Purdy Bird + Love Patchwork & Quilting!

I'm excited to announce the release of my latest quilt pattern... Purdy Bird is a fun quilt pattern that comes together quickly despite the fact that it is a mixed bag of quilting techniques. Drunkard’s path and paper pieced blocks are accented with easy applique shapes that are like the icing on a cake.

You can find my Purdy Bird (magazine title "Bird Song") quilt pattern and instructions in this month's Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine. The Style Update issue #81 is on sale today!

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Personal Space - Where I Work

I suppose it might be kind of obvious that I am a pretty sentimental person. For me, connections to others is one of the things that I value most in life. When I see certain objects, they are often linked with memories surrounding a person. Since many of those people that I hold near and dear are thousands of miles away, or no longer living, it's important for me to find a way to remember those connections.

Last year when I visited my aunt, I was quite taken with a little memory shelf that she has in her sewing area. There were several sewing items that had been in the family, precious pictures, and trinkets that are heavy in sentimental value. Afterward, I decided that I needed wanted something along the same lines.

I envisioned simple shelves, a wish my husband was all too eager fulfill... a reason for him to delve into a meditative wood project. Once the shelves were finished and hung, I was flooded with emotions, as I started adding each individual item...

As a young girl I remember staring into my grandmother's dining room vitrine and being fascinated by the pretty and delicate lady in a golden, ruffled dress. This dainty pin cushion, which was made by a family member of hers, makes my heart swell thinking of her, especially having lost her recently.

In another room in her house was a bookshelf that housed a few vintage children's books that had belonged to my grandfather when he was a little boy. Many of the memories that are linked to my grandfather are from his woodworking projects, but having a little piece of his childhood is very meaningful for me.

This small portrait of my other grandmother, flanked by these carved, brass animals which also belonged to her, is one of the very few items that I have from my mom's mother. She was a sweet soul, and the memories that I have of her was that she was gentle and kind.

It was my mom who taught me to sew, and many of those memories include her trying to teach me the "proper" way to sew, while I gave her the don't-bore-me-with-doing-it-right attitude because I was trying to make it the sewing machine as fast as possible... it's a wonder that she stuck with me so long?!? But out of those sewing sessions came creations like this teddy bear that I happened to make without a pattern... I like to think that he is long and lean just like my husband.

This sunny Matryoshka doll was given to me by my cousin and his wife when they came to visit us here in Germany almost ten years ago. Since he passed away a few short months after his return back home, it is the last memory of him that I have, and it a reminder of that visit.

When it was all said and done, it was quite a gush of emotions... piecing all my memories together - just the perfect touch to make my sewing space much more personal... and mine.

... I can almost hear my grandmother, saying that she never liked having lots of "knick-knacks and jitties" around the house because it meant that there was one more thing to dust... but if I'm being honest, I'll take the dust any 'ol day.

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2020 Teaching Schedule!

I'm excited to share with you a little bit of what has been keeping me busy over the last months... and that is planning and prepping for a few classes that I will be offering in 2020!

The not so romantic part of quilt pattern writing, and in this case teaching classes, is all the behind the scenes work like writing class descriptions, supplies & materials requirement lists, emailing and telephoning with class hosts, researching printing options, loads of computer work... not to mention consecutively working on the patterns themselves. But with all those things neatly tucked away, let me just share with you what I've got planned for next year:

My "Fly High, Dragonfly" class, which is hosted by Quilt & Textilkunst in Munich, will be part of an exclusive pattern launch. If modern quilts and modern fabrics speak to you, then Christine's shop is where you will find it in Germany.

The end of March will be the second time that @nachtpedalquilts has hosted one of my classes. You may remember my class in spring with these fabulous ladies? This time I will be teaching my "A" is For Apple quilt, plus XXL applique techniques!

I meet Jacqueline two years ago at Nadelwelt, and was very impressed by the beautiful work that she does. Her shop looks amazing, and I'm really excited to teach my Lovebirds' Garden starch applique project in her inviting shop, which sits just on the German/Holland border. 

For now, these are just a few of the exciting things that I can share at this time... hope to see you next year in your little corner of the world.

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"Fly High, Dragonfly" Intro & Class

The past couple Wednesdays I was ready to sit down to write a blog post... but as I looked around, I only saw one secret project after the other. I simply didn't have anything to share. If you follow me on Instadgram, then you may have already seen my latest "cat-out-of-the-bag" project, "Fly High, Dragonfly". But here I would like to officially introduce her and take a little more time to tell more about her.

After I had shared this post, I decided to check back and see exactly when I had started this project... it was back in March!?! Perhaps you remember my first blocks from this project?  I've recently come to love working with an elongated drunkard's path block... it feels like it has more of a twist than the standard block. And my current mood is that every quilting block looks better with an applique dot on it, don't you think?

Currently my quilt is now with Iva from @schnigschagquiltsandmore for her to work her quilting magic. This is not the first quilt that Iva has quilted for me. I find that having my top longarm quilted, helps me get to the pattern release finish line a lot quicker. By the time to you factor in time needed for the pattern concept to making the top, the actual pattern writing itself, plus the time needed for testers, that puts you out quite a while, no matter how fast you are. Having it quilted frees me up to work on the not so glamorous behind the scenes computer work.

photo credit: Iva Steiner

Even though I started this in March, I finished it rather quickly. If you are familiar with farming in Germany, then perhaps the background might give you a little hint of the time of year these pictures were taken? Even if you're not up on farming seasons, you may have heard me rave a time or two (or three, or four...) about my favorite time of year in Germany - canola / asparagus season...

Since this field is just outside my office, you certainly don't think that I could miss the perfect photo opportunity, do you? With all that being said, canola fields in Germany usually bloom between April and May, depending on how warm the spring season has been. I had the deadline of having this finished before I left for Nadelwelt so I could make the hand-off to Iva at the show. Started the end of March, finished in April, traveled to Switzerland in May... sharing now.

... and now for the really exciting part: As part of an exclusive pattern launch, I will be teaching my "Fly High, Dragonfly" quilt pattern March 7th & 8th, 2020 at Galerie von Quilt Et Textilkunst, in Munich, Germany! This class that will be a mixed bag of everything - paper piecing, traditional piecing, starch applique, and "go big or go home" - XXL applique! Hope you to see you there!

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Ready, Set, Cut

I'm back! What?... didn't you notice that I was gone? This year we were blessed to be able to visit my family again in the US. Usually a few months before we travel home I notice that I feel like my emotional tank is almost on empty. Expat living can have it's challenges, and while I generally do I ok for most of the year in Germany, I find that I REALLY need time that I can just be me... effortlessly. without thinking. in my own language. in familiar surroundings. with people who are just as familiar as my own face.

With three airplanes, that are sandwiched in between two long drives, it might be easy to see why our travels are planned for such a long time. While I deeply savor the down time, and sliding back into the "just being me" role, I notice that shortly after jet lag is a passing memory, that my fingers start to itch.

During the summer I was able to get together with my aunt for a little "shop talk". I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her explain that she has the same "need" to create - it just has to come out! (insert image of me nodding my head vigorously in agreement during the whole conversation, while taking pleasure in knowing that I am not the only one who feels this way)

But what's a girl who has itching fingers, but no sewing machine supposed to do? Well, when her mini iron breaks, and applique blocks are no longer an option... then she buys fabric at half price, and cuts it up! 

I generally don't cut for a whole project at one time, but this one happens to fit that case. Next July I will attend a class with Victoria Findlay Wolfe. It might sound a little over the top to be preparing for it so far in advance, but since cutting fabric was just about the only thing I could do during summer break, I just had to go with it... not to mention that I pretty much have my sewing/pattern writing/teaching calendar planned through next summer!?!

So, make sure you get a good look at this project because you won't see it again until next summer. I have to say that I'm glad that I was able to get everything cut for this quilt, so I don't have to stress about prepping in the middle of an already busy schedule... when the time roles around for the class, I can just sit down and sew. Hmmm...

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Link-Up #summerstacksundays Summer Smoothie

When working on a fabric pull, just because there might be multiple colors in the inspiration fabric, doesn't mean that all the rest of the fabrics have to be packed full with just as many colors. She really IS the star of the show, and if there is too much competition for the center stage, the show doesn't run as planned. When the supporting fabrics are doing just that, even though there might be a lot going on in the inspiration fabric, she is somehow balanced.The supporting fabrics are supporting, and not trying to take over the show.

For the #summerstacksundays Link-up, I found that I ended up using several Anna Maria Horner prints that were my starting inspiration point. Her prints really lend themselves for being the star of the show. I have three designers that usually find a prominent spot in my quilts, and perhaps it's not hard to see why - her fabrics are the perfect combination of strong design and strong color. (a BIG win, win in my book)

For this week's fabric stack, I really wanted to focus on some of the softer shades. On the photo, this stack might appear to still be fairly saturated, but live it's actually pretty toned down. Cover up that last darker periwinkle fabric, and you'll see what I mean. What I like about a multi-color print like this, is that there are so many color options to consider. I could focus on the bright vibrant pinks, or I could have gone with some deeper aquas, and even pulled in more of the periwinkle blues.

This week's challenge: Start out with an inspiration fabric and try a pull with soft shades... and then try it again with deeper and more saturated hues. I would love to hear about it... start stacking!

  
Remember that anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party. Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for #summerstacksundays. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - September 1st.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.  

I decided to leave the last two weeks as an open theme... let's see what you come up with!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Link-Up #summerstacksundays Soft Summer

Can you believe that the first month of summer is over now, and we are well into the second half of it? Has it whizzed by, or have you had a chance to slow down, and stop and smell the roses? Either way, I hope you are having fun stacking.

When I think of summer colors, I actually think of two color ways. Obviously many of the summertime blooms are vibrant, bold, and colorful... but there is a softer side to summer, which is this weeks' theme: "Soft Summer". I started out with this print from Rae Ritchie as my inspiration. I absolutely adore her whimsy and playfulness of her fabrics.

This stack is not too far off from last week's complimentary color pull - "red" and green, but with accents of lilac. The inspiration fabric has several obvious hints on what to combine with it. I could have added more intense hues, but I enjoy working with a restrained pastel palette too.

Are you ready? Remember that anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party. Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for #summerstacksundays. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - September 1st.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.  

If you are following the weekly themes, next week I'll be sharing a "Bright Summer" stack... which is completely left up to you to interpret how you want. See you then!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Summer Applique

I've been taking my summers pretty slow, as you might have noticed... and you too? If you've been following me for a while, then you know that summer means it's time to pull out my Chuck Nohara blocks. Since this has been such a long, and on going project, you might think they've landed on the long forgotten WIP pile, never to be pulled out again... quite the contrary!

My aunt always reminds me that making quilts is not about seeing how many quilts you can finish in a year, but about enjoying the process. When I'm on an everyday schedule, it seems that I don't find the time to work on highly intensive applique blocks.

Usually when I take an applique project somewhere to work on it, I don't have my sewing machine with me. And just the opposite, when I am using my sewing machine, I usually am not thinking about applique. I've actually had several shapes from this block finished, but just needed to add the simple stitching

 

... and since I am keeping things slow this summer, I am also keeping things short, so I'll see you on Sunday for the #summerstacksundays with the theme "soft summer".

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Link-Up #summerstackfridays Complimentary

Sometimes when I pull a stack of fabrics together, and take a second look to re-examine it, I realize that I've pulled a complimentary color scheme without actually intending to. If you have studied color theory at any length, then you know that the complimentary colors are: blue and orange, red and green, and purple and yellow.

Because complimentary colors are directly opposite from each other on the color wheel, they create the strongest contrast. When you work with pure color combos, the combination can be pretty intense. For me, a purple and yellow combo can leave you thinking of easter eggs and candy, and make you wish that you had brought your sunglasses along.

The best way to tame such loud explosions of color, is to play around with the colors' clarity, intensity, and value. When you are adding grey or black to a color, it tends to go a little muddy, which is exactly what has happened to some of these gold/ochre colors in this fabric pull. Once the color darkens, it starts to brown, which is why these colors would technically still be in the "yellow family".The red-violet colors are also a little muddy, which gives the overall fabric pull a less intense feel for a complimentary color combination. I can lighten the value of the color to add a little contrast.

This pretty floral print was my inspriation fabric for this week's fabric pull, and was really my starting point. Like some of the other fabric pulls that I've shared already, I played off of some of the existing colors in the inspiration fabric.

If I decide to eventually turn this stack into an actual project, I might consider adding a few of the reddish hues, but right now I am liking the restrait of essentailly a two-color palette.

  
So, let's get started - anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party. Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for #summerstacksundays. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - August 30th.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.  

If you are following the weekly themes, next week I'll be sharing a "Soft Summer" stack... which will everyone might inturpret differently. See you then!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Link-Up #summerstackfridays Cool Colors

    
Are you living in a corner of the world where you are ready for the summer heat to cool down? There has been quite a heat wave in Germany this summer, and thoughts of ice cream, swimming pools, and cool breezes are occupying most people's minds these days.

Last week's summer stack, we warmed it up, but this week it's time to turn that color wheel to the other side and explore the cooler side of things with shades of green, blues, and purples. I like to challenge myself to try to take a color scheme and approach it differently than my usual high saturation / high contrast palette. When I think of cool colors, I think in the pure hues... essentially the colors at the top of the color wheel. Toning things down with softer, pastel colors that is still within the cool color range, is a fun alternative.

Again, this stack originally started out with an inspiration fabric from Anna Maria Horner... is it a little obvious by now that I am a big fan? This print is full of directional color cues that are quite easy to follow. I actually went with a fuller range, but this fabric could easily concentrate on just the blues or just the greens, without the additional fuchsia accents.

So, which color scheme do you find yourself leaning torwards... cool or warm? I suppose I have color moods, that can change from day to day. What are you stacking this week? Join in on the fun and link up with me!

Be sure mention that you are linking up with Campbell Soup Diary for the #summerstacks Link-Up party. Anyone can link up their fabric stack, even if you are coming late to the party, and I will keep the link open for a week. You can also link up from Instagram. The link-up runs from July 5th - August 30th.

Please take the time to visit/comment/like the posts from others who are linking up and be sure to look through the comments. If you happen to be struggling with your fabric stack, then just say so in the comments, so the rest of us can stop by and maybe help you out... sometimes a fresh eye can see something that might have been missed.  

If you are following the weekly themes, next week I'll be sharing a complimentary color scheme next week - red/green, blue/orange, or yellow/purple... which one do you think I'll pick?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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