Catching up: Playing w Purple

For the month of February over at SoScrappy has been the colour of the month: Lavender/Purple.

I had to choose new RSC2018 blocks or projects and I have chosen two. The very talented Cynthia Brunz and her loyal followers shared this Migrating Geese technique all over Instagram and I just had to try it. Two of the first ones complete in purple and a second in red-violet. I now need to make these in blue!

At some point in the month of January I received an on-look inside the cover of Judy Gauthier book and fell into an trance as I watched these "circles" form in my mind. I had to execute at least two to get the flavor of the block. And while I could have proceeded with 'stealing' the pattern on line, I hope some karma will be on my side when I say that I actually bought the book from my LQS. While the author uses 4.5" pieces I chose to dial it back and use 2.5" pieces from my own scrap user system and my easy angle ruler rather than the "draw a line diagonally across the back of one square". I LOVE these blocks and think they will be an excellent RCS2018 block. As time permits I will go back to do some blues.

To see what other scrap-inclined-quilters might be up to this week, check out the linky-party over here at SoScrappy.


love and hugs
Kathy

Purple Wishing Rings

Let me just say this, I LOVE these purple Wishing Rings. What an effective use of simple piecing to create a great block. Thank you to Mari (The Academic Quilter) and Angela (So Scrappy) for providing the instructions and inspiration for a new sampler quilt: Squared Away.

this happy stick person fabric was painted by Cathy Tomm

It never hurts to put a batik in for full staturated colour

While this fabric looked purple in the stack, it is looking very brown in this light.

All six to date, 10.5" blocks and I have updated my RSC2018 spreadsheet. 

Now back to my regularly scheduled program. 

Today I am headed to the University of Alberta Design Lab to attend a colour and embroider class put on my our guild, Edmonton and District Quilters Guild. Our guest instructor is Jeltje van Essen of Devanter Netherlands. She owns 100 Roses Quilt Shoppe in Devanter and has the rights to use the artwork of Anton Pieck as the basis for her teaching and quilt making. I will have more to show next weekend, but for now, my supplies are packed and I am out the door as soon as this posts.

Head on over to SoScrappy see other wonderful purple happenings from quilters around this globe.
hugs
Kathy

De-Stashing begets a Lozenge Quilt

De-stashing the studio...we all need to do it. And mine is way over due.

I pulled out a bin of some assorted "over 10 year old" fabrics. How do I know they are at least 10 years old? Well, I recognize some from quilts made prior to 2005 and some from 2000 or earlier. I needed a plan. I hand examined each piece. If it was of questionable quality, I tossed it. Poly Cotton...Gone. I did not look back. If it was a phat quarter or smaller it cut it up into 3.5" x 6.5" bricks, and from there 3.5, 2.5 and 2 inch squares. If it didn't qualify for those it went into the string bin. Love that Scrap User System. Notice the language of that...scrap USER not scrap SAVER.

If it was larger than a phat quarter I took off a couple of 3.5" strips and sub-cut that into bricks. And didn't that feel good. This was a place to use the odd and unusual pieces. So in this quilt you will find old 1980's chintz, PEI lobster, and screaming hot buffalo wings. This is the quilt that when the grandchildren need a picnic quilt in the garden, I will give them this one instead of a ratty old orange tarp

Next up...Lozenge Quilt. I know that Bonnie Hunter had that as the L/E for 2014. I also remember her saying it is not a race!! And so while I was at it, and I needed a break from cutting, I hauled out the 2" bin and started marking light neutral-ish squares with a drawn diagonal line for a sewing guide. Shown here is about half the quilt.

The thing I learned as I went along though, and I want to share this with anyone that doesn't see this before I did, was not put dark corners on dark bricks. I lost some definition of that pretty little pinwheel that got created where the blocks meet.

Behold the completed Lozenge 2017

I free styled the long arm quilting with simple loops and leaves.

Binding is on, and the quilt is ready for picnic duty at a moment's notice.
love and hugs
Kathy

Light Blue

I have got to get back to my blog. Here is a temporary fix to my blogging blues. (pun intended). While I have been busy busy with all sorts of other projects, I did complete three 10.5"  light blue Red Cross blocks for the RSC2018. I am so looking forward to another scrap sampler quilt. My backgrounds will all be a variation of a little black on white.

For more ambitious entries of the light blue persuasion, please check here.here

love and hugs
Kathy

Grateful for Yellow

A few years ago while out for a Mother's Day brunch with my family we saw a beautiful commercial art piece with a strong yellow background and bright red poppies. I mentioned to my grandson (then 11) that I thought it would make a great idea for a quilt. His response was..."what about copyright Grandma?" I did get permission from the cafe owner to use their painting for design inspiration of this quilt.

I am making my  background from a stack of yellow string blocks, framed left and bottom with pale orange.

The poppies are cut from red string blocks, with many more poppies to add. I first drew my desired poppy onto steam a seam, cut the poppy apart, then placed the strategically over the string block to capture different textures.

I will use the same process for the leaves. Shown here are some of the variety of green string blocks that I have to choose from.

This is a work in progress and I am looking forward to completion.

I am sharing this on SoScrappy along with others who are basking in their yellow scraps.superscrappy.blogspot.ca

Love and hugs
Kathy

When you String upon a star

 I was inspired by the Spring Cleaning quilt on the left (found on Pinterest, by Brioni Greenberg) Her quilt was featured on the front cover of Quilt, June/July 2013. Isn't it a great collections of scrappy happiness.

 This is my rendition, When you String Upon a Star, with a framing border of half neutral half colour added. Will be binding it with a dark yellow green.

It has been beautifully quilted by Kim Caskey Custom Quilting, and I just love it. We used a wool batt over a 80-20 Hobbs batt. I for sure will have to retire now, as I am sure I will not be able to get up to catch the bus now that I will be snuggled under this beauty.

I am thrilled with this newest finish (binding going on as soon as I am off the computer). Will be linking up to Cynthia at Quilting is more fun than Housework and with Angela at SoScrappy, who really should take credit for getting me going on using up my scraps in such a fun and purposeful way.

On this very snowy and very cool Canadian Thanksgiving, I wish you a day filled with gratitude and good wishes where ever you are and with whomever you are spending it with.

Love and hugs
Kathy

Turning (3)65 update

Working on the Quilty 365 theme of a circle a day keeps the doldrums away, mine is celebrating this year that I have "turned 65" myself. Each range of temperature is assigned a colour on the thermometer and from this palette I have made my circles.

June was comfortably warm

 I love making these circles and as I sew the days/weeks/month together I am reminded over and over how truly blessed I am to have this life I live in the country that I love. ♥

Linking up today with Cynthia over at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework...truer words were never spoken!

love and hugs
Kathy