Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
she's a little treasure!!!
I have been steadily making a couple of 16 patch blocks every other day over the past week.
Leaving it all for a couple of days and going back to it with a fresh perspective was a good idea. Reading other blogs has also been a great help, seeing how others approach things, & that they too experience that unsure feeling with what they are making. I also found this site which was interesting too... http://design-seeds.com/..... goes with my earlier thoughts of trying to get some kind of colour/mood picture happening to help me focus a bit better!!!
The colours are kinda coming together slowly. Not sure if it's using an assortment of old/newer fabrics or whether it's the antique chintzie look or what, but there have certainly been a few rejects along the way! However, I decided to carry on, can't get despondant now, I'm well over 1/2 way!
And then today...little Olive came to visit.
She got v. busy v. quickly, and before we realised she had re- organised all my carefully, well positioned blocks. Some blocks were marching in single file up the hall......
And others were flung around with gay abandon on the spare bed.....
What a little treasure!!!
Leaving it all for a couple of days and going back to it with a fresh perspective was a good idea. Reading other blogs has also been a great help, seeing how others approach things, & that they too experience that unsure feeling with what they are making. I also found this site which was interesting too... http://design-seeds.com/..... goes with my earlier thoughts of trying to get some kind of colour/mood picture happening to help me focus a bit better!!!
The colours are kinda coming together slowly. Not sure if it's using an assortment of old/newer fabrics or whether it's the antique chintzie look or what, but there have certainly been a few rejects along the way! However, I decided to carry on, can't get despondant now, I'm well over 1/2 way!
And then today...little Olive came to visit.
She got v. busy v. quickly, and before we realised she had re- organised all my carefully, well positioned blocks. Some blocks were marching in single file up the hall......
And others were flung around with gay abandon on the spare bed.....
What a little treasure!!!
Linking up with http://www.freshlypieced.com/ today.
Sunday, 26 January 2014
a summer garden party
After spending time tidying up in the garden all morning I thought I'd relax with a bit of sewing. I'm working on my 16 patch quilt and, I must admit, it's been a bit tricky!
I really thought I'd just combine fabrics, mainly greens & pinks, and things would be great!!
Well, you know... there's many many different greens and many many pinks! It was suddenly beginning to look very shabby chic, not at all what I wanted!!!
I needed to go back to my starting point.
What I had in mind was a summer garden party....leafly greens/pinks/soft blues, with just a touch of something deeper...that's what I wanted! So to help, this afternoon I put together a few ideas - my collection of oriental pretties sitting alongside assorted blue & white china, mum's 80th "high tea" setting in her garden, my daughter's wedding bouquet, my mis- matched cups & saucers, and of course the quilt that started all this!!!
p.s. Here's a photo update......
I really thought I'd just combine fabrics, mainly greens & pinks, and things would be great!!
Well, you know... there's many many different greens and many many pinks! It was suddenly beginning to look very shabby chic, not at all what I wanted!!!
I needed to go back to my starting point.
What I had in mind was a summer garden party....leafly greens/pinks/soft blues, with just a touch of something deeper...that's what I wanted! So to help, this afternoon I put together a few ideas - my collection of oriental pretties sitting alongside assorted blue & white china, mum's 80th "high tea" setting in her garden, my daughter's wedding bouquet, my mis- matched cups & saucers, and of course the quilt that started all this!!!
A kind of mood board, I guess?
And then I got busy sewing......
p.s. Here's a photo update......
Friday, 24 January 2014
particularly pretty in pastels!
I have been going thru' a few of my Kaffe Fassett books this week, and certain quilts still have appeal. I spotted a "crosses" quilt made in a rich pallette of gold/magenta/blue tones, and more modern versions of this have popped up often over the past year. Another "oldie but a goodie" is the ever popular Rosy quilt, 9 Patch square alternating with larger squares in a variety of colour combinations, leafy rosy/tawny rosy/pastel rosy.
Kaffe & Brandon are "in town" this weekend in Auckland, NZ.
I recently found this blogsite, http://oops-lah.blogspot.co.nz/ , where Vrena had just finished one of his classes, check it out for interesting comments.
I went to a Kaffe class a few years ago, really enjoyed it. The main things I got from the day were to focus on colour rather than the print, use a design wall, and to work fast & intuitively! Of course things still don't always pan out, wrong choices of fabrics, etc. (I wonder how he copes with that?).
What springs to mind when I think of Kaffe is his bold use of pattern & strong colours.
In one of his earlier books however, published in 1997, I found a quilt that I really liked, a version of the 16 patch quilt. I have recently made a 16 patch quilt, and while it was quick to piece, it was made from solely from one designer range. A bit limiting I felt.
Kaffe's one was particularly pretty in a variety of pastels. So easy to live with, using medium scale floral prints, and with the addition of something just- a- bit- deeper to add a bit of punch!!! It was v.reminiscent of mismatched flowery teacups, rosy wallpaper, oriental floweriness, etc......
Kaffe & Brandon are "in town" this weekend in Auckland, NZ.
I recently found this blogsite, http://oops-lah.blogspot.co.nz/ , where Vrena had just finished one of his classes, check it out for interesting comments.
I went to a Kaffe class a few years ago, really enjoyed it. The main things I got from the day were to focus on colour rather than the print, use a design wall, and to work fast & intuitively! Of course things still don't always pan out, wrong choices of fabrics, etc. (I wonder how he copes with that?).
What springs to mind when I think of Kaffe is his bold use of pattern & strong colours.
In one of his earlier books however, published in 1997, I found a quilt that I really liked, a version of the 16 patch quilt. I have recently made a 16 patch quilt, and while it was quick to piece, it was made from solely from one designer range. A bit limiting I felt.
Kaffe's one was particularly pretty in a variety of pastels. So easy to live with, using medium scale floral prints, and with the addition of something just- a- bit- deeper to add a bit of punch!!! It was v.reminiscent of mismatched flowery teacups, rosy wallpaper, oriental floweriness, etc......
........interestingly, in this old book, he hadn't yet begun to design his own fabric ranges.
I figure this v.versatile quilt block was the perfect answer to using up some of my assortment of old/new fabric scraps, from a variety of sources, over a period of years! I just need to stay focused on the colours & not get sidetracked by the prints!!
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Hour Glass Quilt update
This is where I was at when little Olive (nearly 3yrs) came to visit the other day.
She took one look at all the blocks laid out on the spare bed & she just so so wanted to play !!! Luckily, we were off out to "the cafe" !!!
So today while it rained, I had a final audit/play with the placement of my hour glass blocks!!
...I shifted things around a wee bit to ensure the top & the bottom rows were sort of mirror images of each other, something I have found in the past helps keep a bit of balance happening in a scrappy sort of quilt!
...and I replaced some of the teal triangles with a more deeper blue fabric to give more variety.
...and then I spent a couple of hours sewing, getting the blocks all together!! (b4 little Olive returns!!!)
These large blocks went together v. easily, a little bit of pinning to interlock everything nicely, & all intersections looking ok for once!!!
She took one look at all the blocks laid out on the spare bed & she just so so wanted to play !!! Luckily, we were off out to "the cafe" !!!
So today while it rained, I had a final audit/play with the placement of my hour glass blocks!!
...I shifted things around a wee bit to ensure the top & the bottom rows were sort of mirror images of each other, something I have found in the past helps keep a bit of balance happening in a scrappy sort of quilt!
...and I replaced some of the teal triangles with a more deeper blue fabric to give more variety.
...and then I spent a couple of hours sewing, getting the blocks all together!! (b4 little Olive returns!!!)
These large blocks went together v. easily, a little bit of pinning to interlock everything nicely, & all intersections looking ok for once!!!
Linking up with WIP Wednesday over @ http://www.freshlypieced.com/ later on today.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
shaken AND stirred (up)
Beginning a new quilt was the last thing on my mind today, but hey...and once I stepped into the spare room to open the curtains, my Sunday morning just disappeared!!!
Each new quilt really seems to be a mystery these days, but I do love that I learn a few things along the way each time! Take my latest project today for example..... a simple Hour Glass quilt, using mainly Anna Maria Horner fabrics -
I pulled out what I had left of my AMH fabrics & cut up lots of large squares, separated them & popped them into two paper bags, one warm colours, the other cool. Then I just shook them all up, pulled out one from each bag & began sewing the pairs together. Then I cut each joined pair across the diagonal to get largish 1/2 square triangles. I carried on making a variety of pairs. Once I had quite a few, I began pairing them up again, sewing across the oppersite diagonal, recutting, and then joining them together into the hour glass pattern. No planning, no co-ordinating, just random scrappy piecing (such fun!!! ), but here's the thing....
Firstly, because I have been using my AMH stash a bit lately, there were several pieces that just weren't big enough, so I had to join them...
Next, while I didn't particulary want to include any solid fabrics, I did find that by throwing in a couple of tone-on-tone fabrics now & then, the overall "hourglass" shape seemed more defined and gave the eye a bit of a resting place inbetween all the lovely prints ...
And here's how my Sunday morning sewing ended up ....
Each new quilt really seems to be a mystery these days, but I do love that I learn a few things along the way each time! Take my latest project today for example..... a simple Hour Glass quilt, using mainly Anna Maria Horner fabrics -
I pulled out what I had left of my AMH fabrics & cut up lots of large squares, separated them & popped them into two paper bags, one warm colours, the other cool. Then I just shook them all up, pulled out one from each bag & began sewing the pairs together. Then I cut each joined pair across the diagonal to get largish 1/2 square triangles. I carried on making a variety of pairs. Once I had quite a few, I began pairing them up again, sewing across the oppersite diagonal, recutting, and then joining them together into the hour glass pattern. No planning, no co-ordinating, just random scrappy piecing (such fun!!! ), but here's the thing....
Firstly, because I have been using my AMH stash a bit lately, there were several pieces that just weren't big enough, so I had to join them...
Next, while I didn't particulary want to include any solid fabrics, I did find that by throwing in a couple of tone-on-tone fabrics now & then, the overall "hourglass" shape seemed more defined and gave the eye a bit of a resting place inbetween all the lovely prints ...
And, I also found that adding a few smaller scale "itty- bitty" type prints helped create interest & a bit more definition. I do have a tendancy to stir things up a wee bit.....you know, combining different designer ranges, different colour combos, etc. I've noticed that AMH doesn't have too many "itty - bitties" in her ranges but I used 3 of hers that worked well, plus a few more ..........
And here's how my Sunday morning sewing ended up ....
Thursday, 16 January 2014
WIP's
This week I have been concentrating on a few of my unfinished bits & pieces.
I decided that before I begin any other quilts I have to finish at least one!! Like many of you, I do have a few ideas running around in my head - but they will have to wait.
My personal tastes have changed over time and I admit some WIP's have really & truely lost their appeal now e.g. those jewel coloured tumbling blocks are certainly going back into the depths of the wardrobe!!!!
But, I did get up to speed with the Material Obsession's "40 Shades of Grey" BOM homework. The next block is sure to arrive any day!! I guess we must be at least 1/2 way thru' by now, I think it was for 10 mths total.
Next I put the binding on two smaller quilts, and they are all ready for the twins 5th birthdays early February......
And in the evenings, I have made some more progress on my scrappy Tumbler Quilt.
I pieced it together some time ago (pre blogging- time!!) and am now hand quilting, 1/4" outlining each tumbler using perle cotton. I do really enjoy quilting by hand & use to do it alot more years ago, but time pressures/work etc intervened. The finished effect is lovely & soft, quite different to machine quilting.
But it does takes some time!
This is one quilt that wasn't made in a week for sure, I'm just doing it at my own pace......
All in all... a good few days of summer sewing!
I wanted to try & link up to Freshly Pieced WIP's, not too sure how to do this yet but will try!! I'm just a wee bit technically challenged, wish me luck!!!
update.... http://www.freshlypieced.com/ hey..it worked !!!!
I decided that before I begin any other quilts I have to finish at least one!! Like many of you, I do have a few ideas running around in my head - but they will have to wait.
My personal tastes have changed over time and I admit some WIP's have really & truely lost their appeal now e.g. those jewel coloured tumbling blocks are certainly going back into the depths of the wardrobe!!!!
But, I did get up to speed with the Material Obsession's "40 Shades of Grey" BOM homework. The next block is sure to arrive any day!! I guess we must be at least 1/2 way thru' by now, I think it was for 10 mths total.
Next I put the binding on two smaller quilts, and they are all ready for the twins 5th birthdays early February......
And in the evenings, I have made some more progress on my scrappy Tumbler Quilt.
I pieced it together some time ago (pre blogging- time!!) and am now hand quilting, 1/4" outlining each tumbler using perle cotton. I do really enjoy quilting by hand & use to do it alot more years ago, but time pressures/work etc intervened. The finished effect is lovely & soft, quite different to machine quilting.
But it does takes some time!
This is one quilt that wasn't made in a week for sure, I'm just doing it at my own pace......
All in all... a good few days of summer sewing!
I wanted to try & link up to Freshly Pieced WIP's, not too sure how to do this yet but will try!! I'm just a wee bit technically challenged, wish me luck!!!
update.... http://www.freshlypieced.com/ hey..it worked !!!!
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