a new quilt
I do so love starting a new quilt, don’t you? This one will be like coloring in a coloring book - relaxing and fun. I’m using the Sew Kind of Wonderful pattern called Happy Together and coloring it in with Forestburgh fabrics by Heather Ross and Windham’s Ruby + Bee solids.
So, a quilt mock up! This quilt is made up of big blocks, each one of a different child figure. I arranged solids as colorful backgrounds and paired them with various print fabrics to ensure a nice spread of patterns, colors and value. It looks happy, no?
My favorite Forestburgh prints are the apples and the clovers, which I am using in abundance. The prints will become clothes for the children.
First things first - tools. Sew Kind of Wonderful patterns are designed to be sewn with unique rulers. This quilt uses the Wonder Curve Ruler, which I received from the Dutch quilt shop Nanno Creative (who also sells printed Sew Kind of Wonderful patterns). At first such a ruler seems mysterious and complicated, but following the pattern directions reveals its cleverness. I have yet to make a single cutting mistake, which says a lot about the pattern. The color coding and clear pattern illustrations are working in my favor.
I begin each block by choosing and cutting clothing fabrics, laying my choices over the block background color for context.
After choosing hair and face fabrics, comes the cutting and sewing of curves. These are coming along swimmingly. The curves are all designed to be trimmed-to-perfection, not sewn-to-perfection. I find it stress-free.
Ta da! Isn’t she adorable? She reminds me of another little reddish-head girl who often wears pigtails. Love it!
The children are multiplying. But wish me luck because I have a whole classroom full to birth, haha.
Some color transitions, like life transitions, come easily. I have just the right colors in my fabric stash, as with this orange-yellow-green blend. Familiar territory. These are the life transitions that one has made before and can comfortably make again. How many times have I separated green-blues from true-blues? How many times have I packed and moved house?
Do you know what I love? Sewing scrappy dottie blocks. They’re just fun. At the moment these blocks are just the right combination of color play, simple repetition and a touch of technical challenge to keep me engaged.
It is time to send Plum Pudding out into the world. She has never been used. She’s just been waiting, waiting. And perhaps now is her time. If you take her home, be sure to appreciate all her very special prints. I didn’t skimp on this one! And remember that life goes full circle from dark to light, from dark to light. So long as we are alive, there is always possibility for joy if we keep our hearts open.
How to write about this quilt? I do absolutely love how it came out. LOVE! This was one of those enchanted maker journeys. Designing the quilt and choosing the colors/fabrics was more a process of recognizing the inevitable than planning the ideal. Everything about it feels absolutely meant to be. And yet.
It is my turn to lead the charity quilt again, and I’m asking for rainbows and sunshine. Ta da! My first batch of happy scrappy Drummer Boy Dresdens! I love their bright, positive energy so much that I think I will leave them on my wardrobe doors for the day. Yay!
When life turns on its head, you are faced with so many choices and so many feelings. Creativity definitely helps me stay grounded and positivite. Each month in Positivities BOM we will reflect together on a positive theme. With Sunbeam and Flutters it is about following the warm, the joyful flutters, the sparks in our lives. They are a blessing and a light.
When I began sketching Positivities the first element that alighted on paper was North Star. It all started with this one block, which set the direction and tone for the quilt. The quilt evolved into a mixture of star, curve and plus elements, floating on a consistent background fabric.
What a quick and easy-going project. Not too many choices since I followed the look from the pattern cover, plenty of certainty and a satisfying, predictable result. I used the Sew Kind of Wonderful pattern called Happy Together and colored it in with Forestburgh fabrics by Heather Ross and Windham’s Ruby + Bee solids.
If you are a fan of modern quilts with a clean, dramatic style, Quilting with Curves is for you. Yes, even if you haven’t sewn curves yet, that’s no reason not to go for it. You will surely learn under Daisy’s experienced guidance. Those smooth curves will be worth the challenge!
This quilt is made up of big blocks, each one of a different child figure. I arranged solids as colorful backgrounds and paired them with various print fabrics to ensure a nice spread of patterns, colors and value. It looks happy, no? Come see the first blocks!
Ta da, Painted Windmills on a beautiful autumn day! These colors remind me of a folksy, vintage palette that you might find in a quaint European village. Brandon, Elora and I set out to photograph this quilt on a fittingly damp and windy Dutch day.
After even Elora identified this as a windmill block, I’m giving in and dubbing it my windmill quilt. I honestly did not notice the resemblance at first! Now I can’t imagine how I missed it, haha. My 5-year-old is growing into a real Dutch - she spies windmills everywhere.
This curved piecing is not for the faint of heart, but it’s also forgiving. Once a Posh Snowball block is sewn you trim the block to the correct size, cutting off about 1/2” all around in the process. That hides a bunch of irregularities!
Sewing serves a lot of roles in my life, but one of those is self-care. When I’m stressed, sad or processing something difficult, sewing offers an immersive, tactile experience. At times that experience can be an escape, but more often is a way of slowing down and working through my feelings.
This quilt design is not mine; it’s a pattern called Concert from the book Quilt Modern Curves & Bold Stripes. Comfort Circle quilt bee did a fantastic job sewing this intermediate quilt block. Look how well those stripes match up!
All the Concert quilt blocks have arrived from my bee mates in Comfort Circle of do. Good Stitches, plus I’ve made more to round out the collection. Now it’s time to join these blocks to create the quilt top.
I have something new to show you! It’s my month to lead the charity quilt for an EU circle of do. Good Stitches - Comfort circle. I choose something from a new book - Quilt Modern Curves & Bold Stripes. A fun sew!
Join the Dear Dottie Sew-Along! Ready to sew your scraps? This project welcomes all colors, whether bright, dark or light. With a clever use of value, this quilt can make any scrap collection shine!
What do you do when you feel sort of restless, a bit in between things or even stuck? When I feel off-kilter, I like to work on a scrap quilt. The process of rifling through bits of fabric, cutting them into usuable shapes and sewing them into something pretty is so restorative.
When I make a quilt like this, I become more free to be myself. I choose to put myself out there in a tangible way. It takes courage to even try to make something that embodies strong feelings…
Looking back it’s clear now that this project was a gift to me. It was a chance to love Liam by bringing his vision to life and a chance to show him how much I care by going the extra mile with my skills.
When I asked Liam what he’d like for his new bed quilt, I was curious and maybe a little nervous, about his reply. Would I be up for the challenge?
On this Thanksgiving Eve, I think Plum Pudding is just the name for this decadent patchwork quilt. Why it was a few Novembers past that I made a Cranberry Tart quilt and someday I should…
And we have a quilt top! The colors and shapes are really speaking to me. I’m asking myself if I can keep this one. I think I should not, but - oh - I want to!
I was in the mood for more curved piecing and something that would be technically challenging. This patchwork pattern has no y-seams, but it does have tons of curves. Inviting!
Introducing Dear Dottie, my latest finish. She's a scrappy color scheme, minus yellow and brown, with generous helpings of black and purple. Sometimes I characterize my scrap quilts with a vague…
I love sewing curves. I used to be terrified of them. Then when I learned the ins and outs, I felt empowered; however, it was still a high-focus endeavor to piece patchwork curves. Now I feel both relaxed and engaged when I sew this type of patchwork. It requires more attention than straight lines, but the payoff is so cool!