Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Tag Archives: modern quilt


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Design Wall Monday: A Nautical Feel

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Here is the baby quilt top I worked on over the weekend.  I had previously made a nautical baby quilt and really enjoyed it.  I purposely did not look back at pictures of the last one.  I took the tiny bit of leftover stripe fabric I had, put it with some red and blue canvas print, yellow, clouds, and really old (1996!) water print.  I just started cutting 4 1/2″ squares and 4 7/8″ squares to make into HSTs, and used the tiny scraps to make some four patches.  I like all the strong diagonal lines.  This measures 36″ x 44″ and uses 99 blocks.

 

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And here is the one I made last year.  Turns out I used 180 3 1/2″ blocks for it.  Also, I included lots of white, so it has a lighter look.  I like them both.

Have you been playing with fabric?

I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report: 6/16/13

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Happy Father’s Day!  I did skip last week’s report, because I hadn’t added any fabric or used any (I don’t count till I have a finish.)  Also, I am dismally behind on all of your blogs and podcasts, so that would be why you aren’t receiving any comments or encouragement from me.  I’m with you all in spirit!

This was a good week, because the Tulip Quilt used 10.5 yards, and I used 2 more for a pair of pillowcases.  All that tulip fabric is very nearly gone, but there are strings… Hmm.  Log cabin?  Sometimes it seems as though we never use it all up.

This week:  +0 yards,  -12.5 yards

YTD:  =83.5 yards,  -157 yards

Net stash used in 2013:  -72.5 yards

 

How are you coming with your stash reduction?

 

I have a new project coming up as I will soon receive a package of baby clothes to use in a commission quilt and pillow cover.  Do any of you have any experience doing a quilt like this?  Know any links to nice memory projects like this?  The client and I have communicated about the design, but I’d like to see lots of ideas.

 

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.

 


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The Tulips are Finished!

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All done!  And successful.  I have to say that this is one of those quilts that I saw in my mind’s eye and was able to create the vision from fabric.  Yes, I got tired of looking at the pink, but it was the right choice.  I did use my design wall a lot, really changing around the position of the blocks, and enlisting input from the Twilters, but in the end I think it became a rich and inviting quilt.

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I think the two tulip prints worked together because they are the same scale and use different values of the same colors.

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The extra blocks and the rest of the lighter tulip fabric went on the back.  I did a really good job using up all of these two fabrics but for a few scraps.  My stash feels lighter.

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This is quilted in all the ditches with Bottom Line thread.  I did do the accent quilting with pale green King Tut, but I decided to mark it with wavy lines through every row of squares and quilt those lines with the walking foot.  I have two of these June Tailor rulers for various sizes of curves and scallops, and I use them a lot.

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Are you aware of how many shades of green fabric do not match this quilt?  I have two drawers of green fabric, and almost none of it was suitable for the binding.  I finally combined two pieces that look very similar, one darker than the other.  It doesn’t really look scrappy,  just shaded.

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I used a label cut with a little extra space at the bottom to write a message when I donate this quilt.  (Note to Universe:  no new disasters are needed just because I have a new quilt ready to donate.)

What did you finish this week?

I’m linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


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WIP Wednesday: Still Tulips

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I thought I was at the point of auditioning thread for some accent quilting on this garden of tulips, but not so.  The quilt insists that I stitch in every ditch, so I’m going back to do that.  Straight line quilting may be fairly easy, but does it ever take time!  When I do get the ditch quilting finished, I think I will use this light green King Tut (40 wt.).  It’s tempting to try something special on the plain green Grunge areas, but everything else is the busy prints and it would be wasted.  So, more straight lines.  Someone said that they tape their seam guide in place on their walking foot to keep it from moving around (and to keep from having to mark all those lines!), so I think I’ll try that.

 

This quilt is 60″ x 84″ , which is at the outside of my zone for really enjoying machine quilting.  It’s a bit heavy on the shoulders, and more than a bit warm in this lovely summer weather in my upstairs studio.

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Verdict on the fabrics:  I still love both tulip prints and the Grunge.  I really can’t stand the pink at this point, but it still plays well with the others, so…

 

Back to work.  I’m linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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WIP Wednesday: Tulips!

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I don’t know if I’ve ever had more trouble photographing fabric than these four fabrics.  Every light in my studio is on (cue country song), and it’s daytime, but I still can’t get a true picture.  Take my word that these fabrics really do play nice together.  The pink is a little on the strawberry side, but nowhere near as dark as it looks.  My favorite blocks are the ones with the two tulip prints.  This placement works, but I may move some things around, too.  You’ll just have to stay tuned.

I’m using the Disappearing Four Patch technique (D4P), which I think is a lot prettier than the 9 patch.  I’m sure there are lots of tutorials, but I learned it from Mama Vesuvius when she was collecting blocks for Hurricane Sandy quilts.  Scroll down a little on that page, the tutorial is there.  These are the 12 1/2″ blocks she is showing.

 

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I’m linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Getting it Done in May and June

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Well, where did May go?  It’s always a busy month, with end of school stuff (not so much for me anymore, but my son did have to be moved home from college), birthdays, and holidays.  Still, I was thinking about reporting for the month about the 27th, and then…poof!  It was June.

 

May Goals

1. Finish Project Hope Online Quilt Show art quilt.

2. Make pair of pillow cases to coordinate w new queen quilt.

3. Make primary baby quilt

4. Scrap donation quilt. (orange and blue)

June Goals

1.  Make donation quilt (Tulips).

2.  Nautical baby quilt.

3.  Make pair of pillowcases (Nicey Jane).

4.  Piece top for SIL Christmas gift quilt.

 

Yes, I made all my May goals.  Considering that I’m retired, these were not lofty goals.  I prefer to make them very attainable, and feel the satisfaction of getting them done.  Without them I am sure I would wander around and do far less.  Plus, it gives me a place to write down new projects as they occur to me.  I know, some people track everything on spreadsheets, but that isn’t me.  My Goals page, my Flickr destashing group, Stash Reports, and my little calendar with the cat on the front are where I track my progress.  It’s working.

 

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In addition to the goals I wrote down, I also made the aqua and gray zig zag baby quilt, and a flag for To Boston With Love.  Have you seen the flags hanging?  Look at this video of 1500 of them hanging in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

 

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The most satisfying May goal was the Project Hope Online Quilt Show.  Go there and see more of these beautiful, thoughtful pieces.  Lots of good vibrations sent out to combat the hatred in the world.  Be inspired and add yours to this great project.

 

I’m linking up with Getting It Done at Patchwork Times.

 


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Design Wall Monday: D4P

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Today’s fabrics aren’t even on the design wall yet.  I spent time today repairing the damage to my fabric closet after The Great Stash Cave In.  The problem was the extremely close quarters inside the closet.  There is not enough space to pull the baskets straight out to remove them from the frames.  And I have some backings hanging in there.  And packing boxes.  And I was in there.  So that was an ordeal.

 

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But while I was at it I pulled several older, floral fabrics that I do not wish to see anymore.  They are lovely, and perfectly good quality.  I once was obsessed with tulip fabric.  I collected quite a bit, and made one of my nieces a twin sized quilt using a lot of it.  But I still have a lot left.  And I’m just not as into it.  So I want this to become my next donation quilt.  Perhaps someone else can indulge a tulip obsession.  Or at least keep warm.

My concept at the moment is to do a Disappearing Four Patch that transitions gradually from one fabric to the next as it goes across the quilt.  I’m still working out how to do that, but I think I’ve settled on the fabrics.  The florals and the pink are definite.  I’m reluctant to include my wonderful green Grunge because I like it so much, but that’s silly, isn’t it?  I bought it to cut up and sew into quilts.  I just want to use it and keep it, too, like cake.  But it wants to be in this quilt, so I will probably use it.  I think.

 

Are you playing with fabric today?

 

I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Time.

 


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Sunday Stash Report: A little out, a little in. 6/2/13

 
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It’s been a busy, hot week, and I didn’t sew as much as I would have liked.  I need to make sure I get up early and not linger over the coffee and tablet.  Our woods are deceptively cool, but by noon my upstairs studio is usually too hot for sewing in this weather.  We’ve also been away a fair amount.   This week I used 6 1/2 yards for the Orange and Gray String Quilt.  I’ll blog about it soon.

 
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Some fabric was purchased.  10 1/2 yards.  but isn’t it pretty?  Those are little gray flying geese on the white one!  I passed by The Fabric Shack twice in the last two weeks, but I couldn’t look the other way the third time.  The geese were on sale…  Aaa, I have the rest of the year to make it to -100 yards!

 

This week:  +10.5 yards,  -6.5 yards

YTD:  +83.5 yards,  -144.4 yards

Net stash used in 2013:  -61 yards

 

How are you doing with your destashing?

 

I’m linking up with Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.

 

 


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WIP Wednesday: Strings

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I made these forty string blocks into this top, and finished putting borders on it yesterday.

 

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This was intended as a  new donation quilt, but it turned out a little small for that, at 48″ x  72″, especially since I only had a yard of the border fabric and was determined to make it work, so I think I’ll keep it for my shop.  I have an idea for quilting it all over with leaves to go with the borders.

Now I’m going to put together the backing and at least get this sandwiched today.  Also, someone should clean up this studio.  It’s all mine, but it’s tiny and things are beginning to pile up.  And spill over.  And the orange fabric needs to go away before I’m tempted to start another quilt with orange in it!

 

What are you working on?

I’m linking up with  WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

 

 


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Design Wall Monday: Strings!

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Yesterday I made forty 6″ string blocks, and I am in love with the colors.  No, I can’t tell a difference in my string baskets.  What is up with that?  but I like to sew string blocks, and I always feel I’ve created something from nothing.  I’m sashing them with Kona White, and using this nice gray and white Kaufman leaf print for the borders.  This will make a throw size, 50″ x 74″.

Are you playing with fabric today?

I’m linking up with Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.