Use Your Good Fabric!!!

Here is the short version of this post: Use the Good Stuff! 😉

The other day I posted about the Enchanted Plume panels I bought and SherriD commented that she had a panel she was “saving.” This comment made me think about my fabric, what I have to use and what pieces I love. As I have also mentioned, there is no shortage.

If you use your favorite fabrics, you will see your favorite fabrics more regularly. The yardage won’t be folded up in a cupboard or closet waiting for the perfect project.

If you use your favorite fabrics you will enjoy and use the quilt more.

If you use your favorite fabrics, it will be easier to take pride in your quilt and show it off.

If you use your favorite fabrics, you will want to make more quilts.

Win-win for everyone.

One issue I have run into is needing more of a fabric I love when I want to make a slight variation on the project. This happens a lot with bags, particularly bag linings. Generally, I am out of luck. I do make the FOTY quilts so I can try and figure out if I like a fabric enough to get more before it goes out of print, but, still, generally, I am out of luck.

In 2007 or 2008, I made a quilt called Thoughts on Dots. This is a quilt made from all dot fabrics. I had some beiges that I thought “would be fine” for the back. The quilt lives on my bed and now I have to live with beige. I love the dots on the front, but I don’t like the beige.  The beige isn’t even depressing beige, but it is still beige and I would have much rather put a color or one of my Philip Jacobs fabrics on the back. If I had, I would be much happier.

Scrapitude Carnavale, on the other hand, is a masterpiece**. I love the quilt, because I used fabrics I love throughout the quilt. It makes me happy every time I look at it. The back has fabrics I love on it, too, so I don’t mind if the back is showing.

Fabrics get Dated

The sad part of saving fabrics you love is that they will get old and dated and you won’t love them any more. I feel bad about this because I used to love these fabrics so much and now they just inspire a Meh kind of reaction when I see them. I should have used them right away. Live and learn.

There is always more fabric

The good part of using fabrics that you love is that fabric companies are churning out new designs every day and they are bound to have a new design you also love!

What is the Good Stuff?

What the good stuff is depends on you. What do you like? What do you like today? Some weeks ago, I bought a FQ pack of Alison Glass fabric. This pack was not in my normal colors. I thought I had better use it right away in case the colors and designs lost their appeal. Already the love is waning, but the quilt is in process and will be done soon. No problem.

I think “The Good Stuff” changes depending on our mood and influences, though the underlying favorite colors (e.g. turquoise and red for me) or motifs (e.g Dots) will remain consistent. I think we all, at certain points, expand our horizons or veer off in a new direction like I did with the Alison Glass fabrics, but will veer back when push comes to shove.

I have decided that the perfect project never comes along. Projects come along that are more perfect than the last, but I have not yet come across THE perfect project. I think we find projects that are perfect for us at the time. In order to make each new project the best project we can, we need to use our best fabric.

The good news is that there is always more fabric.

 

 

 

 

**Ok, ‘masterpiece’ is in the eye of the beholder. This quilt will not win best of show anywhere except at my house. I love the colors, the fabric and the quilting, so, for me, this is a masterpiece.

Attack of the ‘Progresses’

Field Day Top in process - June 2015
Field Day Top in process – June 2015

While I haven’t spent a lot of time at the machine, I seem to have made quite a large amount of progress. I would say that the Field Day top is almost done. I screamed through some piecing last Sunday (not the Sunday that just passed) and was shocked to see how much I had gotten done.

I have a couple of things to decide about this top:

  1. Do I sew top and bottom borders of the Sangria on this piece?
  2. Should I get some of the Goldenrod and put a thin border around the outside and then another border of Sangria?

The other problem is the last row. It was doubled up on top of row 7 and I don’t know if was intended to be row 8 or half of row 7? If it was to be half of row 7, then I added more coins where now it is much, much too long for a row. I may cut it in half to make row 7 long enough or add more to it and make the quilt wider.

If I make the piece wider, it is going to be a weird shape and I don’t know if I want to inflict that on someone.

Hey! Remember Me?

I haven’t posted about this Stepping Stones project since February, mostly because I haven’t really worked on it until recently. And ‘worked’ is a generous description of my efforts. I have been pushing red and turquoise through the machine as leaders and enders in between Field Day and the Food quilt.

Voila!

Stepping Stones June 2015
Stepping Stones June 2015

More blocks.

Progress. And so it goes.

I plan to be a little more precise as I make the blocks so I don’t end up with a weird shaped quilt. Sometime I’ll drag the already completed blocks downstairs and lay them out on the bed so see where I am. I haven’t done that yet, though. 8 blocks does not a quilt make, but they are large blocks and we have a small bed, so I don’t imagine I will have very many more center blocks to make.

I made these two top blocks as leaders and enders when I was working on the borders of the Food Quilt #2. The bottom one is, as you can clearly see, still in progress. I do take my time picking out the fabrics to include.

Improv Again

I don’t remember exactly when it was, last Friday, I think, but I had a brief window of time before I had to go do something else for someone. The grief at the implications of my BIL’s loss were starting to creep into my brain in the quiet and threatening to overwhelm me.

4 'A' Blocks
4 ‘A’ Blocks

I turned to the Improv pieces I had worked on at the workshop. They were sewn together as you see (left photo), but I wasn’t happy with them, so I unstitched them and began to rework them.

Tina’s idea (from Little Blue Cottage) is that there should be a lot of negative space in the center. Because I like the interplay of the strong pattern, I wanted the blacks and whites to act as the negative space and the red to act as the foreground.

This isn’t a terrible idea, but it wasn’t working with this layout. I looked at it a lot, trying to like it – or at least be okay with the center. The reality was that I didn’t like it. I wasn’t achieving anything near what I was imagining, thus the ripping.

Big, fat Improv
Big, fat Improv

The ripping really didn’t take long, but it did allow my mind time to wander, which is not what I wanted. After ripping, I began adding more neutrals to the ‘legs’. The photo (right) is what the pieces look like right now. I have not sewn the four blocks together yet. I haven’t decided if I am done with the ‘A’ blocks yet.

I think I will definitely add some more red to the outside. I also think that a few more neutrals is in order. It needs to sit a bit.

Windowframe layout
Windowframe layout

I wandered around it for awhile and then began to wonder whether I should reverse the blocks and arrange them the way Tina intended the pattern to be arranged. I think the neutral part of the blocks look too skinny again when arranged with the red in the middle. It isn’t terrible, though.

I think the ultimate path is to make some of the ‘B’ blocks and see what happens once I have more to look at.

 

Creative Prompt #314: Hood

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP.

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

1. The ghetto. 2. Someone who is from the ghetto. 3. Someone who acts like they are from the ghetto. (Urban Dictionary)

head covering attached to a jacket or sweatshirt

Since 1846, the name Hood® has been synonymous with fresh, quality dairy products that taste great.

Mount Hood, Oregon

Hack the Hood trains low-income youth of color in technology and marketing skills.

Walter J. Hood. Professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design.

Hood (King Raven Trilogy) by Stephen R. Lawhead

range hood

Hood College

Hood River County

Under the Hood (2009 Video)

Warren Hood

Hood Sailmakers specialize in building high-performance, long-lasting sails for serious cruising yachts, classic yachts, short-handed racing and one-designs.

Adam Hood is a singer-songwriter from Opelika, Alabama.

Hood [Theological Seminary] is an ecumenical seminary in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion tradition.

Hood To Coast Race Series

under the hood

 

Definitions (Wikipedia)

Apparel

Anatomy

  • Hood, a flap of skin behind the head of a cobra
  • Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris

Other

  • Hood (soft top), retractable soft roof of a convertible vehicle
  • Hood (vehicle), covering over the engine compartment in a motor vehicle (‘bonnet’ in most Commonwealth countries)
  • Fume hood, piece of laboratory safety equipment
  • Lens hood, device used to block light from creating glare in photographs
  • Range hood, exhaust system for a stove or cooktop

Entertainment

People

For people with the surname “Hood”, see Hood (surname).

Places

Other

Peacocks Moving Forward

Peacock Panel
Peacock Panel

The picture (left) looks like the others I posted, but it is an actual panel that showed up at my house.

I received the panels for the Peacock One Block Wonder. I know I said last time that I bought the panels from Miller’s Dry Goods and I was waiting for them. They came quickly and I am ready to wash and start the project. I have to clear up some others first.

I saw a number of One Block Wonders at the Fair last weekend. In the midst of life, I volunteered (it was too much effort to try and get a replacement and nothing family oriented was happening, so I went) to sell tickets for the BAMQG Opportunity quilt at the Fair. It got me in for free, so I had a half an hour of quilt viewing as well.

Anyway, I saw a number of One Block Wonders at the Fair and was slightly horrified at what I had gotten myself into. I didn’t like what they had done, mostly, which made me question myself. I had to reel myself in and remind myself of Pam’s version and stay the course.

It just occurred to me that I am pushing my comfort level with this project which is what all the back and forth and drama is about.

 

Creative Prompt #313: King

Face card

ruler or monarch

King County, Washington

The Night’s King is a recurring character in the fourth and fifth seasons of the Game of Thrones

The King and I (play)

Martin Luther King

interactive entertainment company for the mobile world

Stephen King

The King laboratory uses molecular and comparative genomic approaches to reconstruct the origin and evolution of animals. (Jurassic Park anyone?)

KingKing, Hollywood – Features live music performances seven nights a week. Includes a calendar of events, directions, booking and production information.

B.B. King

RodneyTV Series   (King

King City, California

King 2011-present –Life of detective Jessica King does not run exactly smoothly. When she becomes the head of the Major Crime Task Force, she is eager to prove she is the best

Burger King

King James Bible

The King and Prince Beach Resort on St. Simons Island

Carole King

King & Spalding, law firm

King Arthur Flour

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Official web site for U.S. Representative Steve King (R) for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

Real-time trade and investing ideas on King Digital Entertainment ($KING) from the largest community of traders and investors

King Neighborhood of Northeast Portland

King Ranch Quarter Horses

King Estate Winery

Coretta Scott King

King Soopers

King Tut

King v. Burwell: Issue: Whether the Internal Revenue Service may permissibly promulgate regulations to extend tax-credit subsidies to coverage purchased through exchanges

King of Thieves – mobile app

Retailer of natural pharmaceuticals.

Disney’s The Lion King

King of Prussia

King Cage Bicycle Waterbottle Cages: Made in Durango, Colorado out of Titanium and Stainless Steel.

King Middle School, Berkeley, Calif.

Jester King Brewery

Sun King Brewing Company is an Indianapolis-based craft brewery with a focus on continually creating traditional seasonal and unique specialty beers.

King Kong

Laurie R. King

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #CPP

Hearst Castle pt.3

Cottage tiles
Cottage tiles

Last Sunday I wrote about the inspiration that could be found in the indoor pool at Hearst Castle. OMG! I love the colors in that indoor pool! Although, I have to admit, it should come as no surprise to you.

There is a lot of other tile around the estate. As I have said about 100,000,000,000 times, I love tiles and mosaics. Some of these were some of the most inspirational I have ever seen., including being inspired for quiltmaking designs.

The photo to the left would be an interesting baby quilt. The circles could incorporate fusible or machine applique’. The center could be redesigned a little bit to be more geometric and pieced.

Cottage tile at roofline
Cottage tile at roofline

Each of the cottages had tile at the roofline. Those tiles were different colors and had different motifs. I could only see the tiles in the photo (left) by taking the photo with the zoom at ‘extreme’

The bonus was the plasterwork (not sure of the technique) on this particular cottage. I love the ceiling decoration, but I also like the gargoyles. They are more funny than scary. All of them were just a bit different, but equally hilarious.

Cottage Bas Relief
Cottage Bas Relief

I like the idea of the roof tiles. I think it adds a bit of interest to the  rooflines. I think it would add something to those cookie cutter townhomes and apartments most large cities are putting up around public transport.

Anyway, the Hearst estate is a wonderful source of fabulous inspiration. If you have an opportunity to visit, don’t hesitate.

Food Quilt #2 Top

I had the class and so much stuff to catch up on over the weekend that I didn’t have a lot of time to sew. I decided that I wanted to make progress on something. Not just a few blocks, but some real progress.

Food Quilt.

I knew I could make progress on it because I was pretty close to having the top done after the retreat.

Food Quilt #2 Top - June 2015
Food Quilt #2 Top – June 2015

I got on it and the top is together with borders, though it took me a few hours on Monday to get the whole top done, but next stop: Food Quilt back.

The holdup at the retreat was that I forgot black to use for borders. I had plenty of black at home, so I waited until this week to do it.

After putting on the black inner border and the piano key food border, I decided I wanted a black border on the outside to contain all that food. I am pleased with the way it came out.

Food Quilt Holders
Food Quilt Holders

I caught a quick glimpse of the boys as they prepared to be quilt holders for me. This is what it looks like when they are acting as my quilt holders. I have learned just to wait for them to play around. It is fun to watch. I mean, you have to have fun in normal life, right?

You might remember that  made a Food Quilt for the Young Man. This is a graduation gift for the Young Man’s friend. I kind of like the idea of them having similar quilts. It is like there will be a connection through these quilts. Sentimental, I know. It won’t be finished for his graduation, but I can send it to him at college and he can see the top.

Various & Sundry #7- Beginning of June

BAMQG will be selling Opportunity quilt tickets at the San Mateo County Fair June 6-7 from 11-8 both days. Come and get a ticket and buy some for your friends. We use the money for charity and guild activities. Oh, you can see me as well, if you come on Saturday.

Take a look at my Cafe Press Shop. There might be something that you need for summer!

Websites Articles & Information

This blog post neatly recaps a great article is about  the beneficial effects of crafting. I love the list, because I have thought it a zillion times and I love the neat way in which it outlines my thoughts. The result? Go craft something!

Guy’s guide to hanging out in fabric stores and shopping for fabric with your wife/girlfriend/S.O.

Have you seen that Gretchen has a companion Facebook page to her website? I didn’t know either. Go like it and show Gretchen some love.

I made the Fair Vendor Paper.li paper, because I retweeted a Daily Deal from the Missouri Star Quilt Company. It is kind of sad for that to be my claim to fame after all the other writing I have done here.

From the inspiration department, check out Eleanor’s Walks. Eleanor is a client of mine and she has started a blog on walking San Francisco city streets. She has about 5 posts so far, including an About Me post and is going great guns. Her posts are illustrated by digital images at the moment, but she is a watercolorist and draws, so some of her drawings will color the blog as well. I think it s a great project and glad to be helping out. Go take a look and leave a comment.

Fabric, Tools, Shops, Supplies & Embellishments

I was fascinated by this blog post about how a fabric order gets processed and delivered. the comments are interesting as well.

Color theory class review by your fave and mine, Carol Wool!

Exhibits, Tutorials & Events

Have you seen Linda Gass’ work? She does aerial views of the San Francisco Bay Area using quiltmaking as a medium. Take a look at her work from a recent exhibit.

The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles has acquired part of Penny Nii’s collection including pieces from Libby Lehman, Michael James and Jonathan Shannon. Take a look at the press release.

Books, Patterns, Magazines & Projects

Need some summer dress patterns?

Sew Sweetness is have a Dress Up Party as well. People are reviewing different patterns on her blog. There are a lot of dresses, but other patterns as well. Check it out.

Receiving Blankets in Use
Receiving Blankets in Use

Remember the receiving blankets I talked about making last month? Here they are in use, cute baby not included. I am very pleased that the new mom likes them and they are in use.

Have you joined the Dresden Plate QAL? SherriD is putting it on and Frances, of The Off Kilter Quilt fame, is joining in as well. Check out Sherri’s ‘Have a Plate of Goodness’ post for directions. In a recent post she talks about inspiration. Check out the Quilt Index and search for Dresden Plate under the pattern option in the Advanced Search screen. I am not doing the QAL, but it was fun to look at the DPs in their collection. If you don’t know how to make a Dresden Plate, check out my tutorial.

Other Artists

If you haven’t taken a look at Daisy W’s Escape Velocity piece, you must go RIGHT NOW and do so. I love stitching and embroidery and this one is very appealing. I love the color and the spiral design as well the way the ends trail off into, what looks like, a fun tangle. If this piece doesn’t make you wish you had joined the Valdani drop on Massdrop, I don’t know what will. 😉

Diana Leone died recently of cancer. She was a quintessential quilt artist and owned the Quilting Bee in downtown Mountain View for years. She had the same birthday as me (a few years older, though) and founded CQFA. She also wrote the book used in the Sampler class I took to  learn to quilt. I still use it, mostly because of the annotations made over the years, to make binding. Her obituary is available in the Mercury News.

Improv Class

4 'A' Blocks
4 ‘A’ Blocks

Yesterday was a BAMQG Improv class at Always Quilting with Tina Michalik. I really liked it and it wasn’t  long enough, mostly because I was on a roll sewing and wanted to keep it up. Mostly I took it as a reward for smiling and being the perfect soon-to-be First Lady.

I wouldn’t really start an Improv quilt on my own in my workroom. It isn’t that I don’t  like the technique, the issue is that I have other things  to work on and the technique never comes to mind.

The last Improv quilt I made was the Women’s Work quilt I started in the Gwen Marston workshop. I like that quilt and remember the freedom I felt making the blocks. There was a similar feeling in the class yesterday. I think because of the constraints on my time lately I really liked that feeling of freedom.

I switched around the background and foreground so the red is actually the foreground according to Tina’s pattern. I wanted the interplay of the prints as the background. I may have been wrong in that choice as I am not liking what I have made so far. I like the interplay of fabric motifs and the black, white, greys with the red, but the center is too cross like. The center is sewn together, but I am considering unsewing and resewing in the way that Tina suggested. I am a little angry at myself because I did not even turn the blocks in Tina’s direction to consider laying them out with the red as the negative space.

Kelly's 'A' Blocks
Kelly’s ‘A’ Blocks

Kelly used some Alison Glass and Anna Maria Horner prints and I love the way hers looks.

Regardless, I want the prints area to be fatter, so I think taking the four blocks apart is in my future.

I’ll have to think about it.

 

Hearst Castle Inspiration pt.2

Bottom of pool
Bottom of pool

There was so much inspiration at Hearst Castle that one post wouldn’t do. The previous post was mostly about the outside of the castle. One of the most beautiful parts of the estate was the indoor pool. It didn’t have the feel of indoors or outdoors.

The bottom of the pool is gorgeous. The colors are rich and strong even through the water. Yes, turquoise is a favorite color, but that blue is hard not to like. Coupled with the green, it is a very special color combination It is definitely worth trying to replicate in a quilt. A very different two color quilt?

Wall tile in indoor pool
Wall tile in indoor pool

While the bottom of the pool is awesome, the walls are fantastic, too. In fact the entire inside of the building is covered in mosaic tile.

Wouldn’t the rectangular design to the right make a fantastic quilt with no additional designing? Start saving your 1″ squares!

The outer borders, however, would also make fantastic borders. See the squares spaced at regular intervals? I think tile artisans have the same problem we do with spacing and the math around borders. The squares on the sides as well as the L shaped corners look great, but also help deal with the math. I am sure the tile people Mr. Hearst employed were perfect and this was the design, but for mere mortals like me and my quilts, the ideas would be really helpful.

The colors are really great, too. Blue and green, of course, since it is an indoor pool, but the yellow doesn’t overpower the rest. Perhaps it is more gold?? I also see a few different colors of yellow tiles. That probably helps, too. Scrap tiling/quilting?

Floor tile designs - indoor pool
Floor tile designs – indoor pool

My favorite part of the indoor pool area was right when I walked in. The photo (right) is flooring! Yes, I walked on it. Look at that gold! Look at those circles! Amazing.

I think what caught my attention first was the blue and gold. They are the colors of my alma mater, so they always grab me. On second look, I saw the design and was even more enchanted. Don’t the figures look like animals?

I also see some pinwheels and nine patches. I just love tile.

Creative Prompt #312: Plane

a type of geometry

a plane is a flat, two-dimensional surface

an aircraft

plane tickets

Snakes on a Plane (2006 movie)

paper airplane

X-plane

The Little London Plane

2015 Dulles Day Plane Pull & Family Festival

Organized by 500 Startups, Geeks on a Plane (#GOAP) is an invite-only tour for startups, investors, and executives to learn about high-growth technology …

Wonder Woman’s invisible plane

jet plane

Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

Plane & Pilot magazine

graph points on a coordinate plane

US Air Force Space Plane

The 17 plane symmetry groups

Cargo plane

plane crash

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

Aircraft

Science and technology

  • Plane (geometry), abstract surface which has infinite width and length, zero thickness, and zero curvature
  • Planing (boat), a method of travelling quickly across water by using speed to lift the hull out of the water
  • Platanus, a genus of trees with the common name “plane”
  • Acer pseudoplatanus, a tree species sometimes called “plane”
  • Planes (genus), a genus of crabs in the family Grapsidae called “weed crabs”
  • Plane (Unicode), in Unicode, a big range of 65,536 (=216) code points

Other uses

Music

See also