Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Tag Archives: Valerie Root


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Turning Down the Volume

IMG_2264Here’s a quilt that’s a bit different for me, since I do like bright color.

2015-02-24 11.51.39I purchased this fat quarter bundle on a whim this fall.  The colors spoke to me.  The gray is pretty, but it overpowers the lights.  I added Kona Azure, but that was also very strong.  I knew I wanted to cut these up as little as possible, so I made 6″ HSTs with them.  I wanted to arrange them in  a random design across the quilt, but it looked terrible.

IMG_2271I finally added some more Azure and made this star.

IMG_2266And (surprise!) I quilted it with feathers.  I used aqua Bottom Line for all the quilting, top and bottom.  It is very restful and soothing, and I was sad when I had no more areas to quilt.

IMG_2267I backed this with an aqua cloud print.  A very successful little quilt.  38″ square.

IMG_2274The snow makes a beautiful backdrop for quilt photos, but enough is enough.  Four to six more inches tonight…  Stay warm and sew, everyone!


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Fireplace Screen Cover Finished

wind_dandelion3Greetings from the frozen and snowy lands.  Our snow is only up to Yuri’s belly (calling him Yuri Zhivago as he prowls around the Siberian landscape), but we have had some extreme cold.  t’s better today.  My upstairs studio is a place of relatively warm refuge.  Please remind me of this when I complain in July.

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Several years ago my DH and I bought this beautiful fireplace screen.  We live in the woods, and have leaf motifs on rugs, wallpaper, etc., so we thought it would look good most of the year.  Au contraire, ma soeur!  It looks great September through November, and stupid out of place the rest of the year.  After Pam (Hip to be a Square) made a hanging for her fireplace, I resolved to make a cover for our screen.

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Here is the winter side.  Kind of a whimsical and batik-y fire.  I backed the base fabric with Pellon fusible fleece.

IMG_2249closeI cut all the fabrics freehand and glue-sticked them in place.  I edge-stitched and quilted the logs with various black and brown Sulky threads.  I quilted the flames densely with Superior’s Rainbows in flame tones, and also used my new Fabric Mate markers.  (Question:  have any of you had success at permanently bonding the fleece to cotton fabric?  I have used it a few times, and only get a temporary bond with much effort.  Any suggestions?)

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The summer side could very loosely be called broderie perse, something I’ve loved since I was young.  There are no laboriously turned edges here, though.

IMG_2254 I cut these flowers from home dec fabric and edge-stitched them with invisible thread, and did just a little accent stitching with decorative thread.  I think it’s fresh and fun.  Working on it was a good antidote to the endless white outside!

I’m linking up to WIPs be Gone at A Quilting Reader’s Garden.


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Finishes: Disappearing Four Patch and Baby Rail Fence

IMG_2229This week I finished the D4P, and then made the scraps into a fun baby quilt.  Read more about the construction here.  I made this (these) to use some small pieces of fabrics.  I won an eclectic bundle back in August.  It had some quarter yards, some fat quarters, some were “Wee Wanders” by Sarah Jane.  I also had some floral remnants left from bundles I had purchased.  All were pretty small pieces.   I knew I wanted to do a color fade.  I looked at a few patterns, including Robbing Peter to Pay Paul, but I came back to the D4P.  I added some Phillip Jacobs prints, some delicious coral batik, and some dark coral grunge.

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I stitched in the ditch between blocks, then quilted large roses and stylized flowers all over, using Bottom Line in Blush.

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For the baby quilt, I left out the darker fabrics, and paired it with a yummy Martha Negley strawberry, raspberry, meringue print.

IMG_2245IMG_2240I liked the spirograph-style flowers so well that I put them all over this quilt, as well as wavy lines, using a variegated pink Sulky thread.  I ran all the stitching edge to edge, so there were no slippery ends to bury.

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Hope those of you in colder areas are staying warm and catching up on your sewing.

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IMG_2247I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and WIPs Be Gone at A Quilting Reader’s Garden.  Hey, Angie!


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D4P in Progress

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I could never make this Disappearing Four Patch quilt without a design wall, or at least a floor, and my knees are very glad that it’s a wall.  I’ve been making a few more blocks each day and moving them around a lot.  Today I’ll make two more of the darkest blocks, and I think I’m there!

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As I’ve pieced these, I’ve not only used my new leaders and enders project, but I’ve webbed the patches, rather than snipping the connecting threads between sections.  I’ve heard about this before (Bonnie shows this when assembling blocks in a quilt), but never tried it.  Doing the blocks this way kept the patches correctly oriented and saved me a lot of time putting pieces back where they should be.  And between the two techniques, I have eliminated the thready mess I usually have going on when piecing!

How do you quilt your D4P quilts?  I’m pondering.  I may not have to mark this one, but here are some great ideas for marking from Nadine at Fabric Bias (formerly DreamWeavers Quilts).

Hope you’re making all the progress you wish!  I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Patriotic Finish

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This quilt seemed to take a long time to finish, but I think it was mainly because I had to wait for some background fabric to arrive in the middle of assembling the top.  It was also tricky to lay out.  At one point I sewed a couple of blocks in wrong and had to fix them, so I asked the Twilters to look at it before I sandwiched it, just to be sure.  Sometimes you’re just too close to a project.

IMG_2223pdI found this design at Sew Excited Quilts when Jackie was working with her strings.  She worked out all of these great layouts, and when I saw the one with the stars, I knew it was what I wanted for this Quilt of Valor.  I calculate that my quilt  56″ x 81″) has 1120 pieces of fabric in it!  This has, finally, made a bit of a dent in my strings.

IMG_2225pMy stash has reached the point where I no longer have large backing pieces in every color, so I purchased this backing fabric on sale from Fabric Shack.  I look the water color-like print!

IMG_2224pI used white Bottom Line to stitch in the ditch and for all the stippling.  I used a heavy Coats and Clark variegated thread for the stars and the hearts.  I have mixed feelings about the way the stars turned out on the white areas.  I really like tone-on-tone quilting, where the shadows do the work, but I also like pretty thread.  These do add interest.  What do you think?

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I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


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Quilting in Progress

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This week I have been plugging away at quilting my current Quilt of Valor.  I can’t seem to get very large chunks of time, but I get a few blocks done every day.

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While I was putting together this top, I cut and started sewing my first “leaders and enders” project.  Do you make quilts this way?  How do you manage them? I’ve never felt organized enough to try it before, but something clicked, and I think I can manage these simple blocks.  Its just going to take a very long time.

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In other news, I was excited by the arrival of these Interdesign containers to use in my storage lockers.  These spaces are both tall and deep, and I’ve been frustrated for years trying to find something to fit them and use the space well.  Even pricey vintage locker baskets aren’t the right size.  I only bought four, but they’re perfect, so I may slowly aquire more.  It’s the little things!

Hope things are going your way this week!  I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.


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Sunday Stash Report: 1/25/15

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The bad news (sort of) is that a box of fabric arrived from Fabric Shack.  The good news is that the Kona Snow inside allowed me to finish this top, and there’s a beautiful (and sale!) backing, too.  So the numbers will change again quickly.

This week I finished two pillowcases, and a pair of arm protectors for the upholstered chair in my kitchen.

This week:  + 10.5 yards,  – 3 yards
This year:  + 26 yards,  -12.25 yards
Net fabric destashed added in 2015:  13.75 yards

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Also added to my studio is this pretty bale jar from the antique mall.  From the pins, it sure looks like it has some sewing experience, doesn’t it?  I’m using it to hold fabric markers.

Hope you’re either destashing, or adding really good stuff!  I’m linking up to Patchwork Times.


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Elephant Adventures

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Today I got out the fabrics I had cut in November?  October? for Scrap in the Box, this year’s Scrapitude mystery quilt by Charlotte.  Many of us #Twilters on Twitter are doing this.  You can certainly join in- this is only the first clue.

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There were teeny, tiny pieces to put together, but I got them pieced in a few hours, so now I’m waiting to see what everyone elses looks like, and for next month’s clue.

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Some of the sale fabrics I bought were these two adorable elephant prints.  What’s so cute about elephants?  I don’t know, but I had a great time sewing up these two baby quilts.
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The primary colored one is just the whole fabric (I did a bit of piecing on the back), but it was good practice free motion quilting it,
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and I finished with a special binding.

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The teal elephants are a brushed cotton/linen blend, my first time using one.
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Continue reading →


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Sunday Stash Report: 1/11/15

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Cold, cold, cold its been here!  I have done lots of sewing, but the only finish is this elephant baby quilt, 2.75 yards.

My eQuilter order arrived with 15.5 yards, so the numbers will be lopsided for a while.  But it is beautiful fabric (and I’ve already used some of the elephants).

This week:  +15.5 yards,  -2.75 yards
This year:  +15.5 yards,  -6.25 yards
Net fabric destashed added in 2015:  9.25 yards

Keep warm and keep sewing!  I’m linking up to Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Sunday Stash Report and January Goals

IMG_2208aThe first report in a fresh year!  And I have a finish to start the year!  No new fabric came in, but I have ordered some, so the numbers will probably be bouncing around.  This year I’ve set my destashing goal at 50 yards.  (Here are the rest of my goals for 2015.)

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This week:  +0 yards,  -3.5 yards

This year:  +0 yards,  -3.5 yards

Net fabric destashed:  3.5 yards

January Goals

1.  Sew a Quilt of Valor from stash.

2.  Order supplies for surface decoration on quilts.

3.  Design and begin a winter-themed art quilt.

4.  Deliver quilts I’ve designated for donation.

5.  Audit Jenny Beyer BOM Craftsy Class.

6. Complete Step One on Charlotte’s Scrap in a Box Mystery Quilt.

This is more items than I usually focus on, but January is prime sewing time, and I truly do expect to get a lot done!

Hope you are off to a great start in 2015!  I’m linking up to Sunday Stash Report at Patchwork Times.