Sunshine and Rainbows

I've already confessed about what a "joiner" I am so it should be no surprise that I hopped on board the Summer Sewing Contest at Ellison Lane Quilts.  Check it out: low key and loaded with prizes. Today's blog hop is SewCraftyJess with the most delicious Scoops Scallops design. The gorgeous blue sky and mid-seventies  weather has me smiling and ready for Summer and ice cream.

Patchwork Prism Parts

The most recent QAL for me is Patchwork Prism because there was just no way I was going to resist AMH and a radiant rainbow design.  Progress has been slow going but these are the parts I have so far on the design wall.  I decided to reduce the pattern to 97% to match the acrylic template I used to make Melissa's 21st Birthday Vernal Equinox quilt nearly 3 years ago.  This should speed up the cutting or so I am hoping.

Vernal Equinox

Rainbow Resource

The very first blog that I ever followed was Exuberant Color. Wanda is so talented and a wealth of information. I wished I lived close by and could take her color value class and see her show. If you're in NC, check it out. The batik Crooked Cobblestone series is one of my all time favorites.   Someday I will make my own.

Jeni at In Color Order also has a really well thought out resource available Art of Choosing . Major Eye Candy.  I'm hoping to take her class in October at Sewing Summit in SLC. 

I did not know that...

This week has been full of exciting blog activity for me; lots of comments and new followers.   I learn so much all the time, for example I hadn't connected the dots to realize the Just Passing Through block designers are the authors of a book on my wish list: Transparency Quilts (thanks Linda).  I could have gone on forever without knowing that my Duck and Cover blog post was pinned by Robert Kauffman for their Dr. Seuss pinboard if it weren't for Tina and Nicole. My son is probably really glad he was hiding behind the quilt now!

Linking Up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

What have you joined lately?

Busy with Bee Blocks

NuBees May Hive #5

This weekend has been productive. After finishing a quilt it always feels good to do something small and attainable so I started off with my May Bee Blocks.

Just Passing Through - Rainbow

Just Passing Through - Blue and White

I sat out of NuBees for a few months trying to catch up on projects and am glad to participate again.  The hive is smaller than usual with 4 to make.

Just Passing Through - Orange/Aqu

A perfect excuse to finally work out of my new book Modern Blocks. Narrowing it down to just one out of 99 wasn't easy so I went with my gut and chose the one that caught my eye the most: Just Passing Through designed by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.

Just Passing Through - Gold/Orange

Which is your favorite?

Clearing Out the Cobwebs

These blocks in Aqua/Red/Pink with Black & White for Lee of Friends+Fabric=A Modern Swap Bee were a lot of fun - and what a mess!  Those scappy designs really get me going, I had a blast digging around my buckets, cutting, trimming and deciding what goes where.

We used  Heather's tutorial  for the Spiderweb found on the blog with my favorite quilting playlist... Even though I had made some a year ago in the  Scrapbuster Swap , it took a bit to clear out the cobwebs and remember what I had learned - like how to create a 1/4" so the star tips don't get cut off and how to make the center joints line up. I can't wait to see them all together with the secondary pattern.

Linking up to Sew Modern Monday and  Manic Monday

Duck and Cover & Sewing in Circles

Side One

 Side Two

Those of you who have seen my finished quilts on flickr know that I like to take a picture on my front porch. I'm sure my neighbors are use to it by now and I have my kids pretty well trained, they no longer roll their eyes when I ask.  In fact, they have the routine down so well I don't even have to direct anymore: front, back and partially flipped to show both.


I think I'll call it:

Thing One & Thing Two meets 

Side One & Side Two

Duck and Cover photo shoot

Usually it's just a peak of the corner but in this case it was more like a 50/50 flip and I was cracking up by the way my son squatted down to stay out of the picture. Duck and cover is a bit hard to do at nearly 6ft tall. I teased him that I was going to blog about it - so now you know the back story to my favorite shot of this quite possibly over photographed baby quilt.  Progress posts here and here.

The baby arrived safe and sound I'm happy to report and it's a BOY.  Even tho the quilt was designed for either, if it had been a girl I'd have missed a rare chance to do it up pink and frilly so I'm kind of pleased.

Sewing in Circles

eyes closed and always talking -classic!

When I first made this runner the most difficult step was drawing the circular line in chalk. This time I used my new Frixion pen and it worked like a dream - so much less frustrating.  Although having ink with the ability to disappear and reappear is kind of disturbing -  I'm sold.

Less Than Traditional -Four Patch Star

When my son's girlfriend admired my runner a few weeks ago, I suggested that she make one for her mother for Mother's Day. She's only hand sewn pillows before and had never used a sewing machine - I was SO excited to be the first to teach her.  She loved pulling fabric from my stash and went on and on about the fabric: my kind of girl.

Because using a rotary is an acquired skill, I cut the strips and she stitched the four patches.  Pretty impressive for the first time behind the wheel and my new Baby lock Serenade with the speed control, needle down and other handy features made it nice too.

It's been years since I made the first one and about a year since I made this Hawaiian version and somehow I'd forgotten how awkward sewing in circles can be. Like manipulating the curves of a winding road when you've just barely learned to drive. What was I thinking!  After a rocky start with the first two attempts, she had it wired and whipped out the rest staying right on the line -I was truly impressed. 

Linking up to Sew & Tell Friday - Go check it out!

Slash the Stash - April

Binding attached

FMQ with gray Aurifil

Playful Puzzle Shaped quilting

I recently helped my SIL order fabric to make Dr Seuss quilts and we both got all sentimental about having read the books to our kids when they were little.  So when the opportunity came up to make a family friend a baby quilt, I just had to go there too.  There are so many adorable designs in this Robert Kaufman line and I hear they'll be releasing it in minky.

Most of the fabric was generously given to me because she had "extra" from her project. I did purchase the two larger pieces on the back and the binding but the rest I'm proud to say is from my stash. Primary blenders were pretty easy picking.  I finished the last of the hand stitched binding tonight - after all, the baby is due in 5 days.

Linking up to Slash the Stash - this and most all of my sewing in April has been from my trusty buckets including this sneak peek project.  How about you, any slashing going on?

Two Sides to every Story - and Quilt

Dr Seuss backing Stripe

When I first started making quilts, the backing was just something needed to hold the front and batting together.  For years it was a solid piece. Then it became a few chunks of fabric.

Now, it feels like another opportunity to tell a second story. The relationship to the front; how it compliments or competes is really quite intriguing to me. 

The freedom to explore the limitless possibilities when designing the backing, especially when the design of the front is uniform or predictable is very appealing.  I've found that sometimes, I like the back better than or at least as much as the front.  In the case of Dr Seuss Sparkle Punch, I'm certainly having more fun with the sequel. 

The inspiration for my back design came from a combination of the one I saw at The Stash and this one by Iheartcharms. Linking up to {Sew} Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and Manic Monday at SewHappyGeek - go take a peak for a wealth of ideas.
How about you - what's your feeling about the back of a quilt?

It's like a Puzzle

 
The stack of 5" squares I prepped for the BAMQ Sew In last weekend seemed like a lot, but I had underestimated the number needed for a 45x54 baby quilt by a lot.

"Quilt math" as I like to call it is my least favorite part of the process but this should be easy, 10x12=120 less75 made = 45 more to go, right? Well, yes and no.

Because there are full and partial stars in Sparkle Punch I was faced with the dilemma of determining exactly what parts to the puzzle were missing.  After way too much thinking and placement fiddling - I decided to throw it up on the design wall and just fill in what I needed visually. A way better approach than math for me - this is the end result.

Elizabeth's QAL has the assembly done in quadrants so I'm splitting this into four and hope to have a top to share soon.  

Wait 'til you see what I have in store for the backing.....

BeeBlocks:Raspberry Papaya Daffodil

Teal We Meet Again

Finish It Up

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts along with these two because although the Dr. Seuss top isn't done, the parts are all accounted for and that qualifies in my book!  Who knows, maybe by mid-night I can get it all sewn together and then I won't be such a rule bender.

Here's a question about the Dr Seuss quilt: Gray or What?
I get a bit of grief on a regular basis for using so much grey... but because I didn't want white (impractical for a baby and besides, the Thing One and Thing Two fabric would blend out). What other color for the background could I have chosen?
 
Happy Quilting!