Circa 15 Fabric Studio and Butterfly for April...

Fat quarters from Circa 15 Fabric Studio, Kirkland, WA.

My April 2016 calendar butterfly.

'Fabric Plate' by Row by Row 2016, bought in Circa 15.

Orange Tip Butterfly on my April 2016 calendar page, lovely colors.

When I was visiting Kirkland, WA I made a few stops into the local fabric shop, Circa 15 Fabric Studio, of course. Christen's shop has an exciting modern flavor. I found the turquoise fat quarters and the star dust in black, wow and I knew they would compliment my current color collection.

I also had to have the Quilt or Die fabric panel by Row by Row 2016 Fabric Plates.

It's Saturday, I plan to go out for lunch and enjoy the spring weather, yesterday I got caught in the rain and it was fun! Enjoy your day!!! It's yours.

Past Quilts Scrappy, Red and White, Kirkland, WA. Travels....

Scrappy quilt I made in late 90's.

Red and white quilt pieced by me 2011.

Machine quilted by Golden State Quilting, Campbell, CA.

Kirkland, WA Starbucks on a sunny day.

Looking across Lake Washington toward Seattle.

Looking across Lake Washington at the Olympic Mountains.

Anthony's Seafood Restaurant is a fine place to eat.

Happy Monday!!

I've been in Washington State for a couple of weeks and have to make one more trip there in a few days. The weather was sunny and we did a lot of walking. Spring was in the air.

Jane LaFazio has art, workshops and inspiration like crazy here!

Don't miss out on a good thing!

Remember to stop and take time to enjoy something beautiful, it lifts your spirit!

"Liberated' Log Cabin Four Patch, Gwen Marston's 'Liberated Quilt Making II'

My 'Liberated' log cabin four patch ready for hand quilting.

Butterick 8P282 makes a cute doll coat.

Gwen Marston's 'Liberated Quiltmaking II', always a great reference.

Happy almost Easter!

And it's spring!

I'm getting ready for a road trip north, family business. I'll take 'Liberated Quilt Making II'

for reading during down times. Gwen has a great eye for color and design, and true insight into the heart of what making a quilt is all about. All that without being pretentious.

I finished the doll coat, Butterick pattern 8P282. I first learned to sew with garment construction and I still like the challenge. I watch You Tube tutorials on garment construction for fun, not everybody does that.

My 'liberated' log cabin four patch is ready for hand quilting. I'm practicing stitches getting my hand limbered up, that does make a difference.

That's my 'What's up Wednesday' report.

Have a great day!

I'm linking up with Kaja @ Sew Slowly AHIQ,
check out the amazing improv quilts.

Get your Irish on! and 'Jam Art' by Maple Island Quilts, Nancy Zieman w Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Laying out components of art quilt.

Close-up of my version of 'Jam Art'.

'Jam Art', art quilt pattern by Debbie Bowles, Maple Island Quilts, Inc.

My version of 'Jam Art', approx. 40" x 36", ready for basting.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Get your Irish on!

I saw Debbie Bowles of Maple Island Quilts, Inc. on the Nancy Zieman show on You Tube. 

She was talking about her 'big block' quilt designs, so cool!

I found her art quilt pattern, 'Jam Art' on her .com and had to give it a try, and this is what I came up with. That's my Wednesday progress report.

Nancy Zieman also has a great series with Victoria Findlay Wolfe 

on You Tube here.  

Victoria has an interesting story on her design process and fabulous quilts.

Have a great day, stop to enjoy something beautiful, it makes you more beautiful.

'Piece O' Cake' Tops Finished! San Jose Quilt Museum...

Piece of Cake blocks with borders first version.

First version close-up.

Second version close-up.

Piece O' Cake blocks with borders second version.

Lots of rain here. There was some sun earlier when I took these pictures, now it's clouded over again.

That time of the year!

I finished sewing on borders to finish these two tops made with 'Piece O' Cake' blocks in the center.

The tops are approx. 54" x 44". Since reading the book, Amish Crib Quilts from the MidWest by Janneken Smucker, I've been inspired to use borders. Borders give 'eye' interest I think. 

And yes, I used vibrant colors to say the least, the center blocks were pieced in summer and these two quilt tops are for two very 'bright' little girls.

The San Jose Quilt Museum has an exhibition coming up that I can't miss. 'Blanket Statements', new quilts by Kaffe Fassett, inspired by historical quilts. The dates are March 12 - April 28, 2016.

Always a good reason to visit "funkytown", see some family and new Kaffe quilts too. Talk about using bright colors!

Share some inspiration and a smile!

Butterfly Colors for March! 'Slow Stitch' good read...

March butterfly on my 2016 calendar, color inspiration.

'Slow Stitch' by Claire Wellesley-Smith, I'm still reading & soaking it in.

March is here and we're due for rain, that's a good thing.

My calendar's March butterfly is full of color ideas, the butterfly itself and the background too.

I'm linking up with Ann at Fret Not Yourself blog.

with her Kaleidoscope of Butterflies, celebrating butterflies!

 

The book 'Slow Stitch' is full of beautiful work. There are examples of stitch and patchwork with organic dyes, vintage textiles and threads. A quote from Claire's book, 'Faster is not necessarily better.' I'm liking that quote so much!

Have you ever thought of what or who is behind our culture's huge fixation on 'faster, faster!'

A lot of the pressure is from the sales forces of the huge mega corporations of course, wanting us to buy more, more. Spend more, more and then what? That'll make us happy? Sometimes it's good to relax and think about, 'Why am I doing this, why am I living like this?'

 

Spending a thoughtful morning here. 

Life is good.

Log Cabin Improv, 'Slow Stitching' a book review.....

Log Cabin blocks trimmed to 12" sq.

Slow Stitch book by Claire Wellesley-Smith, published by Batsford 2015.

My own 'slow-stitch' project, violet alphabet..

Happy Monday!!

My Log Cabin blocks are progressing! I built them up and now they are trimmed to 12" sq.. I'm calling it 'Green at Heart' because most of the center squares are green.

I found the most amazing book at my local fabric store, 'Slow Stitch' by Claire Wellesley-Smith from UK. I picked it up and started looking through it and it was 'yes', 'yes' and 'yes' ,in my mind, all through her book. She writes about thoughtful creating, using repurposed fabric and gorgeous vintage threads or hand dyed threads. Her methods of dyeing are natural, not using toxic chemicals requiring

 respirators. It was just the encouragement I needed to slow down and create in a more relaxed state of mind.

Sometimes when following the quilt fabric industry I get the feeling that I need to be punching out a quilt every week and then having it heavily machine quilted to within an inch of its life using expensive foreign produced thread. Wow! Talk about pressure! What if my husband is unemployed right now and I can't afford all that? Tough luck I guess!

Is that the way our grandmothers and their grandmothers sewed and made quilts? I'm not saying I want to totally ignore progress but do I have to be a slave of the current quilt industry's theme of faster, faster, more, more?

That's why I appreciate Claire's book, Slow Stitch, it's a breath of fresh air. 

Enjoy your day, happiness is a state of mind.