Elliot's Quilt

jill here...Perhaps you heard me scream as I was ripping but I was bound and determined to complete this quilt from start to finish (sounds like a toddler who shouts "me do it")!  It's for my newest grandson, Elliot. So the mega quilter was dusted off and cleaned up to quilt two baby quilts.  The first version went extremely well which is always a sign that there would be trouble ahead.  And then the bobbin tension went haywire!  It took several attempted runs, lots of trouble shooting (and ripping) to get it corrected.  Finally the bobbin screw was tightened for a satisfactory finish.

Sweet baby Pie in shades of grey and oranges.

This was the starting focus fabric.
 Bugs, birds, squirrels, snakes and butterflies!

The back with another story to tell using the scraps.
The label was ready to be signed and sewn to the back.

Loops alternating with rectangular shapes holds this baby together.

Home at last to keep Baby Elliot warm this Minnesota winter.
The baby's brother said "Wow"!  

'till next Tuesday....

Quilt Process

Marny here...designing a quilt is (sometimes) as frustrating as it is rewarding! Lots of process, little progress. It isn't always easy to take the 'c' from process and change it to 'gr' in progress! Although 'grrr' is definitely part of the process!

There are photos below of several baby steps in a the design process.
Here are the parameters I am working with:

• Three color print fabrics (Different values)
• Two neutrals, a gray with white dots and a white with gray stitches. I am also willing to use a solid white. (Three values)
• limited quantities of these fabrics, and some are already cut so not as much design flexibility as usual
• half square triangles

Dark column next to medium column. Hmm.

Darker 'arrow' and lighter 'arrow' with sets of prints

Same arrows with prints placed randomly

Using the 'arrows' to create a box, with interior and exterior spaces

Dark interior

Prints and neutrals making flying geese

Arrows down

Arrows to the left

to the right

pointing up

Every step points in a new direction (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) and the process goes on and on. 

It is time to step back, and ask how to make it fresh and/or unexpected? How should I use the tools of color and value and scale to help the design? I think I am getting closer...progress ahead.

Till Tuesday...

Quilts du Jour coming soon!

Marny here...Wahoo, yippee, and hooray our advance copies of Quilts du Jour have arrived. It is an amazing feeling to have our book in hand at long last!!! 

C & T Publishing, specifically their Stash imprint, was absolutely wonderful to work with from start to finish! Go to the Quilts du Jour page at C & T to get a taste of what is offered. They plan to have the book available September 14th. 

We'll describe the ways to use the four flexible menus of modern blocks, yummy quilts and innovative settings in upcoming weeks on both this blog and on the C & T blog. 

Sharing Quilts du Jour with you will be so satisfying. We are busy organizing workshops, trunk shows, lectures, and book signings at quilt shops, guilds, and retreats. If you or someone you know is interested just leave a comment or email us! Our contact information is one of the tabs.

For now, see how our "baby" arrived.

Cards to each of us were enclosed with our two advance copies.

Our editors sent us sweet personal messages!

So much more to come!

Till Tuesday...

Studio Craziness

jill here...Well there's no time to sew when you should be cleaning. ... and no time to clean when you should be sewing.  I was stuck on a design dilemma so decided to take I care of my surrounding mess.  After I posted about Lynn Harris' book on Every Last Scrap I felt guilty, wasteful and totally disorganized.  I pulled out all my scraps and old projects and started the process of ironing and sorting according to color.

I forced myself to look at every last piece and make a decision.
If it was too too small it made the trash.

These are the preliminary stacks of colors.

These are bagged leftovers from projects!

I even found some things that had been missing and a whole sheet of stamps
(now that's $ in the bank)!

Larger portions were stacked in some semblance of order.

Batting was labeled according to size  (pinned on a post it note).

Bins filled according to working priority. 

Many unfinished (leftover) blocks were discovered waiting for a  plan.
I'm going to make them functional in the near future (check with me on that)!

Donations ready to go!

Inspiration strikes at unusual times.  Sometimes you have to move on it.
'Til next Tuesday...