Goals Set

Have you linked up your own 2017 FAL Q1 goals yet?  The party is open until 11pm EST (8pm PST) January 14th so don't delay.   Scroll to read all about it in my last post or hop there from HERE.

The timing couldn't be better for me to have WIPs high on my radar because my local guild is starting a new challenge along the same lines.  The mosaic lists the six WIPs that I'd like to get done.

Although (unlike you)  I'm not eligible for any FAL amazing prizes as one of the hosts,  I still want to share what I'm up to and have a way to track things.  Shown above L-R top then bottom row.

1) QuiltCon Mini Swap
Portions are started and concept nailed down.
Taking with me in six short weeks.

2) Glam Clam
Repeat appearance for this, it's been a top since shortly after the workshop.  It needs quilted and bound and put on my bed.

3) Reflections - BeeSewcial 2015
Roll over from last month when it was blocks and now it is a finished top so that's progress.  It needs quilted and bound and treasured forever.

4) Stretch - BeeSewcial 2016
Blocks need puzzling which now I know is quite an undertaking so I hope to work some magic and complete the quilt entirely.

5) Final 21st Birthday Quilt
I've been making a quilt for each of my nieces and nephews as well as my two boys for their 21st birthday.  Because I ran so tardy for my youngest, this one in blue for my nephew had to be put on pause.  I'm using the quarter log cabin pattern from the workshop with PamRocco.  A batch of blocks are done but more are needed.

6) Improv Workshop
Speaking of Pam Rocco,  this piece is from a Improv workshop years ago that sort of gave me the boost in confidence to do more of this style so it seems fitting to make something of it. .

Well that's what I'm got on my goal list, how about you?

Finish-A-Long 2017 Host

Exciting news to start the year off with - I'm joining in 2017 Finish-A-Long as a HOST!  The global community of bloggers has expanded even more this year:

• Rhonda - Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings - USA

• Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

• Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain

• Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia

• Abigail - Cut & Alter - Great Britian

• Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

• Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA

• Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain

• Sarah - Sew me - Northern Ireland

• Judith - Just Jude - Northern Ireland

• Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

• Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

• Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA (that's me!)
• Social Media Director - Sandra - Sew of Course - Ireland

I've been particpating since before I began blogging, linking up on Flickr way back in the First Quarter of 2012 and completing all three of these.   Makes me a little sentimental.

2012 FAL Q1 Goal Mosaic

Since then it's been on and off, hit and miss for me with the linky parties but that is the beauty of this wonderful quarterly event.   No pressure, no stress just an opportunity to set goals, encourage others, discover new makers and maybe even win a prize from our generous sponsors.

Starting on January 8th, you'll be able to link up your own 2017 Q1 FAL Goals right here or on any of my co-hosts blogs.  Please check out all of the hosts sites to get to know them and for more details.   I've created a FAL tab at the top of my blog with all of the important dates and rules. 

For those of you who may be less familiar with Finish-A-Long, here's a bit of backstory.    It  began in 2012 and for the past 4 years has been hosted by one blogger, while moving across the globe from the USA (Rhonda at Rhonda's [Quilt] Ramblings), to Canada (Leanne at she can quilt), to Scotland in the UK (Katy at The Littlest Thistle) and to New Zealand (Adrianne at On the Windy Side).   In 2016 FAL took a collaborative twist with multiple hosts covering several countries and continents sharing the honor: 

· Debbie - A Quilter's Table - USA

· Jess - Elven Garden Quilts - Australia

· Stacey - SLO Studio - Canada

· Jennie - Clover & Violet - USA

· Helen - Archie the Wonder Dog - UK

· Nicky - Mrs. Sew and Sow -UK

· Rhonda - Rhonda's Ramblings - USA

· Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

Shout out to all of the previous hosts.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue on this fun event.  Check back in a couple of days and I'll have things up and running.  In the meantime, start compiling your WIP list of projects to tackle.   Can't wait to see what you choose!

2016 FAL Q4: Two of Six

Two out of Six.  Not Bad.  Especially when you love them both.  Thanks to the boost from Finish A Long, the WIP list is chipping away. 

Typically, if I drop everything to make a project that has no deadline or specific recipient in mind, it will just sit and collect as a UFO until the purpose presents itself.  This time, I put the mini on my FAL Q4 list and got it done! All I had to do was sew on the binding but that step has tripped me up big time in the past. 

28"x29" Surround

Rachel of Stitched in Color had a challenge to create and share 30 designs on IG  Participating in this sparked a new found interest and if I may say so myself, a batch of successful future quilt prospects. 

Taking one basic shape and tossing, turning, cropping and filling. So much fun!  

And when I couldn't get it out of my head I recolored it to emphasize different areas.

I oversized the fabric and used the printed shape as a template guide with the intent of having them cropped slightly different rather than uniform.

Trim to uniform size

The before sample pictured below on the right sewed together accurately but not all of them did.   The freedom to not worry about wonky or having even edges is worth the trimming step IMO.

Using the mock up design as a general idea I played with layout and deviated from it and even included a partial block in the upper left.

before the surround 

Although I was happy with the shapes there wasn't quite the graphic look achieved with the two color version compared to the multi-color mock up.

Surrounded by the darker blue was just the ticket.  It allowed for the edges to escape out in areas expanding the movement.  I also added a couple more and chose to vary the outer width offset as I saw fit.  

There were shapes that jumped out like the imperial walker from Starwars and silhouette of a half vase in the lower corner as well as bending body parts throughout.

The absolutely perfect Amy Butler stash for the backing made me a little giddy when I discovered it.  I had thought for sure the odd hard to match periwinkle blue would be tough.

My friend let me use her long arm so I kept the whimsy going and doodled.    The creation of this mini brought me unexpected joy and reminded me how fulfilling designing and bringing to life a quilt can be.

The binding finished it up as a completed goal for FAL Q4 (posted here).   Usually I choose projects that take a lot of work to get done so I was glad to have been so far along with this one for once.  Aurfil thread stash also delivered.   The 40wt was fine because the color match was perfect.

Mosaic shared on IG 12 weeks ago!

Linking up for the party HERE.  Be sure to check everyone out and go give them a pat on the back.

The other finish I managed to do was to make something instead of just stash the stamped fabric that I had created during a play date with my friend.  

During a weekend sew-away with several other friends, I made a pin cushion and thread catcher.  Truth be told, I still toss my thread on the floor and stash thing like thread, extra bobbins and a seam ripper in it.  (linked up my finish via IG). 

 As for the other four goals, here's where they stand:

My Reflection BeeSewcial 2015 blocks are now - drum roll please - A TOP!!!  and an amazing one at that.  The puzzling on this was pretty much the entire focus at our guild's 5th annual retreat.  Four glorious days in the redwood.  Check out #beesewcial and #inspiredbybeesewcial if you're not already familiar with my talented mates.

My Stretch theme BeeSewcial 2016 blocks were not so lucky.  They will have their turn soon and I'm feeling now that I have the other under my belt it'll be less intimidating.  The unified denim jeans palette in theory should be easier than the last.

The final two unfinished goals Glam Clam from an old workshop and my Dresden blocks from a more recent one were not touched.

So there you have it!
Now to start compiling my 2017FAL Q1 goals because the linky party will be opening in a few days!

Happy Stitching and thanks for stopping by.

Army of Self Love - October BeeSewcial

Finished Blocks

The theme for our BeeSewcial month of October "Army of Self Love".  Kari is going to have an uplifting and powerful quilt.  I am proud to be part of this celebration of positivity and creativity with a focus on both individuality and unity.  Recognizing and remembering to not judge ourselves or others because of physical appearance despite the influence of our society to do so.

Here is my version of the "hourglass" shape, abstractly representing the female form in various skin tones and proportions surrounded by the shining light from within, the inner glow of true beauty that we all possess.

parts in the making

You can discover more about Kari and the amazing work that she creates in IG @quiltsforthemaking and on her blog Craft Happy.  Her MQG QOM Synapse will be in the Special Exhibit at QuiltCon.

full block

I happened to be chatting with my SIL who was home sewing and knew that my plans for the day included finishing up the second block.  So I tossed this tub of scraps in the car and invited myself up to her house.

solid scraps

Although the figures are meant to be standing tall as if marching in unity, I couldn't help placing this one on the bench for a photoshoot because in my mind, taking a moment to be present and sitting side by side enjoying the company of one another goes hand in hand with the theme too.

The upside of being so tardy with sharing my block is that I can include links for you to  check out my beemates posts including Debbie's improv hourglass tutorial.  She also has a yummy recap of her Baconrific Quilt. 

OS leggings 

I couldn't help but think of the theme while trying on and buying these leggings at the pop-up shop during a recent retreat - they come in only two sizes and the tag on mine reads OS "one size".  I felt like taking a pen and adding a "not".  Don't get me wrong, they are cozy, encourage women to be comfortable and are designed to conform to lots of shapes which I fully support.

 Thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings.  I've got so much more to share and will be back soon to catch up.

the "Resonate" Quilt: The Heartland Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Pat Bravo Design: The Heartland Blog Tour.  I'm thrilled to have been chosen as one of the 20 bloggers and hope you enjoy the projects I have to share.

The opportunity to play around with the newest fabric line by one of my favorite designers certainly had me jumping for joy.

The hop started Monday and runs through October 21st,  Katie at the The Simple Life Company is also taking a turn today.

Bringing an original design to reality has been an ongoing goal and so I chose a recent one with a Scandinavian style and similar color story to interpret.   Overall I think the modified version translated nicely with a slight tweak to the placement and scale.  

Original Design Mock Up 

Don't you just love the colors and prints of the Heartland fabric?   Droppar in Burst gave a perfect bright pop and Moondust for the sashing was a great alternative to using solids.  These are only a few - the line is huge with the famous "Feel the Difference" Art Gallery buttery softness was a dream to use.

on the Design Wall

Because much of my sewing is done after the sun goes down,  it's hard to get decent progress pictures.    The creative process and steps along the way are important - but so are pretty pictures!

Which leads me to my second thought - to include the my adorable granddaughter dressed in the luxurious Blomma Garden Pastiche in voile from the fabric line.  Fortunately for me, my friend Sue offered to sew a U-neck Tunic for the occasion.

Can you tell how cozy she is?  And such a good sport posing for me.  The out-takes are mostly blurry ones of her rolling around on the quilt because, well - it's that just that irresistible.

Another advantage to the lovely weave of Pat Bravo's Heartland by Art Gallery is that it behaves so well on the bias.  

Some makers might think paper-piecing a design with such severe angles would be necessary to avoid distortion and they would probably be correct - with other fabrics.

Same thing with 1" sashing - no problem.   It wasn't wiggly or unruly like you might suspect.

#TheHeartlandBlogTour on Instagram has a few sneak peeks.  Here's a progress picture mosaic showing the blocks at various stages of construction.   Making a pattern up as I go along is pretty rewarding - especially when it works.

Progress Pics

Thank you Pat Bravo Fabric Design for allowing me to be a part of the hop and for the beautiful Heartland Fabric.

Quilt Name: Resonate
Finished size 52"x53"
Original Design
Pieced and Quilted by me
October 2016

A little Giveaway: I'll send one lucky reader some of the extra fabric that I didn't use in my quilt - including the super cute Hus Hoot Gul owl print.  (sorry, international friends - this one's only open to US, domestic shipping).

To enter,  leave a comment below letting me know if you've brought an original design to reality or not and if so what did you think about the process?   I'll choose and announce a winner on Monday 10/17. EDIT: giveaway closed. Thank you all for your comments. Congratulations to Cheryl - I will contact you directly.

Happy Friday, Karen

Transitions - September BeeSewcial

For September, our BeeSewcial theme was Transitions.  Take a minute and read Anne's blog post because she says it way better than I ever could.  

You can also check out Instagram hashtag  #beesewcial to see how my mates have interpreted the challenge.  We would love for you to share your version with the tag #inspiredbybeesewcial .

Transitions - Two Bee Blocks

The block on the left measures 7"x25"   The one curve represents the bridge arch in the inspiration, the neutral surrounds as if imploding -a feeling associated with coping with change. A nod to paper piecing- with my improv paperless technique.  This technique I will definitely do again.

Block on the right 12"x21": colors are weather inspired for the 3 cities, Blue Sky (Ocean/Redwoods) Santa Cruz,  Snow for DC and Heat/Sun to represent Florida.  The design is based on houses - where we call home, but also my QDAD challenge entry that Anne encouraged me to make a  reality as well as her broken herringbone .  

In Progress Details

I've been embracing all kinds of techniques and approaches to quilt making especially as necessitated by the desire to sew original designs into quilts.  The creative zone achieved with this type of improv building and evolving as I go is really the sweet spot at the moment. 

Here are the two F+F2=AMSB blocks  in July 2013 as part of a bee for Anne.  They are one of my earliest use of symbolism that I recall and also one of the rare examples of my effort paper piecing

Now it feels like second nature to make with meaning - pp, not so much!.

initial parts

Crowdsourcing 

I went to bed perfectly happy with the block (option 3 above) and then woke up with the urge to add a bit to disrupt the bar and crowdsourced on IG which was a blast.  There were a few version 2 takers but #1 and the original were a tie.  I opted to leave well enough alone.

Exploring Layout

Because the blocks were made in tandem, I toyed with the idea of joining them into one large block but the beautiful portion that I'd grown so fond of seemed to get lost (see above).  Framing out in neutral was the right choice. 

Underbelly

When you cut and sew as you go, there are time when "the best part" gets sucked up into a seem or snipped off and discarded.   It's just part of the process.  This also means that joints pile up where you would not have as many had you calculated and positioned where they hit in advance.

gutted - the cut away

This clump was cut away from the middle of a perfectly lovely improv slab when I pushed a tad bit too far.  I had to laugh and keep its as a souvenir. 

SBAMQG Show and Tell Oct

When I headed out to our SBAMQG Guild meeting I wanted to show off the blocks before mailing them to Anne, especially since everybody misses her!  Flimsy blocks are hard to hold and get crumpled in transit so I tacked them to each side of a scrap of batting.

SBAMQG Show and Tell Oct

Of course if you didn't know that - you'd assume they were minis and probably wonder what I was doing making them different shapes without enough coverage.  This one especially could stand alone as a wall hanging or pillow.  It isn't likely that I'll replicate it - too many other projects on the horizon - but the idea will percolate and probably spark a sequel.

scrap pull

Linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday October edition.  Let's Be Social at Sew Fresh Quilts and Oh Scrap!