Priceless really, if we are speaking about the hours spent selecting fabric, fussing over the pattern, piecing, quilting and binding, and then relishing in the victory of a finish (yea!). But a quilt has a different kind of value, one that Sew Katie Did got just right in this method. Scraps galore! See other WIPs at Freshly Pieced.
Showing posts with label Quilts and Crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilts and Crafts. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
A Quilt's Value
Priceless really, if we are speaking about the hours spent selecting fabric, fussing over the pattern, piecing, quilting and binding, and then relishing in the victory of a finish (yea!). But a quilt has a different kind of value, one that Sew Katie Did got just right in this method. Scraps galore! See other WIPs at Freshly Pieced.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Sprung Out
We moved into this house nearly 9 months ago, and this rose bush hasn't done a darn thing all that time. Except for now. The voluptuous, electric magenta of these medium sized beauties is filling our home with vitality.
Not much on the quilting front since I finished piecing a top from How to Make a Too Cool T-shirt Quilt. A decent publication, with detailed step-by-step instructions on how to put together all those t-shirts that you've been meaning to make a quilt out of for years. It's a unique, quick and hassle-free method. Yet to be quilted.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
WIP Wednesday
Stained glass pattern coming along. Anna Maria Horner really inspired me on this one. Her fabrics just go with this one. Still debating on whether to put a border around it or just bind it with the Kona Steele. Stay tuned.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Stained Glass

Craftsy is hit or miss for me these days. But once in awhile BINGO! and I'll snatch a brilliant pattern idea. Stained Glass by Pam Yeomans is perfect for Anna Maria Horner's True Colors and a few other extras I've thrown in the mix. Through the reds and yellows this weekend. The rest of the rainbow to follow. Stay tuned.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Pretty in Pink
Something about the combination of Jay McCarrol's Habitat and other pink and lime accent fabrics, reminds me of Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink.
A simple 4 patch of 6 in squares measuring 50 x 57 in makes this the perfect lap quilt for reading or enjoying a toasty beverage during chilly holiday nights. For one of my oldest, dearest friends who is an avid reader and has always channeled a little 80's Ringwald style.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Break for infinity
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| Delicious Field Study from Anna Maria Horner and PB&J from Moda Fabrics |
Had to make a break for infinity scarves. All the holiday quilting and crafting came to a head once I finished Pretty in Pink and some Scrappy Seasonal ornaments. A light trip to Owl and Drum reminded me of this very simple yet sophisticated project, especially when you have leftovers of beautiful fabrics, or find an odd quantity of something delectable, such as these from Anna Maria Horner and Moda Fabrics. Owl and Drum has a great grab bag stash! Store owner Bianca showed me some sweet samples of infinity scarves they are making for holiday gifts. Might just have to give these away too!
Combine youtube tutorials of infinity scarves to make your own wearable treasure! That's all it took.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
What Quilting Has Taught Me
| Pretty in Pink |
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| Scrappy Seasonal ornaments |
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| Scrappy Seasonal ornaments |
Above all else, to be patient, with my husband, my children,
friends, colleagues, and with myself.
Making a perfect quilt with exactly matching mitered
corners, pristine binding, and flawless quilting, is nearly impossible, and
this is evident early on in one’s study of quilt construction.
Quilting allows me to fudge a little, to forgive myself when
my blocks don’t match up or my rows don’t nest.
My brow furrows a bit, I push my glasses back up the bridge of my nose
and wrestle for a moment, knowing only I will remember where that fussy
cut could have been but wasn’t. And
that’s OK.
Quilting has taught me to appreciate the time at my sewing
machine, be it 5 minutes or 5 hours.
With each steady run of my sweet Bernina, that much worry and tangled
thought exits painlessly.
Quilting has taught me to think ahead, if even for a few
hours, whilst I select delicious fabrics, do some basic measurements, and dream
up a new design, always with someone in mind.
It has taught me to repurpose even the most miniscule scrap of fabric,
something that translates into a way of life.
It has taught me the beauty of creating something for
somebody, not just for creating’s sake.
It allows me to love a person and my relationship with them in a
very particular way. For what fun is it
to keep such treasured creations when happiness is sure to blossom when it’s
given.
Quilting allows me to think, to reflect, travel to the times
and places in my life, to repair feelings and worries about people and events.
It let’s me listen to music, uninterrupted.
It never stresses me out.
It fits me to a tea. It’s part of
my life’s work.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Funkdafied Scrappy Pumpkin
In the spirit of Scrappy Seasonal (and Michael's and Joann's great Halloween sale prices this weekend!) a $2 cardboard pumpkin mold + quilting scraps can be whipped up into something funky and repurposed (my fave!). Fabric designs include Jay McCarroll's Habitat in pink and some other fat quarter finds at Owl and Drum. Add a festive twine of berries and voila, instant crafting satisfaction. See Scrappy Seasonal for instructions.
Enjoy this spectacular Midwest weather, or wherever you may be this Halloween season.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Junk Hippy Roadshow and a Brown Recluse
FleaQuest has finally staked a place in my heart. Months ago I came upon Flea Market Style Magazine, and FleaQuest is their go-to guide for vintage/antique/repurposed marketplaces by date and location. So DFL and I hit the Junk Hippy Roadshow today in Tulsa after we cleaned up a crime scene at home.
I am a barefoot-at-home type of gal. It's better on my feet, and keeps dirt from getting tracked into the house. So we have a shoes-in-the-closet policy, and the kids miraculously abide. Wandering happily down the main hall of our home (barefoot of course), I saw two small insects marching in sync. No biggie right? As I approached them, I had to take a second look. It was a spider and a beetle, about the same 1/2 inch size. The spider was brown and 6-legged, and was stalking this poor black beetle across the hall. He eventually reached the beetle, crawled on top of him and began furiously spitting out his webbing to tie the sucker up! By this time my husband, father-in-law and son are ready to pounce. Is there a violin shape on the spider's back? If so, it's the dreaded brown recluse, stalking his prey in our own home! You be the judge.
The heebie geebies were flowing strong. What better an escape than some Junk Hippy Roadshow? So many wonderful repurposed furniture pieces, art, antiques, clothing, vintage quilts, and other notions. Catch em while you can.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Twinkle twinkle
Recently I finished up a Bernina mastery class at my local quilt shop. As I passed the front desk on my way out, this regal beauty hung high on the wall.
They call it Amish With A Twist II. I stared longingly at the stunning piecing and quilting, in fantastic solid-only color ways, and at 150in square, imagined it hung high on a wall in my home or on a california king. Maybe one day... I left the shop with a skip in my step just thinking about it
Over at a friend's house the next day, I caught a glimpse of a photo of AWAT II on her dining room table, and a fabric kit lying close by. Could it be? I stopped in my tracks, grabbed my friend and demanded an explanation. Yes, she joined the block-of-the-month club to make this other-wordly quilt. And so I joined her on this fantastic journey.
They say this quilt has a twinkle effect. I couldn't agree more. Stay tuned!
They say this quilt has a twinkle effect. I couldn't agree more. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
WIP Wednesday
Figured I'd jump on board with the rest of the quilting blogsphere and post work(s)-in-progress Wednesday. With every quilt finish comes an intense feeling of accomplishment, yet other projects begin filling my mind almost immediately.
Wee Woodland modified 9-patch.
This is the first quilt I pieced. I began it after my daughter was born as I was just learning to quilt. This was also before I earned the courage to free-motion quilt, thus credits for quilting go to Teresa. Still needs a binding and then will be perfect for fall picnics in the park.
5 1/2 in pinwheels
I found this stellar vintage small print fabric collection at The Fox and the Fable. Perfect 6-in charm squares of the prints and sandstone solid have made piecing these pinwheels a dream. Stay tuned!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
DFL
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| Heather Spence Designs Happy Independence Day! |
Remember me? Back in January, when the year was fresh and the air chilly, I found the Dragonfly Daze line by Northcott especially for DFL. This is a simple double size hourglass quilt top with an even simpler border. The hourglass blocks measure 9x9 inches.
The temperature is only about 80 degrees hotter today than it was that day in January, yet my husband and son trekked out to the back yard and helped me take a few photos of my latest project. See the finished product at Kumquat Quilts.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Stirling talent
Lindsey Stirling
Quite the performer. I stumbled upon Lindsey on another quilter's blog and I immediately fell in love with her combination of classical violin, funky moves and dramatic facial expressions. It takes some serious talent to rock the violin and brake it down. Bravo Stirling!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
In the name of Moore love
The Oklahoma City Modern Quilt Guild is donating finished quilts to the people affected by this week's tornado in Moore, OK. If you or someone you know is interested in donating a finished quilt here is the information to send it their way. What a gift that would be!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Sonoma Sunseeker
| Sonoma Sunseeker |
What a more perfect place for this finished piece than in Sonoma, CA with a very special couple. After years in San Francisco they finally took the dive and moved to the country, and of all places, the Sonoma wine country. And so we had to make a visit and hand deliver their housewarming quilt (see my method here). Nothing like an RV trip to bond the family like glue. Sonoma is a warm, gentle place, with an Anne of Avonlea-esque quality around every turn. Sweeping golden hills, roosters singing in the alleys, tasty charcuterie, and a warm, dry shawl of sunshine on you at all times.
Other highlights of our trip included a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. That place just never gets old. The Central Coast is always a pleasure, and a quick overnight in Paso Robles reminded me of that. Calico Ghost town was a last minute stop-over, and I recalled being there as a child only minutes before our arrival. Not much has changed in this old silver mining town abandoned in the mid-1890's. And there was even a small quilt shop, Mariposa Quilt Works, run by locals Ron and Sandy. And guess what, he quilts!
| Ron and Sandy, Mariposa Quilt Works, Calico, CA |
| Calico, CA |
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| Calico, CA |
A few other stops along the way sparked my interest in the whole RV camping culture, something I see more of in our future, in something like this...
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| Eddie Bauer Airstream Trailer |
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