Perhaps Not Completely...

Crazy, that is!

The explanation is this: It started innocently enough. I wrote an email to a very sweet friend saying I could forego blue in my color scheme in my house. I had originally planned to use the green/blue/magenta/orange-yellow tetrad, but the paint I selected for most of the walls turns out to be a very greyed aqua green.  I love the paint, which is good. At least I am not thinking I have to totally repaint. (My husband is breathing easier, too!) But, my original color scheme is out the proverbial window.

I thought I could just go over the the aqua green triad, because it includes aqua green and orange-yellow, but the third color is purple. No blue.  This is what I wrote to my friend, thinking I had reached a very adult decision. The next day I was trembling! I don't want to go without blue! I don't want to give up blue!!!! 

What to do??? I went to my trusty color tool.  You know the one by Joen Wolfram. How could I keep aqua green and blue. Yes! The split complement for turquoise will do it.  It includes blue (!!!), cerulean blue, turquoise, aqua blue, aqua green (!!!), and orange. Now what has all this got to do with quilting. Well, the best way to test the theory, is this a good color scheme for my house?, is to make a quilt, n'est-ce-pas???

I have cut all the logs for a log cabin.  When I am testing a color way, I don't want to be fussing with directions, I just want to play with color.  I find log cabins are great for doing this. I also become very obsessive while making one.  For example, I came up with this idea yesterday and this is how far I already am.  Naughty or nice?  

I am also quite close to finished my EPP star quilt. I would like to add colonial knots in a pearl silk along the appliquéd edge before I take it to be quilted. Other than in that, I think it is about there.  I just need to stitch the seams in the border.

I would very much like to make another of these quilts, but the next one I would work with much smaller pieces. This first attempt has been a real learning experience. (The finished quilt will measure about 60 by 80 inches.)  

I recently purchased a book titled, All Points Patchwork, by Diane Gilleland.  I think it contains some of the best directions for EPP that I have seen.  Check it out if you have been looking for something like this.

I broke my promise and started something new, but it is necessary!!! 

Happy quilting! Make it great!

cynthia

Is a Routine in Sight?

Why don't I just skip the apologies for my long, unintended absence and get to the sewing stuff?  You know why I haven't written! I have children and a husband. Does anything else need to be said?

One of my son's, who has had a lot of medical problems over the last few years, returned to university last week. I found myself wanting to do very regulated tasks, so I pulled out "Mrs. Billings' Coverlet" and followed the instructions. For me, when all else fails, follow someone else's instructions. I had started it last spring, but not gotten very far. I added a few more rounds this past week, and I am liking the results very much.

The first photograph shows from the center block out to border 8, and the others are close-ups to give you a better idea of the fabrics I am using. The next border is EPP flowers on squares of fabric.  I have these few made so far. I have to say they are very delightful to make. The edge on these is 5/8 inch.  The size is consistent with the center of the quilt and also with the last border.  If you are not familiar with the pattern, this is what it looks like in full.  I am using the version by Karen Styles of Somerset Patchwork (Australia). Hers comes complete with all the acrylic templates you need to cut your various pieces. It is very well done!

You can see I have plenty of sewing to go!!! I can't promise I will finish this quilt all in one sewing session (however long that is!), but I do want to get this to completion some day!

I am also still working on my EPP stars quilt top.  I have the edges just about finished.  It is almost ready for its borders! Then it will go to my lovely quilter's house!!! 

My husband and I took a few days to ourselves! It was lovely. We rented a house in a small town in the Texas hill country. Here are a few photos which I think are inspiration for quilting somehow??

These are architectural details on the house, outside and in.  I think the second one shows a wall that was left in tact after an addition. I thought it was fabulous!  It was a really nice place to stay.

I almost forgot: I cleaned up my fabrics!!! Now that for me is therapy!!!

Interesting sight: no traffic going in or out!!!

Hoping your sewing routine is much better than mine!!! Here's to happiness everywhere, but especially in your quilts!

cynthia

The Best Laid Plans...

Around my house, the best plans I have are always having to be adjusted! That is probably the kindest way to say totally interfered with by other people, whether they want to or not. This time, one of my sons has just gotten through a bout of kidney stones-- no envy from any of us. So all my resolve to do a blog every week had to readjust. But I am back and he is doing well. He is calling himself the Quarryman. Let's hope that is a short-lived nickname!

Mostly I have been catching up and finishing the volunteer work I didn't even raise my hand to do. Given that, I feel like I have done my duty for the next 10 years. Yipppeeeee! It's nice to have that about finished and behind me. I can proceed guilt free on that front for quite a while.

Here is an auction quilt from my guild's board that I have pretty much done. A very sweet member quilted it and I am ready to bind it. I hope it brings in a good amount. It will make the effort worthwhile.

The quilt is from the pattern, " Arlington", by Red Crinoline Quilts. One of the blocks I was given to incorporate was magenta and yellow. Well, I just couldn't figure out how to make that look good with all this red to yellow-orange, so I made that single block into a lap size top that can be auctioned separately.

Some people say I am too concerned about color, but that one I just couldn't make work. It is such a lovely block, that I didn't want it to look bad!!!

I have the binding sewn on the big quilt, and I will hand sew it tomorrow in the car. My husband and I are actually taking a few days away from everyone and everything! WOW!  

On my little Yoko Saito quilt, "Floral Bouquet", I got stuck. Does this ever happen to you? I couldn't quite figure out why I wasn't moving ahead. I had made the basket and selected the background fabrics and flower parts, but I wasn't putting it together. I realized I just didn't like the block. So, I switched the block for another one. I am keeping the background fabrics, but I changed the rest.

I went with another Yoko Saito block, because I want to stay in her style, but I now love the block! I think these are my choices for the motifs in the block, but until the block is actually finished, I do never know.  I would like to gather the doily up into a large flower (somehow)...we'll see.  At least, I want to make the block now. 

Next project I worked out is my English Paper Pieced stars. It is one that I really love, but had to put down for a while because I just tired of it.  Hand piecing is very slow for us, I think!!! I picked it up again with relish, added several more rows and am pleased with how it has turned out.  The difficulty was how to finish the edges.  I didn't want to just chop off the pieces. I figured out a way to make the sides both an even zigzag pattern and am adding stars to the top and bottom.  I will then appliqué the entire quilt top to borders. I realize this is not how everyone finishes these quilts, but I felt like mine is not large enough to just lop off the edges.

My other car project is EPP stars! These are great to take along! My husband and I are going to a sleepy little Texas town and hope to do nothing!!! Rest and relaxation is really the order of the day!!! EPP stars fit that bill for me. Actually there are 6 (SIX!) antique stores in the town and lots more in the surrounding countryside. That sounds like doing nothing to me!!!

Hoping your summer is going well! In Texas we have four seasons and August... nothing's perfect!

Happy quilting,

cynthia

Time to Finish

July 8, 2015

I have never quite figured out why this happens or when it is going to happen, but it just did. I have hit my quilt project limit, i.e. there are more quilts that I want to make than I can possibly get to in a lifetime. So, I must regroup and take stock, reprioritize and finish what I want finished, then give myself permission to GO! on some new quilts. I just have all my drawers and lovely boxes filled with partial tops and blocks and pieces and trims and whatever else in various stages of progress. There are many I really want to finish, so it is time to do so. Others I may decide to make smaller or donate to my guild's auction for someone else's fancy. It's convenient that our auction is in August. I don't know if this is what precipitated this or not. I really think it is just seeing so many gorgeous quilts and patterns and being reminded I want to make those, too, that has me thinking.

Number one on the top of my finish pile is the Floral Bouquet quilt by Yoko Saito. I have one block to make and the borders. I had already decided to simplify the borders to one basket with longer tendrils and add more birds across the top. For me, this isn't a show quilt, so it helps with the decision of how much more time I want to dedicate to it.  I am having lots of fun doing it, but that is the reason I am doing it. It's good to remember why we are making a particular quilt. Here are photos of some of the blocks. I intended NOT to embellish. So, if you have stopped laughing, I will show you the photos! Oh, in case you are not familiar, here is a photo of the original pattern by Yoko Saito:

The tough decision will actually happen after I finish this quilt. What comes next? I have several English Paper Piecing tops that are very close to finished, one especially that I want to complete. Then, like a complete goose, I started Mrs. Billings coverlet, and it's compelling, Sutton Grange, also compelling, and several original designs that are taking shape. Oh, and A Woodland Christmas, by Anne Sutton, with all the delightful animals. Oh, yes, we don't make it easy on ourselves!  This does not include all the new patterns that I haven't started, but want to!!! A quilter's life is hard because it is too full of glorious choices and textiles! I will do my best to show courage!!!

What are you sewing? Are you making something you really love? I hope so! 

Until next time, happy quilting!

cynthia

A New Home!

June 30, 2015

This is my new blog home! I am so sorry I have taken such a long break. There are several reasons, but the first and foremost was a terrible problem with spam on the last blog site. I am hoping this new site will not have that problem!!!

This first entry is just a trial. I will see if I have things working and then come back with some new photos and show you what I have been up to. I would love to get caught up with you.

Just wondering if the photo upload worked and it seems to have done just that...

Ok, I think this is enough for a test.  I guess this should be called:  testing 1, 2, 3...