still stuck on stars

I'm just a little bit stuck on making stars at present.

I'm using this free pattern here by Melanie from southerncharmquilts. It's one with lots of variety in the sawtooth stars, just by using a different star center (the 6.5″ middle part) you can completely change how the sawtooth star looks.
They are teamed up with lots & lots of scrappy low volume filler blocks. I'm loving this look more & more, a little bit of negative space which doesn’t crowd the star blocks and it seems to give a more modern feel.

I definitely want to make this a scrappy quilt, soft & pretty with little 'pops' of colour. So I had a little play today and came up with my colour palette and a few 'rules'. I've decided to make all my star points in a variety of scrappy fabrics in any one colour, with my centres in a contrasting colour. And I'm planning on using lots of different neutrals, some fabrics with slight colour, some cream, some whiteonwhite, etc.
Here's a few progress photos . . .

#1 Millie

#2 Josephine

super scrappy in peach

#3 Sadie

- my favourite so far

Hope all these come together as I've planned!

Linking up with Kelly for 'needle and thread Thursday' here at myquiltinfatuation
and with Wendy for this weeks 'peacock party' over here at wendysquiltsandmore

mixing it up

Well, after breaking up a fabric stack, 

I began searching through my scrappy baskets to find fabrics that would mix things up a bit

Lots of large florals and cheeky stripes.

Here's last weeks progress shots.

Loving all the little unexpected 'pops' of red in this
See back here for details about my inspiration & fabrics choices

Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' here

until next time

Linda

currently ...

Currently sewing . . . more floral & stripe blocks this weekend. I started chopping into a fabric stack last week, I think another 'sawtooth star' quilt is in order. I tend to cut a few out at a time, then when I have more time I have a little sewing session. Here's this weeks progress shots . . .

Loving these floral & stripe combos
and here's two more blocks . . .

Also currently planning . . . my next 'flowers on pink' block. I'm featuring some of these lovely AMH fabrics, mixed up with my scrappy stash

I'm currently reading . . . Michele W. Miller's latest book, "widows-in-law'. It's a gripping tale of mothers & daughters, wives & ex-wives, a story about the women left behind to clean up the messes (some) men make. Update: I stayed up very late last night to finish it

And I know blogging interest seems to fluctuate with many,
however I'm still a big fan, there's so much inspiration out there

I've currently been loving . . . all the colour over here at rachaeldaisy from bluemountaindaisy 

and all the EPP happenings over here at talesofcloth.

There's also a QAL, yep another one, about to start on April 8th - vintage lace quilt along. The 'Vintage Lace' quilt was inspired by the beautiful intricacies of an old piece of lace. I've not made an all-solid quilt yet, so tempted, and that's why this one really caught my eye. More pics over here at loandbeholdstitchery

Hm-m-m I have the pattern, but am really quite busy with all my other projects.

So I'll be happy to follow along watching from the sidelines,
for now anyway!

And how about you, what are you currently working on or reading?

Until next time, Linda

breaking up a bundle ... or not

I've had this fat 1/4 bundle of Rifle Paper co. fabrics 'english garden' for a quite a while now. It's a pretty mix of florals, dark and light colors, with stripes too.They look so lovely all stacked up in the bundle together. But it can't stay in a bundle up on the shelf much longer, this is my year of using my stash.

Over the past few months I've been so tempted to pull out one or three fabrics and add them into the scrappy mix of other projects. But I haven't. yet.
And, I've seen quilts made exclusively from curated fabric collections. Such a good option for some, a great way to ensure a coordinated color palette with built-in contrast.

Oh my, I have I stalled for ages trying to decide what to do, either to break up my bundle and scatter the fabrics amongst my colour baskets for using as desired or to use it, maybe as a starter pack for something.

So all this brings me to my new project, I do love new beginnings.
You weren't surprised were you?

I'm a scrappy quilter at heart, and I decided to use this curated bundle as my starting point and try to make up blocks that looked interesting, and not too matchey-matchey.

I tossed up between making 'sawtooth' blocks like these all set on low volumes, or going a bit bolder with maybe 16 patch 'St Louis' blocks.
After a couple of trial blocks, I decided to stick with the rather traditional 'sawtooth' design. I'm using Amy from diaryofaquilter's tutorial for the block sizings, it's one I've used many times.
And, inpsired by a quilt I spotted over here early last year sometime, I figured the classic combo of assorted stripes & florals could turn this fabric bundle into something that's a little more me, more scrappy and vintagey.

 I'm sure as I progress, there'll be a few rogue big florals from everywhere thrown in too
- I won't be able to help myself!
Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' here
and with Wendy over here for this weeks 'peacock party'

my weekend . . . in pictures

Plans need to be changed sometimes. And here's the new direction for some of those AMH conservatory prints I bought late last year, see back here. They are going to look much prettier made up into dresden flowers and stitched down onto this pink solid.
On Saturday, I was busy doing a little cut & prep for my 'flowers on pink'  - all set now for some slow stitching.

There's not much purple in my stash. So I decided it was time to fix that with some new additions of Jen Kingwells' 'looking forward' fabrics - quirky vibrant prints and colours - and these arrived today, sew perfect for scrappy plans. Do you have a colour you don't buy and/or don't use too? 

 And, after weeks of not knowing what to use for binding on my 'goodnight moon' quilt, I suddenly spotted this stripe in my stash and thought "yes!" so I was able to get busy putting it on.

On Sunday, after an early lovely long beach walk and cafe brunch, I started reading Jessica Strawser's 2nd novel, 'Not That I Could Tell'. Everyone knows something about everyone else in this small quirky town. And then one of their close knit community goes missing. As the police begin their investigations, secrets start to unfold. Enjoying the fast pace of this latest domestic thriller. 

And I also found time later today to head on up to my sewing room. I've been having a re-think about my 'RED' overlapping octagon blocks {see here for earlier details}, and was keen to have a little play up on the design wall. I decided to add in a few more red & white gingham squares {love em!} along with a few other red & white fabrics too. Oh my, it's blurring the lines a little, and I'm liking this so so much better.

So there you have it,
lots of little bits & snippets from my weekend, with lots of projects going on at once
Linking up with Wendy for the 'peacock party' here

and with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' over here

. . . until next time

Linda