::Up To The Last Minute::

I’m in several quilting bees, and have pressed it to the last minute on them this month.  I still have a dreaded house to do tonight.  I’m not a fan of those houses.

I loved making these and am hoping to get a Values Quilt Quilt-A-Long going by October.  The smaller blocks are so fun.  I liked the idea of making a whole quilt with a mix of blocks, each using two colors and sashed in grey or a natural.  We’ll see if it culminates.

My Sunday Stash and Sunday Swap is Robert Kaufman’s “Sugar and Spice.”  I have a FQ of each.  I would love the more purple blue colorway of this.  Am on the hunt for Alexander Henry’s and Kaffe Fassett’s lately, but I am open.

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::Sunday Stash/ Sunday Swap::

I’ve been rather absent from here with the trail of family and friends visiting.  Our annual visit from the Northern Irish side of the family was too short, and all 7 of us coexisted in our tiny house wonderfully.

I’m not sure the name of this fabric.  I pick up FQs of this type when I go to fabric shops in travels that aren’t quite my style.

I am hoping to make this quilt:

So, as my Sunday Swap I am offering 28/6-inch squares of this feedsack 30’s feeling fabric.

I am looking for much of the same in different colors to finish the quilt.  Perhaps some larger prints.  It requires 48/6-inch prints total.  Perhaps someone is interested in making it too.  I could add a copy of the directions.

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::Sunday Stash/Sunday Swap::

I love this print.  In Black and White by Michele D’Amore for Marcus Brothers.  I’ve just ordered more from Quilting By the Sea.  It is a great “almost solid” for patchwork.

I used it in this patchwork pillow that I made my friend for her bridal shower.

Wanna join the Sunday Swap Group?  My Sunday Swap is some Robot Flannel by Springmaid.  Come on, you’re thinking about Winter projects aren’t you?  These Robots are adorable and I was finally able to find more on E-bay.  They are about 4 inches or more in height and make the most adorable pj bottoms.  This is almost 3/4 yard.

Looking to swap other children’s flannel.  I’m open to suggestions.

We’ve got the Northern Irish side of the family here!  Loads of fun with the kids.  Happy Sunday.

SWAPPED Thanks!

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::Fancy a Sunday Swap Anyone?::

I’ll come up with a button here in a few, but would you all fancy the ritual of a Sunday Fabric Swap?   Maybe added into your post for the Sunday Stash?  Just give the photo,  the quantity, and what you’re on the hunt for.

I created a Flickr group here.

I’m all over THIS fabric swapping Flickr group.  Thought something less obsessive for me, like a once a week thing, could fit into my computer time perfectly,  AND keep me focused more on life.

Sorry, I’m out this week due to my SOLO vacation to New Mexico (insert “YEAH” here.),but if you are in, I’ll try my best to compile a list of Bloggers who are all about it.

Happy Hunting!

Katie

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::Sunday Stash/Mendocino::

Occasionally,  fleetingly, I feel that I need a daughter.  But, only to have someone to sew this cute Mendocino fabric into frocks, and such for.  Thanks, but one boy (currently having a dragon battle in the sunshine patch in the living room) is plenty.  I’ll borrow the girls.

I bought a ton of the Mendocino line in batches when it was released.  I’m a huge fan.  It’s fueled me creatively through a few Christmas gifts, plus some birthdays.

Now it’s Rose’s Birthday.  Some detail of her pillow, pictured at the top of the post.

Apparently, her Far Far Away line is the last for a bit (due to contract issues).

Hope you all got a bit of sewing love in for the weekend.  My Stepping Stone quilt is coming along and I hope to have some photos up this week.  Off to make biscuits!

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::Sunday Stash #12/Denyse Schmidt::

Here’s another Sunday Stash, and some sewing highlights of the week.

How could you not love this print.  The colors are splendid and I knew I needed some.  For once I actually bought fabric with a project in mind, pillows for the kitchen bench.

As a matter of fact, I even bought the wonderful Amy Butler fabric on the opposite side with pillows in mind.  How’s that?!?  I so wish both of these would be reproduced in quilting fabric, as well as the Nigella line that my ironing board and all the pillows in my living room are covered in.

I believe this photo will appear in the new Amy Butler Program that will be out in May.

So really I should maybe do a ritual of a Friday night post.  This is what my sewing night was like with no kid and the happy hubbie glad to have the laptop on his own for a few hours…so romantic aren’t we.

I don’t know about rotary cutters and margaritas, but I keep it on the right hand side of the sewing table…out of the way in case there are spills at least.

I made some progress on my dear friend Kara’s quilt.  It is still evolving, but some cohesion is happening.  I need to get myself together, and order some Kona from Pink Chalk Studios to come clear on its direction.  BTW, if you aren’t familiar with Carolina Chambray solids, then you NEED some.   I was so excited that Kathy at Pink Chalk started carrying it!  It’s what I used in this quilt, that so many have inquired about.  It adds depth and texture to any project.

In fact, I used some of the mustard in my fourth bird block today for my “Flock of Birds” quilt I’ve been working on.

I was a little hesitant to use smaller bird fabric since my intention was to do all the blocks in a log cabin style with the bird as the center.  I thought they would get lost.  But messing with values really can make anything work.  I love it.

Some of the fabric combo was inspired when I was looking at The Gentle Art of Domesticity last night in bed.  I love it when inspiration just strikes you!

Awful picture, but that makes four.

It’s been such a wonderful weekend for my family.  I feel so lucky.  My thoughts are with my friend who we lost this day.  I will miss you just popping by for a beer and a chat on a warm Seattle evening.  We wish you would have stuck around…but I know that life was painful for you in a way that I will never understand.   I hope, and wish you are at peace.

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::Bird Quilt Starts::

Finishing up Katy’s Block reminded me once again of my fondness for all the bird fabric that has been popping up.  I had showcased for Sunday Stash some of the bird fabric I have in my stash, and was happy to add a bird scrap from Katy’s leftover stash to my pile of birds.

For awhile now I have been wanting to do a Bird Quilt.  I’d admired quite a few on Flickr.  I liked the idea of an improv scrappy log cabin block with a bird center.

I finally sat down and put together the first block.  I like its outcome.  The purple bird fabric were scraps from a friend that passes them on, and most of the other scraps are from swaps, little of my own really.

I was thinking this will be my Nothing But Scraps Quilt.  We’ll see if I can stick to it.  I had cut a bunch of birds out originally for another project that never was fruitful, so sitting in my scrap bin I would think qualifies them as scraps.  I do like to dive into my stash though, so it might not work out for me.

I was ambitious to think I would get to another over the weekend, but worked on a wedding quilt instead.  I am in communication with another quilter that has the same love of bird fabric and we are on for a swap!  Perhaps more this week.

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::::Saturday-Sunday Stash #11/Martha Negley Tree Rings::

Last week’s Sunday Stash was Amy Butler’s Sunbloom Fabric with tulips.  A sort of celebration to Spring and the lovely weather we have been experiencing in the Northwest.

The past week has brought the reality of Spring for me home.  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Spring for me personally,  ALLERGIES….Urghhhhh.

In honor of those trees that signify with their amazing blooms, and the mesmerizing snowing of blossoms the arrival of Spring, , I give you a display of their beauty when they aren’t blooming…in fact the polar opposite, tree rings.

I love this fabric.  Found quite on the cheap in various E-Bay shops.  I used it to make my friend Eli’s Flagstaff Wedding Quilt last Fall.

I can’t believe it is already Sunday (ok, woops…I gained a day, it’s Saturday.  Why did I think it was Sunday?).  Hope everyone has a good weekend!

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::Sunday Stash #10/Amy Butler Sunbloom::

It is certainly looking a bit more like Spring this weekend.  We’ve seen some sun after the constant rain in the later part of last week.  I’m thinking of planting in my kitchen window box.

With the blooming of the first tulips in my yard, I thought this Amy Butler Sunbloom only appropriate.  Funny, I don’t remember ever planting tulips.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.  I should be cleaning my house and sewing, but instead I’ve been scoping fabric and letting my child watch videos.

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::Sunday Stash 9/Kaffe Fasset Clouds::

Kaffe Fasset Clouds

It’s actually Saturday, not Sunday for me.  It’s raining.  I shouldn’t even be posting, I need to be getting ready for our friends from Alaska to arrive.  Four fun filled days of eating, drinking and cohabitating in my 700 square foot house with 5 other people.

It involves packing up the studio part of my “Livudio” (that’s what we call our living room/studio).

I’ve had some “drafts” for wedding quilts happening in the Livudio.

The Kaffe Fasset Clouds, and the Jewel tone Carolina Chambray above, I will make into a wedding quilt, perfect for their room.  The idea came easy, and I’ve stuck with it.  The design will be similar to this one last Fall, but the clouds will be center stage of the squares.  Sashing will be the vibrant, rich red.

I’ve also been messing with some ideas for a wedding quilt that needs to be finished by Fall.  Nothing is concrete yet, except for the colors.  I went with blue, green and gray.

I’ve been very inspired by quilts with green lately, and gray is lovely in so much right now.  Especially inspiring for me right now are this, this and this.

I’m big on just cutting, sewing and seeing what works.  A million ideas go through my head before the final collimation of a quilt.  I guess I’ve mostly always done what’s now called Improvisation quilting.

Here’s some peeks.  Have a good weekend!

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