Basking in Snow

jill here... It's a winter wonderland in Iowa.  The snow arrived right on time.  We hope your holidays were filled with special memories.

We have two Pinwheel Punch pillows recently published in the latest addition of Modern Patchwork.

What can you do but take a break?

Look for this latest edition of Modern Patchwork.
It's filled with great projects to keep you busy and warm.

Don't you love the boots?
Our thanks to American Made Brand (Clothworks) for the fabric;
these colors are their newest additions.

Under "hot picks" there is a really nice review of our book!

This "hot" version was quilted in a more traditional
style with the pinwheels overlaying the piecing
and repeated in the background.

The "cool" version is channel quilted 

diagonally from the center.

Hot or cold, hope your new year brings you lots of great quilts!  'till next Tuesday...

No Sew, Super Easy Fabric Gift Tags

                           

Marny here...every year I make little fabric goodie bags for the spiced nuts we make and share during the holidays. I look for the cutest holiday fabric as soon as the new bolts arrive in the quilt shops, generally in July. I always get a bit more than I need, and today I decided to make gift tags with leftovers. You could raid your stash for this super simple project. 

Love, love Ann Kelle designs for Robert Kaufman. Here, some of her cute polar bears dress up in holiday gear!

One of 48 completed goodie bags with a commercial gift tag!

Supplies for no sew, super easy fabric gift tags: cute fabric, paper backed fusible web, card stock or similar weight paper, iron, and both fabric and paper scissors.

Iron fusible web to wrong side of fabric following manufacturer instructions. 

Cut around shapes in a non-perfectionist manner

Peel away paper backing on the fusible web.

Iron onto cardstock.
Think through the amount of paper you want to be available to you, and place and cut around your motifs accordingly. I just wanted random soft shapes, with enough space to punch a hole and tie a ribbon. I plan to write directly on the bear. If your motif is dark and writing doesn't show up, choose a light backing fabric, and leave a large enough margin for your message. You might want actual gift tag shapes. Maybe you even have a die cutter of some sort that would make this project even quicker. (If that is even possible.)

Six gift tags cut out within a couple of minutes of starting the project.
It is faster than shopping for the tags!

I received this tape (along with a cute pincushion, and more) at the Des Moines Modern Quilt Group gift exchange. Thank you Erin.
(Erin has a quilting business, Ad Astra, in Des Moines, hint...hint...)
I think the tape looks like snow falling in a dark, winter sky.
Perfect for polar bears dressed for the elements.

So festive! 

Of course I still have lots of happy polar bears remaining...I see using the gift tag steps to create a matching game for children. The bears have mirror images as well, so the two versions of the same bear could be used as a front and a back of a tiny stuffed animal...so little time...

We send you warm wishes for peace and joy this holiday season.

Till Tuesday...

Annual Holiday Sewing Party 2015

jill here...The holiday season seems to roll around faster every year.  Now that I've hosted this annual event for 15 years, the challenge to sew something fun, usable and EASY is my greatest challenge!

This year I chose the infinity scarf.  It's pretty much straight line sewing with a twist.  I precut the fabrics and we were able to take turns using one sewing machine. We still had plenty of time to chat and enjoy lunch after we were finished.

This is one of the finished scarfs; its a herringbone wool blend combined with a solid colored flannel.  I offered several fabric choices so that each participant could make theirs to their liking.

The pattern is available on Pink Chalk Fabrics as a  free download.

                   

Hard at work, Leona and Marny pinned the ends together after making the twist.

                        

Five beauties in their scarves! Another fun memory. 

Enjoy the season.  'till next Tuesday....

Pantone Colors of the Year, Serenity and Rose Quartz

We're both here today! First, Jill has a completed quilt to share. Front and back. Remember she first shared the story behind this little Market Values quilt here in Third Time Charm. 

Baby Market Values, quilted and bound in stripes, ready for delivery!  

Flip side utilizing leftovers.

The color scheme of blues and pinks segues (sort of) into sharing about Pantone's color choices of the year. Yep that is right, choices. They picked two for the first time. The colors are both pastels, while not a first for Pantone, it is a rarity.

Serenity, is essentially a light (dare I say baby) blue, and Rose Quartz, is described as pale pink. They are meant to be a calming choice in a turbulent world. 

Screen shot from the Pantone website.

Explore Pantone's website and find out so much more about who they are and what they do! 

Then go check out new designs everywhere featuring the Colors of 2016!

Till Tuesday...

Confessions of a Material Mission

jill here...after Marny's post last week, I thought I would follow up with some value/transparency exploration.  We will have new samples for class inspiration so I started on an adventure.  What I think will work does not always. So I get a pit in my stomach and keep moving forward.  I refuse to give up, looking for the magic formula.  I will show you what didn't work so well on this quest.
I made some blocks for a maquette, not sewn so I could try different arrangements and fabrics.

The constraint was to use stripes at the intersections or overlaps of

a Crispy Wonton block (making a small project).

These are two different "stripes" in the same autumnal color way.

With the solids (green, gold and orange) as my base, 

I placed the modern "stripe"in what I believed to be the intersections or the overlaps.

I added the repeats of the orange and green to create more symmetry

but still a bit whacky and difficult to "read" as transparency.

I rotated the direction of some of the striped blocks so they all agreed.

It  involved some unsewing but easily fixable. Better

Decided that there were more interactions...

The value of the stipe seems too light to be believable.

Tried the other stripe but it was way too random unless I wanted to fussy cut.  Not.

Changed the value of the gold 

and added a regular stripe closer in value.

I'll keep trying to figure out the recipe.   I may have some value misplacement (imagine that)!  Maybe I need a cookie.  'till next Tuesday...

Value, Contrast, and Transparency Workshops from Modern Quilt Relish

Marny here...our two upcoming January workshops for the Des Moines Area Quilt Guild have us excited!

The first one, a Value and Contrast Workshop, 

will be held on Wednesday January 27th from 9-4.

We plan to discuss how value and contrast play a key role in our modern aesthetic. The full day workshop will be spent exploring properties of value, balance and negative space. Following two block recipes from our book, Quilts du Jour, we’ll analyze choices and create placement strategies with both solid and print fabrics in 3 projects.  First, Crudites blocks in a runner, second, Salsa blocks in a pillow top, and third, using prints to make Salsa blocks for a baby quilt. New alternative (bonus) settings to complete the in class block/table runner projects included in the workshop!

The second workshop focuses on Color and Value Transparencies. 

It will take place Thursday, January 28th from 9-4. 

Transparency often delivers a taste of the unexpected. It gives added dimension and sophistication to your designs. We plan to discuss color and value transparencies and how they apply to modern graphics and fabrics. We’ll illustrate transparency both within a block and how to create implied overlaps/intersections in quilt design.  

Following two block recipes in Quilts du Jour, we’ll analyze choices and create placement strategies with solid fabrics. The goal is to finish a table square (Crispy Wonton block) and a pillow top (Sushi block)!

Hope to see some of you nearby DMAQG members in the workshops!! We'd love to bring these workshops/lectures to other guilds and shops. Let us know if you're interested!

Till Tuesday... 

Wish I'd had the Hot Hemmer then!

Marny here...we saw a new tool at Quilt Market that would have been super helpful for the curtain panel hemming project that follows. It is called the Hot Hemmer; invented by Joan Hawley and manufactured by Clover. 

Screen shot taken on the Clover site.

Find out more about it and watch the video here! I'm picking mine up at the Quilting Connection later today, that is if they haven't sold out already.

Don't you just love IKEA? They have these lovely panels that provide some privacy yet still allow light and air movement. But they are really LONG.

Lines following an organic trail in an all over design. They really are pretty.

Using my huge cutting mat and large rulers should enable me to cut to size at my house. Remaining fabrics were then turned into curtains for basement windows!

I left enough for a hem similar to the hems at the sides of the panels.
Hems will be pressed and sewn on site at my daughter's home.

Cozying up an already perfect space!

The cat looks happy!

Till Tuesday...

Third Time Charm?

jill here....  I just love making baby quilts.  Not only is it fun to celebrate a new arrival but because of their size, baby quilts usually come together quickly.  Market Values sews up in almost no time; the fabric selection is the more challenging aspect.  My constraints were that I would use "stash" fabric and a girl recipient (mom wanted soft colors).

In my stash, there was lots of the large scale saturated pastel floral print (previously used in Cheddar, No Crackers).  That was my start for fun and girlie.  Next was the stripe and an aqua that looked good with it.  I added in some very soft grey. a cute dot and decided pink would be appropriate.  I could only come up with 6 fabrics rather than the prescribed 8 so decided to repeat (actually not at all a problem). Below is the outcome.

The pink just seemed overwhelming!
Too bright!

So I slept on it. The next morning, I ripped out the center section .  I decided a different value of aqua was the best solution and found a cut dot that was enough value change make the transparency believable.

The aqua was better than the pink but created
the appearance of five separate sections.
Too much value change...try again...

The position of the little dot with the
larger scaled print works well. 

 The third attempt....

This middle aqua section is not as dominant
and therefore reads more as a whole unit.

The little dot placed on the light aqua and the stripe placed
on the darker aqua would have been a better value balance.

Sometimes done is good and cute enough!  Which one will I quilt?  'Till next Tuesday...