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!

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Link-Up Week 1 #summerstackfridays

Welcome to week one of the #summerstackfridays... I'm so glad you've joined in! As I mentioned in my introduction post, summer stack Fridays is all about carving out a little bit of time in the busy summer months to sneak in few creative, quilty mintues, even if it is just 10 - 15 mintues. Let's just face it - summer sewing doesn't have anything on the cold, winter months, but a link-up party gives you a chance to make it into your sewing room, even if you don't have the time to sew anything. ... and let's face it - what quilter doesn't love petting all her pretty fabrics, am I right?

Just in case you happened to miss my first fabric stack, be sure to backtrack where I shared a little of my process of how I select fabrics. For the link-up, you don't have to follow my method, but perhaps it helps you take a different approach when you select your fabrics. Remember, there is no wrong or right. Picking fabrics is purely personal, and what appeals to me, might not appeal to you. 

So, as a fun little experiment for this week's fabric pull, I wanted to start with the same "inspiration fabric" that I used last week. With my first stack, I used a lot of cool colors, but with this fabric stack, I wanted to warm it up - we are going into summer, you know! I added the middle brown fabric to connect some of the warmer colors into this stack. The second fuchsia fabric brings in a little element of orange, which connects to the warmer tones, while connecting to the inpiration fabric too.

And now it's your turn... just link up either from your blog or from Instagram, and be sure to use the #summerstackfridays hastag. Please visit some of the other fabric stack posts, because it's all about connecting. If you are struggling with your fabric selection, and would like for me (or others) to give you my (our) two cents - just say so in the comments! Happy stacking!

Just in case you would like to have a weekly theme, next week I will be sharing a "primary" fabric stack. Primary colors can be pretty insense, so if you struggle with working with such vibrant colors, it might be helpful to thinkin about playing with the values and clarity of the colors... make sure you look back at my "Art of the Fabric Pull" for working with values. For some fantasic primary color ispiration, be sure to stop by Rachel's blog.

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Still Stackin' & a WIP

When I was pregnant with my oldest son I found that I would crave very specific things at very specific times. At one point I had such a craving for sushi that I thought I would loose it, come completely unglued, and have a serious emotional meltdown if I did not get my hands on a little sampling of these delectable delicacies. The challenge was, of course, to find a way to satisfy my craving without eating the highly forbidden raw fish.... and somehow ordering the cooked versions of my favorites did it! While I realize that having a few favorite Heather Ross designs printed from Spoonflower perhaps is not exactly like having the original, I knew that it would definitely satisfy my craving.

There are two fabric designers that have been at the top of my favorites list for years now: Heather Ross and Lizzy House. I know that there might be a lot of bandwagon people out there, jumping on the latest trend that drives by, but I assure you, I am not one of them. I have been googling and drooling over Heather Ross fabrics for years, but somehow, there was never really the chance for me to score some yardage of her highly coveted fabrics. 

With prints that are this sweet, how could I not add a few snippits to my Scrappy Windmill quilt...

So, who is that one designer whose fabrics always make you drool?

Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday & Let's Bee Social

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Stack 'em Up!

I'm quilting now, so the way I think about fabrics is a little bit different than I did a year ago. Over the years I've collected a lot of fabrics that I would consider to be "main" or "focal" prints, but since I am now regularly quilting, I realized that my fabric stash was seriously lacking in the supporting prints section... not everyone can take center stage, right?

If you live on the US side of the pond, then you might look at my newly acquired stash and think "cha'ching"... dollar signs showing up in your head, knowing very well how much a stack like this might cost. If you live on the German side of the pond, then you know a different story. So to bring the first group up to speed with the second, I'll calculate it for you this way: Take that price that you just calculated, and then double it, yes, I said DOUBLE IT! - that's the price you would pay for the same high quality quilting fabrics in Germany! So while States side, I just had to take advantage of prices that essentially feel like half-priced (I'd be crazy not to, right?) - but I think it's safe to say, that this will be my stash for the year!

The quilting scene in Germany runs at a totally different pace as it does in the US. Quilting in Germany is not as big, even though there are some really fantastic quilters on this side of the pond, and as you could very well guess, tastes, interests, and skills are quite different. Often I can't find fabrics for quilting projects in one place like you can at some of the one-stop-shop, we-carry-EVERYTHING online shops in the US. There are a lot of main fabric prints available here, but often the supporting fabrics are missing, or maybe just one or two other fabrics from a collection are sold together.

Supporting Prints by: Lizzy House Jewels & Constellations, Alison Glass various Sun prints, Marin Sutton Good Natured, Bee in My Bonnet Gracie Girl, Eric and Julie Comstock S'more Love, Carolyn Gavin Spring Street, Gypsy Girl Woodland Key, Carolyn Friedlander Botanics, Jane Dixon.

Text Prints by: Patty Young's Just My Type, Kumiko Fujita First of Infinity, Carrie Bloomston Paint, Eric and Julie Comstock Baby Jane, Sweetwater Elementary Penmanship.

What are you stacking today? 

Linking up for the first time for Sunday Stash from Molli Sparkles.

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I'm a Maker

Sometimes you stumble onto an artist's work that really speaks to you.... as if your heart actually hears something, even though you may not even be able to put it into words what exactly you heard. For me Cori Dantini is one of those artists. And as if it weren't enough to have her work featured all throughout my whole entire house, what's more than exciting to me is that Cori puts her brilliant little pieces of art onto my medium of choice... fabric, swoon... and then comes the best part, getting the chance to create something fun with it!

Her latest fabric collection "The Makers" series holds a special place in my heart, especially since it covers a certain theme that is near and dear to me... 

I had to sneak a sweet little freezer paper gift tag in there somewhere just for fun...

Sewing Techniques: Simple piecing. Window - paper pieced, girl - freezer paper applique or alternative raw edge applique.
Fabrics: Cori Dantini "The Makers", Art Gallery: "Makers", Penquin & Fish.
House: Depot (Germany)
Paint Finish: acrylic/sand paper, decoupage

.... and because everyone needs friends:

I've had this sweet little miniature set that I had gotten from a friend a while back, and I've been waiting for just the right spot to feature these tiny little notions... I think they've found their new home, don't you?

Sewing Techniques: simple patchwork background, girl - freezer paper applique or alternative raw edge applique.
Fabrics: Cori Dantini "The Makers", various scraps from stash
House: Depot (Germany)
Paint Finish: acrylic/sand paper, decoupage

.... are you a maker too?

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Freezer Paper Applique

I've hinted a few times towards a couple techniques that I've been working with a lot recently. Freezer paper applique has long been used by quilters, but I just can't seem to get enough of it, and not just for quilting either. Combining fabric and paper really is a love of mine, and I've not been able to get enough FPA lately. (yeah, kinda sounds like PDA, but better!) So, here's an easy little project with the how to:
Ich habe ja schon ein paar Andeutungen über einige Techniken gemacht, mit denen ich in letzter Zeit häufig gearbeitet habe. Die "Freezer Paper Appliqué" - Technik ist in der Quilting-Szene eigentlich schon lange bekannt, aber seit ich so richtig weiß, wie's geht, kann ich gar nicht mehr genug davon bekommen - und zwar nicht nur zum Quilten! Hier ist also ein kleines Projekt zum Selbermachen - super einfach. Probiert's aus!

Trace template onto paper side of freezer paper. Cut out. With a dry iron, iron wax side down onto the wrong side of the fabric.
Schneide die Appliqué-Form in Originalgröße aus Freezer-Paper aus und bügle es mit mittlerer Hitze auf das entsprechende Stoffstück auf. 

Cut approximately 1 /4 inch ( cm) from the edge of the design.
Schneide das Applique nun aus und lasse dabei einen ca. 5mm breiten Rand um das Freezer-Paper stehen.

 

Using a glue stick, lightly apply a small amount close to the edge of the paper.
Bestreiche den überstehenden Stoffrand um das Freezer-Paper herum leicht mit einem normalen Klebestift .

With scissors, or other turning device, fold paper over the glue line and finger press in place.
Faltet nun den überstehenden Rand nach Innen auf das Freezer-Paper, so dass es dort anklebt. Mit der Kante einer Schere geht das z.B. sehr gut.

Do this also with any corners and overlap as needed. (note: for a curved template such as a circle or leaf, etc. fabric should be clipped as if clipping on a curve)
Die Ecken können bei einer eckigen Form einfach überlappen. Bei einer runden Form müsstest Du den überstehenden Rand in regelmässigen Abständen einschneiden, damit er sich gut umfalten lässt.

For this particular project I trimmed the edge off because I would like the design to run off the edge of my project.
Für dieses spezielle Projekt habe ich eine Seite des gleichschenkligen Sechsecks dann noch etwas eingekürzt, um später einen "Off-Center" - Effekt hinzubekommen.

Trim and finish gluing last edge in place.
Also Freezer-Paper an eingezeichneter Markierung abschneiden und die letzte Kante auch noch einfalten.

Posistion on cardstock and stitch around the entire design as close to the edge as possible. Here I used Kraft paper. This technique can obviously be used on fabric using a blind stitch and invisible thread.
Positioniere das Appliqué auf einer festen Pappe (Bastelladen) und nähe es so nah am Rand wie möglich auf. Die gleiche Technik kann man natürlich auch auf Stoff anwenden, mit einem Blindstich und unsichtbarer Naht.

Mark around the edge of the sewn on design for stitch mark placement. Here I marked ca. 1/16 inch.
Jetzt noch mit Bleistift die Markierungen für die spätere Schmucknaht aufzeichnen...

Using an awl, or other punching device, lightly punch holes in the paper making sure to have padding under the project.
... und diese Markierungen dann mit einem spitzen Gegenstand leicht durchstechen (am besten mit einer weichen Unterlage).

Using a coordinating embroidery thread, stitch around design, tying off at the end.
Mit einem passenden Stickgarn dann um das Appliqué herum nähen.

Clip both top corners at an angle.
Nun noch die beiden oberen Ecken der Karte winkelig abschneiden...

Mark top center for grommet placement and using a hole punch, make a hole.
... und oben in der Mitte ein Loch einstanzen.

Place grommet in the punched hole, and use a grommet press to secure in into place. I used a 7 mm grommet for this project.
In dieses Loch presst man dann mit einer Ösenzange eine passende Öse (in diesem Fall eine 7mm Öse)

... and your finished with your hangtag!
Und fertig ist dieser tolle Anhänger!

 Reynold's orignial freezer paper can be found here:
 Reynold's orignial freezer paper findest Du hier:

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