Good Neighbors Fabric Winner

Thanks for sharing your favorite Crazymom Quilts patterns and tutorials. The winner of the Good Neighbors fabric charm pack is Bethany. I've sent you an email, Bethany. Just respond with your details, and I will forward them along to Connecting Threads. (By the way, did you see the price per yard for this fabric!? It's available now!) Thanks for playing along, and be sure to stop by the other blog posts for more chances to win. Update: I never heard back from Bethany so I chose another winner at random: Linda from FlourishingPalms!

Partly Cloudy

I've been back at my therapy, working with scraps to make more monochromatic strip set blocks.  The technique is the same as I used in the Therapist.  I simply limited my color palette to create this 40 x 50 toddler quilt. 

The intensity of the teal and navy is what I find so arresting about this quilt.  I wanted the colors to gradually soften into aqua on one end and gray on the other, finally fading to white.  I used the block format to keep it deliberately a bit choppy and graphic.  The blocks are quite simple to make as well and more much more manageable than making an entire column at a time.

The tight color scheme creates cohesion even though it is a very scrappy quilt.  I really enjoyed working with both my own scraps and scraps from friends. (If you want to make a scrap quilt but don't have enough variety of fabrics or have colors you lack, I suggest swapping scraps with a friend or two.  It is a fun way to discover new fabrics and work with colors you might not normally use.  Scrap packs are also readily available for purchase online. One tip I can offer is to follow quilters you admire on Instagram or Flickr.  If you like the fabrics they use in their quilts, you're sure to love a scrap bundle, should they ever decide to destash.  Guess how I know.) My friends may recognize some of their scraps here.

I used a figure eight free motion design for the quilting and simple gray Heath to bind. The back is a cute DS Quilts print you can find at JoAnn's.

Partly Cloudy is available in my shop.  FYI, I am planning to clear out the shop in the next month or two, so it's your last chance to grab anything you've had your eye on.  All the baby quilts unsold by the end of September will be donated for the 100 Quilts for Kids quilt drive.

The Therapist

I finished my scrap quilt this weekend, and I feel better.  I really did enjoy every step of sewing it.  I started sewing these blocks last fall.  They have been a really satisfying and enjoyable long term scrap project.  As I wrote earlier this year and more recently, I began sewing these monochromatic strip sets as a sort of therapy, without a definite plan in mind.  I totally recommend mindless, colorful scrap sewing.  It's happy stuff.

If you enjoy that sort of thing, I can also recommend Scrap Republic by Emily Cier which is full of inspiration.  Her Volume quilt was the starting point for this quilt.  My version is larger, at 60 x 80.

I also incorporated neutral blocks.  I always seem to have lots of these low volume strips, which can be hard to use up.  I think they provide restful bookends to the quilt.

I used a simple figure eight, free motion quilting design in each column, moving from side to side, starting at the top of the quilt and going down each column to the bottom of the quilt.  The side to side movement was hard to achieve fluidly with my tiny machine's throat space because the columns are 5 inches wide, but it was doable.  I think it would be far easier with narrower columns, and I will certainly try it again.  It went so quickly.

The black and white striped binding is a great choice for any rainbow quilt.

Amazingly, I still have plenty of scraps.  I'm contemplating some more therapeutic sewing: maybe a baby quilt with a more limited palette.

Oakshott Winner

Congratulations, comment #16, Katie B., you are the winner of the Oakshott cottons.  Email me your address, and I will put these in the mail to you.

Impressions

So this lovely bundle came in the mail all the way from England.  Oakshott fabrics makes this bundle, called Impressions.

The fabrics are shot cotton, meaning two different colored threads are woven together which gives the fabric a shimmer and depth of color that changes slightly depending on the angle you're look at it.

I particularly like that Oakshott bundles fabrics that have a single thread color in common.  This bundle is a lovely progression of rainbow colors,  each color woven with a white thread.  They have other bundles done with black and red.  These are just so perfect for spring!

I'm working on a project for Oakshott.  The pattern will be ready soon.  Can't wait to show you more.

Modern Table Runner

I have to agree with Jacquie: I never get tired of improvised log cabin blocks.  They are the perfect arena for play.  I used some lovely scraps of hand screen printed fabric from Blueberry Park to make some fun, minimal, improv log cabins.  My favorites are the ones that are missing a log or two. 

I surrounded the log cabins with Essex Linen on my new design wall.  If you do any improv piecing, this makes such a difference.   I don't know how I've gone without one for so long!

The quilting is a simple serpentine stitch on my Bernina.  For most machines I hear it is stitch #4.  I usually mess around with the stitch length and width to get it just right.  I love this stitch because it creates a nice texture with the ease of straight line quilting.

This extra block became a pot holder. Bonus.

I just need to tie these up in a bow and deliver them to a special friend who has encouraged me to think BIG this year.

Pincushion Swap

My guild, the KCMQG, frequently hosts fun swaps.  This time, we're swapping pincushions with several other MQG chapters.  I pulled some favorite materials and printed off a paper pieced template.  This block is called Economy, and you can find it here.

I had fun with the directional newsprint and fussy cutting the center.

My first attempt finished at three inches (tiny!), so I'm including it is a mini extra.  Four and half inches seems like a more useful size.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the other great pincushions at our meeting tonight.

Stash Additions

I've ordered a lot of fabric lately for commissioned quilts.  Somehow a few pieces for my stash always sneak into those orders.  It saves on shipping, right?  These are usually new prints I love and colors I'm low on, but I have no specific plan in mind for them.
These are from several different orders, and I think it is clear my subconscious has designed a quilt. 

Aren't they great together?  I love the City Center map print, the text from Mama Said Sew (it's so hard to find a good dark gray print), some shot cottons, Kona snow, the edgy floral from Rock 'n Romance, and a Field Study print.  I may throw in the two Chicopee prints as well.

I also have fallen prey to fabric photos on Instagram.  One photo let me know this bundle was in stock over at Sew Mama Sew, and I had to have it.  These new Liberty Lifestyle prints are more economical than other Liberty fabrics, and have you seen the frame purses Kelly made with them? I need to make something with them soon.

Revisiting Granny

This past winter I made a baby quilt of granny square blocks, from Jolene's tutorial.  A wave of granny square quilts rippled through blogland.   I wasn't surprised; I love everything she makes.  These blocks are particularly striking when they are made, as she did, from scraps.  I mentioned before that I love how the variations in value makes the blocks twinkle.

An etsy customer asked me to recreate this baby quilt (which is still available by the way!) as a twin sized quilt. So I am revisiting granny, only this time she's super-sized.  I started with these sunny fabrics and some scraps from the original quilt.

I cut lots of 4.5 inch squares and ended up with a dozen blocks just over 17 inches square.

I'm waiting for more Kona white to arrive for the sashing and borders; then I need to decide on backing fabric.  Hmm.

Next up, I'll be creating a super-sized Flashdance for the same customer.  That should be an interesting exercise

Advent Calendar Class

I'll be teaching the Advent Activity Calendar pattern by Empty Bobbin Sewing at Bon Bon Atelier in Westport, October 13 and 27.  If you haven't been to this cute boutique, you have been missing out on a unique, local shop.  They have great fabrics, as well as gift items and yarn.  We'll be meeting in their classroom space.  And it is the perfect time of year for this project - you will be able to get it done in time to hang it up December 1st. Sign up for the class online here. 

I'll be sewing along with you.  I'm making a calendar for my sweet nephew whose mommy requested traditional Christmas colors.  It's going to be a lot of fun!

Beginnings

I've been sketching and pattern drafting for the beginnings of a commissioned quilt.  A lovely etsy customer asked me to make a quilt for her bedroom that is funky and original with a nod to the traditional art form.  All I need to do is be sure the colors fit into her space.  Talk about an offer I couldn't refuse, not to mention that I have a soft spot for chocolate, cream, and ice blue (Kona chocolate, Kona snow, and Kona Lake).

I've toyed with the idea of an entirely improvisational quilt, but this link shape popped into my mind when I was sketching. It is fairly simple to achieve with a few modified drunkard's path blocks, although it definitely requires precision piecing.

I used Kate Conklin's video tutorial for piecing curves without pinning.  My test block is a win.  Now to finesse the overall quilt pattern and decide if I like it enough to make more of these!

Pattern and Fabric Winner

The randomly selected winner is comment #7...Debbie!

Blogger Debbie said...
how sweet is that? I would love to recreate....
August 27, 2012 7:11 AM

Congrats Debbie. It's always fun to see someone win who is a frequent commenter too. Debbie has encouraged me a lot over the past year. Thanks! She has her own blog too, A Quilter's Table.  I've sent the pattern to your email, Debbie.  Email me back with your address, and I'll send you the fabric from Fat Quarter Shop.

There are still chances to win the pattern. The Fat Quarter Shop is also choosing three more winners of the pattern today, follow them to keep an eye on their twitter feed today. Thanks for entering everyone!

Talented Friends

I am so blessed to have many super talented friends, many of whom I met through the KCMQG.  What can I say?  We're stumbling over talented quilters here in the Midwest.  I've mentioned Angela, Lauren, Jacquie, Shea, Vicki, and more, but let me also say that my guild is brimming with a crazy number of amazing quilters whose work isn't shared on the internet.  So, join a guild if you can, people!

Today I am so excited to share big news from two of my talented friends.  Lauren of Aunt June fame has signed with Andover Fabrics to print her fabric lines!  I may have had a sneak peek or two, and let me tell you this stuff is incredible.  I can't wait to see it in stores.  This fabric will be the product of not only talent but sweat, tears, moneys and of course her unique sense of humor.

And I have been lucky enough to hear Angela teach on free motion quilting, but now anyone can take a class from her online at Craftsy!  Do you see the quilt she's working on in this picture?  That's right; it's the one I pieced for her a while back.  Check out her blog for a behind the scenes look at the video shoot.  Very cool.

I'm so proud to know these ladies, and I can tell you personally that they deserve every piece of success that is coming their way.

Fabric from Afar

Two packages from overseas arrived at my house this week, and it made me think how cool it is to have access to unique fabrics from all over the globe.  I found both sources on etsy!  Look at these gorgeous hand printed lovelies from Maze and Vale in Australia.  The rainclouds just get me.  I love the feathers too.

I've had my eye on a number of fabrics from UniqueShiny based in Seoul. These great paper-like prints come as a panel on a single piece of linen/cotton blend.  The other panel is information about Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and traditional Korean houses. 

These are all going in my special fabrics bin for just the right project.