Marsala progress

I have been working here and there putting together my quilt top for the Pantone chaallenge.  

Details on the challenge are here

I wrote a post about my Kona color choice of 

Brick to match up with the Pantone color of Marsala, if you care to read.  

I had been playing with an idea for a quilt, and I will share details in another post about my ideas and name for this quilt, I decided this would be a good quilt for the idea I had been playing around with on paper.

All cut into squares, 14 different fabrics - all speaking Marsala to me. 

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Andover Fabrics 

Chambray

A little bit of help (sort of) from a friend

My Marsala quilt top is now complete and its on to the quilting

"A Different Drummer" 

56" x 71" before quilting

I have used Kona Brick, Alison Glass, Kaffe Fassett, Andover Chambray, Andover textured linen (the white), Oakshott, some Aboriginal designed fabric from Australia, and maybe a few that I don't know the designer.  

Sunprint Quilt

I am so happy to finally be able to show the entire quilt I made using Alison Glass Sunprint 2015 Collection.  I used a piece of each fabric in the collection.  The background fabric is Andover Fabrics Chambray in Grey.  

'Fruit Flavors'

The block I used is a paper pieced block called Fractal Block by Patty Solanger and is available for download in her Craftsy shop. 

Progress photos can be found here

The background Chambray Grey is quilted with Aurifil thread - #1133 Bright Orange and #2240 Rusty Orange.  Each color block was quilted with Aurifil 40 wt in a matching color.  

I used Sunprint Ink in Paper color (white with black dots) for the binding, I used a machine binding technique for the binding. 

The quilting is termed 'matchstick quilting'.  The quilting lines are densely sewn - 1/8" or closer.  (Thank you to Leanne of She Can Quilt for introducing me to this style of quilting!)

'Fruit Flavors' finished up at 46" x 65" before washing

It was pretty windy while trying to get these photos done - my thanks to Shelley (@brookquilt1) for helping out

Mary

Sunprint in Progress

I was lucky to receive some of 

Sunprint Collection  by Alison Glass, ahead of its release. 

(Insert excited happy face)

I've been working on a quilt that isn't quite ready for a full reveal but I can show you a few teasers

I am using a paper piece pattern called Fractal Block and it is available on Craftsy

I made a few different color groupings of this amazing line 

I have been getting more and more excited about this project as I get further into it, and I can't wait to show you all my finished quilt.

I think I am going to call it 'Fruit Flavors' because what sticks in my head is the skittles theme 'Rainbow of Fruit Flavors' 

I ran out of background which is Andover Chambray Grey, as soon as that is in I will be able to finish up. 

Mary 

Fractal Quilt Block

I find so much inspiration on Instagram - I still go to Flickr occasionally, but IG is full of new ideas and swaps.  I just take a screenshot, and I can scroll through my photos later to pick a new pattern or fabric line or something to discuss with other sewists.  

And I found this one day

And I went straight to Craftsy to purchase this pattern.

There are two sizes you can make your block 12" or 16" - for my first one I went with the 16" size, as I wanted to make it into a mini quilt wallhanging.

Using Indelible and a few solids.  

This was one of my favorite lines that came out earlier in 2014

This is a paper pieced pattern, which sometimes creates road blocks when you can't quite figure out how large that next piece of fabric should be

Over two nights I completed the block - I just did not have a lot of sewing time available

I love how this one turned out!

I used two layers of batting in this one, I wanted the quilting to pop off the top.  Aurifil 40 wt was used in the quilting.  

Sadly (for me) this mini is off to it's new home as a swap gift.

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

Herringbone Quilt

I'm not sure when, but somewhere on Instagram or clicking through Flickr I came across a post about Maureen Cracknell and the Herringbone Quilt she made using the quilt as you go (QAYG) method.

I have wanted to give QAYG a try, and this seemed like the perfect pattern

I chose Joel Dewberry Heirloom collection for my quilt

And I added solids, in Kona and Oakshott.  I don't normally cut everything out ahead of time, I'm usually to anxious to see how colors will come together or if what I see in my brain translates to something that looks good in real life.  This was all new to me

All my strips are 2 1/2"

After I cut everything, I remeasured my bed and realized I needed more strips, so some other Joel Dewberry and few more solids went into the strip piles

And then I started sewing strips to pre-cut batting strips

This is for my kind sized bed, and I look forward to one day being able to actually put it on my bed.  I  will work on strips in between other projects, so it's slow going, but it will get there.  I have 7 strips completed so far

I'm very happy how this is turning out!

Linking up to Freshly Pieced for WiP Wednesday

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

The Cleaning Fairy

Sometimes I walk into my sewing room - or at least try to walk into my sewing room- and realize that I have spent a lot of time creating and not a lot of time putting anything away.  Or really anytime.  Sometimes I can't even see the floor.  Sometimes I don't want to walk through the door because no more creativity can happen in all this jumble.  

 I spent a whole day folding fabric and rearranging the fabric closet.  On the bottom are containers and packages with projects started or going to start or tops not quilted and some flannel and pillow forms.  This is organized people. 

This is not.  There is a surface, somewhere, under there.  I will find it.

I moved my ironing board.  I liked where the ironing board was, but it crowded the entry into the room.  I put it closer to my sewing table, and I pushed the sewing table out more into the room so I could walk in between.  Really an ironing board is such a cumbersome thing and there is not a good place for it to sit, so I just try to fit it in.  I think this will work better for me than where it was by the entry.  

Progress.  I can see some of the floor.  

My linens and Japanese fabrics, sorted and folded.  

My Oakshott collection - decided to put these in the fabric closet out of the dust.  The basket was just sitting out in the room, because I like looking at the pretty fabric.

And now, I see floor and surfaces.  And an empty design wall.  

My tv and fabric closet opposite my machine.  The cabinet holds the linens, japanese fabrics, some hand dyes, assorted supplies and things I have forgotten about.  I'm afraid to go through the drawers.

The view when you walk in the room.  The antique cabinet has a basket with all my rulers and my satellite radio on top, inside the cabinet are all the bee blocks I have that I haven't put together yet.  

And this is what is yet to be put away, I ran out of Comic Book Boards for folding fabric.  Also, I'm not sure I can wedge anymore fabric into that closet.  I have determined I don't 'need' anymore fabric, for at least a month.  Maybe two.  Or until I can convert another closet.

I only clean it to mess it up again - that is what creativity is for.  

Keep Calm and Quilt On

Mary