Solids are nice

Three things to be happy about:
(1) a brand-new day
(2) bobbing a tea bag
(3) guiltless pleasure

My friend Zonia hadn't ever been to the Maryland Live! casino, so a couple days ago we hopped in the car and hustled right along.  Now here's the fun part:  she'd only been inside a casino once, and that was a very long time ago - I had to show her how to insert her card and where to put in the money.  She had beginner's luck almost right away!  I'm talking LUCK!!!   That's all I'm saying...  Zonia is a good solid friend, we've known each other for ... gosh, at least 30 years!   When she won we were both grinning.  After we finished playing, we ate lunch at their excellent buffet - yummy!!

I finished piecing the solid quilt, actually it was done in no time flat because the blocks are so large

it didn't take me long to figure out a border treatment, green is just fine

it only needs one border, I think; this one finishes at 40 x 44. 

I like the play of these solid colors against each other.  I had fun doing this one because I knew any two colors would work well next to each other in a single block.  No thoughts about scale or pattern, there's just something about solids!

I missed the WeeBee meeting last week, so I'll turn it in at the next meeting for my community service project.  I'll have it quilted between now and October 28, no worries.

So now we find ourselves at the end of another month, time flies whether you're having fun or not - have a great Friday!  Sew forth and sew on

Moving right along

Three things to be happy about:
(1) pumpkins in a pile
(2) loading your stapler
(3) cool breezes

Cool breezes?  This morning seems more like frigid breezes, it's in the 40's right now brrrrr!  But thank goodness the weather is turning towards fall, when you start to see fall-ish things... like punkins in a pile and halloween candy!

This is a great morning to have crumpets for breakfast - I found these crumpets at Wegman's and I've fallen in love with them!  They're totally fat-free, with only 80 calories and 18 carbs each.  Before I found these I'd only heard of "tea and crumpets" in British novels and hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about... la-de-dah. The taste and texture sort of remind me of pancakes; I smear on just a dab of butter and some Polaner sugar-free jelly, and now I can honestly say la-de-yum!!!

I finished my black and white quilt top, I just have to give it a good press and take it to the LA on Thursday, yaaaay!  Meanwhile I've been working on my solid quilt, making great progress, especially since it'll only be set 3 x 3 plus borders - child size.

3" and 2-1/2" pieces



pieced strips measuring 6-1/2 x 12-1/2"

Well, today I get my flu shot, wish me luck - I hate needles! I understand they will have the "short" needle, but to me ... a needle is a needle.  It's a lead-pipe cinch I'd make a poor junkie (thank goodness!)

Keep sewing, slash that stash, have a great day ... sew forth and sew on!

So, this is what happened

Hi everybody! 

By now if you read yesterday's post you've seen the mystery quilt I made for the Wee Bee Quilters 2012 challenge using the Shoo Fly block.  I wanted to use just solids for a change, just to see what the finished quilt would look like, and I have to admit I like it!  This is the first quilt I've done without borders, and if you think that's not a challenge in itself, just try maintaining a straight edge while you quilt it on a surface that keeps grabbing the quilt!


As you've guessed from the blog title, it wasn't finished without a certain amount of drama attached.  When I made the quilt in March, I tried three different settings for the blocks before I decided not to overthink it and just pick something ... it's just a quilt for pete's sake!

My first idea was to set the blocks side-by-side with a border (no sashing), but that was a bit too... blah.

Then I decided the perfect thing would be a half log cabin-like setting, using solid bands in blue and green.   Uhmmmm, I don't think so! 

It started off okay ... see that 12" block in the corner?  BUT, the solid bands looked a little too blank for some reason.  I considered placing appliqued flowers or doo-dad shapes in there, but for some reason I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around this layout.

So you know what comes next ... unsew the whole thing, throw it down, and call Charlene!  She encouraged me to go with the log cabin layout but, as I mentioned earlier, it was hard to get my mind wrapped around it... and the calendar was ticking - it was already mid-March and I wanted to get this off my radar.

Then I thought of the layout you see above, solid-and-white wonky shoo fly blocks alternating with solid blue blocks! 

The binding (which I finished sewing down on Friday!) is a solid green, simply because I didn't have enough of that blue left.  But it's actually a good touch - at 36x36 and with those bright colors, I believe this little guy will make a nice crib quilt!

As I look at the picture of the log cabin setting, it makes me want to rethink that layout.  Maybe if it gets done in regular printed fabrics, it would have a totally different look?  Don't be surprised if you see me do one with strings where the solid bands are... it has possibilities!

In any case, enjoy your Monday; sew forth and sew on!

My little quilt

Three things to be happy about:
(1) fruit butters
(2) the smell of coffee perking
(3) little red wagons

I like that fresh apple butter you can get this time of year when you visit the farmers markets, there's just something so different from the ones you get off the grocer's shelf.  You know it's presevative-free when they tell you to refrigerate after opening, and eat it all up quick!

Remember this project?

I used it as inspiration to make this one for Yetunde:

And this is the one she made for me...

I love it!

Isn't it interesting how two people can be inspired by the same piece, yet each final product is different?  I believe one of the wonderful things about quiltmaking is, each person's work reflects some part of their unique personality.  And at the same time, that unique-ness changes over time.  Who hasn't looked back at their first (or third!) quilt and seen changes between that one and the ones you do today. 

It's all good!

Sew forth and sew on til later...



Do overs

Hi everybody!  We have 99 followers ... who will be the 100th?  Will it be you?? or you perhaps???  Hop in, there's room!

Sometimes we can do things over and they turn out all right, better than ever. 

But some things ... you don't exactly get a second chance  :O*(

I woke bright and early this morning around 4:30 and decided to do some sewing, so I hopped out of bed and as I was going into my sewing room I bumped my left knee smack into the edge of the door.  At that point I wished I could have done the previous 5 minutes over because I could not bend my knee without pain ... it was okay straight out, I could walk but if I bent it beyond a certain point oh man the pain was excrutiating!  I had to sit with my leg sticking straight out.

That was almost 3 hours ago and now PRAISE GOD I can sit with the knee bent.  When I stretch the leg out I can hear (and feel) a small pop but the pain is nothing like it was.


My other do-over is a piece I sewed a few months(!?) ago when I was doing a solids swap.  Remember this one?

If you've been reading my blog awhile, you know I tossed this one aside and made another one... you'll see the finished block in my photo slide show on the right (hint: it's between the grey one and the kitty cat, and it looks nothing  like the one above!).  I never liked it just as it was, so I took the middle and bottom seams loose and started playing around with different fabrics. 

My first impression of this was "ho-hum!"  In any case I've got some work to do... all I can see right now is yellow!

I plan to stay with solids rather than introducing patterned fabric at this point, I don't think it would look too great.  The little pieced strip in the middle?  I found it in my "parts department," so I threw it in although there's some marbled fabric in it.  I think it sort of qualifies, don't you? 

Also, I'll stay with a limited color palette -  maybe I'll throw in a deeper blue, some off white, a dark-dark green.  At this point I'm thinking it will be an attractive wall hanging that's not too large, but I've been known to change my mind.

Sew forth and sew on til later - send up prayers for my knee!

Another one done

Three things to be happy about:
(1) mid-afternoon postings
(2) the value of the little moment
(3) a facial and aromatherapy

Hi everybody, it's mid-afternoon and I'm posting, yaaay!  Normally I like it to be done first thing in the morning, but that's not a rule... is it?

I finished the border on my little basket quilt but I don't want to show it to you right now, I promise you'll see it later! 

About Wegman's - it's a pretty kewl grocery store that has fresh veggies (lots of organic ones!) a bakery to die for, and a hot foods section that would make you drool!  I especially like their oven-fried lemon fish, yummy!  The bread pudding isn't bad either, if you catch them on a good day - they do go a bit overboard on the fresh fruit they toss on the top!  See their website here. 

I finished the 15x15 solids challenge quilt that I'm swapping with Yetunde...

It's "Gravitation" by Kandinsky - you've seen the original art in a previous post. 

When I did this one, I was inspired by the way his design seemed to sweep from the bottom right to the upper left corner.  I didn't want to try and make the small blocks of color he used, so I opted for a log cabin style.  I think it turned out pretty good!  I'll give it to Yetunde next weekend.

So I get to choose the next one we'll work on, I have a couple in mind that look pretty interesting. 

Sew forth and sew on til later...

Linda

Sooner or later...

... you run smack into a virus!  And sadly it happened to me last week and added misery to an already miserable few days.

It has been so HOT I didn't feel like doing anything but lying on the floor in a puddle.  I have two window AC units, one of which works okay but no way can it cool two floors and a basement.  Well, the basement isn't that important because I don't do anything but laundry down there, but my sewing room is on the top floor and it was TOO HOT to stay up there and sew.  Or sleep. 

But the good news is the temperature has dropped a few degrees and I got my PC back yesterday.  All the garbage is gone, I couldn't believe how much stuff they found on there!  I didn't lose any files or have to reload software, thank God. 

And the other good news is I was able to set up a sewing area in my living room where the AC is, and I did get a negligible amount of sewing done just to keep my hand in.

I sewed together these basket blocks that had been UFO-ing around for who knows how long...

now I have to make a border decision. 

Right now it's a smallish wall hanging, approximately 26", but when I'm done it might be a lap size, who knows.  I want it to have a scrappy border, something to add a little interest; it just looks too plain and boring as it is.  

And I also finished the solid fabric quilt top that I'm swapping with Yetunde, I have to decide how I want to quilt it ...

the top edge looks crooked, but it's straight! 

Go here to see the original Kandinsky this was inspired by.

I think Yetunde will like it 'cuz she's nice like that!  *wink*

That's it for now, still trying to get re-inspired after this awful heat wave.

Linda

Making progress

Three things to be happy about:
(1) cornbread
(2) sleep-in days
(3) Caesar salads

I had to throw in a plug for Caesar salads because lately I've become a real fan, I have one for lunch almost every day!  I like to add a little shredded carrots in mine, some chicken breast strips from Costco, substitute the croutons for a piece of cornbread from Whole Foods or Wegman's (they add corn in theirs), and I'm all set. 

I hadn't done anything with my Kandinsky solid for almost a week, except add more fabric to that little starter block and stare at it... I just didn't want to deal with it.  Have you ever had days like that??  Here's the picture again:

Then yesterday I did feel like dealing with it and I made some progress...

You're looking at the original and then at my version, scrolling back and forth, back and forth, LOL.  They're just kissing cousins, trust me! 

The pieces at the top will be incorporated in some clever way above the black strip.  I really wanted to pull in some of the yellow from the log cabin area... the camera doesn't show the true color, it's a sort of cheddar.  I substituted a paler piece of yellow, but maybe I'll add the cheddar anyway, give it a little bit of sunshine up top. 

The background fabric looks sort of grey but it's really a funny shade of blue; the only grey I had was a bit too pale, and I definitely did not want to use black!

So that's my progress so far, we'll see what today's doodling will come up with.

Sew forth and sew on til later,

My solid swap challenge

I received my beautiful solid quilt yesterday from my 15 Minutes Play swap partner, BeeBee...

Isn't it gorgeous?  For inspiration, she used the painting Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh.

I'm glad I had a chance to do this solids challenge, it stretched my horizons in a whole new way.  Soon as I finish the Kandinsky I'm doing with Yetunde I'll look for another project for solids; I love the process.

I haven't been doing much sewing or blog-hopping lately, my attention has been focused in other directions.  But I have pieced some scraps to cut up for quilt blocks (it's called "made fabric"). 

On this one I started with the little leftover triangular section, added the B&W and pink pieces...

then I just kept adding pieces around it in a clockwise fashion...

there's no rhyme or reason for how its done; you can go clockwise, counter-clockwise, left-side right-side, it doesn't matter.  Just keep adding pieces to make it bigger.

On this one I show how I added to an uneven edge: I took a straight piece and laid it on so that I had a straight sewing line...

Then I trimmed off the hang-overs and pressed...

Now I have a straight edge to attach more scraps to! 

You can use odd shaped pieces of scraps, strips, what-have-you.  You can also take two or more big pieces and sew them together to make ever bigger pieces.  The object is to use up your scraps to make large sheets of fabric. 

It's a really good recycling option, with the bonus of not having to think too hard about what you're doing.  When you want to get your hands into some fabric but don't want to do anything specific, you can easily make fabric sheets!

Stay tuned for some blocks I pieced using my "made" fabric!

Another solid quilt started

After staring for almost a week at the Kandinsky I'm to swap with Yetunde, I made a start on it yesterday (see previous post for picture). 

It's fuzzy but I think you can see it. 

This is just a stick-your-hand-out test, but I'm trying out the colored squares section as a sort of log cabin style.  We'll see where it goes.

I haven't started digging through my stash yet for the head wrap and background fabric for my Jill quilt, but I'll do that today after running a few errands.  I have so many fabrics in it already that I don't need to add anymore colors, so I'll try and match something I already used.  I kinda doubt it'll be finished by the weekend though - I can't keep up with Yetunde!

Sew forth and sew on til later

My second solids quilt

... is still at the "let me see... let me see..." stage.

See my post from July 1 to see the Kandinsky I'm working on.  For some reason that dark background keeps getting in my way, so I removed it in Photoshop to see if it could help my inspiration...

hmmm... maybe. 

Anyway, these are my tentative fabric choices:

for some reason the photo is a bit fuzzy but you get the idea. 

I'll put in some black, grey and maybe brown - or maybe something else, I'm definitely open to change.  We'll see; right now I'm a bit clueless! 

On another note, I did survive the 4th, all those fireworks!  They're illegal in the close in counties in Maryland and Virginia, so those residents bring them into the District to shoot them off.  Fireworks have really changed since I was a kid... no more just the tiny little things that pop, or the roman candles that shoot off sparks.  Now they just love throwing lighted cherry bombs into dumpsters and running like hell; it sounds like the neighborhood is being invaded.

I figure we have another week and a half to go before they're done. Sew forth and sew on til later,

Challenge done

This is my solid fabrics challenge quilt...

all done except for the binding and sleeve!

It looks way different from the version I started with...

See what can happen when you climb out of that box!??

I've already started planning my second masterpiece; this time I'm exchanging with my friend Yetunde

We're both working on the same piece - it's called Gravitation, by Kandinsky.  Yeowww, this will be a REAL challenge for me!  Box, get outta my way!

Sew forth and sew on til later...

My solids challenge

I'm moving right along with my solids challenge quilt, I think I've got it licked! 

You're looking at the piece I posted a couple days ago with another piece attached to the bottom edge - that's a keeper.  I wanted to bring out the black zigzags on the red background, so I made red-and-black wavy fabric pieces to attach; I think it adds a little something to the design.  

Next I'll join the blue piece with the red and black piece, add them to the right-hand side and do some minor trimming. 

I'm thinking I'll add that red strip across the top... blue strip at the bottom?  That blue on the right sort of sticks out, how shall I corral it into the overall design?  and what shall I do with the left side? Decisions, decisions...

Sew forth and sew on til later

Art quilt using solids

Three things to be happy about:
(1) first day of summer
(2) perfect beach weather
(3) vibrant oil paintings

Happy Summer, everybody!  And thanks, Sue, for the suggestions on my Motown wannabe... I think it just might be after all!

I've been thinking about how to approach my solids segmented quilt swap, over on the 15 Minutes site, then I thought I'd just dive right in and see what I could do... I have more fabric after all.  The finished quilt is to be 15 x 15 and we're swapping with a partner.  Here's the Matisse I'm using for my inspiration:

I always forget to document the process!  I had gotten into it when I remembered to take this picture:

Here's the final quilt:

That green on the right is actually a dark green, not aqua. 

To me it looks sort of blah... any suggestions???  Do the colors need to be bumped up a notch??  Or do I just quilt it and call it done??