Here they are, my multicolor scraps in all their chaotic glory! With its heat and energy, summer is the perfect season for happy-go-lucky, scrappy sewing. Can I transform this wild abundance into something pleasing?
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As you delve deeper into the hobby of quilt making, you will build up some history with the craft. Soon you will find that there are are certain styles you’re drawn to again and again. Here’s how considering the past and the future can make you an extra smart shopper.
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Long projects make the best finishes! What a pleasure it is to see all the bits and pieces of this patchwork sampler dancing together as one. May I present my second Pas de Deux quilt - this time in pretty Sugar Plum shades.
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My fabric stash is my artist’s palette. I can only create with the colors and forms which I have on hand. What can I add that will help me create quilts from the heart? How can I express my truest self? What additions will spark joy?At the root of each answer is Color. That is why my fabric shopping always begins there.
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Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life: Best of June, planning a Fabric Shopping blog post series, a great cross-cultural parenting read and remembering the beauty and love in South Carolina.
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Sewing these blocks is like sipping a cold drink in a shady oasis. It’s rest for my brain, pleasant work for my hands and a bright spot of color for my spirit. As a quilter I’ve sewn lots of crazy, fun patchwork, yet through the years simple squares remain a favorite resting place.
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Can there be justice when your child’s life has been stolen by caregivers who didn’t seem to care? No, not really. Is there justice possible for Eleni, who knew so much suffering in her short life? Never. But there can be accountability, apology, recompense and financial support for the cost of those grevious mistakes.
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In 2015, after a healthy pregnancy, I was eagerly anticipating Eleni’s birth. Like you, I was completely shocked when that joyous event turned tragic. What happened? What exactly went so terribly wrong? Here’s the story I can finally tell.
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Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life: Best of May, anticipating a summer full of change, celebrating a scrappy Pas de Deux and a what I’ll be reading and sewing on the plane.
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Oh happy swirl of patchwork! The colors and shapes are so sweet and dainty. She’s a sugar plum fairy for sure. It feels soooo good to wrap this up before our trip. Plus, I can honestly say that after adding the last bits, it came together as I had hoped.
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Has it happened to you? You’re lying in bed, half asleep, when inspiration strikes. An idea for a new quilt drifts into your conscious with surprising clarity. I hadn’t been actively thinking about these scraps. I had been thinking about my book - - -
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You can bet that I’ll be doing some fabric shopping in the States. That means I’m reserving space in my suitcase on the way home. And that means I have a bit extra space on the way there. Perhaps it’s the chance to bring you something?
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These Still Point blocks are the trickiest sew in the entire quilt. They utilize y-seams to create a flurry of twists and turns. But the tradeoff to stretching your wings is the view once energies take flight. There’s a special zing of pleasure and satisfaction when you succeed at something that took pluck.
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It can all feel a little chaotic, until you start sewing. Soon enough the tidy matched squares and pointy half square triangle blocks bring everything into focus. Ta da! These three butterflies are of the Super Scrappy variety. Aren’t they merry?
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Custom quilting a sampler quilt like this is SO much fun, especially when the maker gives me free rein to explore. When I quilt a project like this, I don’t plan everything in advance. Instead, I feel my way through the project, starting with a collection of possible designs.
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Nova lives in our neighborhood just one street over. She and Elora are in the same class at school, where they became fast friends. After school and through the weekend, they catch every spare moment to play together. Now Nova is turning 6 and we’re sewing a gift for her!
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This Pas de Deux is all about making connections between the groups. The Checkers group is an easy one for that. I decided to start with pale colors at the top of Checkers because of the pale colors in the HST blocks directly above. The idea to build an ombre blend developed as a way of working toward orange.
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This week I turned the scraps from sewing Kismet patchwork curtains into new dining chair covers. The patchwork version is sewn with the quilt-as-you-go method, meaning that batting is already attached. That method is always nice when using string scraps.
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