Sampler Blocks to Quilt Top: 150 Canadian Women

This is a process post so photo intensive. It does us little good to look at a finished quilt top, and try to figure out how the quilter did it. Mine happened organically, and may not be the right way or your way, but it evolved into a quilt I both like and will use. Let me explain.

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.

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. 

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.

Tokyo Train Ride Out to the Borders: Design On the Fly

You might call this busy.
I say it's happy.
I like happy!


Design On the Fly

I like not knowing exactly where a  quilt will wind up. Also, I'm honest to a fault about my work, and believe wholeheartedly in showing you the process. It makes me feel very human when someone else shows their me their struggle to design, and I assume I'm not alone. Unless you're following a well tested pattern, there are lots of little roadblocks to work through. Rarely it works like you planned it, but the whole creative process with changes and all is very liberating. It's not really improvisational quilting, or improv. It's more 'design on the fly'. 

Improv Work On the Design Wall

Not So Serious Sewing

Sunday was peaceful, and I'd finished up several projects the week before. I was after something relaxing, low-key, and just fun. I pulled out this WIP that I started early last spring while attending an Amy Butler & Hilde Dunn retreat. It was an exercise in improvisational piecing, and on my list of 2015 Q3 Finishes on the Windy Side. The initial slab was built by a partner blindly picking out pieces of fabric from a pile, and handing them to me. I had little control over the color scheme to start.

The center was done yet needed a frame, and I pulled this muddy pink out of my solids stash. It's an odd color, but it played well with the mishmash in the middle. Then I pulled strips from my scrap bins to make into the next pieced border. I pieced my scraps without squaring up, and it got interesting and more exciting. 

TIPS & TRICKS-Mitered Corners

I mitred my corners by creating 4 strip-pieced squares for each corner. The borders were 5 1/2" so I made each square 6". I went 1/2" larger than needed, and cut two diagonally with my stripes vertical, and two with my strips horizontal to create 8 HST's. I sewed these into 4 squares, and THEN I sewed these with to my top and bottom borders. Now I was dealing with 4 typical borders that looked like I spent a ridiculous amount of time making them. Easy peasy!

The narrow dark blue border anchored the multicolored piecing, and I looked around for some serious bling fabric to set it all off.

It's shiny, stripey, and I have lots of yardage. It sets off the center like neon lights, and fits the improv them to a T. Although I don't know the content, it presses well, is a higher grade than acetate, and you'll never believe where I found it!

Would you believe this was an old dress in that wonderful vintage stash I showed you? I asked several people when they would estimate the pattern of the dress, and they guessed late 50's-60's. Tightly fitted bodice and 3/4 sleeves, and close to 5.5 yards of fabric in the fully gathered skirt. The integrity of the fabric is solid with no funky smell--things you need to check for using vintage material, so it's going in today. 

I can't help but feel connected to the quilter/sewist that saved this garment for decades knowing it might have another life. I challenge you to add something repurposed, upcycled, reused, or vintage to a project. Hunt your Goodwill, resale stores, and garage sales for treasures. You may be deeply rewarded by the feeling of creating a unique piece while preserving a saver's vision. 

Also, I must admit there is something deeply satisfying to really understanding how the first quilters used the resources they had, and weren't able to run off to their LQS for the 'perfect' fabric. I can't wait to see how this turns out today, but what are your thoughts of working like this?

Linking up with~
The Quilting Room with Mel at Fiber Tuesday 
and last week I was the most clicked 
link with this post: 

Zipper Bags Simplified Tutorial

Podunk Pickin's--A brand new linky!


Freemotion By the River
Quilt Story
Blossom Heart Quilts
Late Night Quilter

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

Quilt Label Bliss

 There's finally a label on my quilts 
that makes me happy.

I used this saying as something to simply work with

while I was figuring out how to do curvey 

designs with Word. I sat there and smiled 

while I looked at it and worked. 

 I realized that I wanted to smile every time I saw

my quilt tags, and that's when this stuck. 

I like it, and it makes me happy.

These little baby quilts were for family, and I

wanted something with a saying and a date.

I found this on Pinterest, and thought 

it was so sweet! It's not my poem.

,

There are oodles of places to find sayings for quilt 
labels, but my favorite is at Quilter's Diary.

One I want to try is, 

"Blessed are the children, for they

will inherit the quilts."

And another,

 "In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there 

was in me an invincible summer.” 

-Albert Camus

They may not be your cup of tea, but the important

thing is we put some kind of a label on each of

our finished quilts. You choose what you want,

but name, date, receiver's name, and laundering

instructions are a few to consider.

I have several quilts to go back and tag. I 

knew I should do it, but was not happy with

anything I'd tried. A friend has gone on and on

about how easy it was to use her printer,

and I had seen the tutorials on many blogs.

I finally gave it a try, and I won't go back!

Instead of listing them all, check out these

Pinterest boards on 'how to print on fabric'. 

I'm going to give you a 30 second walk through.

You need common freezer paper.

Cut a piece of freezer paper to the same size

as your regular printer paper. Mine is 8.5"x11".

Cut the cotton fabric you are printing on

just slightly smaller than that paper.

Iron shiny side to the fabric until it sticks.

I used a medium heat iron.

I have a Canon inkjet printer, 

and I use generic cartridges.

Feed your paper in with the fabric

side facing down.

Work out your design in any program you're

 comfortable with. I used Microsoft Word.

Space the document so there is room

between each logo for you to cut them

into tags, or however you plan on 

using them. Hit print.

 Seriously! How cool is that?

Here's the next bit that works for me. I use 
iron on interfacing to back the actual tag.

I frame the tag in a fabric used in the quilt.

Sides first, then top and bottom. I used 1.25" 
wide strips whatever length to match.

I use a non-woven pattern tracing material called

Do-Sew, and cut a piece the same size as

my tag. Cut an X in the Do-Sew, and sew

it to the front of the tag.

Clip corners, and turn.

It's puffy at this point.

Use another piece of fabric to protect your
ironing surface, and lay the Do-Sew side on it.

Steam the Do-Sew to 'shrink up'

the backing, and you have a lovely

quilt tag that says exactly what you want.

Hand stitch on the back of your quilt.
Finding a simple, inexpensive way to
label my quilts has been a thorn in
my side since the beginning. I'm so 
thankful to have found this method.

I'll share a sneak peak at 
my design wall.
More on that tomorrow.

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

Linking up today with~

Sew Fresh Quilts 
Freshly Pieced Modern Quilts
Quilty Thankful Thursday
Design Wall Monday
Needle and Thread Thursday
Thursdays at Pretty Bobbins

Thank you for the link up opportunity!

I'm In the Dog House & Daydream

While it doesn't look like loads of progress, a lot of things happened here yesterday. All the missing blocks were finished. I arranged and re-arranged. Border design was thought through, and fabrics picked from stash.