Design Wall Monday

On March 1st, 2014, I made a comment on So Scrappy's Rainbow Challenge Blog and won a pack of hand dyed fabrics created by Vicki Welsh and ever since then, I have been wanting to make this color chart. Where shall I hang it in my sewing room?  It needs to be located where I can get up close to it and check the colors.   

The article by Maria Elkins in the Aug/Sept 2011 (pg 12-16) issue of Quilting Arts Magazine was my inspiration.  Vicki's hand dyed fabrics encouraged me to create the wall hanging.

Be sure to link up with Judy's Blog to see the creations of other quilters.   

Color Chart 2014 Ready for Use

Another quilt top for someone special

Last week, I worked on the Teddy Bear quilt top.  This week, the Snowman quilt top.  I ran out of snowman blocks, so I added 2 white squares but they needed something, so I added red circles.  They really stand out, but hopefully the child who receives this quilt will think they are fun.   Our weekly sewing group is working on Christmas quilts to be given to those in need.  Yesterday, a few of us ventured off to the country and sandwiched over 10 jelly roll quilts, using Christmas fabric and green or red fleece as the back.  There was no need for batting, since the fleece will be cuddly and warm.

Snowman Quilt

I grew up in the country with a horse in the pasture to ride and goats and chickens next door, so I love going out in the country to see RJ's goats and chickens. 

Design Wall Monday

This afternoon, I machine embroidered around each appliqued piece on my Color Chart wall hanging.  There are (5) more narrow sections that must be designed and embroidered before I can finish the top.  I have no idea where I will hang it in my sewing room but I know I need it.  I have always chosen my colors based on one colorful fabric that I love.  Scrappy quilts have always been a challenge for me, so I'm hoping this color chart will make a wonderful different in my future quilts.
Check out Judy's Blog to see what others are creating this week...

Beginning of Color Chart wall hanging

Christmas Quilts

Our weekly Sewing Group makes quilts for those in need.  Our leaders decided to begin making quilt tops using Christmas fabrics and make Row by Row tops.  As we were cutting the fabrics into different size strips (2", 4", 6" and 8"), Linda came across this cute fabric with little bears, surrounded by candy canes.  We also had several yards of joyous fabric in red and green.  Then, I realized I still had a couple of pieces of fabric with (4) bears.  Two were St.Patrick's Day bears on green fabric and two were Christmas bears on red fabric.  There was not enough red fabric to make seam allowances, so those were machine embroidered onto white 8" fabric squares.   It was a wonderful way to practice my machine embroidery.  The red border fabric has squiggles of gold throughout.  The plan is to use fleece on the back, so the quilts will be cozy and not need batting.  Most of our quilts are tied.

Christmas Quilt top with Teddy Bears

Flowers

At the beginning of Spring, I purchased (2) Penta flowers.  The color was so striking, I thought they would be pretty in my big flower pots.  The small plants had only been planted a few days and here came the last frost of the season and it appeared that both plants died.  I did not dig them up, just in case....Amazingly, each plant survived and flourished this summer.  Here is what they look like now in mid September.  In order to keep them alive through the winter, I would need to transplant them and bring them indoors.  They would definitely look pretty in our bathroom.  We shall see.

Penta Flowers

Perfect Fabric Found

Back in February 2014, I created a Scrappy "Pink" quilt with ice cream cones and lots of HST.  While looking for a couple of silicone bobbin keepers, I discovered a fabulous fabric which was perfect for the back of my Ice Cream Cone quilt.  On top of that, it was on sale.  So, I bought 3 yards. I found it at:  Superior Threads

Here's the quilt:

Ice Cream Cone Quilt Top finished 02/27/2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the fabric I found for the back of the quilt:

It's hard to see but the background is a light pink

Design Wall Monday

Last week, Darlene Zimmerman (aka "The Feedsack Lady") came to middle Tennessee to teach two different classes to several guilds in our area.  I chose to take "Amalie's Log Cabin" class.  Can you believe it?  After all these years, I had never made a log cabin quilt.  Darlene suggested cutting all the strips to the exact size.  This did help keep the blocks from growing off center.  Plus, I didn't have to trim after sewing each strip.  Darlene designed (5) different patterns. With each pattern, Darlene included "Amalie's Story", which told of her great-great grand aunt.  Letters were also included with the pattern, but the letters were fictional based on known historical facts. The other patterns are:  Thimble quilt, Hourglass quilt, Crosses and Losses quilt and Many Blessings quilt.  All can be found on her website; Feedsack Lady.com

One of our guild members brought her hand crank Singer and she created her blocks at an amazing rate and they looked wonderful.

I decided to make a table topper with my accumulated stash of Civil War fabric.  It still needs a couple of borders before I quilt it.

Now, that I have learned the best way to sew these blocks, I hope to make another table topper in honor of my Great Grandfather, who was in the Civil War.  He enlisted Sept. 14, 1861.  Our family saved his Civil War Diary, which he wrote from Nov. 15, 1864 to May 4, 1865.  He was in the 9th Iowa V.V.I.

Civil War Table Topper

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Design Wall Monday

Is it September already?  The days of this year have been just clicking by....
Excited to be finally working on this project.  I found it in the Aug/Sept 2011 Quilting Arts Magazine.  On page 12, Maria Elkins wrote an article on "Color Confidence", along with a wall quilt, she designed. 

Amazingly, I have never made a color chart and now I realize what I have been missing.  Back on March 1st, 2014, I made a comment on So Scrappy's Rainbow Challenge Blog and won a pack of hand dyed fabrics created by Vick Welsh and ever since then, I have been wanting to make this color chart.   There are several more panels that I need to make. 

This is what I have created so far.....

 
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