2012 begins

Inspirations for next year's projects!

an apple tree applique started a long time ago

Sunflowers in an urban garden by the Lowell Quilt Museum

Inchies with pizazz

Thankful

I am thankful for so much in my life; friends, family, co-workers, my new coffee mug, good work ahead of me, books to read, all the comforts of electricity and being "connected", Casper.  But most of all I am eternally grateful for the wonderful, loving, kind and hopeful people that surround me.

a very comfortable space



Casper napping in a quilt project box



Quilting in Connecticut

The weather this past weekend in Connecticut was spectacular.  I spent the long weekend with friends enjoying finishing up and then starting new projects.

Here's a very easy project for confident quilters that can produce great results;

Start with 2 1/2" strips of fabrics.  I used a set of Bali pops; 40 strips on the width of fabric.

 Sew sets of 2 fabric strips together trying to create some contrast in value (a dark and a light strip) using 1/4" seam allowance.  Contrast is relative, so use your best judgement.

Press the seams to the dark strip.

 

Line the strip sets up on your mat and cut 2 1/2" sections.  You should end up with 16 units plus some leftovers.

Stack the sets up in sets of 8 pairs of units with seams in opposing directions so you are ready to sew. 

Sew the units together to make 4-patch blocks.

Press the blocks open.

Now begin the design.  Using a backdrop of the fabric you plan on using for set-in triangles, arrange your blocks on point with alternating rows of 7 and rows of 6.  You should start with a row of 7 and finish with a row of 7 to keep the design rectangular.  You will have 1-2 extra blocks for each row and one entire extra set of blocks.  I liked the fact that I could pick my least favorite set and pull them out of the design

Although you could drive yourself mad trying the blocks in differing arrangements, at some point they will be pleasing and good enough.

The next stage of this quilt will be adding a very thin border and then a wider border out of the navy blue batik.  My plan is for this quilt to be a background for applique.  Disclaimer:  This plan is subject to change!

Roadtrips. Destinations. John Conte's.

A recent stop at Alewives Quilt Shop in Nobleboro, Maine - a terrific contemporary and innovative shop.

We didn't get pics of Mainely Sewing in Nobleboro, Maine, but that is a very worthy stop with a large selection, great notions and tools, lots of patterns and friendly, helpful staff.

Quilt Diva's in Rockland, Maine - a sweet, inviting and fun place to be.

Can anyone guess where this is?  A hint - one of my favorite places on earth!  And referred to frequently in previous posts.  The quilt top on the Adirondack chair is made from a pack of fabrics from Alewives that included some home dec pieces.  Once finished, it will bring me back to my time in at the cottage, the ocean and the lovely greens/blues of the waters. 

 John Conte's restaurant in Rockland, Maine.  Not for the faint of heart or those who need fine linens and exorbitant prices to enjoy a dining experience.  But a dining experience extraordinaire, it is!

The sun sets on vacation all too quickly.

A Day in the Studio

 Friends spent last Saturday in the studio working on a variety of projects.

Donna works on a pattern by our fellow guild member, Sue Pelland, using her Leaves Galore rulers.

Gina puts finishing touches on her woven batiks bag.

Blocks we all worked on for a quilt top.  Wanda volunteered to finish the quilt top and then we'll pick a name out of a hat of one of the participants to win the top.  Look for more updates on this quilt once Wanda finishes it.

Jane H. works on a moose wall-hanging for a family member.

Candy had fun chopping up her wonderful hand-dyed fabrics for a Kaffe Fasset pattern.

Inchies started by Coral and jazzed up by Donna.  One for each of us!

Wanda works on a drawstring bag.  Lovely fabrics.

L to R; Candy, Wanda, Jane M., Donna

And of course, wonderful pot luck lunch!

Looking forward to our next day together!

Precious Gifts

What is the value of the gift of a quilt?  When does a gift do more for the giver than the recipient?  I've always felt that giving a quilt can do more for the quiltmaker than it does for the recipient.  The quiltmaker knows what goes into the quiltmaking; hope, well-wishes, peace, thoughtfulness, warmth, love, time, energy, planning, satisfaction.  Sometimes more of those things than others, but always a piece of ourselves. 

I've made quilts for new babies and those quilts are filled with hope and love.  They are usually light and whimsical, small and sweet.

Quilts for someone who is sick are made with the intention of comfort; warmth, peace, cuddly, safe and inviting.

Quilts for those who have experienced loss are the quietest somehow.  We want to say it's ok to give in and grieve.  And that it will get better.

Quilts for college students say, remember home and remember you are loved.  T-shirt quilts are a tangible reminder of where you've been, what you've done, and who you are.  They are pieces of childhood that are perfectly acceptable to accompany you into adulthood.

a beautiful little girl with her quilt

To quiltmakers who have given away a quilt - what have you received in the giving of it?

And if you make quilts and have never given one away, I encourage you to do it.  It's good for the soul.

Inspired by the tides

Some of you will recognize one of my favorites places, E. Boothbay, Maine, in the background.  I am happy to tell you that I did find inspiration sitting on the deck and watching the tides, or more specifically, watching what happens to the boats in the bay when the tides shift. 

I brought very little fabric on vacation last week, a few Japanese-looking cotton fabrics and some tone-on-tone white stripes.  Watching the boats swing around and shift direction with the tides seemed linear, organized and yet still had a sweeping motion.  I'm not sure anyone looking at this work in progress would make that connection, but it certainly helped me to see these fabrics in a different way.

I used rotary templates to cut out both pieces of the blocks and then sewed the curved pieces without pinning anything.  My Singer 221 Featherweight and slow stitching did a marvelous job!

I'll share more photos of this when I have borders in place. 

In the meantime, I hope you all find something inspiring to help you enjoy today!