As I had planned, this summer has been busy with a lot of traveling and down time because of school break, but it's been a good one so far. My whole intention of of my Summer Garden Chuck Nohara blocks was to have a slow sewing project that can be taken almost anywhere, (well maybe except the beach) and even though sixteen blocks is no where near a quilt top finish, I'm still happy with "only" sixteen blocks. Just look how my garden has grown...
It's been somewhat surprising to me that a couple of the blocks have taken so much time, but it's the detailed blocks that give the most bang for the buck. This block is becoming one of my favorites... hmm, could have something to do with the notion fabrics, not to mention the other favorite snippits.
I've always been a sucker for a clamshell design, and this block is no exception. Even though I've never done an entire clamshell quilt, I can see myself revisiting this block for another small and fun project.
This fun yellow text print has been in my stack of background fabrics for a while, and I knew that it would need just the right fabrics to make it stand out, but also needed to not overpower the applique design. Doesn't this look like a fresh and juicy basket of summer oranges?
I think that the blocks are playing well with each other and it's fun to see how each block changes the feel of the quilt. I've glue based the majority of the blocks, but there are still several that still need to be stitched down. I've been using invisible thread and a straight line stitch to finish them.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary... how does your garden grow?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social
Back in January, during the pattern testing phase of my Tiptoe Through The Tulips quilt pattern, one of my pattern testers shared with me about an applique project that she had just finished... essentially if one could take on Chuck Nohara blocks, then the "small amount" of applique in my pattern should be just fine too. I had never heard of the quilt designer before and was sent on a wild goose chase.
When I checked out the #chucknohara hashtag on Instagram, I knew I needed to watch myself lest I be sucked into yet another bucket list project... but I kept my cool. After I had found the 2001 Nouveaux Blocs de Patchwork online, I decided to put it on the back burner instead of in my shopping cart like the impulsive side of me had said to do. The disciplined side of me reasoned that if I just couldn't get it out of my head, then perhaps it might be worth re-considering.
If you are the average quilter (with or without kids), you know that summers, even though they are without the daily schedules and appointments, can still be busy... very busy. How many of you opt to be in the garden or traveling when the sun is shining rather than sweating from the steam of a hot iron?
So, since the thought of this book just would not leave me, (and trust me, I sat on this for a while) I decided to make this my summer travel, take it with you, basket project that I work on here and there as I have time. No pressures, no deadlines, no worries... just like summer. Even in those relaxed summer months my idle fingers can't go for too long without making something.
The book is a pretty no nonsense book with only small illustrations that have to be enlarged to the desired size. No instructions, no assembly diagrams, no fabric requirements... nothing. I have to say that it appeals to me the challenge of trying to try to figure out how blocks are put together. Everyone has their own approach, but since discovering the starch applique method, I'll not go back! The book, however, is not limited to only applique blocks, but uses traditional and other piecing methods too.
I've really been focused on using scraps for this. I'm planning for green to be the main/focal color with accents of pinks, oranges, and yellows. Even though Greenery is Pantone's current color of the year, my love for nature's color extends far beyond the passing trend.
The beauty of it is that I can prepare the freezer applique shapes and take them just about anywhere. We've been having the most divine weather, so these have been my afternoon on the terrace project these last days.
Want to read more about Chuck Nohara? Check out this blog post or this one. There are even some fun how-to videos (in French, but one can easily understand the process) or get inspired by some fabulous Chuck Nohara pins on Pinterest.
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a flurry of half square triangles in the making. This is a fun little mindless sewing, scrap busting project that I started recently to rescue several cut away triangles from my last few projects. Now, I'm not exactly the epitome of a "never throw a scrap away" kind of girl, but some scraps are just too good to toss.
So, as with almost every project that I start... who needs a plan? Just make it up as you go, and if you're going to do it at all, then do it big! Go big, or go home, right? I've also been adding other scraps as well as a few of those this-fabric-was-just-made-for-this favorites. I've been saving this Heather Ross fabric for a long time for just the right project, and I'd have to say it belongs in this quilt!
I've been having fun experimenting with the endless layout possibilities of the most simple quilting unit out there. Here's a few that I've come up with so far. These first two have potential, but I'm not completely sold on either layout:
I've been thinking that I would like to do an Ocean Waves quilt. As an individual block I think it's nice, but I'm not so convinced when there are more units together... perhahps a little too busy and bright?
Speaking of busy, meet the "take the cake" version! I really like the layout of this block, but it just feels like it needs more thought about negative space to bring a calm to the bold contrasts.
So, in an effort to create more negative space, I tried this Bunting Block version. I like the idea of the negative space, but perhaps now there is too much negative space, leaving me with too many left over HST's.
Well, I suppose this just means that I'm back to the drawing board, but there are a few more favorite fabrics that "need" to be added to the mix...
Do you have any good half square triangle layout ideas?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
Searching through boxes and boxes of packed away things, it feels like I can only find about half of my Christmas decorations since our move. It's always a delight at the beginning of the season to pull out all those hand made pillows and other sewn things to adorn our living space. So needless to say, this pillow finish comes at the perfect time in the absence of my missing holiday decorations.
This project actually came to be because of a couple sick days on the couch. I already had it prepared for my Denmark trip, but without those "forced" days down, I'm not sure it I would have finished it this year. I decided that a radiating quilting design would highlight the wreath and draw focus to the center text.
Notice a trend with all my Essex linen pillows? (here, here, and here) It's actually THE perfect fabric to compliment those rich, deep, warm tones that match our living room so perfectly.
Pattern: "Merry & Bright" by Minki Kim, as found in issue 40 of Love & Patchwork Quilting magazine.
Fabrics: Alison Glass, Carolyn Friedlander, Cotton & Steel, and various additional scraps. Essex Linen, espresso. Cori Dantin,i Seeds (backing)
Finished size: 20 x 20 in. (ca. 50 x 50 cm)
Quilting Thread: Aurifil thread Sand 2326
So, now that this is checked off the list, it's on to a couple present making projects... and you?
Linking up with Let's Bee Social and Scraptastic Tuesday
Are you a pre-holiday project planner? As much as I would like to say that I belong to this category, the honest truth about things is that I usually think about making a holiday project when I am already in the middle of that holiday.
On our recent sewing retreat to Denmark, I did, however, have to have several projects planned ahead of time, and I wanted to have a hand project in case I needed a break from the sewing machine... what was I thinking, right?!? a break from the sewing machine? HA! (big laughing here behind the scenes)
This past weekend, the traveling sick bug hit everyone in the family except for my husband. It's almost torture for me when I am too sick to make it to the sewing machine, but also too fit to just sit on the couch and do nothing.
It was so nice to just pull out my little project box since it was already prepped and ready to go... and who doesn't love Minki Kim's sweet illustrated sewing projects? I was really excited to see this great little holiday wreath in the latest issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine. My oldest son, was joining me on the couch that day with the same yucks. He asked if he could make a wreath too... I had to say that despite feeling so bad, it was still fun to be snipping happily away together.
There's nothing better than a relaxing and fun scrappy project, don't you think?
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that it felt as if your heart literally hurt and ached? Usually such a yearning comes from the desire for personal relationships... whether it is a longing for a spouse, a friendship, or probably the ultimate of yearnings... the wish for a baby.
Before we were pregnant with our oldest son, we actually had a miscarriage. It was so early in the pregnancy that we barely had time to comprehend it ourselves, much less share it with family and friends. Even though the pregnancy was only in it's first weeks, the loss was still very real, especially since we had been trying for a while. After having gone through such a loss, I ended up coming out on the other side with a deeper understanding for others who have been hoping for, praying for, longing for, and even aching for that wee little set of ten toes and ten fingers to rest in their arms... and for some reason it just hasn't happened.
A while back a friend of mine had shared with me that they had been longing, hoping, praying, and aching for their own wee one... and for NINE years! There is a verse in Proverbs that sums up that very feeling... "Hope deferred makes the heart sick"... I so get that, I understand this, and I feel it. I especially get it for those that are in that place right now. Did you know that neurons have been discovered in the heart? With that being said, it sheds a new light on the depth of feeling that ache,
...BUT.....
... the turn in this story is that there is a "but" to the rest of the story! The verse in Proverbs doesn't just stop at the heart being sick part, but there is a second part of this Proverb... "but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life"... and the story of my friend does not stop there either! After nine long years of waiting, my friend has just welcomed her ten fingered and ten toed wonder into the world!
The really amazing thing is that just weeks before my friend had shared her news, I had started this quilt. I had no particular plans in mind for this project at that time, or even a particular recipient, but as I read through her announcement email, I then knew why I had started this. Sometimes you just know things in your heart before they happen, and only after the fact realize why your heart led you the way it did.
If you are, as they say in German, "built close to the water", then I'll give you your chance now to transition and perhaps grab a tissue, while I give you a few stats about my "Scrappy Windmils"/"I Spy" quilt:
Quilt pattern: "Scrappy Windmill" quilt from Judith Dahmen as featured in Issue 10 of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine.
Started: June 2015* (I had a three month waiting period for the batting. Otherwise this might have been finished sooner!)
Fabrics: Kona Cotton white and favorite fabric scraps from my stash.
Finished quilt size: ca. 50 x 60 inches (ca. 125 x 150 cm)
Backing: Zen Chic, "Swinging" and Julie Comstock, "Cameras", various scraps.
Thread: Aurifil cotton 50 wt white
Binding: Basic Grey grunge, grey
Once the sun, moon, and stars had once again aligned to snap a few pictures, it was really fun for me to do a little "I Spy" quilt photo shot with our little guy. As you can imagine, he was all over the place like any normal three year old boy, and "can you put your leg down", "hold still", "no, don't jump" were repeated over and over again... but I think that in the end, he was a pretty good little model, don't you think?
He even pretended to take a nap on the quilt... (you can almost hear the fake snoring, can't you?)
With such an amazing story of a longing that has now been fulfilled... is it any wonder that this little bundle of joy's middle name is... Joy? Tickled pink happy for you, Jules!
Do you have any long-time-in-the-waiting stories?
Linking up this week with WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
