4x5 Q1 2012 - Finished Blocks!

This quarter, for the 4x5 bee, which I love, I decided to experiment with diamonds.  (If you're interested, I wrote up a full tutorial to make one of these 12.5-inch square blocks, available here.) 

While making these blocks, I got to play around with color placement, my favorite! In this bee, I see each block as an opportunity to make one design into a unique creation just by switching up fabrics and colors.  

Requested colors: aqua, teal, yellow, lime.

I loved using a crazy print for the lattice strips in this one!  I also kept the layout quite symmetrical.

 Requested colors: pink

What to do with a monochromatic request?  I switched up intensity, value, and pattern for contrast, using some of my all-time favorite fabrics.

Requested colors: Aqua, yellow, gray, with gray background

This is one of my all-time favorite color combinations!  I really liked seeing how changing just the background color makes a big difference.  

Requested colors: red and aqua

This one has a rather unique layout, with three vertical aqua diamonds surrounded by red.  I also used a solid for the lattice strips to add a bit more aqua to the mix and balance the block.  

Requested colors: apple green, aqua, hint of red.

I love this one!  Something about the sharp contrast of red in the center, with the cool aqua and green tones around it, makes me very happy.  Also, I'll use any excuse to get those DS Quilts dots in a project.  

My test block:  I requested scrappy and bright, saturated colors, so I did the same for my block.  

I'm REALLY into scrappy projects right now, and had A LOT of fun with this block.  Instead of inserting the lattice pieces in parallel lines like a hash mark, I did these overlapping ones by cutting one white strip open at a time, sewing it back up with a lattice strip, and cutting the next one clockwise.  So, I inserted the orange dots first, then the DS Quilts aqua flower tiles, then the seahorses, and finally the LouLouthi stripy piece.

I have so many projects waiting to be finished that I'm not sure if I can commit to this bee next quarter-- I always imagine it will take less time than it does, and I can't help myself and just dive into these fun blocks!

Feature Quilt

When I saw this quilt at Film in the Fridge, I knew just what to do with some of the gorgeous hand-printed linen scraps my friend Lynn of South Street Linen gave me to play with!

Along with the linen scraps, I used white, ash, cream, and Kona Tangerine in simple borders radiating off the corner square.  The widths of each layer were sort of randomly chosen and improvised as I went along.   I love how it turned out-- using all solids is a great way to spotlight some really special fabric.

Lynn is an amazing artist, and making some of the softest, prettiest linens (scarves, table linens, and more!) you can imagine.  

I quilted it in straight lines echoing the corner square, and then in L's, varying the density of the straight lines as fabrics changed.  

I pieced a sweet little improv block for the back out of leftover scraps.  I love putting a surprise back there!

It's bound in medium gray, and I gave it some lovely tangerine x details in a corner. Yum!

Rainbow Vortex Quilt

Viola! Just in time for Spring! 

Back in September, I had to decide what to send my bee-mates for my month in the Quilting Under the Rainbow bee.  I chose Aneela Hoey's crazy scrappy blocks, which I think look like a swirling vortex! The only problem was that I didn't have enough true "scraps." So I made some by cutting strips and squares from my stash, sorted them by color, and packaged them up for mailing. 

Each person got two bundles: scraps + one white center piece.  Over the next couple months, finished blocks came back to me from my fellow bees, and I also made up a bunch myself from the leftover scrap packs, each measuring 10 inches unfinished. 

Then the blocks sat for a while, until I was seized with the urge to sash, and spent a lazy Saturday with strip upon strip of white.  

Once the top was completed, I admit, it sat for a bit longer.  

 

But then, on yet another Saturday, I sandwiched, basted, and quilted it up in randomly spaced horizontal lines. Washed and dried for crinkles!

 It's backed in a sweet aqua ikat, 

and bound with fun watermelon dots (Lipstick Ta Dot)!

I really love how each block bears the imprint of its maker-- I hope my bee-mates can spot their blocks! A HUGE thanks to them all for their amazing work!

(Meow-approved.)

Edit: I linked up to the Festival of Scrapiness over at Stitched in Color-- what amazing scrappy quilts people are making!! 

And I won a whole roll of batting!  a WHOLE ROLL! O_o

Quilting Bee Spotlight: Quilting Under the Rainbow

I've professed my love for the 3x6 and 4x5 quilting bees before, and I've also been participating in a few other virtual quilting bees on flickr.

At first, I was pretty hesitant to join any.  Too shy.

One day, though, I took the plunge and joined Quilting Under the Rainbow, organized by Shawn.

How it works:
12 members, 12 months.  Each month, one member sends out fabric and instructions for a block or blocks they'd like to get back.  All the other members (worker bees!) make the blocks, take pictures and post on flickr for the group to see, and send them back.  Kind of like quilty penpals! You can find a lot of information about flickr's virtual bees here.

I've always loved sending and receiving mail!  These kinds of bees really enhance my perception of the variety of quilting styles and tastes, and I've learned so much from them.  I get to work with fabrics and designs that I wouldn't think of myself.  Paper-piecing.  Dresdens.  Improv.  You name it!

Quilting Under the Rainbow has a loose theme of bright, rainbow colors, either arranged in a color wheel or otherwise. Ultimately, though, it's totally up to the person whose month it is.

I'm sad that this bee is more than half over.  Here's a roundup of what we've worked on so far.

July 2011:

Moni started us off with a lovely rainbow pinwheel.  It was my first time paper-piecing! I'm a big fan of the traditional "fold along all the lines, be generous with fabric, hold up to the light, hope you get it right" method.

August 2011:

Susan assigned some deceivingly simple squares (with this tutorial) that tested my piecing accuracy! We all received different colors, so it was really fun to see everyone complete the blocks.

September 2011:

Sam sent out another paper-pieced challenge: a traditional pineapple block. I really love how precise traditional blocks can be when you paper-piece them (as opposed to my usual questionable seam allowances...)

October 2011: My month!

I sent out these little beauties, with different colors to different people...

and asked for Aneela Hoey's improv "vortex" blocks.  I made a bunch more blocks to go along with the ones from the bee, and I'm almost finished done with the quilt! It's amazing!

November 2011:

For Christine, we made a beautiful modern version of the Friendship Scrap Block, in all different colors. This block is a real test of half-square triangle skills.

Then we took a holiday break!

January 2012:

Shawn sent out some solid, white, and corner printed fabrics for evening star blocks.  Then we each filled in the points of the star with coordinating fabrics from our stashes-- this will be a truly unique quilt!!

February and March aren't quite finished yet!

Take a Rest

Whew.

I'm a sucker for certain animal textiles.

This Echino Chelsea by Etsuko Furuya lion in the garden print stole my heart.

"Look at me!" it called, "I've got your kind of colors, admit it.

Check out these flowers.  Is that a bird? Orange bushes? Pink bugs!"

As I tried to walk away, it asked, "How handsome is my Lion?"

Done deal.

Had to make some pillows! These big ones are 18x18 inches.

I balanced out the Echino's bright bright brightness with some Kona Stone, and some ecru machine and hand-stitching. They've all got a layer of cotton batting underneath for structure and extra cushion.

I also learned how to put an invisible zipper in a pillow! Not that hard!

Using Elizabeth Hartman's mod mosaic method, I switched up typical values to make a smaller 12x16 inch companion pillow for those lions.  Instead of using colorful scraps with white "tile grout" sashing, I used pieces of Kona Snow with turquoise sashing (I think it's Aqua from Connecting Threads and totally on sale right now).

They're all backed in the same: some kind of linen/cotton/miscellaneous natural fiber  upholstery-weight fabric. Quite sturdy and earthy.

 Cotton double gauze + pillows = softest place to rest.

Modern Mini Challenge Quilt: Spider Legs

When I saw that Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts was organizing a mini quilt challenge, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to work out an idea I had to make an improv chevron ring.  This is a really fun challenge, and there is a TON of inspiring work over there!

I'm all about a scrappy and bright look these days (fighting the late winter gray)!  It's made with some favorite scraps, Kona Snow, and Free Spirit Nugray. I bound it with my favorite DS Quilts print, and love what the variation adds.  I also snuck the DS Quilts dots in there :)

I'm not sure that this turned out like a real "chevron" ring.  It looks more like spider legs to me! It's ok, sometimes creepy works.

I did some random machine quilting in the ring, like a crazy star, and added some hand-stitched pink circles, too.  The mini is only 12x12 inches, so it's the perfect canvas for this kind of detailed work.

I'm going to hang it in my sewing space!  While I've made plenty of pillows and other small quilted projects, this is my first official mini quilt, and I think this challenge was the perfect thing to get me started.

It won't be my last.

A Sure Win for Dreary Days

In about 6 weeks in NYC, people will be outside at cafe tables, sipping iced lattes and grinning, happy to feel the sun on their toes. We will have just taken the flip flops out of storage, and will wear them, even though it might not quite be warm enough.  

Right now, though, we're mostly trudging through 40-degree drizzly weather, on the verge of clobbering everyone with our umbrellas, all passive-aggressive elbows and frowns.  It's a tough time of year.  

So I needed a win.  

I'm happy to report that I used my Leap Day well and finished up a new ironing board cover that I made along with February's sew-along at I have to say....  It was fun and easy, and such a nice thing to do for yourself.  My ironing board is a little wider than normal, so I just added a few inches according to the instructions.  

Why not pretty-up something you use all the time?


Instant win!