Classic Quilt Inspiration

We all like a good deal, right?! I know I’m a sucker for a sale and free shipping is hard to beat these days. My friend Andie, whom I “met” through a virtual Bee, co-wrote a book last year. A GREAT book. I know, because I was lucky enough to win a copy during the Bloggy Release Party:

That cover quilt is on my list of quilts to make.  And there is a New York Beauty inspired 2-color quilt that I seriously covet.  She even included a piecing tip/tool tip she learned from yours truly.

For the rest of June, you can purchase an autographed copy of this book
from her shop and receive free shipping in the U.S. !

Don’t wait, July will be here before you know it!  Go order one, now!

The time is near

when we have to bid adieu to Google Reader (sob)… and I don’t want to lose any of my dear readers so follow the link to keep up with me via Bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Thanks for always coming back! My new studio tour is coming soon…

Retake, Release, and Reboot!

On Friday, we released our newest quilt pattern, Fox in a Box, the second in our series of critter applique quilts. This one has a non-applique version included in the pattern:
We retook the cover photos (three times, actually!) after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for nice weather…

and later in the day on Friday, it required a reboot of my motivation to get back to work on the next pattern, which is well under way.  

In addition to quilt pattern designs for Row House Creations, I’ve been putting in a great deal of sewing machine time working on a commission quilt.  It’s based on one of Kellie Wulfsohn’s designs.  It’s twin size, applique, and a little tedious, but it is going to make an adorable quilt for a lucky little girl!

What have you been working on lately?

Happy Sewing,

Doris

a little more LOVE

Following up on yesterday’s post regarding my Love in a Mist Bee quilt, I thought I’d share Trina’s three block runner/wallhanging she made after being inspired by my blocks last year…

She did an all-over echoed swirl quilting… the blocks just pop!

And the back is fabulous, too, just uses little leftover triangles for added interest…

This one hangs (vertically) in her quilt studio.  She made two of these at a retreat one weekend.

Trina’s wallhanging is a great reminder that even if you don’t have time to finish an entire quilt, you can still make something fun and creative!

After the Rain

This finish has been a long time coming, that’s for certain. I’ve participated in at least five Virtual Quilting Bees; a group of 12 participants, duration one year, each quilter is assigned a month to send out fabric and request a block to be made for them. I even led two years of One Block Over, a Bee I created.  This is the first finished quilt from any of my Bees…

In July 2011, I requested Love in a Mist blocks (tutorial link from here) and I sent squares pre-cut from my scrap basket. I think I got all but one block back, and I made a few more to have enough for the quilt.  My friend, and business partner, Trina quilted it and returned it to me prior to moving in March, and it got set aside.  Yesterday, I finally got around to binding it:

I’m calling it After the Rain (the rainbow, the spectrum of colors, Love in a Mist is the block name…). The quilting is fabulous, as usual… (hey, look!  PURPLE!  I scrounged like crazy to come up with enough purple scraps for one block!)

The backing fabric has been in my stash since roughly 2007, it’s Petal Power by Maggie & Sharon for Moda.  I had several colorways of this, but about 4 yards of this magenta pink color.  The full back:

For the inner border I sewed strips of scraps together and made a spectrum strip about 2″ wide around the blocks, and also added a wide strip to the back:

I added a fun Alexander Henry print called “bobby pins” for the outer border, adds to the rainbow of colors but still “reads as” white from a distance:

12″ finished block, the quilt is roughly twin size…

(Don’t let the greenery in that photo fool you, it was covered in snow yesterday morning!)

I love several things about this quilt.  Every time I look at it, a different fabric or print catches my eye, and I’m reminded of the project I made out of that fabric, or of my beloved Gramma B (some of her fabric scraps went into this quilt!), or who I gave the quilt to that I made from that collection, or of friendships with long distance quilters.  This one is destined to be favorite…

Makes me want to get moving on putting together my other Bee quilts!

Have you ever been in a Virtual Bee?

Did you get all of the blocks requested?

Have you finished your quilt?

Color quandry

I’ve been preparing to make a purple quilt for a gift, and it’s a bit of a challenge. Purple is the one color I am just not drawn to in fabric (well, that and peach, but I dislike the color peach in all things, not just fabric). So, by preparing, I mean buying fabric in purples because I have very little none in my stockpile of fabric. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this post today on design sponge, with the color of the day:

I was reminded of the significance of the color purple in the Church, and in regards to royalty, because of how rare and expensive the dye was in ancient times.  It is a rich, vibrant color… I just don’t know why I’m not drawn to it.  Purple in the garden?  Adore it!  Photos of fields of lavender have always given me a warm, happy feeling (maybe because I’d love to be there seeing the sight firsthand!):

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and in a perennial garden?  Almost a necessity for me! I have crocuses and hyacinth blooming in my yard right now.

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Those are some lovely petals, right?! And my favorite Spring buds?  Lilacs:

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I had a part in making this gorgeous purple and grey quilt, and I even had a hard time parting with it!

Yet I have no purple clothing and until some recent online shopping, no purple fabric.  I guess I’m just not drawn to it in textiles.  However, this Tyrian Purple yarn could change my mind, especially when I get around to watching my Craftsy knitting and crocheting classes:

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So what’s your color?  The one that just doesn’t draw you in?

What color do you buy the most often (in fabric or other products)?  Mine has to be green, hands down I have more greens and blue-greens (aqua, etc) than any other color of fabric.

I’ll share my purple fabric purchases (and hopefully some purple quilt blocks) soon…