More Work In Progress

I'm auditioning border ideas for Good Morning Purple

(or what will soon become my lap quilt by that name).

I've had this framed print from Stash Tea since 2002.

The print was in my office at the college for years

and since then has lived near my sewing machine.

photo by Karen Diane Lee

I started out to make pinwheel blocks like these.

quilt by Wanda Hanson

The photos above show Karen's blocks 

patterned after Wanda's pinwheel quilt.

Somehow, my blocks transformed themselves . . .

And then, while I was moving things around 

to make room on the cutting table,

I discovered the PERFECT fabrics to back my quilt!

It's all good.

Quiltdivajulie

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“[The colors on citrus-crate labels] went beyond nature and spoke directly to fantasy: apricot, purple, cobalt blue, sea green, cinnamon, cinnabar, mauve, yellow, orange.”   ( Kevin Starr)

Stars Over Leehaven - The Flimsies

Here is the finished front.

Given that the heat index was 125+ Sunday afternoon,

I elected to stay indoors and take these pictures in my studio.

Here's a detail of the back and sashing.

The back draped over my ironing table.

The back on the design wall.

(the cold air return was causing issues in the lower corner)

Thank you, Karen, for trusting me with your star blocks and siggie squares.

It has been an honor and a joy to design and create these flimsies for you!

Quiltdivajulie

Starry Update

Work continues on Karen's Stars Over Leehaven flimsy . . .

Another row ready for assembly . . .

Two vertical rows on the design wall.

And then, one of those serendipitous moments ~

when the "right" idea clearly makes itself known . . .

Now I can add in the missing pieces

and finish stitching it together!

Listening to a quilt-in-progress is so important.

The flimsy will measure in at 56" x 72"

and will soon be on its way

to Mrs. Goodneedle for quilting

and then on to Nancy, Near Philadelphia for binding.

I'll take photos to share

before Stars Over Leehaven

leaves TN for NC.

Quiltdivajulie

Leehaven - Progress!

This is the current state of my design wall 

as layout work for Stars Over Leehaven continues.

Meanwhile, the e-mails have been flying!

This collaborative lap quilt will be quilted 

by none other than Mrs. Goodneedle!

Karen has requested wool batting

so the quilt will be toasty warm

when she takes it with her 

when she goes for treatments.

If you'd like to see the finished/assembled siggie blocks,

please click here.

(The blocks are straighter in real life 

than my slightly crooked photos show.)

Quiltdivajulie

Stars Over Leehaven ~ an update

Just kidding.  

This is NOT how the flimsy will look.

Karen and I consulted over the weekend

and Stars Over Leehaven will be

a lap quilt rather than a large quilt.

Over the past week, I've spent time each evening

turning the 3" or 3-1/2" siggie blocks

into liberated, colorful 9-1/2" blocks.

Four became star blocks

using a pattern shared by Karen Griska

on the Empire Guild's blog.

Here are the others, pressed and trimmed

and ready for the design wall.

This is what will become the name panel

on the back of the quilt.

I figure the names and well wishes

will be closer to Karen's heart that way

as she snuggles under her quilt.

Work continues!

Quiltdivajulie

Stars Over Leehaven ~ design work

Stars Over Leehaven

has become my working name for Karen's blocks

that are soon to become a flimsy.

There are two blocks with signature squares pieced into the centers

plus several 3" or 3-1/2" individual name squares.

I chose the third star

(the one in the middle)

as the best color bridge.

Pondering a layout for this grouping...

In preparation for the arrival of my swap quilt from Lynne,

(six to eight weeks from now)

I've moved my Baobob Tree quilt (from DDIL's African safari)

to my design studio.

I really like it in this spot!

See, Lynne ~ the spot for No Rules is ready and waiting!

(yes, that's what I've named my quilt)

Quiltdivajulie

MORE Mail!

Two boxes were waiting for me on the front porch when I got home Thursday evening.

One from Leehaven and one from The Calico Cat!

Amy sent selvages ...

and tucked deep inside 

were these two hollow forms for DH.

(turned by Brian Butters in 2003 and 2006 

of myrtle wood and yoshino cherry) 

THANK YOU!!

~ ~ ~

I saved the second box from Karen until after dinner. 

I knew what was inside and I wanted to prolong

the experience of discovering and exploring the contents.

Some of you may remember

  seeing this photo 

on Karen's blog

back in September 2008.

The blocks came from 

PA, CA, DC, 

OH, the U.K., 

WA, TN, NH, 

TX, MD, NC,

and several other places.

I am utterly delighted

to have the 27 blocks

in my studio ~

with Karen's blessing

to create a flimsy for her

of any design I choose.

Honored

(to be entrusted with these).

Excited

(by the possibilities).

These batik strips were also in the box.

After randomly placing

the beautiful stars on my design wall,

I can feel what I want to do.

~ ~ ~

I thought about whether 

to work in secret 

so the flimsy would be a surprise . . . 

but that just didn't seem right.

I want to share this journey ~

Quiltdivajulie