One Piece at a Time

Where do YOU find inspiration?

The short list for me includes fabric, nature and color. So I just have to tell you about one of the most inspiring websites I just found. It’s called Design Seeds and the picture above is just one shining example of the glorious color inspiration you can find there. I even signed up for their e-mails and gorgeous pictures like this show up in my e-mail almost every day. Swoon. Swoon. Swoon.

I can think of dozens of ideas for each color scheme. I think it would be fun for a quilt group to have a color challenge. Each member can pick a Design Seed and work from that. Want more of a challenge, each member can bring a Design Seed and you can exchange them with each other. Then you have to make your friends color scheme and someone else makes yours.

Anyone else getting ideas?

A Dream Come True

Those two kids you see above really are my dream come true. They are no longer little, which breaks my heart just a tiny bit but they have both grown into wonderful and kind young adults. This fall they are both heading off to college (they aren’t twins, one took a gap year). This is another of my dreams coming true.

So you might notice that I will be posting a little less in the coming weeks and months. Not because I don’t want to write this blog (it’s my favorite thing to do) but because I need to start dedicating more of my time to my freelance work. Sometimes our dreams need financing and I am overjoyed to be in this position. The way I’m thinking about it is: same quality/ slightly fewer posts.

Speaking of which…I just realized that we are getting close to needing Block 4 for Mimi’s Bloomers…yippee!

American Quilter's Society...Blog of the Week

I saw this last Friday on Facebook. Swoon.

Thank you so much American Quilter's Society!!!!

Picture Added

Design Wall Picture added below...apparently I have not had enough coffee this morning.

Design Wall Monday...super girly girl version

Here's a shot of my design wall/table this Monday. I guess I had a little pink outbreak over the weekend.

Pink and green quilt...sigh.

Head on over to Judy's blog to see what everyone else is up too.

Progress on last weeks border, exactly 2 flowers sewn down...yeeesh!

More Appliqué Quilting

Today I want to share with you another of my favorite appliqué filler quilting patterns. My friend Karen and I call it turkey feathers but I’m sure there are more elegant names to be had. This is the one I used to quilt Miss Hannah (above). Here’s an up close shot.

To do this I usually start close to the appliqué and do my turkey feather.

From here I keep adding turkey feathers until the white space is filled in. I like this one because you can develop a nice rhythm and that helps keep you stitched even.

Here’s a little diagram with arrows for you.

Book Winner

Hello friends. The book winner has been picked but I need to clear everything with Michelle so there are no duplicates. Will announce later this week.

Picking the winner later....for now

This video by Ira Glass is pretty much the best thing ever said about the creative process.

Enjoy!

 

Art Journal…who me?

I have a little confession. I have purchased more books than I care to count on art journaling and mixed media art. The problem is, when I look in them I get so excited and intimidated that I don’t actually do anything. I have this really deep desire to try this but something gets me stuck before I even start.

So, I signed up for Jane Davenport’s latest online class….seriously how could I resist, it has art journaling techniques and fairies. She said there might even be a mermaid or two as well. Swoon. When I was a kid I wanted to be a mermaid. It got so bad sometimes that my mother had to resort to bribery to get me out of swimming pools. One day I am going to do a mermaid quilt so watch out.

Also watch out for art journal posts...I said that to keep me honest because I AM GOING TO DO THIS !

By the way, see that adorable book? I found it on e-bay. We are going to learn to alter it. I’m so excited!

Check back tomorrow for the Marie Bostwick book winner.