Pumpkin Season

Pumpkin Season

This pattern was purchased some time in the past, and I've wanted to make it, but could never find the time. (I have a lot of patterns in that category!) It's called Pumpkin Season by The Pattern Basket. My mom lives in a small apartment now, and I wanted something quilty to hang on her door for the season. That was a good reason to carve out the time this weekend, and it's entirely ready to hang in just a couple days or so.

I do want to make one comment in defense of the wavy edge look in the photo. The tiny gingham check is causing that visual wave more than anything, though it's curved up over my counter to hold it for the photo. It lays flat when it's on the table, but I may still give it a steam from the backside to make sure it lays very flat before hanging it. Lesson noted and learned using a check fabric for binding. 

Planning Custom Quilting: Christmas Wall Hanging

Christmas Wall Hanging

Around here a wall hanging might be referred to as a "wall hanger". The first time I heard it I had one of those eyebrow raising moments, but it's a common way of saying it for many local people. I accept it now. When I first typed out the title, my fingers magically typed "wall hanger". Obviously my brain has accepted it, too. 

This is a client made piece by Connie Karlowicz, and I think it's just the prettiest thing! I found myself singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" more than once working on it yesterday. Thankfully, I was alone. 

Baby Postcard from Sweden & Dragger

Vibrance!

Many long months ago I promised a baby quilt for a friend--a grandmother-soon-to-be, and immediately after my life was swamped. It was one big thing after the next. Life can be that way, you know. My sewing projects were shut down tight. Six long months later the storm of activity has officially passed, and we're all breathing easier, thank you. I am gratefully, intentionally back to sewing. It's like a dream waking up with permission to say to myself, "Today I am going to sew!" And sew, I have.

City Sampler Mini

 City Sampler Mini Finish

While I didn't lose interest, I lost time. This was never going to turn into a full quilt of any size, and no more UFO's for me. I put spare minutes together here and there to finish this up, and in a few days I'll even show you it's been hung. Amazing stuff, huh?

UFO Prevention Plan

Tula Pink's City Sampler
100 Modern Quilt Blocks

Gnome Angel is one talented gal at running quilt alongs, and currently hosting 100 Days 100 Blocks. (Dang, I love the hype of them, picking the fabric, etc.!) Adamant not to join yet another, I was on vacation, I had the book, and was sucked in. But quilt alongs for me are like ordering an ice cream cone, size X-large, please, and never finishing. Still I jumped in, and completed 11%, and those 11 blocks hung on my wall for weeks. Sigh. You know the pattern yourself. It happened again.

Cleaning the studio and design walls meant taking the blocks down. This time I decided I would change my habit of packing them away only to become another UFO. Nope, no more! I'm a changed woman after a long year of cleaning up past quilt along indiscretions. I doubted I'd ever finish all 100 blocks so I made a decision on the spot.

UFO Prevention Intervention Time!

Blogging Zen. Not.

 Quilt Art: A Zen Hangout

It was time to hang something significant at the top of the long stairway to my studio. I think this star is so enticing. Does it say, "Good things lie beyond this step?

Is Blogging Zen?

Those who fantasize about writing a blog may be erroneously led to believe the blogging process is a zen moment in the blogger's day. Said blogger sits in the early dawn with coffee, sleeping babies or dogs, and pours out accumulated wisdom to readers that await every post. (Insert sinister laughter.) Perhaps it is not so, say I. 

3D Groovy Wrapped Star Finish

Wrapped Star

I have been buried deep in books about making 8 pointed stars. Construction methods, math, templates, names, and yes, new quilts I want to make this year! I think I'm in love with these versatile blocks! Technically, my 3D Groovy star is a Wrapped star as it has 4 strips to each star point, and perhaps also because of the 4 patches in the corner. I could not tease out if the pattern would still be called 'wrapped' without those, or if there were variations related to how the colors/values were used. It's nitty-gritty, but good to know.

You can see the first post about this project Star Quilt from Strips: 3D Groovy

Roman Stripe Improv Art Quilt Finish

Roman Stripe: Variation I

I laughed a little when I typed the name above. Variation I. I wrote I because there is already a II in the works. I need this kind of work in my life to balance me. It makes me whole. This play on a traditional pattern that I would call an art quilt. Very traditional scraps spun into something that begged for stitching. Stitching that took on a life of its own. My fingers knew. My head did not. 

27 Quilt Finishes in 2017

Quilting Mandalas: 

New Work from Old

I labored and debated when titling this post. It's packed with so many big ideas while trying to be subtle. Yes, I know 27 finishes is not so subtle. But I'm excited--newly inspired, and self-directed for the New Year. But first, more about last year.

Worthwhile Working Vacation

It's hard to work on vacation, but last weekend I forced myself. It was foggy and cold in Florida even for a northerner, and the wind was fierce. After a chilly swim I stayed in, and worked on Pink Doxies' webpage. 

I pinned to Pinterest. I cleaned up picture files. I added quilt photos to the 2017 Quilts page at the top of this page in the header. And finally I counted the quilt pictures there. Missing one I had not photographed, I had 27 quilt finishes in 2017. There were additional finished wall hangings, completed quilt tops, and several dozen quilts happily laid out for MCC. I longarm quilted for customers and friends. I hand quilted several of my finishes, and have others presently in process. I dyed 25+ yards of fabric, and I had fun with an abundance of creative energy!

Quilt Beginnings, Endings & In Between: Without a List

One Sweet Baby Quilt Ready to Deliver

Week 2 with No List

Welcome back to another weekly narrative of living/working without a list. I've gained unexpected insight while purging the house of too much stuff, and am eager to share it with you. I keep hearing in the comments how many of you are on the same journey, and feel I'm in good company. 

Improv Chinese Coins from Scraps

Pocket Change Improv

This project was born from scraps. The fabric is a combination of Kaffe Fassett, Moda Grunge, and batiks. Check them out as 9 patches in this post for A Lesson In Value & Fabric Choice and a Hop. I had separated the scraps in a box instead of mixing them into my scrap stash, and they were easily turned into this wall hanging based on the Chinese coins pattern.

Details: Amish Inspired Roman Stripe Quilt

Amish Inspired Roman Stripe Quilt

I think it is important to show quilts in our homes in use, and for what they were intentionally created for--both warmth and beauty. This picture was not staged because I would have been a bit more careful with a dirty box full of sweet corn from the field, but was that a pretty sight when I opened the front door! Now let me tell you about the process of making this very traditional, Roman stripe quilt. 

Tiki Beads Finish

Tiki Beads

This wall hanging laid in a pile with several others for many months. This is typical for me. The main design takes a lot of energy, and then I'm reluctant to put on the last touches. In my opinion, the binding can make or break the whole project. Sure, we can pick something that's just okay--middle-of-the-road choices happen to a lot of quilts, but a good one is harder to pick. Sometimes it is worth the wait. What do you think?

Embellished Deconstructed Screen Print

'A Royal Afternoon'

This 11" x 29" art quilt has been in progress several weeks. 

Deconstructed Screen Printing: Fabric Art

Embroidering a Deconstructed Screen Print

It was very difficult to figure out what it needed, and I put in hours of stitching that I later ripped out. I'm glad I persisted, though, because in the end I'm happy with the piece.

Beading and Embellishing the Naked Ladies

All day long I thought I could just run inside, and get this post written. All day long, it was one thing after the next, and it turned out very prolific. I spent some time playing on Instagram with @gogokim and #missingmarket. Quilt Market is going on right now, and there are lots of us living vicariously through the feeds from those there. Oh, to be...or not, but it does look glamorous and fun. We're still having our fun together on Instagram. I'm PINKDOXIES. Look me up.

Hazel and Hank Hedgehogs

Hazel the Hedgehog
Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman
"Fabrics and Fibs" print by Anna Marie Horner

'Hank the Hedgehog'
So named because I'm partial to the name Hank, and 
this was meant for a little boy.
Print fabric by Birch Organic

2015 MQG Finish for Riley Blake Designs & Pet Project Show #29

"The Aviary"

Ta-da! There was a sigh of relief on Sunday when I unpinned this from my longarm. It was a fabric challenge, and in some ways a personal challenge for not only me, but many of you, too. While I don't believe we should unveil our work to immediately critique it, it's good to evaluate both the positive and negative aspects. That's how we learn. Even if we don't do it publicly, we take mental notes on what we might change the next time.

Memorial Day and Pet Project Show #21

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the 
men and women who have died in service. It is 
a day to pause, and remember freedom is not 
free. My heart goes out to all who are 
remembering family and friends today.

 This wall hanging was made from the same 

pattern I've been using from Jen Kingwell's

book, Quilt Lovely. I'm sure I've seen a heart

modified this way before, but not where.

The piecing is fairly tedious when the strips

are cut only 1" wide. Not all my strips 

were spot on so I made sure to square up

all the blocks before joining them.

I made sure to match the lowest horizontal

strip on the upper quadrants. At least it

gives the 'illusion' that it matches even if

the rest of the strips are a little off.

I had a batting scrap to use, and made my

backing twice as large so I had something to 

hold on to. There's nothing harder than trying

to FMQ an itty bitty piece. I started to FMQ in

the white area, and it didn't look right. I 

ripped out about 12" of stitching. Then I

started over, and just outlined the hearts

with Aurifil 50#. It was enough as the

blocks were already busy enough.

I attached my binding to the back, and 

then realized I hadn't trimmed the edges

quite enough. Would you believe that when 

I trimmed the edge I cut the corner off 

my binding? 

It doesn't pay to hurry, and, Yes, you 

can section binding, but it's not fun!

This binding warranted hand sewing, and 

I looked forward to a little t.v. time with

my daughter. One episode of "The Gilmore

Girls," and I was done.

I thought you would like to see the fabrics

close up. I think it's so interesting how blocks

look close up while we're picking out fabrics

and sewing vs. the whole finished effect.

Linking up with~
Show and Tell Tuesday
Monday Makers
Show and Tell with Bambi
Oh, Scrap!
Cooking Up Quilts
Hug-a-Bit Quilts
Sew She Can

Sew Many Ways

Woohoo, Doxie Girls!
It's Saturday, and time for the weekly 

Pink Doxies 

Pet Project Show. 

Add your link here every Saturday. 

Rules

Do we have to have rules? 

No worries! It's EASY.

1. Use the blue 'Add Your Link' button (below)
to upload a picture of something you've created 
in the past week. Any kind of handiwork--
share it now! It can be a work in progress, 
finally finished, or even your fab new fabric. 
Whatever it is that inspired you to create this 
week, we'd like to see it here. 

2. Please link to a specific post, and not just your
blog address. It makes it easy for anyone following 

your link to find the project.

3. Provide a backlink to Pink Doxies with a link in
your post, or pick up our Pet Project Show
button in the sidebar. Copy the code, then 
create a Pet Show widget with 'Add by HTML' 
on your Layout page.

-OR-

1. You can link up to your Instagram. 
Click on the Instagram icon at the bottom 
of the link up screen. The URL of your Instagram 
feed will be your link. 
Please hashtag #pinkdoxiespetproject

Either way you link up, remember it's a party
here, so schmooze with the crowd! Visit others 
who've linked up. Leave a comment so they 
know what you like about their work. 

Don't miss a post! 

Follow me on Bloglovin' or by email. 

The Linky Party starts now, and runs until
Monday, May 25th at midnight. 

Spread the word, and tell all your stitchy friends.

*The first Saturday party of each month will
feature several of the Doxies' and my
favorite link ups. 
By linking up, you are giving permission for me
to post your picture with a link back to your 

blog or Instagram account. 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Tiny Post on Tiny Trees

Tiny Holiday Trees 

My little trees I accidentally squished together turned into a sweet wall hanging. I finished it up yesterday as a gift for my friend, Wenda. It was a happy accident, and I was pleased how it turned out.

I used the chance to try out the machine quilting I had in mind for the larger wall hanging, and also the button and pearl embellishments. I think the bling is pretty, but it could easily be made less glammy by using colored buttons on one or all the trees. 

Tiny Houses Tiny Trees II

 Tiny Houses Tiny Trees--Work in Progress-WIP

It was a working weekend for me, but I have a lot to show for it this morning. This little project does not show the hours sunk into it. It is a time vampire, but I love how fun it is!

 I had done the remaining tree blocks during the morning. 

Sunday afternoon I started at this point.