Quilt News! Big Stitch Quilt Finish, Two Scrappy New Improv Quilts Started, More Four Patch in a Square Blocks Pieced, Happy Mother's Day!

New Log Cabin/Pineapple Improv blocks started, using lots of scraps.

Another scrappy start with left over Hour Glass blocks in the center.

My Hourglass Medallion #2 w' big stitch hand quilting.

Fourpatch in a Square blocks number 48. Unfinished blocks 6.5".

Finished !  Hourglass Medallion #2, 30" x 30".

 

Hello Quilt Friends, Happy Friday!

And it's almost Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all moms. I hope you enjoy the day and the spring weather.

This last week I have been busy with piecing scraps together for two new projects and finishing big stitch hand quilting and binding my Hourglass Medallion #2 quilt.

I was influenced to start big stitch hand quilting by reading this excellent book, Big Stitch Quilting by Carolyn Forster. Carolyn's tutorials and photography are the best.

Log Cabin Improv by Mary Hogan, another excellent book, encouraged me to piece Sawtooth borders for my Hourglass Medallion #2. Her directions and photography are clear and precise.

With tutorials from Susies-scraps and Log Cabin Improv I've started piecing one of my newest projects, Scrappy Logcabin/Pineapple blocks. I have the logcabin centers pieced and will start the 'pineapple' process in the next round or so, Improv!

I also have to mention that I pieced a few more Fourpatch in a Square blocks for a total of 48. I'm taking my time and I plan to get up to 56 blocks for a quilt 42" x 48".

That is the news from the valley where warm sun is a treat after spring showers.

Have you started any new Improv projects? I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! What's on Your Sewing Table? Log Cabin Blocks Runner, Four Patch in a Square Blocks a Sashiko Project and Scrappy Pineapple Blocks at Susies-Scraps

My Sashiko Rice Stitch wallet/purse project.

Lining is a silky Liberty print, 5" x 6.5" closed.

'Albersesque' 9" Log Cabin blocks with 1 1/2" borders as a runner.

FourPatch in a Square blocks 6" finished, number 38 now.

Finished Sawtooth scrap pieces as a sampler to remember the process.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! April showers bring May flowers the saying goes...

What's on your sewing table? My sewing table has some finished and some in progress projects on it. And also a Peter Rabbit children's book, great colors and to celebrate spring.

 

I finished piecing into a sampler my Sawtooth border scraps left overs from my finished quilt top, Mostly Green. Big stitch quilting and binding in Kona Zucchini made it a done deal.

 

Then I finished stitching my Sashiko project, a small wallet/purse in pink linen, lined with a silky Liberty fabric, stitched in rice stitch using #8 perle cotton in indigo blue. I'm still deciding how I want it to close, maybe with a ribbon or buttons. I found the inspiration in one of my library books written by Karen Kim Matsunaga, Japanese Country Quilting; Sashiko Patterns, published 2012. Amazon is selling her book at a high price, that's why I check it out from my library. I wish it would go into reprint then the price would probably come down.

And why do I think Karen's book Japanese Country Quilting is one of the best for Sashiko? Because Karen is Japanese and writes an excellent history/background of Sashiko and Japanese design. There is a well known European author on Sashiko and her ideas and methods are fine for what she is trying to do, but I feel she doesn't address the very important soul of the art. 

Then I decided to make a runner out of the four 9" Log Cabin blocks made from being inspired by Debbie Jeske's post and challenge of 'Albersesque' blocks. Her idea of course was inspired by Josef Albers, an influencial modern artist specializing in the relativity of color. And so my runner top is finished.

My FourPatch in a Square blocks, scrappy, now total 38. My inspiration is from Beth Shibley's YouTube video, Four Ways to Finish FourPatch Blocks. Beth has good ideas.

Susie @ Susies-Scraps has a great idea and tutorial in her last post, Scrappy Pineapple Blocks.

I'm ready to dive into another project! Oh wait! I have to sit down and plan it out in my notebook first.

When I take the time to do that the project suddenly becomes doable; just a little planning really helps.

And that Quilt Friends is the quilt news from the valley.

I'll be by to visit.

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.