"Lovebirds' Garden - Just The Shapes"

One more day... just one more day, and then I will be sharing what I've been working on over the past year!?! As I printed out ALL 31 pages of my Lovebirds' Garden pattern (which releases tomorrow!)... I have to admit that it was a really satisfying feeling. Almost as big of a rush when you put that last stitch in your binding, and you turn it over to see your finished quilt for the first time.

Additionally, I am really excited that tomorrow I will also be releasing, "Lovebirds' Garden - Just The Shapes", the first of five "mini patterns" that I will be offering. These mini patterns are simply the set of applique shapes, because some quilters love the freedom of coming up with thier own project/layout. I realize that many quilters enjoy the satisfaction of smaller projects in between those really big quilts, and not only that, perhaps first time appliquers might be more willing to try a small project before moving onto a larger and more intensive one.

You may rememer the pillow that I had mad using just the shapes from my Lovebirds' Garden motifs, and it's been fun to play around with a few layout ideas. I could imagine this next one as a sweet wall hanging...

Of course, the shapes can be used to make more traditional applique blocks, like this crossing design. By adding sashing and borders, another min quilt is born...

Somehow I really like the idea of taking a simple block like a log cabin block, and hightlighting it with applique shapes...

Or even taking those log cabins to the next level, and turning it into a star mini quilt with applique accents....

What ever your cup of tea, these "Just The Shapes" projects leave a lots of room for the imagination.

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for the offical release and other information about the Lovebirds' Garden and Just The Shapes!

 

Read More

Lovebirds Reveal: The Story

This spring, as a special treat for my birthday, my husband took me to one of the finest and best-kept secrets in the area... a monasterial grounds since the middle ages, that was later a private hunting spot to a 17th century duke. The Forsthaus Heiligenberg, delivers everything that one could wish for when it comes to historical charm and quaintness. Mixed with fine delicacies made from regional products and attention to every last detail, it might be easy to understand how a romantic like myself could get completely swept away with the whole atmosphere....

As I sat across from my husband, I found that I was absolutely fascinated with the embroidery piece on the wall behind him. My gaze shifted back and forth between the vintage piece and my date. Later, as I studied it more closely my eye started seeing quilting shapes... and then a whole quilt. Even though I was soaking in the all too rare one-on-one time, my fingers were itching to get the idea on paper.

source

My first design was with large feathers similar to the original embroidery, but I found that the shapes were too graphic and dominant for the soft and organic shapes of the focal lovebirds. As usual, the design grew and evolved as I starting getting it into fabric form, and a medallion quilt seemed to be the most natural progression of things. 

The applique borders were a later addition to my original design, and I was able to incorporate a softer applique feather into it as well as smaller birds that I also used in a second extra project that I will be included in the pattern.

There are certain projects, where it seems as if I cannot imagine it in any other colors but those specific colors. Even though blues and turquoises are not the usual color palette that I tend towards, these verigated Basic Grey's and Alison Glass blues were the direction that I knew I wanted to go. I've always love a blue and green combination, and the coral pomogranates, give it the contrast that I was looking for. 

I hope to get first draft to pattern testers by the end of the month, so if you are interested (or you know someone who might be interested) then let me know. This quilt pattern is for an intermediate to advanced quilter with experience in applique. I am requesting a finished top (with or without applique borders) by February, with a February or March release date.

Oh... and I'm still not settled on a name. Here's a few that have been thrown into the suggestion pot...

Spring Lovebirds, Nested Lovebirds, Birds Of A Feather, Fly Away Home, Lovebirds In A Perch, Birds Of A Feather, Bluebirds Of Happiness...

Read More

The Center Of It All

Perhaps you've noticed already that Wednesdays are my posting days. It was actually something that I had started after I had re-joined the blogging world, and was linking up weekly with WIP Wednesdays. (ah, remember those days?) Having a set date actually keeps me motivated to keep up with posting, but it doesn't always match the current progress of projects that I might be working on. Right now, I'm literally just a day or two away from sharing my finished medallion quilt top, but that would mean you would have to wait... hmmm. But you certainly didn't think that I would leave you with the Wednesday high-and-dry's, did you?

So this week, I'm sharing the center medallion of the quilt pattern that I am currently writing. Next week is the flimsy finish with the applique borders, including the story behind the inspiration. After that, comes the fun part of continued writing and editing the pattern to get it into the hands of pattern testers - goal is end of September with a February release...

 ... but until then, I'll just let these two lovebirds take center stage.

Interested in pattern testing?... just let me know. Oh, and keep those name suggestions coming in.

Read More

In Need of Two Cents

I've been whittling away and trying to finish two secret sewing projects, both of them new quilt patterns, which leaves me just shy of two finished quilt tops... one more row on the first, and the last border on the second. There's way more done than what I can share right now, but teasers are always such fun, don't you think?

I'm always so back and forth with myself about how much to share before official announcements... perhaps you can help me with that? This is planned to be my fourth quilt pattern, which will be a medallion quilt. My previous pattern testers have usually only done a one block, or smaller pillow/wall hanging project. This quilt will be larger, would need to be a full flimsy finish, and is heavy on applique. What time frame do you think is realistically needed for testers? (interested?... let me know)

My concern that if I share the full quilt too far in advance, and testers need a longer time frame to finish, then the excitement about the quilt has fizzled out by the time it's been tested. I think that realistically this would be a 2018 spring release. (I have to finish the top myself, quilt it, AND finish writing the pattern, not to mention the third pattern that releases ahead of it, but it's good to have a plan, right?)

In addition, I unfortunately I've had to put this to the side because I ran out of fabrics for the last border. The joy of living in Germany is that I will have to wait at least three weeks or more. The missing border is my heavily appliqued border, which should take a good bit of time, but I have started working on some of the applique shapes. I just love these little pomegranate buds. It's not a final design, but still fun to lay them out in a mandala arrangement.

Do you plan a year's worth of projects ahead of time, or do you just take it project by project?

 Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.

Read More