Lozenge Shape

I really can’t figure out how my mind works. Sometimes I like the way it works, because it sends me off in a new creative direction.

I was making the Northwind block for the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild A-B-C Challenge and got to the point that you see in the top left photo. All I had to do was put some larger triangles on the sides and I would have a nice tidy square, but this shape stopped me in my tracks.

I have been wanting to make a Lozenge quilt for awhile, but it hasn’t come up high enough on the to do list yet, but seeing the way this shape went together made me think about that future piece a bit more.

You can easily make this into a square by adding triangles. In this case, the triangles will be part of the design, but they could easily be background as well.

I could change the colors around so that the piece would be really scrappy or use 80% of a line of fabric.

The piecing isn’t difficult – few half square triangles and you are in like Flynn.

Lozenge Example

So, this is an example of a quilt made with this shape/block.It is a quick and dirty EQ7 design and I can already see some changes that I want to make, but you get the idea of what you could with this block. I like the diamond shape. It reminds me of the Stepping Stones quilt.

Embarcadero Flower

Just to clarify: I saw this flower at the Embarcadero. It is not called an Embarcadero Flower.

Plates & Dishes

I stopped at Mollie Stones yesterday and saw this display of plates and dishes. I thought it looked so cheerful that I had to take a photo. If I had a country house, I would have cheerful dishes like this.

Dec-Feb Books

I love books, am coming to love eBooks and Kindle books, but I just generally love books. I try not to buy too many regular fiction books as the Library has a perfectly good collection and I, mostly, don’t read fiction books more than once.

My downfall is quilt books. I love quilt books. I used to buy every quilt book that came out. That was in the dark ages before a new quilt book came out every week. Now I have to pick and choose and still they overflow my shelves. Still I keep acquiring them. I love quilt books.

I promise I am not gloating, but I wanted to share with you the books I received as gifts or bought with gift cards I received over the holidays and for my birthday. Most were off of my wish list, which I am thrilled about.

I am part way through Adventures in Leaders and Enders and have marked blocks I want to make in Modern Blocks. Of course, I’ll do full reviews eventually, but I have to say that Bonnie K. Hunter does a nice job slipping tricks and tips into her book. I am using the Color and Design book in my preparation for the podcast series with Sandy. I will use Transparency Quilts for the color segment when we get there.

Setting Solutions has been mentioned to me several times, so I finally bought it. I thought I saw today that Sharyn Craig had another book on the same subject, but I don’t remember where I saw it and can’t find it again. I am sure that Setting Solutions will provide adequate insight on the subject.

I still have some hope that I will, someday, renew my acquaintance with machine quilting. Foolproof Machine Quilting is bound to be a good choice for that. Mary Mashuta is an knowledgeable teacher and clear writer.

I heard about How to Keep A Sketchbook Journal on Mark Lipinski’s Creative Mojo and it is a beautiful book. It feels beautiful and the drawings are inspiring.

I think drafting is a really important skill. Sally Collins is a meticulous quiltmaker who works in miniatures. Her Drafting for the Creative Quilter will be a great addition to my teaching materials.

I have a lot of good books to which to look forward this year!

Church St Flowers

I was walking the wrong way down Church Street trying to find a shop I had never visited. I happened upon this little flower shop and was charmed. The display is wonderful!

Church Street Cabbages

I am pretty sure (not being a plant person and all) that these are cabbages. They look like roses and I love them.

Boulette's Larder Wall

Boulette’s Larder is a restaurant in the building where I work. One vendor in particular really likes it, so we frequently meet there for meetings. I love this wall of jars and surreptitiously took a photo the other day.

Boulette is the restaurant’s Hungarian sheepdog, whom I saw sleeping under the table when I was there. She has Rastafarian type ringlets and you cannot tell which end is her head. Very cute!

ColorBlock Design

I keep walking by the RK Kona Challenge as it languishes over my bannister. As I did this, an idea formed in my head and that idea is in the photo.

My idea was to cut 1.5″ squares from scraps and using them to sew these blocks. It seems like it would be a good leaders and enders type project.

I had so many photos (60 or 70??) that I couldn’t process them all for posting. I may use them for other posts in the future. If you want to go on a tour and see this beauty for yourself, check out the public tour information and sign up. Go and visit. Totally worth your time.

I know you are thinking “WTF? Has she lost her mind posting all these photos of things that aren’t quilts?”

No, I am not, at least for this reason.

You need inspiration to make quilts and the floors at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Building in San Francisco provide enough inspiration to last a lifetime. The thing I like about mosaic and tilework is that both translate well into quilts. The place was a museum of tile and mosaics, and a hidden gem. The intricacy of the designs rival Christine Porter and Judy Mathieson’s designs. I didn’t think there would be anything to photograph. (I don’t know why I ever think that, except that, perhaps, tiredness and laziness drive me to it.)  Fortunately, I had my new phone with me, which actually took some ok photos. I ran the battery down to the bone (lousy battery), but I got enough photos to keep most people happy.

Enjoy.

Castro Street Mosaic

There was an electrical fire in the building where my hairdresser has his chair. The shop is completely destroyed, but the fire alarm was called shortly after the fire started so it was contained. Nobody was injured. He was able get his appointment book and his scissors out, but lost his clippers, blow dryer, color, shampoo, etc.

As a result of this excitement, he is working from a temporary location. As I walked up the street I saw this mosaic tile art in the doorway of a Victorian. Hopefully, it will inspire you and your hexagons.

BAMQG Show and Tell -Adrianne’s Hexagons March 2011

Originally uploaded by Little Bluebell

This is one of the tops/pieces that inspired my hexagons…..well sent me over the edge, really, because I had been drooling over TFQ’s for quite a while.

These will not be quilt related prizes, but creativity related prizes.

Don’t wait until the last minute. Do your response NOW and post the link in the appropriate comments section.

FabMo.org booth

A very kind person gave us tickets to the Maker Faire. It is something that I have heard lots of good things about, but never visited. Friend Julie loves it. Maureen and Amy from the Creative Mom podcast also rave about it. We finally got a chance to go and I have to say that the best thing about it was being inspired. I saw lots of this and that which had a nice line or good texture or something else that struck my imagination. It made it worth it to give up a day of sewing for that inspiration.

One of the things I really liked and did not photograph was the Steampunk costumes and fantastical vehicles. The ingenuity and creativity was amazing and oozing all over the place.

Back of Coat

I don’t know this woman. I have no idea if she knew I was photographing the back of her coat. I really liked the back of her coat. It looked very tailored, yet easy to wear.

Embroidered Buttons

I have an embroidery module on my sewing machine. Lately I keep hearing about or needing to deal with buttons. This display gave me the idea of making my own buttons from embroidered designs I can do using my embroidery module. Cool, eh?

Bathroom Quilt Idea

Every year for the past few years, I have talked about the quilt I want to make and put in one or both of my bathrooms. I saw this display and it is the same idea. I probably would make mine 4×5 rather than 3 x 12 or whatever it was. I like the idea of slipping things in and taking them out.

FabMo.org Dresden Plate

I don’t know anything about the above Dresden Plate,but the fact that it is in the FabMo booth makes me think the maker used FabMo fabrics. Isn’t it GREAT?

Inspiration Foot

In a sea of black, denim and asphalt was this kid wearing red Chuck Taylors. I couldn’t stop looking at this foot dangling off of the dad who held him for the entire 20 minutes of the Mentos/Coke Zero show. He didn’t wiggle or talk really, his dad didn’t complain about holding him and the whole time his foot dangled down waiting for me to photograph it. The socks are an added bonus. This is definitely a photo I want to draw.

Capitol Floor

Notice the Sawtooth Stars?

Capitol Floor Border

Nice border for a quilt.

Capitol Floor Wedge

This section is around the dome.

Purse Flower

Purse Flower Detail

Yes, more from my sad shoe shopping experience. At least I found something for you.

I think that the flower could easily be reproduced in fabric – ‘easily’ meaning not quick, but the picture makes it look relatively painless and straightforward, if a bit fiddly.

I do feel like I haven’t had much time to sew, which, further, means I have nothing to show. Perhaps tomorrow.

Have a Happy Mother’s Day!