Design Wall Monday

 I have the Rockn' Roller Coaster quilt top completed and am contemplating the quilting and binding options.

While I am not thrilled with my fabric choices for the top row, I don't dislike it enough to take it out and change it. :)  

What's kind of interesting though, is that it doesn't bother me very much at all when I rotate the quilt. It sure does give this a different look, doesn't it? Jack says he likes it better this way; and since it will be here for kids to use, I think it could be fun for them to decide which way they like it best.  

I may have to give some extra thought to the quilting, if it's rotated. Hmmmm What are your thoughts?

And while I'm asking, what are your thoughts about binding? 

I have been working on a few secret sewing projects, so not much more has been done with my Ava's Garden blocks. I look forward to working on those again because I just love churn dash blocks.

What are you working on today?

Check out some Quilters' Eye Candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 

and 

Beth's Monday Making

A New Project

I love it when a leader/ender project becomes the focus/main project!

I've been doing a lot of secret sewing projects and as usual, I can't share them just yet. But, I can share the latest leader/ender project that has just moved to the main feature project.  

This is my version of Krista Moser's Rock'n Roller Coaster, using Tammy Silvers' Kismet fabric.

This is a very special project for me. I was honored to meet and spend three days with both of these awesome ladies back in September during the much-revised Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival. I knew that I wanted to create something special from that time together and this is the result. 

As many of you know, I test patterns for Tammy and love doing that. (We've had lots of communication over the past couple of years, but we'd never met in person, so meeting her was really fun!) What you may not know is that Tammy designs fabric too. I've been eyeing her Kismet line and was thrilled when she gave me a set of 2 1/2" strips. WooHoo!

That made my fabric choice for my special project easy. Whew! Now I just needed to decide on a pattern. Low and behold, Krista's Rock'n Roller Coaster pattern uses 2 1/2" strips. Decision made!

I typically have a patriotic quilt as a leader/ender project, but I decided that I wanted to take a break from that and start this quilt. It's quite easy, and the hardest part was deciding which strips I wanted to use because the quilt only uses 15 print strips. I have lots left over and am looking forward to using them for another project too - one that I've designed.  :-)

Of course moving the leader/ender project to the main project means that I need to start a new leader/ender project. Truth be told, I have some that I could have and maybe should have started up again, but I decided to start work on my Ava's Garden quilt, which is designed by Myra Barnes of Busy Hands Quilts. I am honored to test and sew for her too, and I decided that it would be cool to include one of her projects in this mix of things. (Of course I am working on a secret sewing project for her right now, but I wanted something that will be mine to keep.) 

I have always liked the Churn Dash block and the fact that these are made from 10" squares is great because I just happened to have a Berry Sweet by Elyse DeNeige 10 Karat Crystals pack sitting around my sewing area. I even had the yellow background fabric. Sweet!

I love the picture above. I think it shows how I feel about myself as a quilter - a nice healthy mix of traditional and modern. :-)

Stayed tuned for updates of this and those secret sewing projects I mentioned earlier. :-) 

October Color Challenge

 It's the first, which means that it's time for 

October's Color Challenge block!

This month's color is Olive,

and the bird is the Ruby - Crowned Kinglet

For the pattern and block instructions, 

head on over to 

Jen's Blog - Patterns by Jen

*******************************************

Isn't this a pretty bird? 

As with many birds, it's the male who is brightly colored. 

Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are olive-green with a very prominent white eyering. They also have a white wingbars, which make them easy to distinguish from other birds. 

While the males have the red patch on their crown (thus the name Ruby-Crowned), it is not always visible. 

The birds are relatively small, with large heads, a very short neck, and thin tails. 

Their bills are small, thin and straight. The Ruby-Crowned Kinglets found in Alaska and British Columbia are slightly smaller and a darker color than those found in other parts of North America. 

The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet lives in tall, dense conifer forest, such as spruce, fir, and tamarack. They can also be found in shrubby habitats and parks during the winter.  

They are restless birds and move quickly through foliage at fairly low levels. Their wings are almost constantly flicking, which gives off a very energetic vibe.   

This little bird packs a big punch when it comes to singing. Listen and watch this YouTube video that not only lets you hear the beautiful song, but the narrator describes the complex parts of the song. This is quite interesting!

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Song

***************************************

I have used very little olive in my quilts. As a matter of fact, I can't seem to find any pictures of quilts in which I've used any significant amount of olive. You know what that means don't you? I have to find more olive fabrics and use this color!

Here is the olive fabric I bought at Once Upon a Quilt.  

It is very pretty and I especially like the design. 

Here are my pieces, cut and ready to sew.

This sure is a beautiful block!

Check out other bloggers who made this block. 

It is always fun to see the different fabrics used.

Patterns by Jen

Quilty Creations by Fawn

Home Sewn By Us

Steph Jacobson Designs

So This Is Kentucky 

Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Penny for My Thoughts

It's a new quarter which means there are new sponsors!

You will definitely want to check them out because they are providing 

some awesome prizes. 

Thank You Sponsors! 

Sponsors October thru December

Design Wall Monday

I've been able to get a bit of sewing done and that always makes me feel good. Besides some secret sewing, I actually took something from the "To Be Quilted" tub (AKA - Tub of Shame) and made the time to quilt it.

This is To The Point, a Tamarinis pattern. 

I pieced this quite some time ago (back in Dec. or January) but wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt it. Actually, about half way through piecing the diamonds, I realized that I didn't give any thought to the shadowing that would happen with the darker print fabrics. I decided that it was too late to turn back, so I just went ahead and finished the top. The quilting dilemma was really a question of whether or not I could do anything to help hide the shadowing. I couldn't decide what to do, so this top got set aside for another day. 

That day happened last week when I finally decided that I was just going to quilt the heck out of it with smallish meandering in the background (it's not plain white, but rather a white multi-color confetti) and an outline stitch close to the diamonds. This did not solve the shadowing issue, but the quilt is quilted and I'm happy.

I have no yardage of any of the print fabrics, so the next question is what to do about binding. I posed that questions to a group of people and was kind of surprised that many suggested using the background fabric. Their logic is that by using that, it would not distract from the diamonds. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of light binding, but I get what they are saying. There were a variety of other ideas - bright red, black, or anything dark. My husband suggested a fabric close to one of the light diamond fabrics. I'm still mulling this over and will check my stash. That will most likely be what makes the decision for me. :-) I'll post pictures when I've made my choice. I want to get this bound before Thursday, as I'll be meeting Tammy Silvers and would like to show her this quilt.

I recently shared my fabric choices and the beginnings of my Perpetual quilt. I will not have it completed by this weekend as I had hoped, but I do like what I have so far. All of the block quadrants are made and I just have to sew those together to complete the blocks, and then sew the blocks together. 

The pattern includes instructions for a bed runner, lap quilt, and bed quilt. I'm making the bed quilt, but I played around with some of the blocks so I could see what the runner would look like. I love this! This is made from just one of the two blocks. I REALLY like this and think I may have to see if I have enough extra fabric to make one.

Here is a very small version of the bed quilt. I know that I am going to love this quilt so it will not be put aside. That secondary design is pretty cool. 

I have some finishes to share - personal and secret sewing, but I'll wait until later this week. 

What are you working on today?

Check out the eye candy at 

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and 

Beth's Monday Making

September Color Challenge

 It's the first, and that means that it's time for the new 

Monthly Color Challenge Block

It's Color Challenge Time again!

This month's color is Cinnamon,

and the bird is the Cinnamon Teal

For the pattern and block instructions, 

head on over to 

Jen's Blog - Patterns by Jen

Male (left) and Female (right) Cinnamon Teal

The Cinnamon Teal is a species of duck found in western North and South America. It is a small dabbling duck, with bright reddish plumage on the male and duller brown plumage on the female. It lives in marshes and ponds, and feeds mostly on plants. Both the male and female have a pretty sizeable head and a long bill.

As you can see in the picture above, the adult male has a cinnamon-red head and body and a brown back. His bill is long and black, and he has striking red eyes.  

The adult female has a mottled brown body, pale brown head, brown eyes, and a grey bill. Interestingly, young and non-breeding males have similar coloring as the female, but their eyes are red. All adults have a sky-blue patch visible when their wing is open.

 

Cinnamon Teal dabble on aquatic plants in shallow water areas, especially rush seeds, pondweed seeds and leaves and salt grass seeds. They also feed on animal food, especially aquatic insects and mollusks. So basically, they are vegetarian with an occasional insect or two eaten.

Much like I'd like to do, nearly all Cinnamon Teal winter in Mexico and Central America.

Click HERE to listen the the Cinnamon Teal. 

Be sure to listen to both the male and female sounds. They are quite different.

What symbolism is associated with the color Cinnamon? 

That is quite interesting because throughout much of history there has been a bit of a contradiction regarding the color. Because the color is associated with the spice of the same name (a spice that was highly prized in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and often given as a gift for monarchs), the color cinnamon was looked upon with high regard. But if the color was separated from the spice, it was often associated with poverty and humility because of the brown clothing worn by the lower class in ancient Rome and Catholic monks during the Middle Ages. 

In recent years, the various shades of brown have been associated with nature and thus represent strength, stability, sincerity, loyalty, and honesty.  While brown and most of its shades are often listed as a "least favorite color" by many people, it is often considered to be a neutral in the art and decorating work. Cinnamon can be paired with most shades of brown, and looks fresh next to cream or crisp white. It looks amazing when paired with other earthy shades like burnt orange, deep red, maroon, soft blue, and olive green. 

Searching the internet for these colors has made me want to do some redecorating/repainting. I know myself enough to realize that will most likely not happen anytime soon, so I'll do what I do best. I'll use them in a quilt or two. If nothing else, this color challenge has made me become smitten with some new color ideas! :-) 

Speaking of quilts, I have used various shades of brown over the years, including cinnamon.

Prism, pattern my Tammy Silvers made by Joanne Hubbard

Bethlehem, pattern by Doug Leko, made by Joanne Hubbard

Uptown Girl, pattern by Creative Sewlutions, made by Joanne Hubbard

Zen Table Runner, pattern by Jean Ann Wright, made by Joanne Hubbard

Back of Zen Table Runner

The cinnamon that I used this month was purchased at Once Upon a Quilt in Ft. Lauderdale. To be honest, this was the color with which I had the most challenging time picking. I'm sure the staff thought I was crazy when I kept asking their opinions of fabrics based on the names of a bird,and then I threw in a spice! If they did think I was crazy, they certainly didn't show it. For that, I am thankful.. 😘

I liked this fabric, so I bought much more than what I needed for this project. Imagine that! 

The pieces are cut and ready to sew.

These simple blocks look great!

Check out other bloggers who made this block. 

It is always fun to see the different fabrics used.

Patterns by Jen

Pieceful Thoughts

Sew Joy Creations

Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes

Tamarinis

Textile Time Travels

You will definitely want to check out the 3rd Quarter Sponsors. 

They have provided some awesome prizes. Thank you! 

Winners will be announced October 1st.

Sponsors July thru September

Quilters Chic - PDF Pattern

For The Love of Geese - PDF Pattern

Carole Lyle Shaw - Pattern and Grunge bundle

Quilters Dream Batting - Dream 80/20 - 60" x 60"

The Fat Quarter Shop - Fabric Bundle

Warm Company - Warm 80/20 - 55" x 60"

Warm Company - 1 yard Insul-Bright

Make Modern Magazine - 6 month subscription

Patterns By Jen - Superior Thread S-Fine 50

Patterns By Jen - Magic Wand

School Colors - Secret Sewing Reveal

 This isn't on my design wall right now, but it was recently one of my secret sewing projects that is now complete. The timing of the reveal is perfect, as it's that time of year that kids are headed back to the classroom.

Introducing...

School Colors

This pattern is now available in both 

print and pdf version at 
Busy Hands Quilts.

Just like every other quilt I've made using one of Myra's pattern, this was so easy to follow and her illustrations are wonderful. The pattern includes two sizes (throw and twin); and they both perfect for kids going off to college or when you want to show your school spirit and stay warm at the same time. Unlike many patterns that require more blocks to be made to increase the size, the twin size is made using the same number of blocks, just a larger size. How cool is that? 

Here are a few pictures of Myra's completed quilt. 
 

School Colors - Image from Busy Hands Quilts

School Colors - Image from Busy Hands Quilts

Check out that quilting! 

School Colors - Image from Busy Hands Quilts

As you know, I always like to take pictures of the quilts I make from side angles. 

And a look from the other side...

One of the coolest things about this quilt is that the blue stars are not pieced as star blocks. They are created with some awesome pieced sashing. WooHoo!

You all know that I am a sucker for a good red, white, and blue quilt, so I'll be making my own version of this soon because it will make a great Quilt of Valor. But, I am also thinking that this would be a great quilt to make for a school fundraiser. All you need are the two school colors and a background/accent, and you are good to go. If you are having a difficult time visualizing this, Myra has provided some samples in a variety of colors. Check it out HERE.

School Colors - Image from Busy Hands Quilts

You can get your own copy of School Colors at Busy Hands Quilts.

While you're there, sign up for her newsletter. 

Check out Myra's Facebook page for more pictures of this beautiful quilt. 

You won't be sorry you did! 

So, what IS on my design wall today?

I finished Peyton's elephant quilt top. I'm got the back ready to sew and then it's time to quilt this puppy elephant. :-)

I've been playing around with a small project that I can use for teaching a very basic paper piecing class, and this is what I've come up with. After I took this picture, I layered it, quilted it, and have the binding sewn on. I'll hand stitch that down later today. 

 

I did finish the Picket Fence quilt top that I showed last week. Since I was using up leftover pieces of a layer cake (10" squares), my quilt is smaller than the pattern size. I was toying with the idea of adding a border, but I opted against that and am happy with my choice. Without thinking, I took it off the wall before I remembered to get a picture.  I hope to get this quilted and bound by mid-week, so I'll get some pictures then.

What are you working on today?

Check out the Quilters Eye Candy at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and

Love Laugh Quilt

I Joined a Quilt Along

I really do have a lot to do, but when I saw samples of the Dear Darling quilt and heard that there was going to be a quilt along, I just had to join the fun. 

There are some really awesome samples on Kaitie's Instagram page that you'll want to check out. They are so cute and there are so many ideas to consider.

I'm going with the pieced center option and decided that I really am just going to with the flow for this project. I am NOT going to stress, which means that I will NOT overthink my fabric choices. With that in mind, I went to my container that holds Cotton+Steel fat quarters and pulled what I needed/wanted. I then looked at my background choices and am happy to say that I found something I like. Yay! 

I think I’ll use the same fabric for my sashing and border, and then use my leftover fat quarter pieces for a scrappy binding. Of course that may change after the blocks are pieced, but that's the plan for right now. I also decided to make this a bit smaller - 59” x 76”, which means that I’ll be making 12 blocks instead of 16. 

My pieces are cut, organized, and ready to sew. (Yep, I should still be cleaning, but I'm doing this as a diversion. Go to this post to see what what I did yesterday instead of clean.) 

I even put everything into a separate project bag to keep it together and organized. That counts as cleaning, right? 😁 This is going to be FUN! 

Check out Kaitie's Instagram page - Modern Folk Studio for more information or to join the quilt along.