You Are My Sunshine

It's done and on its way to the almost new mom.

I quilted it in a sun ray motif that echoes out to the edge of the quilt.  The first one forms a sun ray shape in the center and then I repeated it three more times around the quilt.  It's easy to get lost on a round quilt when you're used to quilting squares and rectangles.  I tried to keep the quilting consistent across the quilt (about the same distance apart).  There are some areas I'm more happy with than others, but overall I think it's cute.

 And by the way...you young moms (and not so young moms) were so right about a circle being the perfect shape for a baby quilt.  It is a swaddling dream!  Even Yoda thinks so!!

Thanks to my friend Rachel who came over and shot the photos for me, and it was her brilliant idea to use Yoda for a test swaddle.  A bit much for a Jedi master, but he, like my son, was willing to forego his dignity for me.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.  I'm heading to Kansas to celebrate Easter, my parent's anniversary, my dad's and my youngest son's birthdays and enjoy a weekend of rest and relaxation.  I have much to celebrate!

Low Volume

One of the things I learned from Yoshiko Jinzenji's book is that simple shapes and simple piecing can create wonderful quilts. While I'm not close to her exquisite work with simple shapes, I do love creating that way.  This quilt is all about placement of values.  The dark in this quilt is Kona ash, which in many quilts acts as a light.  It also has Kona pale flesh, a subtle gray/white stripe, Kona white and Kona snow which together create this subtle, low volume quilt.

This is one of the quilts that I gave Angela to use for her book on machine quilting and it came back in the mail all quilted up. Genius again!  I can't wait to get my hands on her book.

I haven't seen it for so long, I forgot how much I liked it. So funny that it's so much the same as this quilt...just different shapes.

I'm glad I took the time to do a bias binding.  I love stripes on the bias.

I'm kinda in love with the back as much as the front.

It's that amazing Jay McCarroll Habitat fabric.  I adore that fabric.  My youngest son, Jon, loves the back of this quilt too...and as he told me, "The back is WAY better than the front."

This one will be donated to the BASIC's program as soon as I have a nice full box to send.  I hope some little girl who likes pink gets this one.

You've Got a Hex On Me!

There's something about hexagons that I like. There's nothing terribly modern about sewing a bunch of hexagons together, but I did try to get a random layout and avoid the "grandmother's flower garden" flower shape, though a couple slipped in there.

I used some of my favorite gray prints along with kona snow, white and pale flesh.  I like the lightness and depth that the two shades of white create. Pale flesh is the perfect baby pink, soft and gentle. I bound it in the pale flesh as well.  If I would have had a baby girl...sigh.

I'm pretty happy with how the hexagons came together. I'm not perfect with the machine sewing technique, but I'm definitely developing my skill level. This won't be my last hexie quilt!

Building Bridges

I don't have much left to say about this quilt except that it's hard to take pictures of it. Oh, and the binding...I put in one section of cream binding...I felt like the quilt needed an opening. I'm not sure why, but it works for me. Building Bridges finishes at 70" x 85" and I'm proud of it.

What I like the best:
...it has Bruno hair quilted into it.
...it's different.
...it was a collaboration.
...the only color is on the back.
...it tells a story.
...it's not perfect.
...it's me.

Forgive me for this picture heavy post, but I wanted to try to give you a real taste of the quilt. Enjoy!

Cogs has a baby!

Baby cogs is finally bound and finished. I like to lay quilts on the corner of the bed. Doesn't matter their size. It's another way to get quilts out and seen.

Angela quilted it much like daddy cogs.  Simply fabulous!  Click on over to Ang's blog and see her new book.  We could all benefit from Angela's expertise and advice!

I hung daddy in the hallway gallery. It's fun to change quilts often. I hate to have quilts stored away!

Attended my first meeting of the Chicago MQG yesterday. All I can say is it's a great group of really talented folks. I'm so happy to be a part of it. I've missed my guild and I could tell right away that I was going to feel at home here. Can't wait for January!

Tin Ceiling Quilt Comes Home

This quilt has been away since early this summer. I've missed it even though I was so proud to have it in the Scrap Art Exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. I breathed a sigh of relief when the Fed Ex man brought it home.

Since it was ready to hang, I hung it right out of the box in my hallway gallery.  It's a great place for it.  I walk by it all day long and it's protected from direct sunlight.  I may have to watch Bruno to make sure he doesn't rub up against it though.

A few more pictures in case you're like me and can't stop looking at it.

Roberto Capucci Maquette becomes a Tornado

It all started with a Roberto Capucci dress. I made this giant chevron inspired by that dress and didn't have a clue what to do next. Sometimes when that happens I make a maquette (a small version) to play with and see what happens. This playing happened right after the devastating tornado in Joplin and a tornado in our backyard. I guess I had tornados on the brain.  I bound it this weekend and hung it in my hallway gallery.

The quilting is spectacular and there's a story to go with that too.  It has an Arkansas connection.  Karen took my class in Arkansas and I was talking with her about a quilt she brought to show and tell.  I loved her quilting and we got to chatting.  I happened to have this top with me to use as a teaching example, and before I knew it I was handing it to her and saying, "have fun with it!"

Sometimes you just have a feeling that another person gets it.  Karen is in to color and she asked if I minded her going a bit crazy....no problem and look what she did.  The quilting is beautiful, colorful, but doesn't overwhelm the piecing.  It adds movement and just a bit of sparkle to the piece.

The quilting flows from the top left to the bottom right corner and the density of the quilting opens as it flows to the bottom of the quilt.

The thread colors also flow across the quilt echoing the colors in the piecing.

I think I've found another quilting gem.  This won't be the last time we work together.  Thanks Karen!

I still have the large chevron hanging in my closet. I wonder where I'll go with that?

Toddler Time

This is my "Toddler Time" quilt. It's an idea I've been playing around with for a long time. It's sort of my modern and minimalist version of a child's I Spy quilt.

I've been a teacher and principal for many years and dealt with a lot of overstimulated, hyper children. It seems today that children are introduced to technology earlier and earlier and television, videos, and video games have become the substitute for interaction with friends and parents. Children learn best not from fancy computery things, but one on one with us. This quilt is my way of providing an opportunity for some of that one on one, parent child quiet time. I would use this quilt to spark conversation, for telling stories and for learning together.

There are 12 pictures hidden under the letter flaps. The purpose of the letters isn't really to learn the alphabet; they are simply a way to open the conversation. There is something in the picture that starts with the letter on the flap....maybe multiple things. It may not be so obvious in the beginning.

For example: P is for...
...painter, painting, paint brush or even pink! Think of all the things you and your child could talk about from this one simple picture. Places to visit, things to do tomorrow, what happened in art class in preschool...the possibilities are endless. We could talk about artists, easels, palettes, canvases, museums...I could go on!

W is for...
...wheelbarrow! What do you think this little man is doing? Where is he going? What is he carrying in his little wheelbarrow? Do you think you and your little one could make up a story together about his adventures?
The back has a few more pictures, but not too many to be overwhelming.

I'm still working on the design and concept. I'd appreciate some help if you have some feedback for me. Does the quilt need more color, or are the flaps enough? I do like the solid background to keep the quilt visually simple, but the white might not be practical. I'm also wondering how big would be the best size for the quilt. Would you make it in a twin size? I'm also wondering if I should have quilted over the pictures? It obscures them a bit. Lastly, do you think it even needs the letters? I have this great fabric with these letters which made the flaps easy, but that's not available for everyone. There are lots of options for the letters, printing, piecing, embroidery...but are they necessary? I'm trying to work this into a pattern, but I'm not sure which way to go. Any help would be so appreciated.

I have to thank Kerri of Sew Deerly Loved. Kerri helped me with prints for the pictures and she's your online source for lots of great fabric that would work in a quilt like this. This was one of the ideas we threw around for the book, but it really didn't fit. I'm glad I'm finally back to playing with the idea. On to version #2!

In the meantime, I have a new grand niece or nephew on the way and this quilt already has a home.

Pickup Parking...and a Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago Laurie Wisbrun sent me a fat quarter set of her new fabric line, Pooches and Pickups. She said to play with the fabric. That freedom was just what I needed. As soon as I opened the package and saw the trucks I thought of my boys and how they would play with their collection of miniature cars and trucks. They would take blocks and make giant parking lots and roadways. So, out of my brain came "Pickup Parking".

Those trucks begged to be fussy cut, so I did and I placed them in different parking configurations just like my boys would have. The quilt was on the design wall when a friend's young son came over. He liked the quilt and asked me who I was making it for. I told him it was a baby quilt. He told me in no uncertain terms that this was NOT a blanket for a baby. This was for a big boy bed. I turned it into a twin size quilt in no time.
He also told me it needed one more thing....a license plate. When I asked him to help me choose the letters and numbers for the plate, he said no. It didn't need letters and numbers. It needed a vanity plate. How he knew about vanity plates...well, I was impressed and asked him what it should say. He said matter of factly, TRUCK. So, truck it was.
I made this for no one in particular, so I think it's going to get boxed up and sent to BASICS in New York City. I'm hoping some little boy needs a quilt for his bed.
I didn't forget about the Pooches part of the fabric. I just happened to have this pooch who looks pretty spiffy dressed up in Laurie's fabric.
So, would you like a fat quarter set of Pooches and Pickups to play with at your house? Leave a comment and let me know. I'll draw a winner on Monday. Thanks Laurie!

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