Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Monthly Archives: May 2015


by 1 Comment

Sunday Stash Report and May/June Goals

2015-05-27 16.00.39b

Stash

Nothing in, nothing out this week, but that should change next week, as I finish this Scrap-in-a-Box quilt.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 0 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 81.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  23.75 yards

Goals

I did well on my goals this month.  Some quilters are doing theirs weekly.  I can see where this could work well, especially if you have a busy, structured work week, and this helps you accomplish some specific tasks.  In my retired (and DH retired) state, my days and weeks are more free-form and less predictable.  Some weeks I get lots of sewing time and really burn through projects.  Others seem to hold nothing but family gatherings, outings, trips, etc., and I get little done.  And I’m trying to be okay with that.  So the monthly goals give me more flexibility, but still some focus.

May Goals

1.  Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.  Yes, all caught up.  I’ve lost interest in piecing any, though.

2.   Complete the top for  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.   Yes, on this post.  Now I’m quilting it.

3.  Assemble and quilt the pink and gray scrappy log cabin quilt.  Yes! See it here.

4.  Design and piece a beach-themed throw-size quilt.  Yes, and quilted.  It’s here.

June Goals

1.   Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.

2.   Quilt and bind  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.

3.   Attempt a photo transfer technique for a Coastal wall hanging.

4.  Assemble quilt blue and gold leaders and enders units into a top.

2015-05-31 15.11.48

How are you doing on your goals?  Happy June to you tomorrow!

I’m linking up to Judy’s fabric report at Patchwork Times.


by 6 Comments

Sunday Stash Report: 5/24/15

image

Good numbers this week!  I finished Beach Drunk, which used about seven and a half yards, and I didn’t buy any fabric.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 7.5 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 81.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  23.75 yards

And I’m working on adding the sashing to Scrap-in-a-Box, so that should come out in a couple weeks.

Are you using your stash, or spending all your time in the garden?  It happens!

I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


by 9 Comments

Beach Drunk is Finished!

IMG_2353

Today I had fun photographing this year’s beach quilt made with Drunkard’s Path blocks.  No, there’s no ocean around here, but we do have a State Park with a beach.  And, oddly, no one was swimming on this 50°F day…

Beach Drunkard

Here is the design as I did it on EQ7.  I often it to quickly layout and turn blocks, without worrying about fabrics, just to get a general idea.   These are nine inch blocks.  I wanted to keep the pieces large to show off the fabrics.

IMG_2354

I started with six fabrics, but added four more to fill in the values.  This quilt has no shell print fabric.  One of the batiks is “Surf”.  There is a peeling white paint print, and one that appears woven, not an awning stripe, but maybe a lawn chair?  There is a metalic gold leaf print I really like.  Most of the others are abstract batiks, although the darkest reminds me seaweed or fishnet.  I used that for the binding, too.

IMG_2356

I quilted this with wavy lines using a caramel-colored Living Colors from Superior Threads.  The spirals were done in a Rainbows thread in a green, blue, yellow, pink variation.

IMG_2347

The backing is a gold and cream batik that makes me think of coral, or maybe seaweed.  There is a row of blocks pieced in, but it doesn’t show here.

IMG_2361

This quilt is a little darker, more earth and sky, than some of the past ones.  It’s available here in my Etsy shop.

wpid-cooltext-whoop-whoop.png.png

I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday and Whoop Whoop Friday.


by 4 Comments

Spring Violets, Bloggers Quilt Festival, May 2015

spring-2015-BQF-Button-e1429716312925

wpid-26.jpg

I’m entering “Spring Violets” in the Home Machine Quilted category of this spring’s Blogger’s Quilt Festival over at Amy’s Creative Side.  This quilt measures 66″ x 84″.  The batting is Warm and White.  And, yes, that’s Yuri helping out.

wpid-29.jpg

I started this quilt as a stash buster, possibly for donation.  I had a lot of purples and greens that I wanted to use up, and I thought of a favorite block of mine, Windflower, which is a variation of Drunkard’s Path.

wpid-28.jpg

The flower centers are done with “Rainbows” by Superior Threads.  All the other stitching is with “Bottom Line”, also Superior.  The violets are quilted with “pebbles” and outlines.  I used three different background fillers in the green backgrounds around the flowers.  The borders have rings that mimic the “coffee rings” on the batik.

wpid-27.jpg

It ended up as a meticulous, lengthy project, especially the quilting, and I’m now too attached to it to part with it.  It makes me happy.

wpid-31.jpg

See all the entries at the Blogger’s Quilt Festival at Amy’s Creative Side.  Voting begins May 22!


by 1 Comment

Sunday Stash Report: 5/17/15

2015-05-17 10.11.40

I don’t have any changes to report, but here are some beautiful fabrics with which I’m working.  Some are oldies from the stash, and some are recent acquisitions, playing well together.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 0 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 73.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  16.25 yards

Enjoy using your stash!  I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


by Leave a comment

Sunday Stash Report: 5/10/15

image

Happy day to everyone!  Personally, I plan to celebrate by sewing.

Hancocks of Paducah had a batik sale last week.  The batiks were all so gorgeous I couldn’t decide on any.  I love to indulge in great, inexpensive batiks for quilt backs, and then, of course I find uses for the scraps.  🙂  I really don’t need any backs right now, but all these were also on sale.  Some oranges, some boy novelty prints for pillowcases, a baby panel, a diagonal navy and white stripe for bindings, some Christmas.  Because I don’t have enough Christmas fabric.  *Sigh*

I used 7.5 yards to make Scrappy Cabins 2.

This week:  + 15 yards,  – 7.5 yards
This year:  + 57.5 yards,  – 73.75 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  16.25 yards 

So, the numbers went backwards a little, but I know it will be better soon.  Those last two quilts feel particularly good because the tops were all from strings, using fabrics down to the last bit, and it was also fun to visit with fabrics from the past.  How are you doing with sewing up your stash?

image

I’m linking up to Judy’s report at Patchwork Times.


by 6 Comments

Scrappy Cabins 2 (the pink and black one)

2015-05-09 16.06.29

The wonderful thing about a patchwork quilt is that it is warm and cuddly, colorful, and full of interesting fabrics to examine, whether it has any great artistic or design qualities to it at all.  I made this one to donate (along with it’s counterpart), and I’m confident that it will be loved.

2015-05-09 16.06.11

I know it looks like a barn raising log cabin quilt from a distance.  I think all the blocks are at least turned right.  I used eyes from all over the world on this (the #Twilters), and still found one turned wrong when I was quilting.  (No, it wasn’t the one of which we were suspicious, lower right corner.  This was on the other side!)  I took out the quilting, ripped out the block, sewed it back properly, and then resumed the quilting.

2015-05-09 16.06.37

But up close… whoo, boy!  Up close, everything runs together.  At least the colors are pretty.  I quilted feathers into the light areas using pale pink Bottom Line by Superior, and stippled the dark stripes with magenta Bottom Line.  I really think that improved things, helping to unite the fabrics.  The center designs are done in gray Sulky.

I admit I make string blocks when I want mindless sewing therapy, but I did think about the fabric placement on these.  I just didn’t get it quite right.

2015-05-09 16.07.55

Part of the problem is the large scale print fabric I have in my scraps.  It’s very difficult to categorize as light or dark, and sometimes a particular section will be the lighter than the rest, or darker.  And there was one print that I was determined to use, since I liked it and had a lot of it.  I decided I would make it a “dark”.  We know value is relative, depending on the surroundings.  And, you know, from a distance, it does work.  But not really up close.  So I learned.

2015-05-09 16.10.34

Yuri and I still like it and think that it will comfort someone.  That’s success.

wind_dandelion3

I’m linking up with WIPs Be Gone at A Quilting Reader’s Garden.


by 2 Comments

Sunday Stash and April/May Goals

2015-05-01 14.52.50

Stash

In the two weeks since I’ve blogged I’ve made these two pillowcases.  That’s the sum total of my finishes.  I have the pink and gray cabins mostly sewn together.  I finished step 4 for Scrap-in-a-Box.  I made a block for a friend who needs some love (I would count that as out, but it hardly took any fabric.).  I’ve also been traveling a little, and trying to keep up with the cat fur in the house and the weeds in the garden.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 2 yards
This year:  + 42.5 yards,  – 62.25 yards
Net fabric destashed  in 2015:  23.75 yards

Goals

April Goals

1.  Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.  Yes!  All caught up.  Haven’t made any more of them.

2.   Complete Step Four on Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.  Yes!  Here’s what the blocks look like.

3.  Complete mug rug for Sandi’s swap at Quilt Cabana.  Yes!  Here’s what I made.

4.  Assemble and quilt the scrappy log cabin quilt.  Yes!  It turned out **fairly** well.  Right here.

Lots of “Yes’s”, huh?  Well, it wasn’t a terribly ambitious list, but at least I did it.

2015-04-23 14.03.40-1

And here’s the mug rug I received from my #twilter friend Glenna. Isn’t it wonderful?  Now I’m all set for summer camping!  Next time I think we need to agree to make plainer mug rugs we will actually use for coffee- all of us are hanging these on the wall!  (Don’t know about the Twilters?  Here’s a great post from Philipa at Ozzypip Quilts.)

IMG_4373

I also worked some on my Etsy Shop, and I sent this quilt to Quilts of Compassion for their Illinois relief drive.  Isn’t this a nice thank you?  Besides a personal note.  Thanks for letting me know about this, Nonnie.

2015-05-01 14.07.26

And I re-hung things in my studio after that very loud thunderstorm.  Even colorized the thread some.  The printers’ drawer is not a perfect thread holder, a little shallow and many spaces are too narrow, but it was my first, and I knew the printers who owned it, so I won’t be parting with it.  Hopefully it’s up more securely now.

May Goals

1.  Audit Jinny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.

2.   Complete the top for  Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.

3.  Assemble and quilt the pink and gray scrappy log cabin quilt.

4.  Design and piece a beach-themed throw-size quilt.

Another month, another chance to sew!  Hope all of you enjoy May.

I’m linking up to Patchwork Times.