Quilt News! New Block Challenge, 'Albersesque' by Debbie Jeske, Saw Tooth Border Scraps, Four Patch in a Square Blocks Increase, April Calendar Page

'Albersesque' blocks, 9.5" my rendition..

My Four Patch in a Square blocks increase!

Color samples I keep around for inspiration.

My April calendar page, look at those colors!

Hand quilting progress on my #1 Hour Glass Medallion Quilt.

I pieced together sawtooth border scraps into a small sampler.

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

Tulips and camellias are blooming and birds are singing in the early morning.

This week I pieced more of my Four Patch Squares together. I have 20 blocks @ 7"x7" now. My goal is 42 blocks. Little bit at a time.

And Debbie Jeske has a new challenge for one of her quilt groups and she is calling it Albersesque in honor of Josef Albers, his work and theories on color. One of the ideas he had was that color is relative, he used geometric shapes to show his ideas. Well I got inspired to whip up a couple of blocks 9.5" square in the liberated style, showing how colors can look as though they are receding or advancing. I'm not sure where that will lead but I'm considering the possibilities.

Hand quilting progress is moving forward. Like Audrey at Quilty Folk says it is important to hand quilt regular if you're going to commit to it, because then your hand stays supple and in shape. I wear my quilt gloves too and that makes a difference, the warmth.

Saw Tooth border scraps got pieced together as a sampler to remind me of what I've done. It will have binding in the Kona Zucchini, the yellow/green in the lower right of the photo.

My April Butterfly Calendar page is gorgeous with saturated color I had to share it! 

And that is the quilt news from the valley, where spring is in the air and allergens too.... it's all beautiful.

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Hand Quilting Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders Quilt, More Fourpatch in a Square Blocks, Spring Blossoms, New Batiks Washed and Pressed

Piecing more Four-Patch in a Square blocks.

Big stitch hand quilting with #8 perle cotton, Topaz.

Spring blossoms in our backyard.

Washed and pressed 10" batik squares with a hot iron to 'set' the color.

 

Hello quilt friends, Happy Spring!

This week I've been hand quilting my #1 Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders small quilt and will be finished soon to start hand quilting my #2 version of Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders small quilt. Why two? you might be thinking. Because I was on a roll and I wanted to use slightly different colors and it's fun working a series when you're inspired.

And more Four-patch in a Square blocks have been pieced, coral, turquoise and yellow are a match made in heaven. I was inspired to set my Four-Patch blocks in a square by watching Beth Shibley's tutorial on Four Ways to finish a Four-Patch Block.

Also got around to washing and pressing with a hot iron my stack of 10" square red batiks. I usually don't pre-wash any fabric but red batiks are known to lose color 'all over town.' Red is a good color to have on hand because it can be tucked in among other colors to add a sense of direction.

That's the quilt news from the valley, where spring rains and blossoms are showering us.

What spring projects have you started and Easter is almost here already! Do you believe it?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Four Patch in a Square Blocks, Tim Holtz Fabric, Sashiko Hand Stitching Project Finish, Spring is Coming, Can You Feel It?

This is what I'm after, Four Patch in a Square blocks, this one featuring Horticulture by Tim Holtz.

Flowers from the local market, imported but lovely.

Stacks of fabrics and Four Patch blocks....Tim Holtz fabric upper left stack.

My glass drying towel finish, using Sashiko and regular embroidery stitching.

 

Quilt News from the valley! 

Where we have rain off and on and temperatures are a few degrees warmer. And spring is coming, every morning the sun comes up a bit earlier. Day Light Savings switch soon...

Last week I had time for my 4" Four Square blocks. I found them after storing them away because no  inspiration was forthcoming as to what needed to be done with them. Then I came across Beth Shibley's You Tube tutorial on Four Ways to Finish Four Patch Blocks, the light came on, simple yet profound. One of her suggestions is to use a four patch in a square. Great idea and it will use up a lot of scraps and odds and ends.

For my Four Patch in a Square project I'm using some of my Tim Holtz fabric stash, Horticulture and From Camden, two of my favorites, from his Eclectic Elements/Foundations collection.

My glass drying towel with Sashiko and hand embroidery is finished and being used, practical is the word!

And that quilt friends is the news, a finish and a start.

Does spring inspire you to new projects?

Quilt News! Fun with Quilt Borders, Hand Stitched Sashiko Project in Use! 2023 International Scrap Festival by Ann Wood! Susie @ Susies-scraps.com!

Sashiko project finished and being used in my kitchen.

Hour Glass Medallion #1 with String and Sawtooth Borders got a final 1.5" border!

#1 close-up, approx. 30" square.

#2 with final 2.5" border close-up.

#2 Hour Glass Medallion with Sawtooth Borders (on top), 30"x 30".

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Cold but mild weather in the valley.

And my two Hourglass Medallion small quilts with String and Sawtooth borders are officially done with final borders. I thought they both needed a final border for a neat finish. 

Also finished is my Sashiko hand stitched kitchen mat. We keep our water jugs and coffee makers on it. It soaks up water and quiets the kitchen counters. Visit Sashiko Lab for great online classes and ideas.

Also for fun inspiration and a great reason to have a festival, you must visit Ann Wood's 2023 International Scrap Festival! Lots of inspiration for using all those scraps too precious to throw out. 

Ann also links to Susie @Susie-scraps.com. I had a wonderful time going through Susie's tutorials and I  might have to try her Granny Squares Scrap Quilt and/or her Economy Squares Quilt. Both are superb for using tons of scraps.

And that, Quilt Friends, is the news from my sewing room to yours. I plan to celebrate 2023 International Scrap Festival with gusto, how about you? 

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Hour Glass Quilt Blocks Medallion #2 Experiment Progress, Mary Hogan's Book, Log Cabin Improv is Excellent!

Mary Hogan's book, Log Cabin Improv.

I'm testing out border arrangements for my #2 Hourglass Medallion .

Checking for contrast here, hourglass blocks are finished 2".

 

And more Christmas & Kaffe hourglass blocks for another project.

Hello Quilt Friends from the valley where we have cold temperatures and sunny skies.

I'm working on my sawtooth borders for my Hourglass Medallion #2 small quilt. It's an experimental/practice project. Often I don't want to make a big quilt but I want to work out a technique or color arrangement so I make a small piece. The sawtooth border technique that Mary Hogan  explains in her book is one of the best I've seen, good explanation and photos. 

And I'm piecing up bigger Hourglass Blocks, 3 1/2" finished, for another project. Using Christmas & Kaffe fabrics with Kona solids and Moda Grunge for fun contrast. 

That is the quilt news from the cold NW where I'm indulging in color and working out some piecing experiments. What new projects or color combinations are you considering?

When it's cold outside being inside is a good thing, right? I'm thankful.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Finished Double Challenge Quilt Top, Finished Hand Quilting Scrappy Sawtooth Border Runner Size Quilt, Sashiko Stitching Fun Project

I finished Hand Quilting my Scappy Sawtooth border runner.

Love the big stitch quilting, 37" x 18".

This book by Carolyn Forster is an excellent reference for hand quilting!

My Sashiko project, to be used in my kitchen, each square is 4".

Mostly Green Quilt top finished! 2 challenges in one top! 60" x 60".

Hello Quilt Friends!

We have mostly clear skies this morning after a few weeks of drizzle and rain, refreshing!

And Happy New Year to you!

I've finished hand quilting my Scrappy Sawtooth border runner size quilt, 37" x 18". I used Perle Cotton size 8. And I was inspired and encouraged by reading through Carolyn Forster's book, Hand Quilting Techniques for Farm House Style, A very useful and practical reference/inspiration book.

And my Sashiko hand stitching project is almost done, the backing will be pink linen same as what the front squares are. It will be used in my kitchen to bring cheer. I've been inspired by Sashiko.Lab and a few good books, Sashiko for Making and Mending, by Saki Iiduka, from my local library and my book by Erin Eggenburg, The Mending Directory. Erin's style is what I call a 'hybrid' version of Sashiko. I love the useful, practical aspect of Sashiko.

Also finished my 'Mostly Green' quilt top @ 60" x 60". I started it in response to 2 challenges, a block of the month in green, and I made not just one but many green four patches, sixteen patches and nine patch blocks, with a few reddish squares thrown in to loosen it up a bit. The second challenge was using scale, so starting with 2" squares for the sixteen patch blocks, then on to 4" squares in the four patches and 2 2/3" squares in the ninepatch blocks, each block finishing at 8". I was inspired to finish my quilt with saw tooth borders by reading Mary Hogan's excellent book, Log Cabin Improv. Her section on improv techniques is the best. She explains improv curves, angles, string sets and improv shapes: stack, slash, shuffle and sew and lots more!

Now onto hand quilting!

 

 

And that quilt friends, is the quilt news from the valley where we are enjoying sun and praying for peace.

What projects are you finishing up? I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Saw Tooth Border for My Mostly Green Challenge Quilt Piecing Begins, More Fun Sashiko Stitch Sampling

My Mostly Green Challenge Quilt in sawtooth border 'interview' process.

A stitch sample from my book The Mending Directory by Erin Eggenburg.

More of my Sashiko Stitch samples from Sashikostitchlab.com.

Peace on earth, good will to men!

Hello Quilt Friends!Quilt News from the valley where we have frosty nights and sunny days.And Christmas Cards and gifts are being mailed out, almost done!

 

This week I'll be piecing my sawtooth border for my Mostly Green Challenge Quilt. I'm excited with the progress.

And I'm sampling Sashiko Stitches from Sashikolab.com and from my books using Sashiko Stitches in mending, The Mending Directory by Erin Eggenburg and Creative Mending by Hikaru Noguchi.

Excellent reading if Sashiko/Darning/Stitching techniques interest you.

And that is the quilt news from the valley where I'm keeping this short because there's a lot of seasonal busy stuff happening around here.

I'll be by to visit. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!