Quilt News, Scrappy Heaven, Four Patch on Point Quilt Top Finish, Bar-B-Que at Lake Wilderness, Color in Nature is the Muse for Today....

At Lake Wilderness, bar-b-que coals burning down, almost ready...

Four Patch on Point blocks in piecing process.

Blackberries are getting ripe.

I don't know its name but the flowers and colors are beautiful.

Oregon Grape grows wild in the PacNW.

Black Currant also grows wild...

My Four Patch on Point top pieced with border, 48" x 54".

Tiger Lily at Wilderness Lake Arboretum

One of my scrappy art quilts, Three Pinwheels, showing why I like white/neutral borders.

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

From the valley where summer weather is easy living. Walks in the park and through Lake Wilderness Arboretum are on the daily schedule. Blackberries are ripe and we're picking them for freezing for winter treats, pies, cobblers, a little jam, etc.

And I finished piecing my Scrappy Four Patch on Point quilt top and added borders, done at 48" x 54". Beth at Four Patch Fourways! has a good tutorial on ways to finish Fourpatch blocks that helped me in deciding the finish for my Fourpatch blocks. Thankyou, Beth, great inspiration!

Thinking of color inspiration and color in nature? ...which is easy this time of the year, visit Jean Wells at her blog, Dreaming in Color, an Invitation From Nature for her inspiration and beautiful photos on texture, line and color.

That is the quilt news from the valley, where I'm remembering to be thankful and helping out when I can. Are you enjoying summer's bounty, what's your favorite wild fruit? Or favorite fruit at the Farmer's Market?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Log Cabin Improv Quilt Progress, Day Trip to West Seattle in Search of Rare Book, Four Patch in a Square Blocks Final Arrangement

Lincoln Park, West Seattle, I'm next to one of many Redwood trees.

Alki Beach, West Seattle, we waded and got warm in the sun.

Spud Fish and Chips restaurant across from Alki Beach has been here since before WW2.

Final arrangement for my Four Patch in a Square quilt blocks, 42" x 48".

More 'logs' have been added to blocks in my newest Improv Log Cabin quilt.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

The summer sun has been heating things up around here this last week. The nights cool off so that's good! I hope you're all managing to find cool places and remembering to keep the ice trays full.

This last week we drove to West Seattle to the library there in search of and to check out, a rare textile art book, Ayako Miyawaki, The Art of Japanese Applique', published by The Asahi Shimbun and The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1991. As you may know textile art is one of my fascinations. I found out about this book by reading Okan Arts blog post on Patricia Belyea's favorite Japanese art/design books.

While there we had to stop by Lincoln Park and Alki Beach, and eat at Spuds Fish and Chips, where the best fish and chips anywhere are served up. I grew up in West Seattle and I still enjoy visiting there. 

And that is the quilt news from the valley, where I'm remembering to be thankful and progress is being made, slow but steady.

I'll stop by to visit!

Quilt News! New Log Cabin/Court House Steps Improv Blocks, Sashiko/Boro and Traditional Hand Embroidery Projects

I finished another 'tray cloth' for my kitchen with Traditional and Sashiko stitching.

Boro Stitching on the front piece of my new book/shopping bag.

New project, Log Cabin improv blocks being 'interviewed'.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

News from the valley where we are enjoying the summer breezes making everything feel fine!

I finished my latest 'tray cloth' or glass drying towel with Traditional Hand Embroidery and Sashiko Stitches. They work well together. The fact that it's useful is a big plus with me.

And another new, useful project is my book/shopping bag, it will measure approx. 18" x 17". I had some leftover triangle pieces trimmed off another project and they were too colorful to throw out so I'm stitching them onto the front piece with boro stitches which is also called Japanese Running Stitch. One of my favorite books on Boro is by Harumi Horiuchi, Mending with Boro, Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques. Harumi's book is beautiful and she writes about stitching and mending with your own unique style as an art form. Yes to that!

My new Scrappy Log Cabin/Court House Steps Improv Blocks are going to be about 10" square, most of them are there now. I'm deciding on the final layout. I do seem to favor log cabin blocks, I know. Mary Hogan's book, Log Cabin Improv: Quilts with a Twist on Tradition, has been a great inspiration for me. 

That Quilt Friends is the news from my sewing room to yours. And what new projects are you working on and what summer adventures are you planning?

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! 2023 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show! Log Cabin Quilt Top in Furrow Variation Ready for Basting, 56 Four Patch in a Square Blocks Finished Piecing Today, Quilting by Hand by Riane Elise Book Review

Log Cabin Quilt top with batting and backing ready to be basted.

Sisters, Oregon is a beautiful scenic town and the quilt show is fun.

This morning 5 more Four Patch in a Square blocks in process.

2023 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show poster up on my wall.

56 Four Patch in a Square Blocks, finished piecing the last 5 this afternoon.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Summer officially starts this month. The birds are already there.

This week I finished piecing the backing for my Log Cabin Improv quilt top in Furrow Variation and cut out the batting. Now on to basting them together for hand quilting. It will measure 44" x 44".

Speaking about hand quilting I found a great book at my library, Quilting by Hand by Riane Elise from Quadrille Publishing 2021. It's a classic with clear instruction on piecing and hand quilting designs. It's a beauty in every way.

Just today I finished piecing the last five Four Patch in a Square blocks to make 56 blocks in all. The blocks will measure 6.5 square when trimmed and the top will measure 42" x 48". I haven't decided to add a border yet, must think about it....

And the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is coming right up, second Saturday in July. Will you be there? I'm thinking that I might like to go, now to talk my driver into it! 

 And that is the news from the valley where progress is being made and I might be out of town soon, viewing volcanoes and quilts. There's a good coffee shop in Sisters too I remember. 

Hope you're making plans for vacationing and making progress on your projects.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Hourglass Medallion #1with Sawtooth Borders finish! Improv Log Cabin Quilt top Finish, Sashiko Projects Progress, Delightful June!

My Log Cabin block Improv quilt top, getting the batting and backing measured.

Hourglass Medallion Quilt #1 with Sawtooth Borders binding just finished.

I finished this first, Hourglass Medallion Quilt #2.

We took a trip to Kanasket State Park to see the Cedar River.

My Sashiko Projects. I added buttons and ribbon for closing my pouch.

 Hello Quilt Friends, Happy June! This is the month where summer kicks in and Swallowtail Butterflies are everywhere. Roses are blooming and wild rabbits are enjoying the warm weather here in the valley.

This last week I sewed the binding on my #1 Hourglass Medallion Quilt with Sawtooth borders. I made 2 small quilts to work on piecing sawtooth borders using Mary Hogan's technique in her excellent book, Improv Log Cabin Quilts. I enjoyed the process and highly recommend her book.

I pulled out my Log Cabin Improv Quilt top from the closet and unpicked the previous borders I had sewed on. The borders were the wrong color and did not work for me. The new borders fit with the colors in the blocks and are a better width. So I have cut the batting and backing to fit and onto getting it quilted. I was inspired by Temecula Quilt Co.'s Down Home Darling design. I didn't follow the design perfectly but used my own colors and made the centers 2 different sizes instead of just one size. I figured that would add interest and it did! Temecula Quilt Co is full of color and design ideas.

My Sashiko projects are fun for me, I like the stitching process. I embroider traditional style and I have been big stitch hand quilting, Sashiko fits right in with those. The emphasis on Sashiko/Boro stitches is practical and of course looking beautiful at the same time. I get that! I finished my sashiko stitched pouch with mother of pearl buttons and a silk ribbon to tie closed.

Last week we drove to Kanasket State Park to see the wilderness and Cedar River up close. The Swallowtail butterflies were making a good appearance and loved the bushes along the river in bloom. The wild roses were also blooming, fabulous.

And that is the quilt news, what spring/summer delights are you enjoying? What are you working on?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Pineapple Block Piecing, Big Stitch Quilting Finish on my #1 Hourglass Medallion Quilt , Lake Wilderness Arboretum is Blooming, Hello June!

Spectacular orange Poppies at the arboretum.

Yellow Iris and blue Columbine.

My Pineapple Block so far.

Big Stitch hand quilting done, ready for binding now.

Lake Wilderness, with yellow Iris.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Warm spring weather with a large side of blossoms here, please. We've been walking by the lake and enjoying the burst of blossoms and new green.

This last week I finished up big stitch hand quilting my #1 Hourglass Medallion Quilt with Sawtooth Borders, 30" x 30". I hand quilted it using #8 perle cotton. Now onto the binding then it's done.

 I have other projects I'm currently working on and I do read a lot of books on textile art, quilting and history. And with daily walks there is always something going on, that's why my projects don't get done super fast.

Also I have to add, I just read a super interesting book, Fabric The Hidden History of the Material World by Victoria Finley. History and Fabric, a fascinating read! I couldn't put it down until I was finished.

My first Pineapple block has progressed and I like it. Pineapple blocks devour a lot of scraps which is a good thing. It also takes practice to get comfortable with Improv Pineapple block piecing. Mary Hogan's book Log Cabin Improv Quilts has excellent tutorials on Pineapple Block quilts.

And that Quilt Friends is the news from the valley. I hope you're enjoying spring blossoms and reading some good books. What's your favorite blossom this time of year? Poppy, Iris, Peony?

I'll be by to visit.

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.