Quilt News! New AHIQ Challenge, Choose a Color Palette, Easy! Running Thru' the Back of my Mind....

Fall leaves 2021

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Four Patch blocks I've been hand and machine piecing.

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Pepperberry Tree

Orange X Block quilt I finished for my granddaughter, fall 2021.

A page saved from my color calendar 2021.

Red fall leaves against blue sky.

 

Hello Quilt Friends, from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada!

Where it's cool and sunny.

And AHIQ has a new challenge, Choose a Color Palette!

That was easy for me as these colors, Orange, Yellow and Blue, have been running in the back of my mind for a while. I'm never very far away from orange as you might know if you've looked at my past projects.

The fall leaves around here put on a gorgeous show and a page I saved from my 2021 color calendar has stayed in mind along with the colors in the Orange X Block quilt I finished fall 2021 for my dear granddaughter Ellie. So the choice was already waiting to be acknowledged.

However, I'm in no hurry as we're still in the process of settling/moving in. There's no room for anything big right here, right now. So I'm adding to the Four Patch Blocks I've been hand and machine piecing, thinking of orange, yellow and blue, and dreaming/planning for the next projects.

A quilt, large or small or patchwork fabric for a bag, large or small, maybe drawstring or with a zipper?

Here are some tutorials that were fun to watch that have me thinking....

Japanese Rice Bag Tips and Tricks with Jean Wells;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpXLF8JSyg&t=937s

Growing a Quilt Design by Beth, My Sewing Room,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpnqCPfYBPI

and that, Quilt Friends, is the news.

I'll be by to visit and see what colors you are considering.

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

Quilt News, Happy New Year 2022! Holiday Around Town!

Holiday decor in town!

This is supposed to be Santa's sleigh.

Store front finery.

Sparkle and lights.

Local neighbor with his pet pig out for a walk. Really!

Christmas baubles.

 Dear Quilt Friends Happy New Year to you and your families!

I had to share the Holiday vibes going on in town, it's a small town, the best kind.

I'll be back to projects soon.

We have a lot to be thankful for!

And I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Merry Christmas! Story of 3 Quilts and Embroidered/Embellished Art Quilt Progress

Merry Christmas!

#2 Small Plaid Quilt, close view of hand quilting w' red floss.

#1 Small Plaid Quilt hand quilting progress.

#2 Small Plaid Quilt basted and making progress with hand quilting.

Hand Piecing sections for #1 Small Plaid Quilt.

#1 Small Plaid Quilt layered with backing and batting.

#1 at the top of photo, #2 bottom left, #3 bottom right.

#2 Small Plaid Quilt hand quilting progress.

#1 Small Plaid Quilt piecing sections.

#1 Small Plaid Quilt piecing progress.

#3 Small Plaid Quilt, final yellow border with blue plaid corner blocks.

#2 Small Plaid Quilt, hand quilted w' red embroidery floss.

#1 Small Plaid Quilt, all hand pieced and quilted, close view.

And I've added more embroidery to this art quilt project.

 

 

Happy December and Happy Holidays!

And Merry Christmas to all my Quilt Friends!

 

This week I've been adding hand embroidery, French Knots, Running Stitch, Cross stitch, to my embroidered/embellished art quilt and I'm finished with it for the most part.

I've been working on it for over a year. It started as a challenge but I stalled over inspiration and didn't want to force the process, so it got put away. 

My sewing machine is in storage for a while so now is the time for finishing hand work on my embroidered/embellished art quilt. And I'll start the process of submitting it to see if it gets accepted for publishing. I haven't done that in a while. 

 

Also I wanted to tell the story of #1, #2, #3 Small Plaid Quilts. All 3 are made from 2 plaid work shirts I bought at a local thrift shop and some print scrap fabric and scraps of Kona Cotton Solids I had on hand.

#1 was started during the covid hysteria and we were staying in an inn then next to a beautiful river, because there was no room for us anywhere else. My sewing machine was in storage, so I thought it would be a good time to get into hand piecing. I used scissors no rotary cutter. My book by Yoko Saito featuring quilted handbags was pulled out and I poured over that. Yoko does amazing hand piecing, and quilting. I enjoyed the process and considered that our great grandmothers sewed by hand until sewing machines became available. I finished #1 and I was happy with it, a little time consuming but I had lots of time on my hands.

Then we moved to the 'valley' and my sewing machine came too, yey! I started #2 with some hand pieced blocks, sections and scraps left over from #1. #2 Small Plaid Quilt was machine pieced and hand quilted with red floss. I hand sewed the binding on and down with red floss, which goes faster than you'd think.

#3 was started in the valley and finished in a new home in the east foothills. The blocks in #3 were made from the plaid scraps, prints and solids from #1 and #2. I pieced using liberated/make do techniques because that seemed like the thing to do! I hand quilted #3.

These 3 small plaid quilts have been on an adventure with me and now I think of them as friends.

We've moved and are staying for a while at an inn. I've been thinking about how our Savior was born in a manger because there was no room for them in an inn. He humbled himself willingly for us.

 

And that, Quilt Friends, is the quilt news from the Inn!

Remembering to be thankful and thoughtful this holiday season!

 

How are your holiday projects coming along?

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News, Happy Thanksgiving! Scrap Blocks with Yellow Border Quilt, Binding Finish! Glorious Fall Color

Fall leaves yellow, orange, red, green, Happy Thanksgiving!

Scrap Blocks with Yellow Border small quilt, front, finished!

Back view, hand quilted.

California Pepperberry Tree

Smoke Bush Tree

Yellows and oranges, against blue.

Red against blue.

 

 

 

Quilt News; Hand Quilting Progress on 3rd in a Series, Cabins in a Field Quilt Piecing Fix, Binding on Orange X Block Medallion Quilt, Persimmon Tree in the Neighborhood

Hand quilting finished on my 3rd in a Series, small improv scrap quilt, binding next.

 

My Log Cabin Quilt block unpicked and turned.

 

My Orange X Block Medallion quilt with binding sewn onto the front.

 

 Binding pinned and ready to be sewed down on back.

 

Log Cabin quilt block turned and sewed back into quilt.

 

Neighborhood Persimmon tree, gorgeous fall colors!

 

 

 

Happy Halloween! And it's almost November! 

These last few weeks have been busy around here! 

I've had time to do some small bits of work, Like sewing the binding onto the front of my Orange X Block Medallion Quilt and folding and pinning it to the back for hand sewing.

Then I did a small bit of rearranging on my Cabins in a Field Quilt inspired by a Temecula Quilt Co.sew along, Down Home Darlin'. 

I found that one of the Log Cabin blocks was not turned true to pattern. I could have left it for that imperfect touch. But it bothered me, so when I had some time I unpicked and turned it true to pattern, pieced the block in and then I was happy with it!

Also I finished the hand quilting on my small improv scrap quilt, which is 3rd in a Series of small quilts that I pieced using scraps; Kona Cotton Solids and prints, and plaids from repurposed cotton work shirts I found at a local thrift shop. In all three of these little quilts I wanted to do as much as I could by hand, hand piecing and quilting and I used scissors for cutting. Of course sometimes I was in a hurry to finish the piecing and got the sewing machine out!

As soon as I sew on the binding, by hand, on #3 I will feature the 3 small quilts in a post with the story behind them.

And our walks have been beautiful and inspiring with the leaves on trees turning fall colors.

Neighbors down the street have a small Persimmon tree in front of their house. I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of the persimmons on the tree before they were picked, but I did get a photo of the beautiful colors of the leaves before the wind blows them away!

That Quilt Friends is the news from the valley! Where we're remembering to be thankful.

Have you been enjoying fall colors? 

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! October Fun Memory, Improv Left Over Block Quilt, Yellow Border Pieced On, Scrappy Four Patch Blocks

 Scraps pieced into four patch blocks and a 12 patch block here.

 Mr. Cuteness in the Pumpkin Patch several yr.s ago. He is now 5 yr.s old!

 Left over blocks and scraps make up this small quilt with yellow borders.

 Experimenting with arrangement of my scrap four patch blocks.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Happy October and October memories!

Have you made any pumpkin bread yet?

 This last week I sewed the yellow border on my small Left Over Blocks quilt. Its colors reminds me of October, pumpkins, fall leaves and that beautiful blue fall sky on a sunny day!

I've pieced more scrappy Four Patch blocks just to get the scrap situation in better control, a lot of loose scraps around gets me nervous. 

And I had to post a Happy Pumpkin Patch photo of a fun time a few years ago with my grandson! That pumpkin patch is one of the best in the PAC NW, Carpinito's Pumpkin Patch!

I have to say orange is one of my favorite colors, right in between yellow and red, that's a good place to be. My color calendar uses the words 'radiant, cozy and warm' to describe orange.

Also do visit Cathy @ saneandcrazy.blogspot.com to see the amazing quilts she puts together with scraps and orphan blocks. Fantabulous inspiration!

And that is the Quilt News from the valley where scraps are being organized and kept under control, for the most part, and I'm remembering to be thankful.

Have you started any 'fallish' projects?

I'll be by to visit!

 

Quilt News! 'Log Cabins in a Field' Quilt Top Finish! Hand Quilting Progress and Where I Sew....

Orange X Square Medallion Quilt almost finished with hand quilting!

 

Log Cabin Blocks arranging and repiecing process, pieces of tape mark positions.

 

 My sewing station for the time being...

 

 'Log Cabins in a Field', in furrough formation, my quilt top final piecing.

 

 

Hello from the valley! It's fall and we have sunny skies and cooler temperatures. Pumpkins are making their appearance at local markets and neighborhood squirrels are hiding nuts away.

 This week I finished the arranging and piecing process on my new quilt top, 'Log Cabins in a Field',  approx. 40" x 40". I came up with that name thinking of furroughs in a field and log cabin blocks, of course! 

I had the rows sewn together and then realized the value was not working out right, here and there. So I unpicked some blocks and 'logs' and found 'acceptable' value combinations and pieced it all back together.

It was tedious but now it looks like I wanted it to look.

I was encouraged thinking of Kaja @sewslowly, and her piecing process. She is very careful to get her piecing just right and her quilts are works of art!

And I thought I'd put in a photo of my sewing station. I have to set up and tear down every time I sew as this is the family table where everyone eats. So for a time this is where I sew.

That Quilt Friends is the quilt news where progress is being made, fall walks are great and I'm remembering to be thankful.

How are your quilt projects coming along?

I'll be by to visit!