Tagged - Post 1 - Scrappy/String Quilts

A couple of weeks ago,

Mrs. Goodneedle tagged me on Facebook

to share three quilts a day for five days.

For those who aren't on FB,

I'll share those photos and stories here this week.

(and I'll include links to earlier reveal blog posts)

Today's quilts are representatives 

of my love for scrappy string quilts.

Amish Strings is still one of my favorites . . . 

those center wonky HST strips were inspired by Anna Williams' work

and the colors were inspired from my years living in northern Indiana

with Amish and Mennonite communities all around us.

The leftover strata sections were too wonderful to toss,

and a few years later, they were used to create True Colors.

Dumpster Diving is another of my all time favorites.

Here and There

(the noisy parrot quilt from last summer)

has also joined my list of favorite string quilts.

* * *

Tomorrow, I'll share three of my favorite rescue quilt projects.

Quiltdivajulie

Hop Around the World - My Turn

Create With Abandon - 2014

Last week, Mari of The Academic Quilter

posted as part of the Hop Around the World blog tour.

She asked for volunteers to participate this week and I raised my hand.

So did Bernie and Needle and Foot.

Her post is also up today.

* * *

Here's how Mari introduced herself last week:

"I'm Mari (rhymes with sorry, in case you're wondering) 

and I'm a college professor whose main distraction is quilting. 

I am lucky enough to live in the beautiful state of Wisconsin with the hubster, 

who does not sew but understands my need to do so. 

Our three grown children have flown the coop, 

so now I have a sewing room to keep all my thready mess."

Thanks, Mari -- now it is my turn!

AQS Paducah - April 2014 with See Rock City

I am Julie -- aka Quiltdivajulie.

I've been actively making quilts since 2004

and I am IN LOVE with the process.

I am married to DH.

(nearly 40 years now)

He is an engineer and an artist --

you can see some of his work HERE.

We have two adult sons and an amazing daughter-in-law.

* * *

Detail from Taking Flight - 2013

As part of the tour, I have tagged (with their permissions) 

three wonderful, interesting, and talented women 

who will share their posts next Monday --

Lynne and Millie (the cat)

Lynne Tyler who blogs at The Patchery Menagerie

Debbie and her mom at Quilted Threads, Henniker NH

Debbie Voigt who blogs at From The Strawberry Patch

Quilt made by Sue for yours truly

Sue Brown who blogs at From The Magpie's Nest

* * *

They'll each answer these same four questions - their way.

1.  What Am I Working On?

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

3.  Why do I write/create what I do?

4.  How does my writing/creating process work?

I'm certain their posts will be very interesting 

so I hope you'll visit to see what they have going on!

* * *

And now -- without further ado -- here's my story!

* * *

My Studio Spirit Doll and My White Coat

What am I working on?

This fall season is going to be a busy one,

so I've lined up several projects 

that will allow me to sit and sew as time permits.

There are others lurking in the wings, but these are the top four.

(at least for now)

One project  involves lots of four patches made using mini-charms

from several new lines as well as from my stash.

Remember my recent vow not to over-purchase fabrics I like?

I'm using small sets of pre-cuts in order to "sample" and "taste test" 

instead of ordering a seven-course meal . . .

This quilt-to-be has been named Leaf Peeping.

I have it completely cut out and ready to stitch,

but I will not be attending the two LQS class sessions after all.

Other things of higher priority have caused that plan to change.

Pretty sure I can figure it out how to put the quilt together 

and if I can't I'll make it my own way!

These fabrics will become a two-color scrappy log cabin.

Thank goodness for my die cutter!

The tomato pincushion yardage is for the backing.

I'm also participating in this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Each month I've been making pieces and parts 

for what will become six different quilts during 2015.

I've given each of the projects a name --

Umbrellas Unfurled

The Eclectic Goose

Snowballs and Nine-Patches

Fruit Loops

Happy Happy Joy Joy (tutorial link in sidebar)

and

Arrowheads (shown above)

* * *

Gotta Love It (the back) - 2012

I really am happiest as a scrappy quilter!

* * *

Spirit Song - 2010

My responses to Questions 2, 3, and 4 have been combined below . . .

"colorfully liberated, authentic, eclectic, and in love with the process - that's me."

(from my blog profile)

* * *

Dumpster Diving - 2011

I posted about being liberated in September 2011 - CLICK HERE.

Scrappy Spools - 2013

Other previous peeks into my process are listed here:

Dancing Star (part of Tonya's liberated quilt challenge) - CLICK HERE

How to piece a scrappy back (from Gotta Love It) - CLICK HERE

Creativity Challenge - CLICK HERE

On Creative Ruts - CLICK HERE

Shirley's Journey - one of my rescue quilts

A 1/23/2014 post titled 'What Lies Beneath' 

shares a lot about my how and why - 

CLICK HERE

What Lies Beneath - 2014

Three other previous posts offer even more insight into who I am

and how/why I work the way I do:

Thinking Thursday (1/7/2010) - CLICK HERE

Thoughtful Tuesday (6/14/2011) - CLICK HERE

and

With a Little Help From My Friends (9/3/2011) - CLICK HERE

Sessanta Stelle - 2013 (with a LOT of help from my friends)

If you're still curious about what I do,

please check out the other pages within my blog.

The links are in the sidebar at the top of this page.

I do hope you found at least some of this interesting . . . 

* * *

Don't forget to visit Lynne and Debbie and Sue next week!

Quiltdivajulie

Dumpster Diving - Revealed

I LOVE THIS QUILT!!!

The black and white that I had planned to use for the binding was set aside.

This red plaid sings!!

I took the quilt to work earlier this week . . . 

"it reminds me of the scrappy quilts my grandmother made"

"I love how crinkled it is and how soft it feels"

"I think the back is the bomb"

Chris did more of her amazing free motion quilting.

It's perfect!

Here is the front of the quilt.

(measures 48" x 60")

This is the back . . .

(Wild Garden ~ Pollen fabric)

Thank you, Tonya!

I am SO glad you shared your idea with all of us!!

Quiltdivajulie

Dumpster Diving Update II

 and then . . .

. . . there were twelve blocks on the design wall!

. . .  AND I found the perfect backing fabric

(Pollen from the Wild Garden line by Dan Bennett for Westminster)

with a classic black&white for binding.

The best part?

They were already in my stash!

* * *

Lots more stitching to do . . .

Quiltdivajulie

Dumpster Diving - Update

It took "forever" ... 

but finally, here are all the freshly-pressed segment strips.

Can you see the quilt in there?

Here, half of the strips have been trimmed to 13" lengths.

There is one test block on the design wall.

Yes!  

This really IS going to work!

Each block will have one strip that contains

a diagonal segment from Bits & Pieces .

 ( . . . dramatic pause . . . )

And then there were FOUR blocks  . . . 

WOO HOO!

Back to the studio ~ lots more trimming and stitching to do!