Wood Lily

in*spi*ra*tion

:something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create : a force or influence that inspires someone

For an upcoming meeting with the Virginia Beach Modern Quilt Guild we have a challenge, take the block #110 from The Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt and make a modern version.  Wood Lily is the block name, and we are to make a 24" mini quilt. (If you want to have a look, there are some photos on Pinterest and Google Images, but I don't want to post anyone else's photo of the block without their permission.)

After looking at a few different images of the Wood Lily block, I settled on two elements, the half square triangle and flying geese blocks which are present in the original.  This is an inspiration exercise, I only wanted to work with those two parts of the whole, and see where I could take it.  

I started with a drawing on graph paper

At the time I was working on my modern variation of Wood Lily, I was also reading Savor Each Stitch by Carolyn Friedlander Yep, I was reading a quilting book instead of just looking at the photos.  The section of the book about contrast in value inspired me to think more about the name of the block 'Wood Lily' and think of the contrast in those two words 'wood' and 'lily'.  One is dark and robust, one is soft and smooth.  

Taking those 2 contrasting words I transferred them into fabric color

Making flying geese blocks

Progressing with all the small geese

The small flying geese are 1" x 3" finished.  

Both sections of this mini use the two elements I chose from the original Wood Lily block, half square triangles and flying geese.  I have seen a few examples of other VBMQG members minis and I think it's a good exercise to see where each person finds their inspiration.

Commencing with the quilting

This one needed squaring up after the dense quilting of the lily sections

While I was working through the different steps of concept, drawing, fabric selections, and piecing what came to mind was a dense forest seen from the air with surrounding snow fields.  

This mini finished at about 23 1/4" a bit smaller than 24" due to the dense quilting, I'll need to keep that in mind for future quilts.  

Kaffe Fasset and Brandon Mably prints in the dark wood sections, Kona solids in the snowy lily sections.  Quilted with Aurifil threads.  

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

Nursery Sewing

I'm still calling it 'sewing' even though it was mostly cutting and tying.

My gran girl will make her entrance real soon and I'm helping with the finishing touches on the nursery.  My daughter in non-traditional, and we were searching for a way to hide the bottom of the crib without using a traditional bed skirt.  I came across this post on Instagram.

Taking the blank page of the crib

 

We chose a variety Alsion Glass fabrics, these will go with something else for the room.  The parents both like patch work and didn't want one particular color. These different Alison Glass fabrics fit the bill perfectly.

 

I free cut the strips different widths and we tied them on a cotton cord.  I mostly had fat quarters so the lengths ended up being about the same.  

It was a fun project that we could do together.  It didn't take long to finish because there wasn't any sewing!  We know it will eventually have to come down when the baby begins crawling and climbing, but for now its a fun colorful addition to the nursery. 

After this photo we tied a few more around the corners and side to hide more of the cording

Made the baby her minky and flannel blanket for her too.  The Mom is sleeping with it so it will smell like her for the baby.

And we did a little pre baby photo shoot, this is one of my favorites, catching the parents in a moment of fun and laughter.  Now if that baby would just make her entrance! 

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

Feathers Quilt

I've been working on this paper pieced quilt off and on this year.  There was a Feathers QAL that started in December 2013, I think I did start mine in January 2014.  I have learned that I am rarely able to keep up with QALs.  Other things come up, the QAL is not the only thing I'm working on, so I end up just coming back to it later.  

It's later now.  

Some of my blocks completed in March 2014

Here is a link to more photos when I worked on this in March and April Feathers blogpost

In June I gave a little lecture to my Modern Quilt Guild on paper piecing, and I wanted to have this top done to show.  It was not to be, I lacked 4 of the blocks before the lecture started, and I just didn't have it in me to finish the night before.  

The last J Block

Last week I was completing a paper pieced bee block, and I always change my needle after paper piecing, piercing all that paper must make it dull.  It seemed a waste to use that needle on just one paper pieced block, taking the plunge at 10 pm,  I cranked out the last few Feathers blocks.

A 3 a.m. finish, but all the blocks were competed.

Next was deciding layout, I wanted to veer off the path of the pattern because I had a focal fabric I wanted to use somewhere in the quilt.

Erin Michael Lush Uptown Paint by Number - sky

Trying different layouts

I sewed some of my feather rows together, eliminating some of the sashing.

Stopping here to decide on border placement

I knew I wanted to add a border, but I didn't want to frame the quilt top.  Making the quilt larger, without taking away from the pattern and also drawing attention to the focal fabric.  I had limited amount of the print, and of course not to be found anywhere, so I had to be careful what I cut up and where I placed the print.  

I added a small feather along the bottom border

Framing the print with a solid helped separate it from the print

Now to quilt

Here is what it looked like when I took off all the paper

This pattern is by Alison Glass, Feathers 

This is a well written pattern with cutting measurements for each piece, tips included in her pattern, a good start for a beginner.  

I have added a Facebook page, you can like my page and I am posting photos of what I'm working on more often than I am blogging.  Hope to see you there!  

Keep Calm, and Quilt On!

Mary