Wednesday, January 29, 2014

And the Beat Goes On

I have no idea why making my color card for the Color Intensive class from Rachel of Stitched in Color makes me think of Sonny and Cher's The Beat Goes On, but the refrain kept going through my head as I cut the little color cards. Do you think it is the repetitive action? Probably.

Still, it is fun when you start to notice how the colors fit together. I swear to you that there is no, absolutely no, difference between Pansy and Lupine on the card I got. I think Kona made a mistake or I just cannot see gradations of purple. I don't think not seeing purple is a verifiable illness though.

On another note, my card is "slightly, ever so slightly" messy. I left out a color when I was labeling my card and rather than just sticking a random pink (and it was a pink) at the end of the card, I decided to erase the names and rewrite them. Halfway through I am wishing I had left a random pink at the end of the card.


I also used watercolor paper because it was the longest paper I could find and apparently length was important. I now find myself wishing I had chosen something a little sturdier. I am thinking about getting poster board and attaching it to the back. Maybe in a nice bright pink or sunny yellow.


 You will also note that my color cards are ever so slightly different sizes. Clearly I still have some work to do on my cutting skills. No wonder my quilts are still wonky.

And the beat goes on....

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Modern Quilt 2

Finished up my second "modern" quilt on Friday. The quotes around modern are because I ended up adding borders to make the quilt a little bigger. Elizabeth Hartman in her Inspired Modern Quilting class on Craftsy said that modern quilts often don't have borders, so .... I have failed.

The colors are BRIGHT, but I really liked the bold pink fabric with glasses because my brother and his wife like an afternoon cocktail. It just seemed right. The orange border, also a little strange, worked because my brother is a big UT fan. Go Big Orange!


As you can also see, I got lazy with my applique and quilted right over it. Please don't judge! This was a Christmas present and here it is the end of January. I do like the applique I found and made from a Google image file. A little creativity on my part I thought...really caught my brother and sister-in-law. Drinking and golfing, what a life!!

 


You can also see that while I have gotten better with machine binding, my corners are still a mess! I miss the edge, and my mitered corners are puckered. I swear to you on my grandmother's grave that I took my time and used my thread ripper to try to keep the fabric in place and even PINNED! This from a woman who hates to pin. Still a mess. I am getting better, but I have a long, long way to go.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Child's Sunshine Tote

I decided to back up and add one of my favorite quilted projects to my blog. My husband and I were invited to share Thanksgiving dinner with his cousin in Jackson, TN. I wanted to make something to thank her for all of her work on the dinner, so made a little tote for her grandaughter using Kate Spain's Sunnyside by Moda charm pack and modifying Jenny Doan's (Missouri Star Quilt Company) tutorial on how to make 3 totes from one charm pack. Easy and fun!

I also made a table runner using the same fabric line for the cook! I used the Love Me Tender pattern from Disa Design's More of My Runners pattern book.

The photo is not good--I am getting better at taking photos, but you can "sort of" see the table runner. I LOVE the sunny yellow colors, especially during this long, gray, cold winter.

Hope the sunshiny yellow makes you as happy as it does me!


Monday, January 20, 2014

Woohoo!! Color Intensive Starting

Color Intensive is starting! Woohoo!!! There is still time to join in the fun because the class officially starts on Feb. 3rd.

Need this so badly as stress relief because my mother was admitted to the hospital today. I live 6 hours away and cannot go over yet (teaching and the semester just started). We also don't know what is wrong--that is the worst part.

However, COLOR INTENSIVE is here to help my stress relief. I am so excited. Can't wait to get my Kona Color Card in the mail so I can start on my manipulative card. Exciting!!

Color Intensive Online Workshop

Color Theory

I'm not a graphic designer or artist, so I have been trying to learn as much as possible about color theory, so my quilts pop. Once I practice on enough lap and baby quilts and can sew a 1/4" seam with consistency, I want to do some landscape or art quilts. I think they are beautiful. You can see my color challenge with the quilt below that I am making for my brother and his wife.


While I like the quilt and the colors are okay, I don't think I did value well here. See at least I know one term. I even have the Color Scheme Designer bookmarked on my computer, not that I use it.

So, all that to say I signed up for Rachel's (Stitched in Color) Color Theory class today. I am so excited about it. I follow her blog and love her color combinations, so I am really excited about this class. The class is 5 weeks and costs $55. I could have done a color theory class on Craftsy for less money and with a flashier platform, but this class just called out to be taken. I am really going to enjoy the Kona Color Card project we are doing. Fun, fun, fun! Join me there.



Sunday, January 19, 2014

Owl Backing

I guess I really should be finished with the Hoot Hoot Owl quilt by now, but the semester just started up again and I had some volunteer work to finish up, so I have just now cut binding strips and the backing for the quilt. I plan to make the quilt sandwich sometime today while we have slightly warmer temperatures and sun!

To make my quilt sandwiches, I drag a table out of the basement onto the driveway and use GIANT binder clips to put it all together. I saw one woman use her design wall, but I am worried about getting 501 spray all over my sewing room. I think if I had to use pins to bind I might just not quilt because making the sandwich is my LEAST favorite part. I might not mind it as much if I had a dedicated space for making the sandwich, but I don't, so that is that. You work with what you have.

So, I will upload a photo of my "sandwich making" process once I get to it, but for now here is what I am using for the Hoot Hoot backing and binding. I think it will look so cute for a little girl.


A different quilt, but the sandwich-making process is the same. My husband is very useful for this part. Maybe I'll be able to train him to make all my quilt sandwiches! That would be FABULOUS!


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Hoot, Hoot: An Owl Quilt


The pattern is from a 2013 special issue from Better Homes and Gardens --  makeitModern. Great patterns in the book, but I don't think it is in stores now. I did find a copy online if you are interested.

For my quilt, I chose different colors because I "sort of" never like to do exactly what is in a pattern. I love the colors in this quilt and how the ovals look a little like feathers on the owl's wings. If you look closely at the wings, you will see that I didn't cut properly, but this is not a show quilt, but one made with love for a little 3-year old girl. I'm pretty sure that show quilts are NOT in my future.

Getting better at appliqué, but my corners are NOT good and I still stray a little too far from the edges on occasion, but I am getting better. I also forgot to mention that I was sooo careful to make sure the bottom edge, which was supposed to be the wider edge, was in place, then STILL appliqued topsy-turvy--though I guess if I hadn't told you that, you wouldn't know it. Still get slightly irritated at myself when I look at it. I am consoling myself with the thought that the windowsill is low enough for a little girl to lean out and look for real owls. I know that makes no sense, but it is what it is.

Still have about 9,750 hours to reach the magic 10,000 hour expert status. 


Friday, January 3, 2014

Mickey Mouse Tote

I like it, but it took me waaay longer to make than it should have. I ripped out more seams than I care to admit from sheer carelessness (e.g., right side to wrong side). I didn't have a pattern, but based the tote on Jenny Doan's charm pack bags tutorial. I love the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorials. They have taught me to sew.

Now I am getting close to having all of my Christmas presents -- now New Year's presents -- finished. Have to quilt two lap throws--have the quilt sandwiches. One of my brothers told me he had gotten used to getting Christmas presents in April. I am going to try to break the April record.

Still have to cut and piece a final quilt and I am done! It is clearly going to take me a month or so to get the remainder done.

All I can say is that it is a good thing that quilting is fun because otherwise I would be stressed. I may actually be slightly stressed. I took on too many projects in too short a time, especially since I am a new quilter.