I’m feeling the need for a revamp, and Kelsey says this blog format doesn’t always view well on portable devices, so I’m requesting your patience while I update my format! Thanks. — Jen
Circles
I’m busy writing a paper, and it feels like my mind is going in circles (my paper editing certainly is!). For a short break I took out my collection of found papers to create a set of circles for making into celtic crosses for tags or cards. Was hoping for a casual sort of joyful – maybe nearly there, but definitely a bit scattered in terms of color theme!
However, the break was excellent.
College house color
Kelsey’s college house this year is lovely. 100+ years old, great bones, large living spaces. And very WHITE! She and her housemates have decorated their rooms, creating comfortable spaces, but they didn’t have many items left over for the common space. I decided I could do a simple quilt, almost a single block, in solids, to add color to the walls. Quick trip to Pink Castle, helpful color advice, and here is the final product!
Imagine this in a craftsman-style house, massive white fireplace, contemporary grey and white accents, traditional furniture touches, with aubergine couches and citron accents. I’m hoping it adds the warmth Kelsey is hoping for.
Pinwheel beach
Finished this pinwheel quilt a couple of weeks ago. Originally I designed it for my office, but by the time I finished it, I had moved my office around and it didn’t work … in fact, the colors weren’t quite warm enough for my office! Ended up finishing it with straight line quilting in a purply-gray (see it before here) The fabrics include many of my own hand-dyed fabrics, and even a couple from my printing for the March 2013 hand printed fabric swap. The binding is pieced with gray hand-dyed fabrics, a Marcia Derse mottled gray, and one fun print. Another quilt finished!
The blues and warm reds are simply lovely in our home, and when Taylor was home she helped shoot photos and then lovingly found a place for it on Kelsey’s trunk where it looks just right. A beach flavored pinwheel quilt that I can enjoy all winter long!
My mom is a blessing
Being able to be creative with people you love is such a blessing. My mom and I started on this table runner together and then she took it back home to finish laying it out and quilting.
What wonderful reminders of special family times on the beach! We combined fabrics from my stash with fabric I hand-dyed and printed for a fabric swap back in March (final swap fabrics, lighter prints, rubbings, solids and early prints). Before winter comes to Michigan, I wanted to blog this reminder of warmer days, and windswept beaches.
Possibilities
The fresh colors of summer inspired this baby quilt – probably my favorite fabric is the red Liberty print from Sew to Speak in Ohio. Picking out fabrics and designing with half-square triangle squares I find relaxing.
This quilt original had a bit different vibe, but it didn’t feel right, so I listened to feedback from my mom, took out the tree fabric, then took out the bright reds, and persisted until it ended up here. I’m still not sure, but I do like where it ended up. Thanks to filminthefridge.com for idea for the straight line quilting with alternating double and single lines.
This quilt began while the girls were studying abroad this summer and I finished it just before the school year started. Once its washed, it will be on its way to a good home somewhere for someone who needs it. Another procrastination stopped and project finished!
And they are off
Just over a week ago Saturday I delivered the last of Kelsey’s things to Wheaton. Two daughters in college. Wow! Monday was a thoroughly relaxing holiday, a light breeze wafting through open windows, as I picked up the detrius of two people moving out and into college housing.
The latest quick project was pillow covers to help with college decorating …. turns out we didn’t guess so well on color coordination, but new tries are getting better.
The couches are eggplant (not teal), so here is an updated pillow cover matches! I’m never going to be a fanatic curve sewer. This pillow is actually my test run – stay tuned for the next one that hopefully matches up even better.
Assuming a teal couch, the original color scheme was red, gray, and lighter with white … not so great in a cream/eggplant/odd blue/mauve room! However, these covers below are finding homes anyway, in a bedroom and guest room at home!
Pinwheel Beach
I designed this pinwheel quilt back in March and its design didn’t come together easily. In the end, I incorporated some of the new fabric I printed for the fabric swap at Maze & Vale along with a printed blessing in the lower right corner. Originally I wanted more of a sense of trees with autumn reds beginning coming down to a serene reflection in the water. Colors wouldn’t flow with more green in the palette, so I simplified and went with more blue. The final design ended up a bit more conservative than I was hoping for, but I have to admit that I simply love the colors. Each pinwheel block looked complete on its own as I pieced the top and the khaki gray top-stitching ties it all together in an earthy way.
Now, to pick a color thread for quilting – I think vertical lines about 3/4 ” apart. Rust? And, traditional binding or a clean edge? If binding, a dark edge or blue edge or rust edge? Hmmm.
The blessing in the lower right corner:
A Blessing of Solitude May you recognize in your life the presence, power and light of your soul.May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the façade of your life there is something beautiful, good and eternal happening.May you learn to see yourself with the same delight, pride and expectation with which God sees you in every moment.
John O’Donohue (1956-2008) (from Anam Cara)
(See the post here for a little more about this blessing.)
Why so long?
Finished! This table runner that evolved out of mostly hand-dyed scraps of fabric from my stash is finally finished. I’m not sure why each phase took 4-5 months, but it is fun to see it all together. The binding makes it feel finished. Not sure I would attempt the same thing any time soon, even though I have many more scraps. Time to eat the bananas, though. (Hopefully they will help legs dragging from mountain biking.)
Wisdom waiting at the door
I’ve been quilting, but progress has been very slow as I get back into the rhythm of art quilting. I’ve been working on a couple of my wisdom quilts, the first isn’t worth posting because I am still seam-ripping out a bunch of free-motion quilting that just didn’t work. However, I’m starting to enjoy where this quilt it going, so I wanted to share the “work in progress.”
Finally decided to keep the lower portion simple, and just start to quilt. Turned out the be a little too simple, so I got to work with watercolor pastels. Definitely wasn’t where I was going, but I’m going to keep at it, and see where it takes me. Stay tuned.