Sunday, August 31, 2014

AMH feathers à la #opgivewarmth

After working basically every day the past month, I decided it was time for some time to myself.


Well, me, some fabric and the sewing machine, that is. ;o)  So yesterday morning started off with an assortment of strips leftover from previous projects, my new AMH feather templates (courtesy of Customplastic), and my zippy Janome 1600P-QC ("Bertha," i.e., the great-grandmother for whom I was not named).

By midmorning I had strip-pieced and cut all the feather sections...


By midday I had pieced all the feather blocks...


And by midnight I had a quilt top.  (...Not entirely unrelated to the two Diet Cokes I'd downed with dinner.)


In retrospect, I don't believe my indecisive self has ever churned out a top quite as quickly as this one.  Especially considering that as of yesterday morning I was set out to use those same strips to make fabric braids (à la Purl Bee) as Rachel of Stitched in Color did for a post in her "Purge" series earlier this month.


But I think I just needed another finish.


That, and I was relatively caffeinated for someone who's gone largely without this summer. :o)


Either way, it's a step in the right direction!


...Though I still might have to add a gradient border fading from blue to pink to tie it all together.  Maybe.  We'll see.  In the meantime, I'm linking up with "the Purge" over at Stitched in Color.  Are you purging along?

the Purge

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

lots of L-O-V-E

As some of you may've picked up on IG, I have a (sort of almost) finish to share... 


LO
VE

Times twenty.  (Well, twenty-one to be precise; there's an extra bit for the back.)


I have to admit I was a tad frantic when it came to making a design choice for our do.Good circle's June quilt.  May was a little (read: insanely) hectic for me at work, so the block and color scheme were both a bit of a last-minute decision—thanks in large part to the AMB blog tour post and block I'd just finished working on (6" LOVE template and 12" LOVE template).



In spite of that frenzy—to borrow the words of my circle (bee?) mate, Nicole—I'm in lurve.  And of course now that I finally have a top stitched together, it's time to think about quilting! I'm thinking linear—either vertical lines (per usual) or a grid à la Rita of RPQ (though I'm not sure I'm neat enough to pull off the latter).  

Any advice on that front?



In the meantime, it's safe to say I've got plenty of other things to catch up on since my unexpected hiatus from sewing this summer—#opgivewarmthsteampunk, gypsy wife, selvage play (and 16-patches!), ...and that's barely skimming the surface.  Not to mention a fair share of planning to do, including the forest abstractions class, which starts next week(!) at Crimson Tate. (How is it already almost Labor Day?!)


Linking up this overdue finish with crazy mom quilts!

Friday, August 1, 2014

#opgivewarmth {august 2014}


After a month off track, we're back in business!  And I even whipped up a couple blocks with some gypsy wife leftovers just to show you that uncomplicated little blocks spread warmth just as well as the intricate ones :o)  


Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!  And if anyone's itching to get their hands on some liberty of their own, I know that Massdrop has two FQ bundle options ending in the next day or so, and I also just saw on IG that Queen Bee Fabrics (a U.S.-based etsy shop) is closing ;(  So grab her liberty—scrap bundles, yardage or FQswhile you still can!  (Plus shipping is free through August 4th, so there's that.)

For those of you who missed the announcement (or would like a refresher), this project is a monthly callout for charity blocks that will benefit My Very Own Blanket (specifically, children in the Indiana foster care system).  All styles and piecing methods are welcome.  I only ask two things:  (1)  that your block(s) fits a 3" grid system (i.e. finished sizes of 3", 6", 9", 12", 15", etc., so add a ½" to each of those to allow for seam allowance), and (2) that they mesh with that (or any prior) month's color palette.
Address for #opgivewarmth blocks:

My Very Own Blanket
c/o Sarah Sharp
P.O. Box 4586
Carmel, Indiana 46082


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