Relocation-Reassignment Complete

It all started while Lynne was clearing out her studio before the new flooring arrived.

She asked if I wanted the extra blocks from Field of Dreams and I said yes, knowing I had a plan for them.

Last night I pulled some fabrics from the stash and retrieved six of the liberated bird blocks Lynne sent after she finished her Green Bird Quilt.

I'll use the blocks from Field of Dreams to piece six slabs for placemat tops.

I'll use the array of greens from my stash to create strip pieced slabs that will include the birds for the reverse side of the placemats.  

In the box with the green blocks were these extra HSTs from her quilt named Amethyst.

I'll piece them into an insert for this backing for a scrappy quilt that is still in the gathering stage.

I've been stashing leftover blocks and bindings in this project box for another quilt top in the same style as Esperance.  

The leftover tumbler blocks from Lynne's Easter Basket quilt will be worked into this top when the time comes.

And so will the stack of leftover rail fence segments from Rainbow Crush.

My stashed yardage above has been set aside for yet another future scrappy lower volume quilt top.  

Lynne started piecing slabs using her pastels but then lost interest in the project.  I'll use the slabs as part of the backing for my quilt when the time comes.

* * *

One quilter's excess is another quilter's bounty.  Thanks, Lynne.

Quiltdivajulie

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"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up."

Mark Twain

Razzle-Dazzle - the Quilt

Razzle-Dazzle is finished at last.  It has been just over five years since the initial brights on black strips were cut from fabrics in the stash.

Originally those strips were intended to become a set of six placemats, but in June 2022 while visiting Lynne in NH and making my first scrap slab triangles using her tutorial, that plan abruptly changed.

Once home, I started piecing the 88 brights on black triangles in July 2022, quickly realizing I needed to cut even more strips from the stash; especially since a whole lot of the original strips were already being used to piece a donation quilt top named B.O.B.

By September 2022, Razzle-Dazzle's final layout was pinned to the design wall, including each block's scrappy black on white side triangles.

The project stayed on the design wall until spring 2023, when I finally started assembling the three-piece blocks (a triangle plus two side setting triangles, framed on the outer edges with Tula Pink Lineworks "Read Between the Lines" zebras).  

The top was completed in June, 2023 (8 columns wide x 11 rows; 51" x 70").

The scrappy back was also pieced in June 2023, using four prints from the stash:  NIGHT BLOOM b Chong-a-Hwang for Timeless Treasures, TOSSED MASQUARADE (sic) LADIES from Loralei Harris Designs, a print by Debi Payne for QT Fabrics, and ISLAND PALM LEAVES from Tropical Breeze line by Greta Lynn for Kanvas.  

In order to make the backing long enough, I added the horizontal insert using seven rows of pieced 2.5" strips left after making the top.  

Quilted using my liberated all over nested spiral fans and Glide thread in Kiwi (lime-ish green).

Once quilted, it was time to make a final decision on the binding.  

Surprise!  I found some already-made binding lurking in my leftover/set aside binding stash that was absolutely perfect and not one of the previous choices.  It had been made from the last of a long-stashed Henry Glass wide back named Circle Play by designer Color Principle.

This photo shows the four different corners of the back with the newly-finished binding.

And this photo shows a better detail of the insert strips.  

Finished size:  49.5" x 68.5"

* * *

Such a gloriously scrappy quilt - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

Quiltdivajulie

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"If happiness happens, say thanks."

Marlene Dietrich

Incandescent - the Quilt

The seeds for this quilt arrived in September 2023 when Wanda and I shared a fabric swap.   

I got serious about the project in January 2025 when I cut lots of additional 2" strips from my stash.

Inspired by my Hoppipolla quilt, I adjusted the math from 1.5" strips to 2" and started with my original plan - light outer strips and a warm-toned color in the center - you can see the test blocks HERE.

Even though we initially liked those test blocks, by April I realized I was avoiding the project because that "like" had disappeared.  

I unpinned all of the sets and re-did them into the blocks you see in the finished quilt.

By August I was stitching the blocks as leader-enders while I pieced the rows and top for Grandiose.

The flimsy (quilt top) was finished in October 2025, as were the backing and binding.

And then other things took priority and the quilting had to wait.  

The quilt sandwich was pin basted at the very end of February 2026 . 

And now, at last, Incandescent is finished.

It measures 51" x 70" and was quilted using Glide thread in Coral and my liberated all-over free motion spiral fans.

Backing - Benartex Fabrics Flower Festival - Pansy Display - in Crocus

Binding - Kaffe Fassett's Shiraz PWGP194

Gifting will take place in mid-April but I can enjoy it until then.

* * *

Next up for pin basting and quilting will be Daydreams (formerly known as Tropical Canyon), the second of the three gift quilts. 

A while ago, Lynne bought yardage to back one of her quilts and wasn't entirely thrilled with how it "fit" upon its arrival.  

She offered it to me and I knew it was perfect for this quilt top but the original name no longer fit, hence the change.

Quiltdivajulie

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Thought for today:  Why the push for quilters to use up their stash?  No one asks stamp collectors to mail letters . . . 

KEFI - the Quilt

Kefi was born during the summer of 2022 in Lynne's New Hampshire quilt studio.  

Kefi is a Greek noun meaning "the spirit of joy, enthusiasm, high spirits in which good times and passion [for life] are expressed with an abundance of excitement, happiness, and fun."

My first blog post for Kefi with the back story of its beginnings is HERE.

Two of the update blog posts with photos and more fabric stories are HERE and HERE.  

(you can find others using the KEFI label at the end of this post)

Kefi's quilt top blog "reveal" post is HERE.

I really don't know why Kefi then moved into my 'waiting to be quilted' closet aside from the fact that I only had 3 yards of the floral backing I planned to use and I wasn't keen on piecing the scrappy panels to border it. 

Based on that decision, in early 2023 I purchased an additional 3 yards of the same backing fabric; but still Kefi continued to wait.

In October 2025, I realized that the leftover piano key border pieces/segments from Young Man's Dragon Fyre quilt would make an excellent insert strip for Kefi's still-unsewn backing.

I guess that was the reason why Kefi hadn't been finished - the back was stalling, waiting for me to figure it out.  (hint - always listen to your quilts!)

And now, Kefi is finished.  This group of crumpled photos was taken at my sewing machine as I added the binding.  I couldn't resist when the morning sun made the scrappiness practically sparkle with joy.

I finally put on my coat and took the quilt outdoors . . . 

[Inspired by Lynne's series of Scrap Slab Triangle quilts.  Quilted with Glide thread in Pink Rose using my free motion unmarked nested spiral fans.  The tossed teacups/flowers border and binding fabric is by Loralei Designs.]

It was 29 degrees (before wind chill) and windy so I didn't spend a lot of time fussing to get the "ideal" shot (I'll try again later in the week when it is warmer and less windy).

Sadly the wind was sucking the lower part of the quilt tight against the fence so it looks bowed.  In reality it lays wonderfully flat.

This is absolutely another quilt I will use and enjoy, revisiting all sorts of memories via its many, many fabrics.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced."

Leo Tolstoy

The Tale of Trouvaille - a Squirrel Story

Back in January I decided to make an all-pink quilt using fabrics in the stash - squirrel alert.

My initial plan was to use the Happy Strips pattern by Quilty Love like I used for Brumous.

A few weeks later, that plan changed to making another Maggie Pearl quilt (same design as I used for RUTH - which was donated as a top to Many Hands Many Hearts to become a comfort quilt).

And in mid-June Lynne decided to use green scraps and make another Deco quilt from the book Colorful Quilts for Fabric Lovers - see her post HERE.

Well - THAT got the squirrels in my studio all excited.  

The photo above shows my array of pink strips ready to be sub cut into rectangles to make a Deco quilt of my own.  

(Later on I pulled out the dark pink with black dots and substituted another fabric in its place - ditto for the strip with blue polka dots)

Thursday evening, after all of the segments were cut and prepped, I sorted them into groups of three and then stacks of ten blocks.  My layout will be 9 blocks wide by 12 blocks long - 56" x 72" ish.

It doesn't show well in the photos, but my accent square's fabric has just a touch of iridescence and dimensionality.  That fabric has been in the stash and I've resisted using it because so I don't run out - silly me.  There's always more fabric!

Why did I choose that fabric for my accent squares?

The photo above might help explain my reasoning.  The panel will be part of Trouvaille's pieced backing.

(Oh - and I forgot to add that Trouvaille is a French noun meaning something lovely discovered by chance)

As of Friday evening, here are the first five rows of pressed blocks on the design wall.

By Saturday noon-time, the rest of the blocks were sewn together and ready to be pressed.

Like so many other places, it is V-E-R-Y H-O-T here (heat indexes predicted to easily top 100 several days this week) so I need to use the iron early in the morning and not late in the day.

* * *

The squirrels and I are very happy about this design change.  The previously stalled project is now moving forward quickly and should become a top soon. 

I've even had a Eureka kind of idea for the backing - stay tuned for that.

(That's an older photo of Flash and Mischief - you can read more about my studio squirrels and the Ad Hoc Squirrel Club using the links below and in the blog's sidebar)

Quiltdivajulie

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"You are trying to understand madness with logic.  This is not unlike searching for darkness with a torch."

Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland

River of Light - a Gifted Quilt

Lynne called me a week ago and asked if I would like this quilt.

"Yes, I've always loved that quilt!"

It arrived Monday evening and I love it even more in person!

Lynne's granddaughter named it River of Light and that name couldn't be more perfect.

(you can see Lynne's beauty shots of the quilt HERE)

Here is the scrappy pieced back which I appreciate since Lynne doesn't always make a multi-fabric backing.

And the pieced binding adds a perfect finishing touch.

* * *

When Young Man saw me taking photos of the quilt Wednesday morning before camp,  he asked "is that quilt for me?" with a face that begged me to say "yes."

I explained that it was a gift to me from my friend.  He quickly recovered from his disappointment and followed up with this question - "Can I use it in my bed when I’m here then?"

Of course I said "yes" as I gave him a big hug.  There really isn’t a much better compliment than wanting to sleep under a quilt unless it is sharing that story with the quiltmaker.

THANK YOU, Lynne!

Quiltdivajulie

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"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude."

Karl Barth

Razzle Dazzle - the Flimsy

Razzle Dazzle is finally a flimsy!

Piecing was started in July 2022 using Lynne's Scrap Slab Triangles approach and my stash of already cut strips of brights on blacks.

The blocks were completed months ago . . . 

Now that I know the size of the flimsy (51" wide x 70" long), I will make the scrappy back using fabrics on the back of the red chair (plus a few others if those aren't quite large enough).

Here's a closer look at the four main fabrics.

I made this binding eons ago for another quilt (Bubble Up, Rainbow Dots Black by Wilmington Fabrics) . . . I'll wait until Razzle Dazzle is quilted to make my final decision, but I suspect this one will be in the running.

Quiltdivajulie

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"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

Orson Welles

Introducing Spoondrift

I found this pattern in late July thanks to this post by Lynn D. on Klein Meisje Quilts.

On August 13 I sent the following text to my friend Lynne:

"Thinking about using my overflowing low volumes to make one of these.  Uses 5.5”  cut squares - I may or may not make all my corners the same size (will depend on how I feel that day).  If you have leftovers that you are tired of, you could box them up and send them for my birthday next month."

A week or so before my birthday, these three bundles of squares arrived.  I made sure they were safe in the studio but I waited to open the bags until I had enough time (and brain cells) to properly appreciate the contents.

That time arrived late last week.  You can see above just how many squares she sent.

THANK YOU, LYNNE!

There are 45 unique fabrics (upper rows) with multiples of many.  I think I only found two that are duplicates of fabrics I have in my own stash.

The pattern actually calls for 5" squares but I told Lynne 5.5" (finish at 5") so I did some quick math and concluded I'll need 140 squares for a 50" x 70" quilt top.

My original plan before playing with the gifted squares was to cut  extras from my stash but now I'm thinking I will use multiples from Lynne's gifted bounty instead.

(And there will be enough extras to make a small wall quilt to use each January in the dining room!)

I had set aside this backing purchased when Cotton Treasures in Senatobia MS had their going out of business sale earlier this year.

And after laying out the fabrics Lynne sent, I pulled some companionable "darks" for the contrasting corners.

I did a quick corner test with a nearby 2.5" square but I also want to test a 3" corner square before I cut into the darks and set this up to be my next leader-ender project (my current leader-ender, the pairs for Caim, are about 2/3 sewn).

I'm guessing you can see why I chose SPOONDRIFT as the name for this quilt - it is a nautical term meaning "a showery sprinkling of sea-water or fine spray swept from the tops of the waves."

I'm in no big rush to finish this one so I plan to enjoy the process.

Quiltdivajulie

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"A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind."

Eugene Ionesco

Pretty in Pink - Layout Complete

I mentioned in the previous post that I would be using the Tula Pink flamingoes (far left) for backing.  

The KF Moss Flowers will be used for a narrow all-around border and binding.

Two big decisions made.

By late Saturday, all of the blocks were pieced, pressed, and laid out on the design wall.

I fussed around with the positioning of a few blocks only to be sure no two fabrics were adjacent to each other.

(You can see three scrap slab columns/rows for Luciferous hanging to the left)

In order to have full use of the design wall, I went ahead and clipped the blocks for Pretty in Pink so they can be webbed into a top one day soon.

(Both Concatenation and Pretty in Pink are at the "time to web" stage)

I am so going to love using this quilt once it is finished.

And if Pretty in Pink looks familiar to you . . .  Lynne made her Pink Panther quilt a few years ago.  I had forgotten all about it until I had the first few blocks for Pretty in Pink sewn together and on the design wall.  Lynne and I enjoyed a good chuckle over yet another example of "great minds" and all that.  

The pinks in my quilt came from my stash.  The side triangles are a mixture of scraps from Lynne's stash and some from my own.  I don't know if we have any overlap in side triangle fabrics, but neither one of us is worried if we do.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Understanding how to find the magic moments in your daily life is critical. If you subscribe to the philosophy that says, "My vacation will free me from burnout," then you`re waiting for a few days out of the year to make up for many days of stress. Instead, you have to be able to take mini vacations on a daily basis.”

Tony Robbins

Kefi - the Flimsy

Kefi is now a quilt top (aka flimsy).

58" wide x 70" long

Created using Lynne's Scrap Slab Triangles tutuorial (link to her Etsy shop in my sidebar).

So many amazing scraps - from Lynne's stash and from mine.

Started in New Hampshire early June.

Finished in Tennessee mid-July.

Bits of dinosaurs, hedgehogs, birdhouses, and seaside scenes . . . 

I used Loralie's tossed teacups for the 2.5" surround strip to stabilize the many, many seam ends.

Butterflies and buttons, flying pigs, ice cream cones, cats, bras, flowers, and typewriters.  

So much to look at.

It will take some time to piece the scrappy back so it may be a while before Kefi is ready for FMQ action.  

In the meantime, I'm delighted with the way this gloriously scrappy quilt top came together!

(Kefi - "the spirit of joy, enthusiasm, high spirits, and frenzy, in which good times and passion for life are expressed with an abundance of excitement, happiness, and fun")

Quiltdivajulie

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“Magic becomes art when it has nothing to hide.”

Ben Okri