Quilty 365 May Update

I have continued to work on my Quilty 365 circles, though I must admit I have not completed as many as I should have. Slowing down is usually a bad sign for me. lol But I don't think I'm over them quite yet.  Mostly I was exhausted from trying to finish out the school year...but that's done! So I'm back to circles and other projects, too!

I have 33 blocks to add to the ones I made earlier and wrote about in March.  I can't believe that I forgot to give an update in April, but there you have it.  If my math is correct--and it's entirely possible that my math is way off--I have a total of 120 blocks. 

I counted them last week as I was packing them up to take with me should we ever go on vacation--it's entirely possible that we may not even though we should have left already! That's a story for another day though. And I don't remember the number anyway. 

Of course, a la Mary, I couldn't wait and used a few of those blocks for this project.

But it's all good! That project was meant to represent a window, and one of our boys has a home improvement business that sells and installs windows, among other home improvement jobs.

Because I decided in my last update that I had way too many plaids, I decided to stitch up some solid/neutral circles. I'm still using up some of the plaid circles and squares that were already cut, but as I add to the pile, I'm cutting only from my collection of Kona solids and anything in neutral. I'm hoping that mixing these in with the plaids will calm them down a bit.

And because I figured out how to do this some time ago, I thought I'd show you the same circles in black and white. A b/w cicle quilt would be pretty awesome, don't ya think?

Happy Quilting,

Quilty 365 [update]

I've been working diligently on the circles for the Quilty 365 Project hosted by Audrey at Quilty Folk.  If you're a regular follower, you know that I started late. Actually at least one month late since I started sometime in February and almost everyone else started on January 1st. 

first set of circles

But I've been enjoying the hand-stitching much more than I thought I would, so sewing two or three circles a night has been easy. That means I'll eventually catch up, although my intention was never to compete or concern myself with a particular number. I'll just make circles till I've over it. 

this week's set of circles

Audrey encouraged me to do just that when I told her my "plan." It's really nice to get encouragement when you start off saying you're not playing by the rules. That surprised me since I rarely ever come close to breaking rules. 

These two photos are of the large circles....35 in all! Not a bad number. 

And these are the smaller circles...47 circles. 

It's the first time I've counted the circle, and I discovered that 82 circles are done.  (The photos and a calculator made that little chore easy.) Then I found another five circles hiding under a stack of the newest fabric I pulled for this project...so 87.  

One of the good uses of taking pictures is that it has helped me to realize that I've gone overboard with the number of plaids that I'm using for the background. This is much too busy. I've prepped many more circles and will use those, but then I'll have to resist using the stripes and plaids for the squares.  In fact, I really want to do more solid on solid to help calm this crazy down just a touch. 

Otherwise, I'm loving everything about this project.  Just look at this neat stack of finished blocks. Maybe I should start thinking about what I'll do with them when I call a halt. After all, that could be any day.

Linking up with 

Ann at Fret Not Yourself and Kaja at Sew Slowly, 

who host the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters linky party on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  Do go by for a visit! You'll find some wonderfully interesting improv quilts and circles.

Quilty 365 Beginnings!

Quilty Folk blogger Audrey is hosting Quilty 365 which is "a year long quilt journey." There's a purpose and plan to Quilty 365, but I'm not exactly a long-term quilter. In fact, I'm a bit surprised to find myself taking it on. That in itself is a story, so keep reading to find out how I became invested in a very unlike me project.

But first some Quilty 365 circle blocks.

So my bloggy friend, Kaja over at Sew Slowly, has been involved with Quilty 365 probably since it started.  She's posted several of her circle blocks and I fell in love with them. Kaja is well known for her hand sewing and quilting (hence the title of her blog). Naturally she is doing all of her work by hand. And it's fabulous! Really, really beautiful and inspiring.

 So I was a bit intrigued at first. Then I began toying with perhaps joining in. I finally visited Quilty Folk to check it out. No, it's not really for me. Love it or not, a project hanging around for a whole year would not survive. I'm just not going to last. Then Kaja posted another round of photos and, oh my goodness, I was hooked. I could not resist. 

I decided to make a couple of blocks from some woven fabric just to give it a go. The fabric is soft and easy to sew. Maybe, I thought, make a quilted pillow cover or bag or something.  I figured a nine patch and I'd be satisfied. Less than a week later and I have 14 blocks in two different sizes. All cut by hand, sewn by hand and petted (a lot) by hand! No, I am not done. This afternoon I cut more. More circles. More back ground squares. Quite a few, actually. I did reverse the fabrics, though, solid circles and striped/plaid backgrounds. We'll see how that works when everything is mixed up. 

I figured out how to change the pictures into black and white only. What a great way to look at value. 

Before I say goodnight, I must thank Audrey for the idea and for setting up the rules (you know, the ones I'm not following. Sorry Audrey.) And also Kaja for the inspiration. I know I can't even think of reaching her level of perfection, but I can have fun and that's the plan...until the next big-thing-that-I-can't-resist comes along.

Happy Quilting and come back tomorrow for Sunday Quilt Inspiration!

Pillow Party

Do you remember this yellow pillow I made some time ago?

Making it was so much fun, that I decided to make another in a different colorway--teal!

This one I also decided should be reversible.  

Reversible, though requires a different closing.  I wanted this to be a pillow cover for a 16 in. pillow form, so I inserted a zipper in the side seam.  

What do you think?  Are these modern, fun and fresh?  I don't remember where the idea came from, but I'm liking the design.  Tell me what you think about these.  I really need some feedback. 

Pinterest and Modern Quilts

I've been in Baton Rouge for a few days at the annual La GEAR UP Fall Convention, so there hasn't been much quilting going on.  I did, however, think of quilting at least!  I spent some of my down time in Baton Rouge admiring beautiful quilts and building a MODERN QUILTS Pinterest board.  I did that for fun, of course, but also because I'm pretty much hooked on modern quilts lately.  

It took me all of maybe five minutes to find 20 or so photos of quilts that I really love.  I don't know that I could choose a favorite but I could definitely tell you what I like about each one: clean lines, solid fabrics, and an improvisational feel.

Even the quilts that have blocks and a pattern, have an improvisational sense about them.  I think that make-it-up-as-you-go feeling is one of the things I like most about modern quilts.  Definitely it's one of the things I like while quilting them.

I've made only a few, however.  I haven't had much time for quilting since I discovered modern quilts in the late summer.  I do hope to make a few more, but I suppose that other sewing and quilting will interrupt.  

For example, I'm going to spend the next few days working on an LSU tee shirt quilt commission.  Then I'll repair a vintage baby quilt for a friend.  I haven't decided exactly what to do with that baby quilt but I have some ideas that I'll run by the owner and let her decide.  

Then I'll begin working on a modern quilt that's been in my head for a while and wants out.  In the meantime, feel free to enjoy my modern quilt show on Pinterest.  And if you're like me and love more than one genre of quilts, you can visit my applique board here, as well.  

A First!

My first doll quilt.  Having raised boys (not the girls I wanted), I had little need for doll quilts.  When I began making quilts eons ago, those quilts were utilitarian....they did not need to be pretty or decorative, or anything but warm.  After all, I was making quilts meant to keep those boys warm during our cold, damp winters.

After the boys grew up and there were enough quilts to go around, the little sewing I did was mostly for myself.  I'd become a working mom and needed professional clothes.  I made a few quilts but the bug had not really hit.  Then one day I woke up with a beautiful quilt in my head.



I chatted with my mom about the quilt in my mind and with her encouragement, made a pretty quilt for my sister's Christmas gift.  That quilt was a fussy cut Dresden Plate which I called Sid's Dresden.  It was supposed to match the tableware she had purchased while stationed in Europe.  Turns out the colors I remembered seeing a year earlier were a bit off.  But the quilt was beautiful nonetheless.

Since then, I've made so many quilts I've lost count.  Most of those quilts have been big, queen sized quilts still meant to be put on a bed, but some were made for aesthetic reasons, others have been baby quilts.

But now I've made a different quilt altogether--I've made a doll quilt that is just meant to be pretty.

There isn't a doll to snuggle under it, but I have a feeling that with six grand-daughters, I should be able to find one baby doll.
Of course, there's a reason for the doll quilt.  I'm presenting fussy cut Dresden plates at our next guild meeting.  I do have one or two quilts that will serve to show how fussy cutting the wedges can make an interesting pattern in the plate.


Still, I want to show other ways to use the wedges.  I also want to show that although fussy cutting fabric can waste quite a bit of fabric, it's possible to use the waste to make something else.  To make this little quilt, I pinned the castoffs before cutting out the wedges to keep the stack together.  After cutting enough wedges for a large quilt, I cut small wedges from the waste fabric and made this quilt.  I've got additional wedges to use as flower petal appliques on a little dress for one of the granddaughters.  I'm hopeful that I'll be able to work on that dress tomorrow.

On a different note, I received my Connecting Threads order today.  I received their catalog last week and found that they were having a great sale on some of the solids that I like.  I wanted the stacks and jelly rolls, but they were completely sold out!  So, I settled for 1/2 yard cuts instead.  Poor me!   Don't you feel sorry for me that I HAD to purchase such large pieces to be able to take advantage of the sale?

Here are some photos of the fabrics I purchased.  I want them for applique purposes.  I really prefer solids for applique most of the time.

 Check these out!  I could not resist even though I was interested in solids.  The top one (I think) is called "Bayou."  Now you know a Louisiana girl can't resist that!

Yummy purples, oranges, and yellows.  One is called sunshine.....it's stunning.


















Blues for flowers and birds.  I have got to start using birds.  I see them in other quilts and they are always so cheerful.  That's a goal for this summer.  Remind me later if you haven't seen a bird in one of my quilts.





 These greens are for leaves and vines.  The greens are really much more saturated than they appear here, but I can't fix everything in my pictures.  I'm a horrible photographer, but you've seen my photos before, so it's not a surprise, I'm sure.

Of course, some of these are in two photos so that you can really see the contrasts.  There are 36 pieces in all, each one a half yard.  I really don't plan to use them for piecing, so half yard cuts are perfect.

What do you think?  Added to the stash, they will blend beautifully, but I'm seriously considering separating the solids and prints.  It's driving me crazy that it takes me so long to find the perfect piece of fabric.  I'm thinking that if the solids are separated but close by, I can save time by looking at a smaller stack when I want a solid for applique.

I'm sure that a new system will also make me nutty, especially having to reorganize everything.  But I'm about to have to move everything anyway, so maybe I'll take advantage of  the work and find a better system for my stash.  What do you do to make finding the right fabric less work?  I've read that other quilters sort by color and value, but I'm not that ambitious.  And though I don't want to spend an hour searching for one fabric, I do want an opportunity to stroke and touch and play with my pretties!

Okay, you know what's next: your turn.  What's your system?  Does it work?  What is the best thing about your system?  Share time!  Get to typing.