March 2019.
Painted Lady butterflies have started to come out around here this last week.

More Blanket Stitches, I like the 'Tea Green'.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have high clouds and almost no wind, nice.

In the photo looking out over the golf course you can see the plant life is greening up.

This week I've been piecing four patches for a border, and I noticed the colors remind me of spring. 

I'm not sure what will go on next, stay tuned. This quilt and my HST Barn Raising were started last spring and then I got side tracked and put them away for a while. It's time to move forward and finish a few things around here!

And it's March 1st! We have a new grand baby coming this month. Thrilling for sure.

My afghan is growing stitch by stitch and warm on my lap when I work on it, perfect for cool weather. The crochet class I'm teaching is lots of fun, everyone is making progress.

That's the news from the rancho, where I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit!

HST Medallion Bordered in Spectrum Reds, Teaching Crochet.

HST Barn Raising medallion with four borders.

This was started last summer, and then I ran out of steam.

I've been teaching crochet, perfect time of the year for it. This is blanket stitch.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we're having rain and wind storms off and on. 

Rain coat weather.

And I've been busy with piecing a HST border, the fourth for my HST Barn Raising Medallion I started last summer. I got stuck and couldn't figure what to do with it. 

I had pieced on a Kona cotton solid Pink Punch border and a thin black/dot batik border and that was it. I put it away.

Then, as I talked about in my last post, I was going through my stash and found a Cotton + Steel Spectrum Red layer cake! The light went on, I knew what to do. First a cream, rustic border went on, then the Spectrum Red HST border.

Now My Barn Raising Medallion has four borders and measures in @ 35 x 35". 

I'm happy with it now, but it's not finished yet. Stay tuned for more.

And I've been teaching crochet at a local women's group. They're having fun learning and I enjoy their company.

That's the news from the rancho, where progress is being made.

And I'm remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.