Lykke - the Quilt

Lykke is finished.

(pronounced LOO-ka - a Danish word for

happiness, good luck, and/or good fortune)

This scrappy goodness was originally intended 

to be the backing for a later-donated 

half-hexagon top named Zephyr.

You can see photos of the finished back now top HERE.

It was far too warm, damp, weirdly overcast, 

and very windy the day I took photos.

I took a few more photos in the sunroom 

to show off the scrappy binding.

And this one to highlight the backing.

(Purebred by Erin Michael for Moda - several years old)

Quilted with my spiral fans 

using Glide thread in Warm Grey 4.

And if you wonder why I use my liberated fans

over and over again, Krista Withers explains it so well:

". . .  For some longarm quilters our tendency 

is to quilt the heck out of it. 

Yet often all that a quilt really needs is 

a flowing design to add texture and movement 

without overwhelming the quilt . . . "

This photo of the quilt draped over 

the folding chair upstairs in my studio 

offers a better sense of Lykke's colors.

58" wide x 70" long

* * *

January is the month when my

low volume quilts come out to play.

I'm elated that, after two years,

Lykke is now ready for action.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“There is a reason we don’t see the world in black and white.”

Celerie Kemble

Lined Drawstring Bags - Last Group and Wrap Up

Here's a photo of some of the bags in action

as we prepared for our early Christmas with 

Little Man and his parents last weekend.

The bags work SO well . . .

Re-purposed crumpled packing paper and/or 

air pillows/bubble wrap work great to "plump" up the bags

so the contents aren't quite so obvious.

I used shipping tags attached with large safety pins

for name tags - they also worked well.

And finally I have finished the last eight bags.

This is the smallest of the sizes I made.

The pattern calls this one the "CD bag" -

I named it the XXS size.

Here's another XXS lined with the

same fabric as the bag's body.

This is the third XXS bag - gotta love those lemurs.

This bag is the XS (my term) or the "DVD" bag (pattern term).

It is actually a very useful size

which surprised me.

A second XS bag made.

Elephants on the next XS bag.

A cool blue striped XS bag.

And finally the Perfect Treehouse XS bag.

* * *

Several of you asked about a tally of all the sizes.

There are ninety-two in all:

8 Extra Extra Small (CD)

10 Extra Small (DVD)

12 Small (Snack)

16 Medium (Everything)

15 Large (Project)

17 Extra Large (Artist)

and

14 Extra Extra Large (Laundry)

Now that they are finished,

I cannot believe I made THAT many!

The pattern I used is by Jeni Baker of In Color Order.

If you want to know more about her bags,

click HERE for her dedicated blog page.

* * *

I know I'll make more 

if these wear out or 

a custom bag is needed but

it feels SO good to be finished

with this year-long project.

If you want to see any of my other bags

you can click on the lined drawstring gift bag

label at the end of this post or in the sidebar.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”

Coco Chanel

Optic Strings - the Quilt

Optic Strings is finished.

Started in June 2019 as part of the

Unconventional and Unexpected QAL 

hosted by Sujata at Basket full of Scraps.

 

After getting the blocks designed and all the strips cut

from my stash of solids and reproductions, things stalled.

I used the format of the 100-Day Challenge as a jump starter.

Quilted with my favorite liberated unmarked spiral fans

using Glide thread in Pink.

Backed with Michael Miller's "Bellflower" print.

There wasn't enough yardage to match the print 

along the long center seam so I reversed the two lengths.

Since there is no defined top or bottom to the front

this made perfect sense to me.

Laid on the leaf-covered khaki grass,

the quilting disappears and the quilt's surface

looks so "flat."

I like the colors against the brown leaves - 

(this quilt has always read "warm" 

(as opposed to "cool") to me)

. . . color vs. drab . . .

And honestly I could not be happier with

my decision to change the binding fabric.

* * *

You can read all of the posts associated with this project

by clicking on the Optic Strings label below.

And you can read about its off-shoot companion quilt

named Conundrum by using its label.

I'll also be posting this finish over at 

Basket full of Scraps.

* * *

I have the January utility mats to finish up

and hopefully one of the two waiting low volume quilts

to FMQ and bind before month end.

But first, Little Man will be with us this weekend

and we'll celebrate Early Christmas

with his family on Sunday.

Time to sit back and enjoy the moments . . .

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“Brown is neither one of the basic color perceptions nor a primary color used in color mixtures, but for human beings it is constantly present both in nature and in their everyday surroundings. It is the color of the earth itself — of rocks and sand, of the bark of trees, of the fur of animals. In that sense, at least, it could be called the basic color of everyday life.”

Kunio Fukuda, The Colors of Japan, 2000

Merry and Bright - December Kitchen Table Quilt

Two years after this project began,

Merry and Bright, the twelfth of twelve monthly 

kitchen table quilts is finished and ready for use.

(you can read about the series HERE)

Finished size is 65" x 65"

You can read the flimsy's reveal post here

which includes a link to the free download

I used to design this quilt's top.

I took this photo outdoors before the quilt was laundered.

I am SO glad I went ahead and changed 

to this whole cloth backing.

And I do love the striped binding.

(not my usual Michael Miller Clown Stripe but a version

that is a bit narrower - maker unknown)

Quilted with liberated triple echoed orange peels

using Glide in German Granit.

* * *

Now back to packing away the autumn decor

and unpacking our Christmas things . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy—but mysterious. But above all, black says this: I don’t bother you—don’t bother me.”

Yohji Yamamoto

November Kitchen Table Quilt - Sweater Weather

November's kitchen table quilt is named Sweater Weather.

(no full shots because of the gusty wind and

 the fast moving sun/clouds)

The quilt top's reveal post is HERE

and the earlier "backstory" post is HERE.

Finished size is 65" x 65"

I am so glad that I went with this backing.

It couldn't be more perfect.

Quilted with liberated all-over fans

using Glide thread in Sienna.

(our first frost is likely by the weekend -

then the leaves will really start coming down

and it will be time to clean up the fading plants)

* * *

You can read about the other quilts

in the KTQ series HERE.

Only one more to go . . .

that top is ready and waiting for FMQ.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“Everything utilitarian needs a little red edge.”

Reno Dakota

Feisty - the Quilt

Feisty is my 2019 "Not a Mystery" quilt.

(for more on that, click HERE)

After countless evolutionary steps,

I used Marit's spiderweb method.

(you can read all of Feisty's previous entries on the blog

by clicking on the label at the end of this post)

I am beyond happy with the playful interaction

between the colors of the top and back.

Younger son and I ventured out for a photoshoot.

This was part of the scene - so peaceful.

The light was a bit harsh due to the hazy cloud cover.

In the shade under a tree.

A closer look at the back

under that same tree.

The finished quilt measures 51" x 66" 

Quilted with allover liberated fans 

using Glide thread in Nickel.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing?  Can one really explain this?  No.”

Pablo Picasso

Trick or Treat - October's Kitchen Table Quilt

Trick or Treat will be on our kitchen table this month.

It measures 63" x 63"

(in case you missed v1 of this quilt's top,

click HERE and read how it failed yet became v2)

This is the scrappy back anchored by this seasonal panel.

Quilted with liberated all-over fans

using Glide thread in Burnt Orange.

Back flipped to front.

Front flipped to back.

I am SO glad I bought this deep-toned Jason Yenter print 

even though I had no particular purpose in mind because

it turned out to be perfect as T or T's sashing and border.

* * *

You can see photos of all our kitchen table quilts

including links to their reveal posts HERE.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“Orange is the happiest color.”

Frank Sinatra

Farmland - September’s Kitchen Table Quilt

Farmland is finished!

64" x 64" 

September's kitchen table quilt was quilted 

with Glide thread in Military Gold (top)

and a wide variety of neutral Glide threads

in bobbins leftover from previous FMQ projects.

I used multiple FMQ motifs including organic lines,

both straight and wavy, my liberated all-over fans, and

a lot of letting the fabrics inspire the quilted lines.

(a single all-over design just did not

suit the inspiration concept of patchwork 

farm fields as seen from the air . . . )

The quilted texture is wonderful on the front -

but hardly shows at all on the back.

I am very happy with the way Farmland came together.

After a trip through the washer/dryer 

to enhance the quilted texture,

Farmland will take up residence 

on our kitchen table later today.

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------------------------------

“The colour with which nature has tinted the background of all her pictures, green, is the most suitable ground for other colours. It unites wonderfully well with the yellow and blue which have produced it; it heightens red, and there is no flower or ripe fruit which it does not set off to greater advantage... it is both gay and modest, bright and tender. Green can only awaken amiable and gentle thoughts, remembrances gracious as those of spring, and other promises of nature: green gives repose to the mind, as it does to the sight.”

Charles Blanc