Sunday, December 29, 2013

Bean Pot


Six of 20 bean pot blocks. I'd like to say that my miniature piecing skills have improved with each block, but I don't think that is the case. Well, they all measure 5 inches square and that is what they are supposed to be, so I'm not complaining. Fun to make. I added some blue fabrics because my original fabric choices of dark greens and browns just ended up looking all dark and not very interesting. I'm going to use a few brighter fabrics like the blues and probably some reds to see how that looks. Working on this small scale you don't really see the prints so much as the overall color. Well, that's what I think right now, I'll see when I add the sashing.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Little Things


This little embroidery is a transfer pattern from Sarah Jane Studios that I bought at Maine Quilts last summer. It was really fun to stitch. The stitches were mostly stem stitch, lazy daisy, and french knots. There are a few buttonhole stitch circles as well. Isn't it sweet? I framed the piece with blue cotton and the same fabric on the back. I have wanted to make a fabric book using some of my embroidery pieces, some little quilt blocks, and other odds and ends. I'm collecting them together and will try to make them all roughly the same 12 x 12 inch size. Maybe you have seen some of the lace and doily books on the internet or the fabric journals, that's what I'm modeling my book on. I think it will be fun and instead of these pieces being stored away in a drawer, now they will be stitched together in a book. 


My next little thing is a 5 inch block from a book I bought at our Back Roads quilt show in October. The book is Civil War Legacies by Carol Hopkins. I'm starting with the first pattern in the book. It is called Alexander's Bean Pot. This is known as the Rolling Stone quilt block. the light corner triangles are cut from 1 1/4 inch strips and the dark blocks are only 2 inches square, so you can see the pieces are very small to work with. I put in my straight stitch needle plate and the foot that goes with it so that the needle doesn't get sucked down into the bobbin. This makes it much easier to sew the seams.


Not absolutely perfect, but it is very close to 5 inches square. Practice makes perfect and I have 19 more blocks to make for this little quilt. I'd like to make all the little quilts in this book. Let's see if I can get one done. 

We are having freezing drizzle in Maine now. Everything is very monotone so it is good to be inside working on a colorful quilt. Enjoy!









Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hoffman Challenge 2014


Here's the 2014 Hoffman challenge fabric. I don't always like their challenge fabric, but this one is a beauty.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Luminosity



Christine Barnes + Color! Wow, I would love to explore her color theory work more hands on. It would be fun and so beneficial to take a class with her. Watching her videos on the Quilt Show has given me a whole different take on what fabrics I want to buy. Hand dyes, batiks, ombres. 

Take a look at her website here. 

Friday, December 6, 2013

Christmas Ornament tutorial



Here is a lovely Christmas tree ornament from CroutonJack on YouTube. It is made from 2 circles of fabric, 1/2 yard will make about 12 ornaments. Use up a few scraps and make someone happy! Enjoy!

Thursday, December 5, 2013