Wednesday, September 17, 2014

A little more modern

Why, yes! I see a trend!
I found the pattern for this little in a Moda Candy book. Similar to one in a modern quilting magazine several momths back & similar still to the Big Charming. I did not use a Moda Candy stack (2.5" squares of cuteness) but I once again dipped into my solid charms.

Fun, fast & easy. And on to the quilting! 


My favorite part!

Big Charming

This started as what I like to call "mindless sewing". Just chain piecing meditation. I have a bunch of sold charms, purchased for the love of color. They needed a place to go. I dove into Pinterest one Saturday morning and saw Denyse Schmidt's "Big Charming" and thought "I can do that", so I did! 

All this empty space just yelled for some FMQ, so I obliged. 

I like the starkness of it, the utility blanket feel. And I loved filling it up with quilting, hooked-swirls on the background, feathers & wavy lines on the color blocks.
 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Recalculating...

So, you know when you put an address in your GPS and it maps your trip? You are supposed to follow its turn-by-turn directions and reach your destination in the proscribed time.
Then, a billboard for an interesting shop catches your eye, so you take the next exit. Then you hear that robitic voice instructing you to make a u-turn. And next, in a resigned tone you hear: recalculating.
See the GPS is still trying to get you where you told it you wanted to go. And you still want to get there, but this neat detour popped up!
I use this to describe my quilting journey. A couple of years ago I had planned how it would go. I was dying my own fabric, working intuitively, doing my thing. Then I got caught up in wanting to make the quilts I was seeing online, using the fabrics that were being introduced each week.
My journey took a detour. Not by design, but by purpose. See I was making a quilt each week, zipping through them. Learning a lot as I went.
Lately, my making has slowed down, I am in a very busy place. My job has me traveling, and this time of year has a lot of activities. I still try to sew or quilt each day. But I am recalculating as I go, no specific destination, enjoying the detours.

Recently completed this large-block "X plus" quilt.
 
And used the extra half-square triangles to make this baby quilt.
Focusing on the fabric.

I am using my stash, making patterns I have been saving. Not racing, just enjoying!