Even though it's not quite my turn to be the queen bee, I have to admit that I have been racking my brain for months not really knowing what quilt block to do for it. A friend of mine suggested to fish through my quilt bucket list and pick something, but all those gotta-try-before-I-die quilts are with some really complicated techniques, which I felt certain my other bee members would not appreciate.
I really wanted to do a block with curves this time since we've not had any drunkard's path blocks yet. Somehow I kept coming back to this inspiration WIP, and decided that the block was simple enough to make, but would give me the interest of curves that I was looking for. My plan is to have it somewhat of a scrappy quilt, and I thought these fun sherbert colors would be nice to work with in summer. Can't you just see yourself sitting at the ice cream shop now?
Despite the curved piecing, these blocks come together rather quickly, and I've been sharing quite a few of my block on Instagram these days...
Layout and design are just as important as the color scheme when making a quilt, and while the inspiration quilt is a horizontal layout, I've been thinking that an on point layout would be fun too:
I know, I know... no worries, I'm actually stopping now before my bee members don't have any blocks to do. Unfortunately I'll have to pack these away until summer, but I decided it would be best to nail something down now before summer starts and life gets busy.
Linking up with Let's Bee Social
We recently bought a new sofa for out living room that is large enough for the whole family, and the old one shifted into my husband's office. To my surprise, he has actually been using it a lot, and it's been nice for him to have a second comfortable place to retreat to when the first one is booked out.
If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that I've accumulated quite a number of quilted cushions that have landed in our living room, but somehow recently they've been disappearing... a lot. The culprit, who shall remain nameless, keeps carrying them into my husband's office, and they are usually noticed missing when I want to sit down for the evening.
So, as a birthday present, I decided that the thief "borrower" needed a few pillows of his own. I've always thought that Tim Holtz fabrics are just smart for projects for guys, and have had it in my head to use the map/expedition print since my husband has a large world map on his wall. I added a cigar box labels print to the mix since he enjoys a leisurely smoke on occasion.
The cigar labels print was my color inspiration for the Raspberry Kiss x's pillow (free pattern here). I have to say that it was a good challenge for me to find prints in my stash that are truly "guy" fabrics... I didn't realize that most of my fabrics lean more towards what I would grab for a girl project rather than a guy project.
As if my husband didn't already have enough to keep him busy for every hour of the day, he has taken on a new hobby/job working with wood. It would seem that his love for trees is growing just as much as his love for soil, for this through and through farm boy. I debated for a long time if a wood grain quilting design was the best choice for the more graphic x's, but since it is so fitting to him personally, and it's free motion quilting practice for me, I decided it was the best way to take out two birds with one stone.
With these three pillows to lounge on, there should be no more disappearing act excuses... fingers are crossed!
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
A friend of mine shared recently with me about a quilting blog that she follows... beautiful and inspiring projects, but the quilter has 97 works-in-progress! To put it mildly, I was blown away. Now, I know I'm not really one to talk about starting new projects, but seriously? NINETY-SEVEN!?!... how does that even happen?!?
Even though it is not evidenced by this post, I've really been making a concentrated effort to be more disciplined with the number of projects that I juggle at one time. I'm a project jumper, which means I flip a lot and need to work on a project until I hit a mental road block, then switch back to an older one. Although I don't suggest this method, for everyone, it actually does work for me... and believe it or not, I still get things finished too without collecting too many WIP's.
Having said all that, let me just explain. A few weeks ago, my husband took me out for a fabulous birthday brunch... just the two of us. You know that feeling that you get when you treat yourself with something special like a fine meal at a fine restaurant? When it's not your everyday, you tend to soak things in, your senses are heightened, and everything tastes divine and just melts in your mouth. When it's accompanied with a beautiful ambiente in a quaint setting to capture and saturate ones thoughts, that feeling is multiplied. As I was looking across at my husband, I have to admit that my gaze keep resting on a vintage embroidery piece that was hanging behind him. As soon as the other guests left, I snapped a few shots to take the memory home with me. Well, as a quilter, you know how it is when something sparks an idea for a quilt... need I really say more?
Perhaps you've had that inner burning when an idea is hitting you like a ton of bricks and rolls along like a frieght train that can't be stopped? That feeling of nearly exploding if you don't translate that idea into something tangible...
... thus, quilt pattern number four. My inspiration piece even comes with it's own story... and I can't wait to share the rest of the story.
Linking up with Let's Bee Social.
It's been so helpful for me to section my to-do project list into quarters. When I look back, I have a better overview of what I've accomplished, which is a really good feeling, and what needs to get done. I was able to finish my top four goals from my super full, and super long 2017 goals list... among them was my second pattern release which was also my largest quilt ever! I even finished two other projects that weren't even on my list. (here and here) One of my general goals for this was to stretch myself with free motion quilting... and there's a big check beside that box too!
1. Tiptoe Through The Tulips quilt 2. Jeweled Kaleidoscope Alison Glass Pillow 3. Tiptoe Through The Tulips Pillow 4. Alison Glass Applique Pillow.
I know that practice makes perfect, but I am slightly overwhelmed with how many quilt tops I've collected that have to make it under the machine to be quilted... so let's just say that I have a good bit of actual quilting to do this next quarter.
1. My AMH quilt is basted and I've started quilting it... I didn't like how I first started quilting it, so I took the stitches out, and if you've ever done that before you know what fun it is (please tell me you picked up on my sarcasm?)
2. After I finally decided on a layout, my half square triangle quilt top came together pretty quickly. I've only made two quilts that I DIDN'T piece the back, and I think this one could end up being the most pieced backs... use up those scraps, right?
3. My bee block quilt top was assembled last fall, and I'm partially finished with the back, and using a few of the blocks that didn't fit on the front. I've decided on very simple walking foot quilting.
4. Penny Sampler is my slow stroll, stop-and-smell-the-roses quilt... I've been adding blocks here and there as I get time, but I'm in no rush to get to the finish line on this one.
5.Green Smoothie... what can I say? on the backburner, but not forgotten.
6. I'm about half way through putting together my 3rd pattern, but I've really pulled it out when it's our monthly sewing meetings. After I get a few of these tops quilted, this will move up on the priority. list.
So, there are actually two new projects that have been added to the list,
7. My Orphan Block Quilt, which is sort of a new project, but not really... is essentially giving a new face to some of those abandoned blocks from previous projects. It's nicer to finish them than through them away, don't you think? I had several squares that were left over from my Swell quilt, and these are perfect little fillers.
8. Pattern # 4 Well, this one just hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sitting with my husband during my birthday brunch date... somehow the artwork behind kept distracting and inspiring me, and I just couldn't get it out of my head... long story short, my first medallion quilt will be pattern number 4!?! Julie, I told you that you really got my brain churning with the idea of a medallion quilt... this will be a mostly applique quilt! Center block is finished and I'm working on borders now.
**TIP OF THE WEEK**: I found this fabulous, world changing video on the Fat Quarter Shop You Tube channel for the starch applique method... let's just say that these 60 orange peel leaves were whipped up rather quickly with this method... and NO freezer paper removal from the backside!
Wheh... still with me? I'm already making my list and checkin' it twice.
Linking up with Let's Bee Social.
