Perhaps its happened to you too...
You're on a mission. The goal is set. Your determination is firm... stay. on. course. And like an unexpected, glittery flea market on the side of the road, there is something that just beckons you to pull over, and have a look.
Finishing up Whirly Girl, is top of my list right now, hmmm... but she is with pattern testers at the moment. Get the next pattern together for a Nadelwelt release, hmmm... but that's in May. So, I suppose that one could argue that there's always time for a detour... stop and smell the roses, right?
Have you ever wondered what's been missing in New York? (well, at least with the New York Beauty block) I think I figured it out... applique!?! Or perhaps just like chocolate, applique just makes everything better.
And speaking of chocolate, short and sweet this week allows me to stay a bit longer on my pit stop.
How is it with you, are you on course, or have you stopped for a short detour?
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that my week has been more about snip, snipping than it has been about stitch, stitching... which is highly unusual for me. When I work on a quilt, I usually cut a few blocks at a time, and then throw them under the machine, because if I'm being perfectly honest, then I might be a little impatient in that way.
I suppose there are two main reasons for this: firstly, I need a constant change of pace - I don't think I've cut a whole quilt before I started sewing it... ever! Perhaps it's because I just can't wait to get to the best part - sewing! I know, I know, it can really be a time saver to cut everything ahead, but it feels like pure torture to me to not just sit down and get started when the inspiration hits.
Secondly, I like to make things up as I go... it's just that sometimes I just
don't know where I'm going with a quilt until I start. Once the first
blocks are done, then they give me hints on how I should address the
next ones. It somehow give me a freedom to go a different direction than previously planned if needed.
I get teased sometimes that I usually don't know how big a quilt top will be until I've actually finished it. (which is why I often end up with much bigger quilts than I'd planned) But there is something to be said about letting the quilt tell you how big it wants to be rather then me putting too many limits on it.
So now that it's not even two weeks until our fall retreat, I've decided to pull my Penny Sampler back out to have something to work on... I have to say that these are pretty labor intensive, one-thousand-bits-in-one-block blocks. But just to mix things up a bit for a change, it will actually be nice to just sit down and sew.
Do cut everything before you start sewing or do you let your quilts tell you how big they want to be?
Do you have a specific and defineable quilting style? Can people look at your work and identify a follow-the-thread color scheme? a design style? perhaps that certain something that makes it obvious who you are?... like a Tula Pink, Red Pepper Quilts, Bonnie and Camille, or a Carolyn Friedlander? I would say that each of these designers have a very distinct and easily identifiable style, and there's no questioning whose work it is.
Despite the fact that some of what I do could be picked out in a line up, it does feel like I am not particularly married to one specific style. My heart beats for color, which I assume is more than painfully obvious, but there is something about the traditional that beckons me to also put it on the center stage. My quilting wall this month pretty much sums up what I mean.
My Eads quilt and Summer Garden blocks could not be any more different than day and night, black and white, potato and potahto... well, you get my drift. I started the Eads quilt as my attempt to distance myself from the direction that I normally tend towards. I wanted to do a quilt without a light or low volume background. Somehow this modern and graphic quilt appeals to one side of me.
... the other side of me craves a solid never-let-your-fingers-be-idle project, but my Summer Garden is the slow growing kind. No hurries, and no worries. I've always been attracted to and fascinated by traditional applique quilts, so this seems to somehow fit me too.
I was able to add these three sweet blocks recently and it was the perfectly packed project for our quilting group this past Saturday.
Block #481
Block #487
Block #575
What you don't see on my design wall right now are the pattern writing and other secret sewing projects that I have in the works... all in good time, right?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
Have you ever sewn with jet lag? Well, I have. Maybe you've noticed, but then again, maybe you haven't, but I've essentially been gone this whole past month. A very, very long overdue trip to visit my family in the States was just what this girl needed this summer. Ahhhh....
As much as I soak up the time being with my family and friends, not to mention the language, I've really missed being at my sewing machine. Does anyone else out there have creative/sewing withdrawal issues in those summer months when the kids are home and are in constant need of entertainment?
It's actually a rather strange feeling when you first walk in your house after being gone for such a long time... even odd how a house is somehow different when there's been no life in it. But as you can imagine, it certainly does not take much time to reacquaint oneself with all those familiar, but sometimes dusty corners.
With a 24-hour-door-to-door and no-sleep-on the-plane trip under ones belt, getting back on track with projects in the works is a level beyond what jet lag will allow. While my Summer Garden applique project, which I took with me, is well organized and ready to go, I simply needed a sit down and sew without too much thinking, planning, or trying to figure out where I left off on an already started project... and it needed to happen BEHIND my sewing machine.
Does it really surprise anyone that I've started another "jump first, think about the plan later" project? Naaa... I didn't think so. You may have seen other projects from the Eads QAL from Carolyn Friedlander on Instagram... and boy, oh boy, was this the perfect, put-it-in-your-cart... pay... and start sewing project.
I will be coming back to reality next week when the kids go back to school and I can mentally work myself up to diving back into my top-of-the-list projects.
... but for now I'm just enjoying a little time at the machine.
With two boys that are fairly close in age, I find that if I do something for one kid, that I have to do it for both kids... so this past Christmas I really wanted to give the boys something that I had made for them. I love paper piecing, and my oldest guy loves pirates... so why not combine the two? For the last three years his birthday parties have been about eye patches, treasure maps, and of course treasure hunts. Ahoy, Matie!
Pirates don't exactly fit to his tractor/automobile themed room, so it was a bit of a stretch, but I knew that this guy would flip over the dangerous pirate ship that was sailing the seven seas, (free pattern found here) and I would simply be happy that it somewhat matches his room.
I'm finding more and more that I actually enjoy spiral quilting, and have used it in some recent projects. I'm still working on feeling comfortable doing it, and practicing on smaller projects really helps.
In addition to the decorative pillow, both boys desperately needed a few pillowcases. I still had leftover fabrics from both rooms, and made a few "burrito pillowcases" This is a really nice way to add a few decorative pipings, but still end up with nice finished edges.
I'm pleased to say that both of pillows were a big hit and I'm looking forward to when I can make quilts for them... I'll wait until they get a little older.
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
Let me reassure you... there is no need to wipe your computer screen... no need to grab an extra cup of coffee... no need to pinch yourself to see if your are dreaming. You are NOT seeing things...
I suppose that might be just a wee bit over dramatic, but if you have been around for a while, then you might know that I DON'T work with solids... at all. However, on that same note, if you've been around long enough to know of my avoidance of solids at all cost, then you probably also know that I can only sing the highest praises of Basic Grey grunges... this not-quite-a-solid IS my solid.
The motivation to steer clear of my beloved prints is because these are a
present for my parents (when I talk of these, it includes the remaining
three that I have planned to make) Even though I would describe my own personal decorating tastes as transitional, my folks definitley lean towards a more modern style. I have to admit that in this case, these bold splashes of color give a more powerful impact than my prints would, and give it the modern feel that I am looking for.
Because improv is also not where my strengths or passions lie, I very much appreciated these free paper piecing templates from The Long Thread. It was fun for me to experiment with multi-directional quilting, finding and following the design of the piece itself for the hints of how it should be quilted.
Are you a solid teetotaller or do you cherish your beloved prints and leave your solids on the shelf?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social
Any American girl, who grew up watching Jane Austin type classics, can identify with the feeling of awe when watching the exchange of niceties between two well-breed, fine ladies at tea time. The romantic mental image that comes to mind is that of the host asking her perfectly perched guest if she would like a spot of tea? As any proper lady, who is the epitome of utmost decorum would do, follows the previous question with... "would you like one lump or two"?
I remember the very first time that I came to visit Germany. My future mother-in-law had produced the most delightful spread of afternoon treats for the occasion. While it was not the traditional ritual of perfect-picture refinement and etiquette, I felt the inner girl in me beam with delight, when I noticed, sitting there before me was a bowl full of lumps... sugar cubes to be exact, which is something that is not so commonly found on the other side of the pond.
Perhaps it goes without saying that these two paper pieced tea cups remind me of that deeply engraved memory, and why their addition in my Penny Quilt, is just another way that this quilt is continues to tell my own personal story.
If you are familiar with American culture, then you know that tea is not such a deep seeded tradition. Our culture seems to be more about take-it-on-the-go Starbucks coffee, rather than high tea in the afternoon. Perhaps it could stem from, as I learned in one of my history classes long ago, that ever since the British Tea Party, that Americans gradually moved away from tea, and moved towards it's alternative caffeine source of coffee. Since living in Germany, tea has actually become very much a part of my everyday.
Speaking of tea... I had mentioned last week that I was considering tea staining some of my fabrics... don't you think it's quite fitting to talk about it now? Since several of my favorite, go-to low volumes tend towards white, they just don't work for the vintage look that I am going for in this quilt top. So, here's what I've found from my experiments:
You can see the original fabric on the left. I first started with leaving the fabrics in the tea for an hour. Once I pulled them out, they were simply too dark and too reddish for what I wanted. I then changed the type of tea, and tried for only 10 minutes, since I didn't want the fabrics as dark as the first batch. The color was more brownish, which is what I was going for, but still too dark even after 10 minutes. So, I threw the same fabrics back in only for 1 minute, and got the color that I was looking for. I used a Darjeeling tea on the 1 hour batch, which is a very light colored black tea, even in the cup. Even though Ceylon or Assam teas are darker, they gave the the right shade that I was looking for in the 1 minute/10 minute batch. I did notice on the Carolyn Friedlander Ledger fabric (bottom row) that the tea stained the fabric in a mottled look, which can be quite fitting for this use, but may not be desirable for other projects.
What category do you fall into... an on-the-go coffee drinker or do you prefer slowing down for an afternoon tea? Any hot beverage stories?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social and Stitched In Color.
Did you ever have a quilt that sat on your to-do list for a really long time?... I'm talking about more than just the flavor-of-the-month long time, but over a year or two long time? If you were to look at the quilts on my bucket list, I would have to say that I am a total sucker for a sampler quilt. While I love modern, bright, and bold fabrics in super saturated colors, there is a certain appeal to me to give those traditional quilts that inspired today's quilting movement a big nod.
It turns out that the Penny Sampler quilt from Rachel at Stitched in Color has been that on-my-brain quilt for quite a while now. I had actually almost purchased it last year, but because I had other things on my plate, I filed it away in the back of my mind. Well, it just wouldn't go away, and when Rachel posted that she would be doing another class... seriously, what was a girl to do? The pattern is set up as a six month, twelve month, or an on your own plan. I started out with the on your own version, but might switch to the six month group so I can join in on the fun.
This quilt will make it in my living room, and adorn a spot beside my highly honored and daily used quilt that my aunt made me. As I have been working on this quilt, there are several blocks that I feel like relate to my own personal story. Somehow this block makes me think of a neighboring German village:
My vision for this quilt is to actually stay with toned down and less saturated colors... I would really like this quilt to have the look of an heirloom that has been in the family for years. You really have no idea how hard it is to stay away from those strong popping color contrasts. I have used several Alison Glass batiks that I've been saving for just the right project. Instead of bright yellow, a muted gold takes its place. I have even thought about tea staining a few of the background fabrics to give it a worn look, but we'll just have to see if that actually happens.
My Penny Sampler is just one of my yearly goals projects, and I think a nice finish at your own pace project for the year.
Linking up to Let's Bee Social.
Even though there are million things swirling around on my to-do list with my second pattern launch about a month away, I decided to squeeze in a quick baby present. My oldest son's teacher just had a sweet baby girl, and I just couldn't get this adorable bunny out of my head as the perfect welcoming gift. I adore paper piecing, and this bunny from the mini woodland bundle was the first thing that came to mind, not to mention that Juliette's patterns are so well done.
I enlarged the pattern so that it was a better fit for a14" pillow, and used soft blush shades to leave know doubt that this is for a sweet princess. When I make a paper piecing block, I actually give a lot of thought to fabric placement. I thought that it would be fitting, and wanted to highlight the "life together" text print, since that's what adding a bundle of joy to the family actually means.
I finished it off with a envelope closure using Carolyn Friedlander's Grid Diamond print in Ice Peach Metallic from her Carkai collection.
As part of my yearly goal, I quilted this with FMQ swirls again... practice makes perfect, right? Free motion quilting on small projects like this are
not the challenge for me, but quilting a larger quilt. Perhaps practicing on smaller projects like this will help me with the big ones (fingers crossed)
In Germany those enduring pet names that you might call your loved ones are quite different than what you would hear in the States. Instead of names like sweetheart, honey, sugar, etc. the names are usually animals like bunny (Hase), mouse (Maus), or sparrow (Spatz). So, it's fun for me to think that this pillow could possibly be "für einen kleinen Hasen". (for a little bunny)
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
