for a baby boy

This quilt is made from the Missouri Star Quilt Pattern "Sandy Sunrise ", found in Block magazine Spring vol. 2, Issue 2.

It finished at 50" by 50". The pattern called for 3 matching charm packs, but I cut a layer cake that I had. The nursery colors are blue and gray.

So, I used the Tula Pink backing in gray!

Free-motioned in a graffiti-doodle pattern. Shipping to the recipients this week.
 
 

a transition quilt

We have been here a month now, in our new town. We are mostly unpacked, still settling in, working toward normal.I still haven't found a few items, but there are boxes we haven't opened. If we are moving again in a year, it really isn't necessary.

We are getting used to this house. It is not a bad house, it is just not one I would choose in other circumstances. Our lack of space is just something we will cope with. The dogs are still adjusting. They are quite clingy, and exhibit some anxious behaviors, but they are here and safe.

This neighborhood, though, or should I say are neighbors, are amazing! Could not ask for better!
Truly a gift! They greeted us with open arms and open hearts and we are really enjoying being around them.

Working from home is great! My stress level has plummeted. Now that I am on the phone for meetings, I seem to be able to fend of all the negativity of my workplace.  Yes, I have mentioned that here before, and it had settled down, but here comes more upheaval! But really, being on the phone instead of in the room, makes a huge difference!

Okay, chances are you did not land here to read about yet another example of corparate chaos, so here is my transition quilt. I call it that as I pieced the top prior to the move, and now it is the first I have quilted here. So a mixed bag of emotions. May I present, Dreamsicle:

I used Bonnie Hunter's tutorial to make the blocks. I just made them 16" square.

Mixed reds, oranges, pinks with my low-volume whites, adding blacks at the edge to frame.

Free-motion quilted on my Tiara. Feels good to have a finished quilt. Hoping life settles down for a bit!

not my usual

Needing smaller, quicker projects, I have made a few objects:

a 1 hour basket

 love this! more to make in my future!

a zippered file/tablet case (my own creation)

I like how the Denyse Schmidt coin fabric blended with the Charley Harper fabric, and both

work well with my Moda Cross-weave in terra cotta. The bag itself is not quite what I want 

to carry my work tablet and files, but I will tweak it and make another. 

A Necessary Clutch wallet

Now, this is amazing and fun.Making many more of these!

 

So we moved...

So we moved, 94.5 and an hour and a half away. From a new-ish house with ample storage to a smaller, older, house without. This is a rental, very dog-friendly, in a GREAT neighborhood. We can walk to the local park which has an off-leash area for dogs. The neighbors are amazing, I already feel as if we have made life-long friends! The drawback? Trying to cram my sewing/quilting studio equipment into a 10' by 11' room.

I went from this:

to this:

to this:

The tiny room was designed to be a bedroom. I grew up in a room just like this. It was perfect as a child. But for a quilting space it has been challenging. I had a mini-melt-down earlier in the week, which considering the situation was really good. I do have space for a design wall. But books, notions and backing fabrics haven't yet made it in here. Probably won't.

We are renting, since we do not know the area, and fully intend to look for an appropriate place to buy once our other house sells, so I know this is temporary. In the interest of maintaining my sanity, I have made it work and yesterday whipped up this pillow:

It is for a fund-raiser at work. Just half-square triangles, but it feels good to be making again.

so long to February 2015

cold, cruel February. short on days, long on weather. BUT, I have finished a few things!

Andalusia Light. These were the light FQs from the Andalusia Collection by Patty Young. I used the darks in this quilt. I love the saturated pink, red, orange, green along with the chocolate brown. Different!

Bold Glory #3. My own pattern, see #1 (2009) and #2 (2014) here. I developed this as my design to show appreciation to veterans. I really need to get this written!

Our family received a new member this month, a gorgeous baby boy named Everett. He is the 4th of my nephew's children (the first 3 are triplets, here are their baby quilts)

Something different from me: dessert! But these red velvet whoopie pies were easy, fast and GONE when we had family over for dinner!

Last, not least, my newest medallion (I love medallion quilts!)

72" square, I started with piecing the center using templates from Atkinson Designs' "Winner's Bouquet" pattern. I then added the piano-key border. I tried different blocks for the next border, but the half-square triangles just seemed to work (and the math was easier!). The final border was just what happened! This has Tula Pink fabrics from these collections: Prince Charming, Parisville, the Birds and the Bees, Saltwater and Acacia. The back ground fabrics, white and grey, were in my stash.
I love the saturation of colors in Tula's palette. I love how they all work together. I started this in December and just had fun with it. Some detail and in process shots:

In other news, we are preparing to move at the end of the month. Of course, I am going to sew and quilt as time allows, but I am going to use my stash. So no new additions until after the relocation.

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.

 

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!

Fun, fast, eazy times 2

I found a new "go to" pattern for using my obessive collection of fat quarters. 

It is by Villa Rosa, the "Cloud 9" quilt. 

I had a FQ bundle of Foxfield by Tula Pink, and grabbed some yardage fron my stash of "whites that aren't really white" (thats what I call them). I pieced the first one while at the beach. Once I had it done, I knew I would make another!

Here they are together:

 

One is my 2014 Stokes County Humane Society raffle quilt, the other is being raffled in Virginia by the Friends of Hanover Dog Parks.

I love how bright and colorful they are! I also love how fast they go together!

The faster I get them pieced, the quicker I get to quilt them!

One for Mom (and me)

We are nearing the 1 year mark of the passing of my Dad. While I know rationally that no one makes it out of here alive, and that Dad so dearly deserves this rest, this past 11 months has been so hard.

During this, natural occurances have taken on new meaning, as we look for comfort & assurance. Butterflies, with their annual transformation, have special meaning. This project has been in me for a while, but it needed to gestate, before I could do it. 

2 weeks ago, the time was right. So I made this small whole cloth quilt for Mom. It was the right time for me, very therapeutic. The FMQ just flowed.

 

I used 1 layer of cotton batting topped with a layer of high-loft polyester. Glide thread on top, with Bottom-line on the back and as filler to recede.

 

I love the puff, and the Bottom-line thread is my new favorite thread. Not breaks, no issues of any kind.

Mom loves it.

Lazy Sunday 3

Third quilt with May Chappell's Lazy Sunday pattern. Added borders with flange. Will be a wedding gift:

I love the soft mix of colors with chocolate and teal!

FMQ on my Tiara.

Easing back into the blog

Life has been happening.

Traveling a lot with new position (yay)!

Lots of work with new position (loving the challenge)!

Son completed graduate degree (yay)!

Moved back home.

Son found job in career field (whoopee)!

Helped son find apartment in new city 2 hours away.

Gifted son with this quilt in recognition of his accomplishment:

Pattern: Metro Hoops made with Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful.

Curve and diamond fabrics are Little Black Dress 1. My son loves green, so I found this mottled fabric and love the classic look with the LBD fabrics.

FMQ on my glorious Tiara.

For the record:

I love the Quick Curve Ruler and the Sew Kind of Wonderful patterns are amazingly well written and easy to follow.