Modified En Provence

En Provence: Tweaked

Bonnie Hunter is a favorite of mine. I love her books, her blog, and when her En Provence quilt along came around a year ago, I convinced a friend to join me. It was a mystery quilt along, too. Ooo-o-o! Exciting! So off we went collecting our fabrics. I did not choose the suggested palette, but used what I had the most of in my stash and scraps. Lots and lots of warm colored pinks, oranges, and violets, low volume background in a wide range, and navy-like blue. We sewed our little hearts out each week with the new clue, and it was fun to feel the camaraderie of the big group. When the big reveal came out, I thought, "Meh. My values are completely reversed." A little broken hearted at that point, I packed my thousands of pieces away, and said I would figure it out another day. (I'm lying. It just felt like a thousand, but there were a lot of pieces!)

Quilts, Groups & Little Dresses for Africa

Four Borders

This picture is turned on its side so you can get a good idea of the colors in all the border pieces. Nothing was sewn yet as I was moved things around to see how it all worked. I never know for sure until I see it from across the room.

One Patch Color Theory & Rainbows

 "Tutti Frutti"

The monthly sewing group gathers late this month so I've allowed the studio to fall into chaos before the big clean up midweek. Lots of digging through bins asking, "What's this, and why did I save it?" I delegated things into piles of Move On and Keep. That process led to stacks of fabric piled onto the table, and cut up into piles of 4" squares. 

I've Got This!

I feel a great relief at finally finding a method that works well for me. No more making lots of decisions every time I deal with scrap cutting. KISS: I get as many 4" scraps as possible from a piece of scrap fabric then turn the rest into strips of 3", 2.5", 2", or 1.5". I needed a cut and dried method, and settling on one I could be consistent with was a blessing. These measurements and combinations of are flexible enough to be used in most scrap patterns easily.

3 More One Patch Designs & Luminescence

Last Week's Layouts
 A First for Me: All Solids

Something that brings me great pleasure is working in the quilt room laying out comforters and quilts for charity. I've been very interested in different color schemes lately, and how colors interact with another. One color laid next to another will appear to change either lighter or darker. Maybe a dot or figure in it will be drawn out more. A good way to illustrate this is with the top and bottom layouts here.

Quilting Limbo:Finishes, Frolic & Free Thinking

It's been nearly one week since my last post. I've made 2 quilts from scratch, and finished 3 or more UFO's. 

Vintage Inspired Nine Patch Charity Quilt

Vintage Inspired Nine Patch

Laying out a one patch design such as this with 5" squares is greatly aided by knowing where the middle of the wall is, and working outward. (I will learn!) Instead, I tend to start with the left side working across through the middle. Don't laugh, but stooping down a lot is hard as we enter middle age, but so is climbing up and down the ladder this required. By the end, it filled the whole wall, and the top row had to lop over to stay put. I was up and down dozens of times before it was done.

This is a copy of a quilt I wrote about in "More One Patch Designs for Charity Quilts." I laid it out for a MCC comforter to be sewn by the many volunteers that work at the Connections Thrift Shop.

More One Patch Designs for Charity Quilts

Queen's Cross

I never board an airplane without my trusty composition books, and sharp pencils. While dear husband snoozes away, I dream up quilt patterns. Lately it's been all one patch designs, and this the most recent. 

*Yoohoo! And to alert you all how to find these designs, check out the new areas of Pink Doxies' header. I've been adding quilts and clickable links to each, and some new sections such as Charity Quilt Layouts and Links on the lower right end. 

Quilt Designs: Fabs, Failures & Why

The Best of Three
Navy Nine Patch

Most people will tell you there is no such thing as an ugly quilt. Let me bite my lip and rephrase it. (Let's be honest. We know this down deep.) There is something redeeming in every quilt made, but not all quilts 'work.' Most of the time we feel it when we're putting things together, but we know it when it's assembled. A color, a pattern, a border width, etc., just don't make the cut. We have a couple of choices. Rip it out and fix it if it's valuable, or live with it and learn. I chose the second option this week.

The Positive Aspects of a Slow Design Process

Blocks Are Together

Design Process seems to be my theme this week. I like hearing how other people make design decisions, and it actually helps me to share my process with you. Your feedback is another component to it, and I enjoy listening. The one thing that keeps resonating back and forth is design can't be rushed. I'm glad to know you put things up and take them down, too, waiting for inspiration. 

I think the negative feelings expressed about Works In Progress (WIP's) are far over-rated. I have many, and will bet you do, too! But waiting for an idea to surface is showing patience--not procrastination. It's not rushing forward to get it done just to say you did it. 

The Joy of a Quilt Room Volunteer

The Quilting Room at the
Connections Thrift Store In Kidron, Ohio

I travel about an hour each way to volunteer at a MCC thrift store and quilt room. It's such a pleasant drive because this is what I'm thinking about. A bright, sunny room full of quilts, comforters, fabric, and the nicest people. Who wouldn't want to be here? I feel so lucky!

Two New Quilts Progress & Catch Up

New Quilt Underway

Working hard at clearing out the studio of too much stash, I pulled all my wildest fabrics to make a bucket list quilt. Cultural Fusion Quilts is an inspiring book, and often on my side table. It's based on a process of free cutting rather than precision, and is improvisational piecing. This pattern was perfect for the size prints I had on hand. I went after it. It may seem noisy and garish by your standards, but you can't walk by it without smiling. These are 16" blocks, and I may have enough blocks for several quilts by the end.

Making One Patch Quilts

Bargello: a needlework stitch in high and low relief that produces a variety of zigzag or flame effects.

If that is true, then naming this "V Bargello" could be justified. It's the first of the V's as the pattern develops. If I were to think in terms of the agrarian community around me, I would call it a plowshare. It might not surprise you to know Amish farms in this area still use such a plow pulled by horses even today.

How Instagram Saved My Design

The Process Is the Prize

You may not believe the above statement, but I do. I find more joy in working out problems than finishing the project. That doesn't--or shouldn't occur if using a published pattern, so I choose to go the organic route, and create my own. 

This started as an experiment in improv block making, and merged with another design I'd made a few months back. It's dominated my design wall for weeks, and I pushed myself this week to finish all the improv blocks. When it came to the setting triangles at the sides, I decided more improv blocks would muddy it up. It was back to the stash to find a fabric that would work, and once again the Moda Grunge won with it's unique texture. There was just one problem.

Many Quiltworks In Progress

Moda's Moxi by Studio M

A few months ago I picked up a mini charm pack of these pretty-little-things at my LQS. I wanted to see if a smaller pre-cut would be more accurately cut than the charms, jelly rolls or layer cakes, and now I can tell you, "Yes!" This Moxi line was used straight out of the package, and I laid out something I thought would make sweet quilt center. A few seams needed tweaking just a bit, but overall they were quite accurate. I paid $4 for this package of 42 pieces. So, figure roughly 10 cents for a 2.5" square.

Managing Changes in Creative Energy & Design Wall

"You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club."--Jack London

I have low energy right now. My current projects aren't progressing, and I'm struggling to get back on track. No real passion. No creativity. A proverbial standstill. Blah.

I've Moved Out & Creative Space Tag

Before I explain my exodus from the 

house, let me show you my QST progress.

This was taken in my new space with only a flash.

No other photo enhancements were made, 

but I finally have natural daylight. 

I feel like I can see the full spectrum.
 What a difference that makes!

This quilt is going to be large. The new design wall 

is 7' 7" x 8'--the dimension of 2 pieces of foam

core insulation. Each was covered with quilt

batting I found on a roll for $1.79 a yard. I 

attached it with hot glue, and then actually

hot glued it to the wall. It will all peel off 

if I need or want to move it. I think I

could use one more beside it, too.

Let's Dream Big!

I have one large window with light 

in front of my machines.

And another here! 

Both are north facing, and so I have no blinding 

glare, just great afternoon light for photos.

I have a great mess, but my husband promised

to help me move my storage cubes soon. The

room was used as a gaming room when all the

kids were young. I was the mom that wouldn't

allow video games in the house. Period. This

was a way to control it. It later became a 

guest room, and now my learning center/studio.

There are always a few drawbacks. 

No Wifi, and there are stairs. 

Imagine all the trips I made to move,

but I think it was worth it.

Why did I move? 

I moved for natural light, most of all. Also, to 

separate my home life from my work life. It's 

becoming more real when I have to close the 

door to the house, and walk 'to work'. There is 

complete quiet, or I can crank up Rock music

without bothering anyone. I won't apologize for 

being in the way. My house will stay much cleaner 

without me dragging things up and down the stairs 

to photograph. Fewer chances of pins winding up 

in my husband's socks. And thankfully, it feels right.

The Doxie Girls and I are totally convinced.

It's time to Dream in Color.

I've shown you my new space roughly

done, but promise to update you

as it comes together. In the mean

time, I'm tagging my friend, Maryse,

 to show us her space. We both thought

it would be fun to see the places

regular people like us create. Would 

you like to be included in our game of 

Creative Space Tag? 

Leave me a reply below, or drop me 

an email, and be sure to include your own.

Stay tuned to future posts, and I'll link

you over to Maryse Makes Things 

when she's ready.

Come on, Doxie Girls.

Let's go sew.

Linking up with~
Val's Quilting Archives
WIP at Freshly Pieced
Sew Fresh Quilts
Quilty Thankful Thursday
My Quilt Infatuation

Fresh Arrangements

Effy came out to help me show off the new

bag I made today. I used some heavy gingham

someone had given me, and some uber retro, 

poly-vinyl with giant strawberries I found at

a local discount fabric store. It's a little

over-the-top, but I had to buy a yard of it

at $3 a yard. I'd never sewn with vinyl before 

so it was purely experimental. It was 

easier than I anticipated. No problems.

Simple construction. Make the inside envelope of 

fabric. Tuck the corners so it will 'stand' with

a flat bottom. The same process with the vinyl.

I ran a band of strap reinforcing around the top,

then turned it under and sewed the two bags

together. The handles are reinforced the

same way, and sewn to the band to provide

strength to the whole bag.

The large check gingham peeks through

just enough to make me think of a picinc.

I imagine over time the vinyl with harden

a little, but it will get some solid use this

season. Doesn't it look like a summer bag?

The best part is I can put it down anywhere,

and not be afraid of getting something on it.

Just wipe it off!

I took time over the Easter weekend to 

tear apart my sewing studio, and do some 

deep cleaning. I thought about how

my needs and movement in the space 

had changed since I first took it over.

I needed to make some small changes.

 These are flannel covered artists' canvases.

Blocks hold on to them easily, and I also stick 
pins through them to hang up papers and such.

I hung them up on the wall to get them off the 
back of my cutting table. They're still portable. 
I can take them down and move the blocks over to 
the large design wall keeping everything in order. 
Those extra few inches gain me space, and 
keep the boards from falling over into 
my work space now.

I relocated my sewing machines into a straight

line. Now I can use the table to the left to

help support large projects I'm working on.

I will cover that portion of the table in a 

slippery plastic as the rough surface makes

manipulating my quilts more difficult.
I'm directly under the light in the fan, and 
have an additional lamp. I need that extra
light when doing detail sewing.

One spare table is kept relatively free
in case someone comes in to sew with me.

I'm also facing the t.v. so if I choose to watch

or listen, it's easier. I've made an aisle

behind my machines to walk through, and I

think it all flows much better. My cart can
be moved around to wherever it's needed.

I've gotten bins off my cutting tables to gain

more space, too. I don't need everything up 

there at once, and it keeps things freer of lint

and dust build-up. Just store them on the shelves.

One last walk outside before the rain starts.
The Maple buds will burst open any day now.

Already there is color to go with our
April showers.

Until next time friends~

Come on, Doxie Girls.
Let's go sew.

The Process: From Chaos into Order

We were home just long enough to unpack our few things Sunday afternoon, and I hit the ground running. The end of the week was gearing up to be a busy one, and I saw my window of opportunity to sew. Oh,... it felt good to be back in my space! I had my assortment of what my friend called 'my bits', and still no perfectly clear plan of what I was doing with them. That's where the design wall did its job.