It's safe to go forth without fear and buy a Dresden plate in front of the over the top palace of the Hapsburgs (look up the treasures of the Green Vault) for the dreaded dragon has been slain!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
BERLIN
Berlin, Germany...history, chocolate, and a super cute patchwork shop called Frau Tulp Stoffe.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
GENTLE MIDSUMMER DAYS
I love love love
the middle of summer!
Ahhh....
I finished up a pillow I started
for a dear friend's daughter.
When I was making all those Vintage Spin wedges,
the first wedge cut leave you with this angled scrap
really too small to do anything with.
So, I wedged those scraps and
glue sticked them down (ala Feddy!).
Then I decided to keep adding
and it slowly evolved into the pillow it wanted to be!
(with pom poms...of course!)
Staying with the idea of finishing...
years ago,
I trekked to Kalispell, MT
and took a class with Ruth McDowell.
The gist of the class was
to take a photo you love -
my middle son
walking down the beach of Lake Michigan
with his bucket and fishing pole -
blown it up, sketch it out, and divide it into
a million sketched pieces that you can then
turn into a million fabric pieces
and stitch together to make
a most fantastic Ruthlike quilt.
My friend Sue told me I should stay until the end,
even a day later, she suggested, to ensure I finished.
That was the best quilting advice - that I never took.
I left a day early to see U2 play in Seattle,
and what I started in that class
has lived rolled up under my bed ever since.
A few weeks ago I pulled it out,
stuck in on my design wall,
and immediately
hung another piece of batting over it
and proceeded to make my Jen Kingwell quilt!
Ha!
Alas, that Jen Kingwell quilt is finished,
sew much fun,
but no more excuses...
I knew there was no way I was going to piece it,
so I am glue sticking (ala Freddy)
and will trust the quilter to work her magic.
On the left is what I left class with -
a hundred little precise pieces
pinned to an outline of my quilt.
On the right is my transfer to a piece of muslin.
I am concerned about fabric choices
that I did not make in class
and now have to make on my own...
good practice taking one piece at a time
and trusting it will work out.
Deep breath.
Today's progress...
Drum roll please...
the last winner for my summer giveaways is
Joyce Carter!
Congrats!
Thanks to all who have commented!
It's been great fun...
if a bit challenging for me to get
things packaged and mailed...
but so worth it!
I love sharing and free stuff
but mostly love knowing there are other
quilters out there having fun!
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
LAST SUMMER GIVEAWAY!
Not more sewing! (Oh yes!)
Woe is me! (So cute!)
Here's my design wall as I keep growing my Jen Kingwell quilt
and slowly adding to my Kathy Doughty hexagons.
I'm also starting to play with
new ideas percolating!
Last week's winner is Julierose!
Hooray!
One last summer giveaway!
Kathy Doughty talked about texture.
She loves plaids.
Turns out I do not have a lot of plaids...
BUT
I do have some stripes!
It's a stripe - aganza!
Some fat quarters and fat eighths of all these stripes
(and maybe some more that I find!)
Leave a comment sharing
your favorite book, movie, or song.
Become a follower
or get someone new to my blog for an extra chance.
Good Luck!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
BLISS WAS FOUND WITH KATHY DOUGHTY AND POSSE!
Oh my...
I am still wallowing
in all the wonderfulness
and sifting through all the energy
that was Kathy Doughty
and her lovely posse Carolyn, Cath, and Lisel.
It was a truly magical five days!
I am going to give you a peek into our workshops.
Kathy and posse shared a lot of wisdom!
I will do my best to convey their ideas
as accurately as I can
please consider this my personal reflection/take away
of our time together.
We started with a one day Soul Searching workshop.
Kathy asked us if we were afraid.
Many were.
WHAT IF
you greeted the fear
and
turned it into curiosity?
Our goal was to go beyond just
playing and throwing fabrics together.
Now we are playing with intention,
asking ourselves...
How can we use color effectively
with the fabric we already have?!
START USING
THE FABRIC YOU ARE ACCUMULATING!
Here's Kathy organizing
Dorothy's promise of joy
(stack of fabrics).
First into cool and warm colors.
Then light to dark.
This organized pile makes it
1. easy to see what you have
and
2. easier to consider the whole range of color
and
3. easier to see where it is working.
and
4. easier to pair up fabrics that will make each other sing.
Intentionally playing,
knowing the "rules",
bending them
until...
the quilting muse that is part of you
(yes, every single one of us)
skips for joy and shouts YES YES YES!
COLORS CONTRAST
IF THEY ARE OPPOSITE
IN TEMPERATURE.
She started the class by having us go into
Calico Creations Quilt Shop
and stand next to the section we would normally start buying from.
"You do not need any more of this fabric," she said.
Hmmm....
So look at what I brought...
Lots of dots,
lots of small geometric shapes,
lots of the same kind of yellow.
It's pretty obvious what I do not need any more of!
Once you understand what you do well
you can push your self
to buy and gather what will make
what you already have
sing.
What we don't like
is often what we need the most of!
A revolutionary idea really.
SO...
watch the evolution of my yellows
once I start to add
bigger prints
and
different values of yellow...
MORE INTEREST!
Still a work in progress.
I could feel my brain start to form
a new pathway for color theory.
Kathy pointed out that
you see the color of the flowers
because they sit on
the brown of the ground
or the green of the leaves.
The fun wasn't over!
Next was a two day Modern Wedge Workshop.
Kathy shared a myriad of possible directions
for your wedges...
and we embraced the challenge!
WE WERE
TRUSTING
THAT SOMETHING
REALLY WONDERFUL
WOULD WORK OUT!
It was an honor to
watch Kathy audition fabrics.
I have admired her color choices for so long...
it was fascinating to hear her color gears clicking!
She is narrowing down background options
for Merry's gorgeous (just like her) wedge.
MAKE TODAY THE "SOMEDAY"
and use what you have been saving.
Here's the beginning of Judy's work
with her Terrie Mangat "someday" fabric.
Here's Justine's wedge...
Tricia is taking it to the next level
with some layering...
Kathy's hot wedges are sizzling!
Chris' masterpiece...
Here is my one giant wedged circle.
My "someday" fabric
is also a Terrie Mangat print
that I have been saving (for what??!!)
for (gasp) 14 years???!!!
I originally thought I would use those bike wheels in the back.
But the quilting muse may have other ideas (or not)!
We strive to have
CAREFULLY CONSIDERED
CHOICES THAT WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE!
Kathy did not hesitate
to unroll a bolt for auditioning.
She suggested
that you
get as close to the end product
before cutting.
What if it sat on a plaid
(Kathy LOVES the contrast that plaid creates)
picnic blanket
that was on a field of daisies?
At this point,
I have completely fallen in love
and found my Material Obsession groove
and am feeling so grateful that the end is not yet!
The fun keeps going
with the last workshop I arranged...
two days for Hidden Woman!
Day one begins with
thinking about hand work.
Hexagons, diamonds, quilting.
Ahhh...
a giant lovely purr of content!
Surely not a "goodbye"
but an
"until next time"!
Success!
That sums up my time with the Material Obssession ladies.
(A bow of heart felt gratitude to them.)
My quilting eye has been fine tuned.
A parallel to "real life"
popped out and has been highlighted in my brain.
(the best gift ever)
I am left eager to sew/design my day
and make moments that...
DRAW THE MIND IN,
ENGAGE IT,
AND KEEP IT ASKING -
ENGAGE IT,
AND KEEP IT ASKING -
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Switching gears...
last week's winner is...
Vickie!
Hooray!!!
This week's giveaway is
24 2 1/2 inch strips
from the palette
I am using for my Jen Kingwell quilt
(another Australian!)
Leave a comment about this post,
become a follower,
or get someone new to follow!
Winner will be picked this weekend!
(sorry I was so late this time.
Too much Kathy/posse happiness clogging my brain!)
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