Gotta Love It - the flimsy

The scene early this morning . . .

By the end of the afternoon, Gotta Love It had become a freshly-pressed flimsy!

(shown here draped from the end of the ironing table)

Inspired by Retro Blooms, Wendy Williams (Quilts Down Under)

Woo Hoo!  

LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

52" x 76"

Later in the week, I'll share progress on what promises to be a very scrappy back.

Quiltdivajulie

Not Yet ... But Soon!

I will NOT start on this until the pickles are done! 

Karen Griska is holding a Quiltalong featuring her asterisk tutorial . . . you can see the fabrics I've pulled.

I've wanted to make a black and white and blue quilt since Jackie first started the Black and White Quilt Challenge but it just hadn't happened ~ until now (oops, I mean soon).

See, I've even  put the box of black and white fabrics way down there on the bottom shelf ~ behind my newly finished pondering chair.  [That's the liberated letters fabric for Jester on the end of the cutting table . . . Jester and Spirit Song MUST be flimsies before I can work on the asterisks . . . must resist . . .]

And no, you are not imaging things ~ I did change the template and design of the blog . . . how does it feel to you?  Yes?  No?  What works and what doesn't?  (Not promising I can figure out how to tweak certain bits and pieces, but I'll give it a try). 

Here's to the weekend!

Quiltdivajulie

Finally Friday . . .

I know, I know ~ I was supposed to be stitching together the last three rows of MIL's birthday quilt Wednesday evening after dinner . . . but I couldn't help starting my next B&W challenge quilt Jazzberry Jam featuring string pieced roses (inspired by the the pattern named Paper Roses). They've been calling to me for a while now, and I just couldn't hold out any longer. You can see the glorious backing fabric at the bottom of the photo.


Last night I had a migraine so there was no serious work possible. Instead, I pulled out a stash of 2-1/2" pieces (including some left after making Feverish) to start a two-rail-fence baby quilt for K & B (they are expecting their first in February; K is our summertime runner at the law firm). One rail will consistently be a scrappy green while the others will feature random rainbow colors. Borders, binding, backing? No clue yet ~ this is a happy-scrappy-wait-and-see project.



And this is Moonlight at Delicate Arch ~ the first stabile that DH has completed. He's wanted to make pieces like this for so long (learning curve, technical issues, and most of all, time have gotten in his way). Today, DA is on my desk to gather feedback and reactions (complete with a note that reads "yes, it is okay to touch"). [click here to see Mother Nature's inspiration.]

Here's to the weekend!

Quiltdivajulie
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Stabile: (stā'bēl), an abstract construction that is completely stationary. The form was pioneered by Alexander Calder, and examples were termed stabiles to distinguish them from mobiles, their moving counterparts, also invented by Calder.

A Little of This and a Little of That

Look what arrived in the mail today from the Calico Cat's house . . . SO many wonderful selvages!  Woo Hoo!!!  Thanks, Amy!!

I found the perfect binding fabric (at left) in my stash for Feverish . . . need to get it cut and sewn onto the quilt so I have more binding to work on (binding is a good thing).

I've also been working to restore some order in my studio. Too many projects running all at the same time tends to create a joyfully chaotic jumble of colors ~ which leads to spending too much time trying to find the "right" piece instead of sewing.

My next black and white challenge project can be seen through the walls of the almost-clear storage box above. My third color is Jazzberry Jam (honest, that is a real color developed by Crayola in 2004 with personality traits listed as *hot* *energetic* *loud* *courageous* and *powerful*).  The fabulous Kaffe Fasset yardage for the back absolutely lives up to those traits ~ hence the almost certain name for the quilt.


Spent some time re-folding my black and white stash.  And the green-lidded box holds the silks, etc. for Lauren's Asian Odyssey wall quilt.  The fabrics underneath will become sashing and borders.  The backing (from Hancock's of Paducah) is due any day, after which I'll no longer have many excuses for not working on this one (the long pondering time is winding down ~ action is now needed).

On the second design wall in the guest room, you can see the first quarter-block for my scrappy baskets quilt. This one is calling loudly for attention ~ especially since the backing fabric arrived today from e-quilter.  Now I'm really excited about working on this one!

I've finished the binding on three more Priority Quilts (numbers 7, 8 & 9 towards my goal of 12 for this year, photos soon) and Sweet Cream Roses made its way through the washer/dryer Tuesday evening (amazing how the French Roses change after laundering).

Printed out a couple of Mary's Heartstrings quilt patterns to use for Mountain Baby Blanket quilts ~ my boxes are overflowing with colorful, scrappy 2-1/2" strips and these patterns will be perfect for in-between, semi-mindless stitching.  There's also a special baby quilt that was added to the list today.  The law firm's former runner (now a teacher who works for us during the summers) is expecting.  Yippee!

This photo shows part of the pieced back for Dave and Friends and two hanging sleeves (for top and bottom so the quilt will hang better on the wall) ~ now I can hand it off to Chris when we meet up this coming Sunday.

Quiltdivajulie
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"The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.”

(Blaise Pascal)

Stash & Progress Notes

My order from e-quilter was waiting for me on the front porch last night when I got home after work ~ the fabrics are gorgeous!!

They've already been washed/dried/folded and will be used in one or more of the B&W challenge quilts I have planned for later this year.

I especially love the bottom piece ~ it is one of the Laurel Burch "basics" line.

I managed to stitch for a little while last night, so I snapped a series of process photos for the curved HST batik blocks. If you're curious about the method, you can see them here.

Big item to note - these are pieced with 1/8th inch seams. Seams wider than that cause the untrimmed block to be too small (of course, I guess you could cut the squares 7-1/2" instead of 7" to give yourself more working room).

Also spent an hour or so doing some handwork with a kitty curled in my lap ~ bliss.

Last PT session (at least for right now) is tonight after work . . .

Quiltdivajulie

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"You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.” (Winnie the Pooh)

Studio Saturday

Amazing what can happen with a few uninterrupted hours of studio time!  

This photo was taken on our fence in the thinning late afternoon sunlight (we're supposed to have rain 4 out of the next 5 days).  It's breezy today so I had to use a few push pins (in the seam allowances) to temporarily tack the top (48" x 56") in place.

Here's a slightly different view ~ this one is hard to photo!  Clicking to enlarge them really does help.

And this is the back!  I've had 2 yards of the art deco kitties in my stash since my very first visit to Stitcher's Garden in Franklin TN (early 2004).  There are 9-1/2" vertical stripes of green on both sides ~ that same green will be used for the binding (looks completely awesome in person).   The sun is going down so I hurried up to get the photos ~ later tonight, I'll press and square the backing and then it's off to visit Chris and Iris ~ Chris and I have been talking about how to quilt this one and we've come up with an exciting plan!

Lots of different name ideas popped into my head as I was stitching this afternoon ~ I wrote them down and will let them "marinate" for a while longer.  By the time the binding is done, the right name will make itself known.

I love studio Saturdays!

Quiltdivajulie

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"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called."  (A.A. Milne)

One More Row to Go

These are the final seven blocks waiting to be pieced . . .

And here is the top so far ~ I'm playing around with some internal stripes of color rather than just putting a border around the outside. [click on photo to enlarge]

Once all of the blocks are pieced, I'll be able to step back and see if the overall balance of greens is pleasing enough to start stitching the rows together. Even now, I'm thinking the left vertical row needs to have a 'wow' green nearer the top to break up the more subtle shades.

It will be the weekend before I have any significant time to stitch ~ group dinner after work tonight, PT after work tomorrow night, and family dinner on Friday ~ but I'll be able to check the layout at different times of day to be sure I like the arrangement between now and Saturday morning.

Quiltdivajulie
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"All respectability, all honor is meaningless if it drives you against your nature. What can you do if you are not a lotus flower, but just a marigold?

Enjoy being a marigold." (Chandan)

It's Been a Bluebird Kind of Day . . .

DH and I declared this to be a play day ~ he's been in his shop and I've been in my studio.  Wonderful!!

These are the first three rows of blocks for my first Black and White Challenge quilt.  To those who have sent greens from your stash, THANK YOU!!  Now you can see how many of them will be used.  

Inspired by a pattern in a book (more on that later this week), I'm already off on my own ~ changing the overall dimensions, alternating 30 dark and 30 light blocks, and having each green different like a charm quilt.   The layout will also be my own ~ which I'll share once a few more rows have been constructed.  And wait until you see the focus fabric for the backing!  It has been in my stash for at least 4 years, just waiting for this opportunity.

I've started a Picasa album to watch this project as it progresses ~ click here to see more.

It was also a day for taking care of details ~ filling all of my bobbins (I hate having to stop and wind one when I am in the middle of stitching), making and attaching binding to the four waiting collaborative Priority Quilts (I'll save the hand stitching for evenings or lunch hours during the week), designing, printing, and preparing the label for the almost-finished Purple Patch Quilt No. 2 for AAQI (photos tomorrow if the weather cooperates), etc. 

So, tonight I'm tired but it feels good.  And, in case you're wondering about the bluebird in the post's title ~ as we were eating lunch, a flock of bluebirds visited our yard!  We're hoping they'll become regulars but we're guessing they've come further south to escape the snows that so many of you are buried under.  Either way, they were a beautiful contrast to our gray, chilly weather.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Use the talents you possess ~ for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best."  (Henry Van Dyke)

A Green Request . . .

I'm starting on a project that needs at least 64 different greens. I've pulled 48 from my stash but still need at least 16 more (and a few extras would let me eliminate some of the darker, not so wonderful, pieces I've pulled).

I really hate to search for and buy that many fat quarters . . . Would anyone out there mind sending me a few 6" squares of green from your stash?

My preference is for tone-on-tone and blender types in shades of lime, grass, apple, pea, kelly, kiwi, shamrock, sea-glass, jade, peridot and/or emerald-type greens (no batiks, bright and happy shades, not dark and dreary).

If you have any 6" squares that you're willing to part with, please leave me a comment and I'll get back with you via e-mail.

Thank you SO much!

Quiltdivajulie

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"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.” (William Blake)

photo credit

Challenge Participation

I have joined in Jackie's Black and White Challenge.

I've long had a photo of my black and white stash in the sidebar album of quilty projects waiting for attention ~ and this is just the motivation I need to get busy and make my black and white...

I've made two B&W quilts already ~

The first was Deeper Than the Stars which was donated to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's Quilt to Remember project ~ I posted photos and its story here.

The second was Juxtaposition (shown above). It was made as a birthday gift for a special family friend.

I have plans for at least 2 quilts for this challenge - the first has been named Roses are Red (at least for now) and the second is being called Yet To Be Named (accent color to be chosen at a later date). The fabrics are pulled for Roses, including a wonderful assortment of scrappy reds that were shared by Wanda. I'm hoping to begin stitching on this in January, after I finish a couple of works-in-progress.

Quiltdivajulie

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"The only thing that has to be finished by next Tuesday is next Monday." (Jennifer Yane)