Thursday, April 26, 2018

A Snapshot

It's been a busy week
so I just have time to 
give you a snapshot.

Life has a way of keeping you very busy.


Spent  some time doing .....


My Dutch quilt is coming together!

My daily playmate is almost a year old!


Don't sew without an other project
to lead in and out of your machine.
I love Barb's 
big Baptist Fan stencil!

Running Man's starting a new hive
Go, Bees, Go!

What's your week's snapshot?

Until Next Time-
Kyle

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Time to Start Something New

A year has a way of
slipping away if you're not careful.

It's hard to believe
that it's already been a year
since I had the opportunity
to visit the Netherlands.


I was so fortunate to travel with
7 wonderful women from Virginia


and then, even met some new delightful Dutch quilting friends!

Besides touring Amsterdam
and the surrounding countryside, complete with tulips,


we, of course, went to Petra Prin's shop

to do a little shopping.

I brought home the kit for this quilt.
"Clafoutis"

Last week I decided it had 
lingered long enough

and opened up that delicious box
filled with fabulous fabrics and the
beautiful colors of this large Dutch chintz.

It felt so exciting and brought back
sweet memories of my awesome trip.

One block

quickly became 3


then doubled to six.

It's been such a treat working on this.

The only thing better would be
working on these blocks during a "sew day"
together with friends.


Until Next Time-
Kyle

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Broken Dishes--Oops!

John Denver sang a song,
"Some days are diamonds,
some days are stones."

The same can be true with some of 
my quilting efforts.
I've been working on finishing up
some older projects and I must admit,
sometimes in my hast I miss 
paying attention to some details.

One phrase you hear in quilting making 
is there is no right or wrong design.
It's just whatever makes your own heart sing,
creating your own song.


That may be true, but what
if you finish a quilt
and you're just a bit disappointed.


I finished sewing my broken dishes swap blocks.
 from 2016, organized by
Barb from Fun With Barb.

The quilt went together beautifully. 
 The blocks had been perfectly sewn
by lots of dfferent quilters.

I set the blocks together with some lovely new
French General fabrics.
Atelier de France

Debi,  my machine quilter, used a simple over-all
 feathery pattern.

I loved how it looked.
It kept the focus on the fabrics and the blocks.


But there is something that can happen to dishes.
They can be broken or shattered.



After sewing the whole quilt together
and finally hanging it on a vertical plain,
(I only have a design floor)
I could see that my design idea of having the blocks
and the alternating squares forming
perfect radiating diamonds was shattered.

Hmmmm.
I felt very disappointed.

Instead, the darkest ring had two different looks.
My original paper drawing didn't 
show how the reds in the blocks
and the darker red setting block
would react with one another.


 I didn't even see what was happening
until after I had sewn  it together.

Well, it's done.

It's not my usual 
uniformed, structured, balanced style,
but it does remind me 
how I feel when a favorite plate, bowl,
or dish slips from my hands,
shatters to pieces 
and then can not be put back together again.


Well. in reality, 
I'm not shattered by the quilt's finish.
Disappointed?
Yes, a little.

It simply took it's own path
and created something new and different.

Some quilts are diamonds
and some quilts are _______
(well, unique)
Until Next Time-
Kyle



Wednesday, April 4, 2018

What's On Your Bed- Springtime

Spring is starting to make her presents known
even here is Colorado.

Oh, it makes me feel
so carefree and giddy.

It's the perfect time to take 
the winter quilts off the beds and
exchange them for a fresh springtime look.
On one guest bed you'll find this quilt.


Springtime Garden
2003

This was a Gerry Kimmel-Carr pattern
from Red Wagon 

This quilt brings back  a lot of memories
of appliqueing in the car through all kinds of weather
while parked behind the music building on the campus of
Colorado State University during
my daughter's weekly cello lesson.

Oh, what mothers do.

****
On another guest bed is this quilt.

Ewe and I
A-Z

2014 - 20015

This quilt was the BOM from the Quilt Show
in 2014 designed by Janet Stone,
 but the fabrics were from 1998.


This is such a happy quilt
with spring fabrics, a line from Sandy Gervais.
I just could never find the right project over the years and
  was glad I had held on to them
 for this one.

****
If you happened to drop by,  you'd
find this quilt on my bed.
One of my favorites.


"Blue Tick"
2004-2006

This pattern is designed by Barb Adams and Alma Allen
from their book
Celebration of American Life.

There were several friends who bought yards and yards of
this wonderful blue ticking.
The reverse side of the fabric had a soft aged look so
that's what I used.

Each block is hand appliqued
Liberty

Each block was designed to
symbolize many of the values I cherish.


Remembrance



Humor

Home

It's a delightful quilt to sleep under
when some days are still cold and
others bring the warmth of spring.

Each season is represented in our quilts.
They include memories of a time
or event making each one special.


Until Next Time-
Kyle