Art Quilt Mojo Returns, Jane Davies Modern Abstract Artist and Pumpkins Around Town.

Piecing and gathering units.

Began piecing here.

Experimental piecing arrangement, too predictable, took it apart.

Another try at arranging, still too contrived, I sliced it in quarters.

Now things are flowing the way I like them, I can add color where needed.

More auditioning units, I like the saw tooth border, not the squares on point.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where cooler fall temperatures are wonderful and almost Happy Halloween!

Local pumpkin patches are getting lots of business and children are excited about dressing up for harvest parties or trick or treating and getting way too much candy.

Last couple of weeks I have been slowly getting a new art quilt together. I don't like working with traditional piecing for very long as it bores me to death! So I put the 'trad' stuff away and began by throwing caution to the wind. Boring stuff be gone.

I've been spending time looking over Jane Davies', professional abstract artist, YouTube videos on her process. 

Robert Burridge, another exciting abstract artist, has a lot of good YouTube videos on everything from choosing color to layering. He titles his videos 'Another Bob Blast Video',  he does blast out great ideas easy to understand and make your own.

And so quilt friends the fall time is being enjoyed here and abstract art visions are dancing in my head. Let the fun begin.

How are your project adventures coming along?

I hope you're enjoying fall, or spring for those of you down under.

Always remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Quilt news Friday! Watermelon Summer Quilt Almost a Finish, Flannel Batting and 'Envelope' Closure

This was the start of my Watermelon Summer table runner.

Here's two borders added.

Final border added. Then flannel batting in the middle and backing sewn to top.

Back design on Watermelon, I haven't started machine quilting here.

Machine quilting has been started!

Crochet baby blanket x2 for grand daughters expected before Christmas.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where the weather is fine, sunny days cooling off in the evening.

I've been volunteering at a charity quilt group where baby quilts are made and distributed to those in need. The baby quilts are tied and I've been helping with that. I like a tied quilt, soft and fluffy. We tie the quilts with a double stitch, then a square knot, sturdy.

And I've been crocheting up a storm as 2 new baby girls are expected before Christmas. And I teach beginning crochet at a local women's shelter. Lots of fun.

Also I had a chance to get some finishing touches on my Watermelon Summer table runner. I decided to use flannel for batting, I researched and found that flannel was often, and is still often, used as batting. It makes for a lighter quilt with a nice drape and is also easier to machine quilt on, not so much shifting. You still need to pin well.

I wanted to use the 'envelope' or 'pillow case' method to finish the sides of this quilt because it's small and I wanted to experiment.

I laid the flannel down and then the backing right side up and the top, right side down, on that. The flannel and backing were about 2 inches bigger than the top all around. The top needs to be carefully laid out and smoothed onto the backing from the center diagonally out toward each corner. 

If you aren't careful to do that you might get ruffled sides that won't sew down flat.

Then pin the sides like crazy and look to see that it is all flat, no ruffling.

Then sew the sides making sure to leave an opening big enough to turn the quilt right side out easily.
Trim back and batting even with top before turning.

Turn, poke out corners with a chop stick, and carefully press. Press opening seam allowance and then sew closed with 1/8" top stitch.

Then I pinned and top stitched 1/4" all around. I like the method well enough to use again.

Have you tried this method on any of your projects?

There are a lot of tutorials out there if you want to try for yourself.

That quilt friends is the news from the rancho, where progress is being made and projects are getting closer to being finished!

Always remembering to be thankful!

I'll be by to visit.

'Borders in Quilt Land', the Journey and Beach Timeout

I started with a medallion of HSTs in Barn Raising formation, what next?

I know I've said it before, this book, by Gwen Marston, is full of great inspiration.

Then I started adding borders gradually, 6 borders here, I put it away for awhile.

I used the orange floral from the center medallion HSTs for the corner block in the last border.

The white dot border contrasts the thin black dot borders.

This last border opens the design up.

Our afternoon at Torrance Beach, watching seagulls preen and nap.

Santa Monica Bay, you can just see the San Gabriel Mts in the background.

Many variations of blue in the waves, ocean and sky.

Happy weekend and hello quilt friends from Rancho Palos Verdes!

Where we have cooler, sunny skies.

This week I had time to pull out my HST medallion quilt in Barn Raising formation (I must think of a better name for that one!) and sew on the final border. I'd put it away not having any inspiration for a finish. After rereading and soaking up inspiration from Gwen Marston's book 'Liberated Medallion Quilts', and getting busy with other things, ideas began surfacing. 

I kept thinking about how this quilt needed contrast for a good finish. 

So fabrics were auditioned and the white dot fabric won out with the orange floral for the corner blocks. I could call it a done deal.

And then we took time to enjoy an afternoon at Torrance Beach. Seagulls seem to have the life, relaxing and napping on the beach, then out for a fish dinner when they get hungry.

And that is the news from the rancho quilt friends. I hope you're enjoying your projects and the changing seasons too. 

I'm remembering to be thankful and I'll be by to visit.

Liberated Medallion Quilts, Cotton & Steel's Jubilee Collection, A Walk in the Park

A walk in the park, Averill Park in San Pedro, CA.

Ducks, frogs, turtles and fish fry of some sort live in this pond.

The promenade and gazebo, looks like a good place for wedding photos.

A thing of beauty, an old gnarly tree residing along a path.

This week I pieced more borders around the center medallion.

The prints are by Cotton & Steel, many of them from their 'Jubilee' collection.

It measures 54" x 45" here. Is it done? I've changed my mind before.

Lots of great inspiration packed into this book by Gwen Marston.

Hello from Rancho Palos Verdes, where we have clouds and light rain, refreshing!

This week we walked in the park, while the sun was still shining. The squirrels and park wildlife were entertaining. A little dog, on a leash of course, nearly lost its mind over the ducks.

Being inspired by Gwen Marston's book, Liberated Medallion Quilts, I cut and pieced borders onto the medallion of Yankee Puzzle blocks that I had declared 'done.' Sometimes in designing and piecing a quilt I get to a road block and declaring it done helps me put it away for a while until the creative juices get replenished/renewed. 

That Quilt Friends is the news from the rancho where pumpkin patches around town are beginning to take shape. What was it that Linus from Peanuts and the Gang used to get excited about this time of the year? I think it was keeping vigil for the coming of the Great Pumpkin , yes, that was it. 

Fall is a wonderful time.

What are your favorite fall past times you look forward to?

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Color and Design Progress Geometric Modern style Quilt with Borders and Fall!

Arrangement decisions begin.

More units added to the mix.

Possibilities....

Border candidates, yes, they're Kona Cotton solids!

Happy Friday!

Tomorrow is the first day of fall.

Quilt news this week; more arranging/design and color fun. 

I've been piecing units and cutting borders, etc. very busy. I'm working on several projects at the same time, for some reason I don't feel as pressured. I notice several of my blog quilt friends work the same way with good results.

If you're looking for inspiring color and process, I suggest visiting; Audrey, Donna , and Gwen Marston Quilts on Bing/Images. I like variety, it's the mix that makes an interesting recipe.

September weather on the coast has been fabulous. Coast breezes come up and clear the humidity, lovely.  

And that is the quilt news from the rancho where progress is being enjoyed and I'm getting into the fall mindset. The temperatures will start to cool down and then it's time to think of stews and roasted butternut squash. What's your favorite fall menus?  

I'll be by to visit.

Lovely Florals, Borders and Piecing Process All About Process.

Sweet floral and friends.

Four Patch and Sixteen Patch units for a new project.

Alice in Blue #1, big floral and black and white stripe contrasting borders.

I love this big floral by Cotton & Steel.

My Yankee Puzzle blocks pieced with prints and florals gets border pinned on.

Yankee Puzzle blocks, in previous post, ready for piecing.

Hello Quilt Friends!

From Rancho Palos Verdes where ocean breezes are keeping it relatively cool here.

Leah Day  always begins her YouTube videos with 'Hello My Quilting Friends'. I like watching her videos she's so calm and has good tips.

This week I thought Florals would be a good topic. In several of my projects I'm using florals, big and small. I like to contrast them with a solid, print or stripe fabric. Contrast shakes things up, adding interest, giving your eyes places to explore and places to rest.

First is my newest project with a sweet little floral contrasting nice with shirting plaid fabric, solids and a bird print. Four and Sixteen Patch units are in the piecing process, more on this later.

Then I got out my 'Alice in Blue 1' block because I love the big blue floral and the way it contrasts with the black and white stripe. Soon I'll get the 2nd Alice in Blue pieced then the fun will begin, stay tuned! They will be similar like sisters, not twins.

Also I'm piecing the borders onto my Yankee Puzzle blocks. I used florals and prints and the first border is a Kona Cotton navy, talk about contrast, we'll see how it all works out.

That is the buzz on the rancho where progress is being made and florals are being appreciated.

And I'm enjoying working slow, why do we always have to be in such a hurry to finish?

I want to be comfortable with the process. 

Comfortable enough to appreciate florals and experiment with contrast.

Remembering to be thankful.

I'll be by to visit!

Minimalist Modern Quilt, Geometric Design #2 Finish, Roots of Modern Art and What is it? Bright Modern Quilt Progress

New units Sixteen Patch blocks, arranging for contrast.

Finish, 16" x 29" Modern Quilt, Minimalist Geometric design, #2, machine quilted.

#2 MMG, Washed and dried for optimum texture.

The weather has been warm and mostly clear, Santa Monica Bay.

My Bright Modern Sampler Quilt, hand quilting in progress.

Hello, from Rancho Palos Verdes! Where summer's not over yet!

I know in a lot of areas the kids have gone back to school and be that as it may, here along the coast the weather has warmed up and the skies are mostly clear so it finally seems like summer. 

Sunglasses, flipflops and sun hats are still in use.

Last week I finished my small Modern Quilt experiment, Minimalist Geometric Design #2 or MMG#2. I know I have lots of fun naming my projects, I love words, some can relate, some can't.

Hand quilting progress on my Bright Modern Quilt has been made, slow but sure.

Last week I took time to research Mid Century Modern Abstract artists and found exciting examples of color and design. 

Ellsworth Kelly, John Mclaughlin, Ann Truitt and Karl Benjamin  are known for pioneering 'Hard Edge' design. 'Hard Edge' is 'a style that includes geometric shapes with clearly defined edges', opposite of Impressionism where color and line are blurred.

Their work 'emphasized line, color and form often using bright color.'

The 'big four' Los Angeles based classic artists of Geometric Abstraction, mid century were Karl Benjamin, Lorser Feitelson, John McLaughlin and Frederick Hammersley, 'they produced vibrant geometric abstractions.'

If you want some fun take time to research these artists and their amazing work.

There's a lot more to mid century art than Mondrian or Atomic.

That my quilt friends is the news from the rancho. 

Where I'm remembering to be thankful and getting to the roots of what 'Modern' art is really all about, it's still summer after all.

What have you worked on this week?

I'll be by to visit.