Design Wall Monday

      I just came back from a 4 day quilting retreat; so I have a lot to share. I finished 2 quilts that have been on my design wall recently. All they need is to have backs made for them, and be taken to the quilter. The first is my bird cages quilt, aka, Missing Monkeys.

 

     The second is the lap version of my Native Harvest pattern. I started this quilt last summer, to help me write the pattern for the first Native Harvest quilt. I guess I will have to think up a new name for this quilt since Native Harvest really doesn't fit this color way. I will have to think about this.

    
     When I look at these 2 quilts I am struck by how different they are in so many ways. The colors, fabric style, one quilt is very controlled while the other is pretty loose. I really enjoyed making them both. I wonder how many others really enjoy making quilts that are so diverse. Do you prefer either very traditional patterns and fabrics, or very contemporary patterns and fabrics? Do you feel driven to go back and forth between the two as I do?

     Since this is Design Wall Monday, I had intended to show what I have on my design wall at home now. At retreat I also worked on some blocks for my solid quilt. Now will only need 2 more blocks before I can start working on the setting triangles and sashing.

         I also allowed myself to start on something new. Unfortunately I will not be able to show you these things since I am writing this from a car repair place, and I forgot to take those pictures before I left home this morning. I will have to show those later in the week, along with all of the other beautiful quits that were in progress around me at retreat.

    I know there are tons of other fabulous things to see at http://www.patchworktimes.com/ for Design Wall Monday. Go and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ready for Assembly!

     So, finally all of the panels of this quilt are finished, and are ready to be assembled.

     This is just the top 2/3s because the loom is blocking the bottom portion of the quilt. I dream about someday having an unobstructed view of my design wall one day in the future.

     My friend, Mary was the one who suggested a thin strip of the center fabric to separate the triangles, and strips from the economy blocks around the other panels. I like it, and the way it gives me an excuse to repeat that fabric. Did I tell you? The other day I found more of that fabric at Scarlet Thread, and bought a yard of it in case I decide that I want to use it for the binding. Right now I think that I will want to do just that.

     After I get this center sewn together, I will trim down the triangle panels to fit the rest of the quilt. I will finish off the quilt by adding some 2" wide panels all the way down the length of the quilt.

       Can you see what I mean in this drawing?

     Usually, I have a really difficult time thinking up names for my quilts; but this quilt seems to have tons of name possibilities. I originally planned to call it The Bird Cage Quilt, for the bird cages on the large focus print. My friend, Eleanor, always thinks this quilt has monkeys on it somewhere(which it doesn't)so we thought about calling it Where's the Monkey?, or Missing Monkeys. Yesterday, another friend, Helen, was here and said the center fabric reminded her of peacock feathers. I was happy to hear that, since there are also peacocks in the fabric with the bird cages. Another name possibility: Peacock Feathers, or Monkeys and Peacock Feathers.

    Whatever I end up calling it; this quilt is pretty wild for me. I challenged myself to use several different types of fabrics: Kaffe prints, batiks, paisleys, etc. I hope I will still like it after I get it quilted. Usually, I like things better after they are quilted, so I have high hopes on that score.

     I will be speaking at the lunchtime program at Art Station, in Stone Mountain Village on February 18th at noon in conjunction with my guild's quilt show. If you come, you will get to see some of my quilts in person. It would be fun to meet some of my readers!

That is what I am up to these days. Thanks for stopping by!

    
    

Design Wall Monday

     I am in a bit of a hurry today, I took on a Christmas temp job and it is turning out to be way more hours than I thought it was going to be. I am grateful for the work, but I am only barely staying up to date on other things I am trying to accomplish. Such as getting Christmas presents out in the mail, and blog posts...

     Anyway, I have been working on this quilt on and off since this February. It all started with this fabric that was given to me for a birthday gift by a dear friend years ago.

        I didn't really want to cut it into small pieces, so I just cut the yard I was given into 4 equal panels, and sewed some borders around them.

I am going to lay the blocks out like this.

     I have long thought that the paintings of Gustave Klimt would be great source material for making quilts because of his use of patterning. This painting is one I had been looking at, thinking that I could use some of the elements in a quilt.

     So, I thought it would be fun to incorporate some of these design element with the large blocks of this quilt. Forgive me if you have read this explanation before, but I first discussed this when this blog was less than a month old, and I had about 30 page views, so I'm guessing this won't be a problem for many of you.

  












     This is a drawing of the layout I am planning.

     Many steps later (If you are interested in seeing more of the steps look up my bird cages quilt labels) this is where I am with this quilt. I have really enjoyed including a wide range of fabrics in this quilt. There are everything from Kaffe Fassett, to batiks to traditional paisleys and such.
 

   
     My quandary is this: My original plan was to put rectangles in opposing quadrants, and equilateral triangles in the other opposing quadrants. The alternate option is to do the rectangles in all 4 quadrants. Here is a photo of what it looks like with rectangles in the top 2 quadrants.

     What do you think? Is my original plan too confusing? I am going to have to think about this awhile. While I do, go see all of the other pretties in progress at Patchwork Times' Design Wall Monday!

   And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Finally Getting Back to Some Earlier Projects

       I have been having so much fun seeing all of the lovely quilts on The Blogger's Quilt Festival. What a brilliant idea. But, I have spent hours looking at the quilts, and I have only gotten to quilt #300. What is that-half way through!

   My customer was kind enough to send me a photograph of The Let's Polka quilt and pillows in place in her bedroom; and give me permission to use it in my blog.

     Since that project is finally completed and delivered, I have pulled out some projects from earlier in the year. I have been working on my solid quilt. I thought I was finished with these units, but when I was sewing them together I realized I needed about 82 more. There is more information about making these units in my January 22, March 28, April 2, and June 22, blog posts. Here is a photo of when I sewed some of the units into giant blocks at a summer retreat.

     I have also done some work on my Bird Cage Quilt. Boy, these blog posts would ramble on a lot less if I could only learn to work on one thing at a time! Not gonna happen though. I have been working on piecing some triangles.

     I am trying to decide if I want rectangles on all four corners of the quilt, or rectangles on opposing ends, and triangles on the other opposing ends. I won't decide until I get some equilateral triangles pieced, and put up on the design wall. This is going to be a pretty wild looking quilt either way.

     I had to take a temporary break from making pot holders. Remember this photo of the batting and backs cut? I thought this was more than I would ever use!

          
     They are all used! I had to wait until I could get to the store to get more of the ironing board cover fabric I was using for the backs. Tomorrow I will post some of the finished pot holders in my Etsy shop.

     That is what I have been up to. Thanks for stopping by!

Waiting for back fabric, a new project

    I found out today that one of my quilts will hang in the Georgia Quilt show.  

 
    I met with my client last week, and she chose colors to go on the back of the Let's Polka quilt. Now I am waiting for that fabric to get here before I can proceed.

     In the mean time, I have been working on more HSTs for the solid quilt. All of the squares are paired and marked.

     I also have been working on some pieced triangles for the Bird Cage Quilt.

     These will be mixed in with a couple of other types of equilateral triangles in groupings in the blank areas in some of the corners.







     I made these by cutting the central triangles. Then I added a long thin strip.

 

I trimmed the strip after it was sewn to the triangle. Ignore the piece of tape. It is on the ruler for an entirely different project. 

     I even let myself start a new project. I have been wanting to try his for a while. It is going to be similar to a trip around the world, but I want to try something a bit different. I have all of my strips cut.

 

    I have made myself a cheat sheet so I can  remember the order of the colors.

     I got one strip set sewn together to see what it looks like.

         But when you find yourself sewing strips of the same fabric to each other, it is time to give up and go to bed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Top Sewn Together, Pillows Finished

      The Let's Polka quilt top is sewn together. I took it's picture in the back yard yesterday. Good thing I took the picture yesterday; because it has rained most of today.


     I have a meeting with my client tomorrow so she can see it and choose a color for the back, and a color for the binding.

   








   She also wanted 2 pillow shams. I made 7 pillow tops for her to choose from.

     I sure hope she likes them!

      When I was in Batavia, one of the neighboring vendors suggested that I should approach a distribution company with my patterns.  In preparation for that I am redoing most of the covers. Some of them have my previous P. O. Box on them. Most of them needed to have my Etsy and blog address added to them.

     Speaking of Etsy, I was approached on Etsy to do the Briar Patch Arts Festival in Eatonton, GA, on October 27. Since I have always wanted to do a show in that area; I decided to try it. 

     My friendship group met tonight. I got to work a bit on my Solid quilt, and my Birdcage quilt. I haven't yet photographed what I did tonight, but I will in time for the next post.

     Thanks for stopping by!

A Joy, a Disappointment, and a Dilemma

     You know how it feels when you have been putting off doing something, then, all of a sudden you just do it; and it feels so good to have it done? There was a desktop computer on my desk that I have not used since I got internet service put in this house; and was told that they could not hook it up to that computer without another adapter because the connections on that computer were too old. Ever since then I have just used my lap top. I mean, this desk top computer is only from 2001! I been meaning to get rid of it forever. I finally did it! I had been putting it off because I thought it would take a long time to take the  files that I wanted to save off of it. I reality, it took about an hour to copy those files and dismantle the thing and take it downstairs. And now look at my nice clean desk! It's like having  brand new workspace! What a great feeling to have that finally done. It only took 2 1/2 years.

     There is something I want to warn you all about. I have my quilts and patterns on Etsy. I love the sense of community you find there; and all of the information they are always putting out to help their seller/artists. I have had some success on Etsy too. The red and white quilt order came from Etsy, and I sold another quilt there last fall. This weekend I got an inquiry about one of my quilts. I was suspicious about it because the person asked me to respond to their private email address instead of answering through the Etsy message system called "convos". So, I ignored the persons request to use their private email; and just answered them with a return "convo". Then I wrote Etsy, asking if I was right to be concerned. Apparently, I was. Being asked to respond through your private email is a sign of trouble. It is so nice to have someone to write to and ask this and get a response in 36 hours. I just wanted to share that experience for any of you who are new Etsy users; and like me, aren't all that confidant with these wonderful tools in we have in the digital age.If they ask you to respond to their email address, they are trying to lure you into dealing with them outside the Etsy system. The next step may be to offer you more than you have your item listed for; and get you to send them back money. Their Pay Pal payment will be a forgery, and if you have shipped your item; that's gone too. They especially target shops that have high ticket items, and a small amount of sales.

While Regina has the red and white quilt; I made the label for it today. That way, when I get it back from her, it will be ready to go on the quilt. The binding is already made and ready to go on the quilt. Here is what the label looks like.

I have been working on the quarter square triangle blocks for the Let's Polka quilt. I cut 2 squares. Then I marked and sewed them corner to corner like you would to make half square triangles. But, after sewing, I cut them in a big X.

 This gives you enough pieces to make 2 blocks. Many of my blocks have strips, so I end up with one block with horizontal stripes, and another block with vertical stripes.

I have also been working on my bird cage quilt. That is where the dilemma comes in. This was my original drawing.

In the drawing, I have strips on one side of he panel, and equilateral triangles on the other side of the panel.Though I didn't draw it in; I plan to repeat those two things, only switch the sides on the lower portion of the quilt. This week I got the strips sewn together, mostly by using them as leaders and enders (Bonnie Hunter style), while I was working on other things. I put both strip panels up on the design wall on the upper half of the quilt to see what they look like. I kind of like the symmetry.

I will have to make a panel of triangles before I can decide for sure. Then I can try it out both ways. But maybe I will end up with just strips in all 4 areas. 

Well, that's what I have been up to. Thanks for stopping by!
 

Here's What I Got Done at Retreat

      I got all of my solid blocks sewn and pressed.

      I got this many pressed, when I realized I pressed them wrong. Augh!

 
     First, I was pressing them like the block on the left; very neat and satisfying, but not soon enough; I realized that wouldn't be so good when I sewed them to each other. I realized that if I pressed one center seam towards the center, and the second seam away from the center, like the block on the right; I could twist alternate blocks when I sew them to each other so that seam fits together and there is less bulk. Why does it take me so long to figure these things out??? I couldn't bear to correct them all at once, so I fixed a handful of them, and sewed the first 2 seams of the square in a square blocks for my Bird Cage quilt for an hour or so, then fixed another handful. Eventually, I fixed all of the solid blocks, and got the 1st 2 seams on my Bird Cages quilt done too.

     I keep all of the pieces for 1 block pinned together as I sew the different seams. This helps keep me organized.

     Got a few rows added to my Ellipses quilt.

     I am just 2 rows shy of being half way done!

     I know I said that I wasn't going to bring my kaleidoscope quilt with me, but then I thought I hardly ever get to finish a quilt at retreat; so I shouldn't pass up the chance!

      So this is my first quilt top finish of 2012. I wanted to get one done per month, so I'm not doing too well so far, but maybe I will catch up as time goes on.

     I have many pictures of quilts made by the other retreat participants, but I will save those for the next post.