Thursday, February 28, 2013

Crayon Box Colors

When I worked at the quilt shop,
it was always a challenge to interpret what
color a customer was looking for when they asked for
a "crayon box color".

A "crayon box color" is a  color word,
like:
Hunter Green
Desert Sand
Sunset Orange

Based on experiences or the ready 
availability of a crayon box, we each
could have a different interpretation  of 
what that lovely color looks like.

  Last week as I making some progress on 
my February wool transition project,
or my 11 Progress Process Plan
 I remembered another reason why
I had quietly set this project aside.

The pattern listed the required wool with color names.
I had gotten frustrated looking for the 
right colors to fit the names.

I needed:
spring green
meadow green
grass green
sage green
moss green
holly green
evergreen

I could definitely see the  differences,
but those descriptions or words just got in my way.

I finally reminded myself to use my eyes instead.
I really needed
7 greens ranging from light to dark,
and from bright to muddy.

That helped me.

I also needed:
Christmas Red
Garnet
Saltware
Rust
Wine 
and others

I really needed 8 reds that worked well together
and had enough difference that you could tell
one from the other.

I love the names of colors.
I love the images that it brings to mind.
 Wouldn't you love to have a job where you got to
name the color on paint chips or crayons:
Timber Wolf
Tickle Me Pink
Cedar Chest
Aqua Pearl

With this project
I just needed to use my eyes to 
select my colors and
not  get hung up on a those fun
descriptive words.
It worked better when I did.
Until Next Time-

Monday, February 25, 2013

To Go or Not To Go

On Saturday evening Running Man and I were
having fun trying a new Rick Bayless recipe 
when I casually checked the weather forecast...

Winter Storm Warning!

Not a great forecast.
I needed to make a decision...
drive back to Denver in the dark,
or wait and see about the snow on Sunday.

It was an easy decision,
my instincts told me
 I needed to head back.

Driving in blizzard conditions on the interstate
isn't what I wanted to look forward.
I would have laid in bed trying to
count the snowflakes during the night.

I hated to cut my weekend at home short, but
 I repacked my unwashed laundry,
my quilty stuff,
made a quick stop for gas, 
and headed back to Denver.

Thankfully, I beat the snow and 
avoided any dangerous conditions on the highways.
I wouldn't have been so fortunate on Sunday.

The best part about snow, unless you're a skier,
is seeing it through the eyes of little children.
Don, Sanford and Elizabeth

It took longer to get everyone bundled up
than the time that they were outside.

Everyone's noses turned pink,

but we were all safe and snuggled in
waiting for the sun to come out tomorrow.


Until Next Time-

Friday, February 22, 2013

Why Do I Do That!


No matter what job you're doing,
the tools can influence the outcome.

Taking a tree down with a dull saw blade
would be impossible.
Our neighbors were having 2 giant cottonwood
trees removed.
The huge one that was between our yards
took a small part of  our little privacy fence with it.

It might refer to the adage,
 "measure twice, cut once"
Thank goodness very little damage was done.

The other day when I was rethreading needles,
I took the time to look at them carefully.


I had realized some of them were slightly bent
when I was using them.
But really,
why was I continuing  to use these
bent needles!
Cost? No
Laziness? Yes

Okay, enough.
Out with the bent ones and
in with some new straight ones.
You just have to have the right tools
to do a good job,
even if it's just a needle.

Until Next Time-

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Progress?

Some days are just more 
productive than others,
but no matter what happens or
doesn't happen

we're continually moving forward.
That is, of course, if you're not 
literally moving backwards.

Yesterday my quilting progress
consisted of this:

threading 30 needles and 
winding them onto my needle dome.

I guess I could feel some what defeated.
It's a pretty small "forward" activity.

But
 the next time I do have an opportunity
to sit down and quilt
I'll be ready!

It's all about your perspective.

Until Next Time-

Monday, February 18, 2013

Itching To Get To Work

Here it is the middle 
of February
and I need to get
started on my February transition project.

I love working with wool and have 
done lots projects over the years,
but I always forget how wool makes
my hands feel.
They get very tingly.
Not really itchy,
more like little pins lightly pricking my fingertips.

Tracing the pattern on to the fusible web
was no problem, no wool involved.

Deciding which pieces should be fused with which wool pieces
involved touching lots of wool.

Here comes the tingle.

Cutting out the pieces, of course, is next.
Every so often
I needed to give my hands a break.

I've always been sensitive to wool, but I
think the dry cold weather has increased that sensitivity.

Now I could wear gloves while I buttonhole stitch, 
but I might end up stitching my gloved fingers to the block.
I'll just have to work bare handed.

What we quilters are willing to endure!


Until Next Time-

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Your Eyes Can Fool You

 Last week I added my quilt along block to 

I had worked on that block,
I had photographed that block,
I had posted about that block and
then linked it for everyone to see.

It's funny how sometimes our eyes 
see only what we want them to see.

 Notice anything?
I have a goose doing it's own thing!
Now that's all I can see when I look at this block.

Funny how I couldn't see it before.
I was going to leave it there and
have the humble thing going on,
but I just couldn't.
I got Jack the Ripper out and 
got that goose heading in the right direction.

I have kept working on this project and 
sewed a few more blocks and 
set them together side by side.
I like the secondary patterning.

I'm thinking of making a couple more blocks
for a total of 6, adding a border,
and using it as a baby quilt.

I have looked very carefully so
my eyes aren't deceived,
But sometimes you only see what
you want to see.

Until Next time-

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Endless Possibilities


Isn't it amazing how many 
wonderful ideas and variables there are
to consider
when making a quilt...
color,
pattern and design,
fabric,
the quilting,
the finish...


Stop and day dream for awhile.

Until Next Time-

Friday, February 8, 2013

A Transition

I may be wishing for spring,
but it is still winter here.

So until the tulips are in bloom,
 my next project 
from my 11 PPP list, 
or my 11 project progress plan,
is a combo of wool and spring flowers.
I'm calling it my transition project.

It's Lisa Bongean's Folk Art Album pattern.

I've had it prepped for quite awhile,
wool, flannel, and the perfect perel cottons threads

all collected together.

It's interesting to think about
 the different factors that can 
cause me to get distracted and abandon
a project I love and move on to something else.

It can be as simple, as seeing what someone else is working on,
or it can be the complications of life.

It can be a mistake that I've made that can halt me right
in my tracks especially if it seems too big of a huddle
at the time,
or if I don't have all of the supplies handy it can
cause me to look for fun somewhere else.

The reason I stopped on this particular project
was not having all the right colors of perel cottons threads.
 It meant remembering to bring
the color numbers that I
needed when I went to the only shop
in the area that carries the Valdani brand.

Not a big deal, but by then I had moved on.


But over the course of a year,
 I have collected what I needed and
I'm ready to tackle this sweet wool applique project again.

It will be the perfect transition into spring,
some wool for the cold days left
and the flowers designs for the anticipation of warm days to come.

Until Next Time-

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

February Means Hearts

It's February already,
It's a month filled with heart felt thoughts.


I keep this wool heart in my sewing room

It reminds me of the gift of friendship,
and the importance of keeping  those friendships
 close to my heart.
 I love the wool pennies.

February also is a month for chocolates.

 What's not to love about that.

A couple of years ago, I noticed I had
a wonderful collection of  milk chocolate browns
and strawberry pink fabrics.
  Many of these were from a group of 
prints designed by Buggy Barn.

Strawberries and Chocolate Quilt.
2010

It was a perfect Stashbuster's project when
I was teaching that class at my local quilt shop.

The pattern is one of Carrie Nelson's delightful designs
called "Quiet Times".

The blocks are made up of 2 half square triangles
 and 2 quarter square triangles.

It was fun to take a simple block
and create a wonderful secondary pattern based on the placement.

One of the wonderful machine quilters in my area,
Kathy H. did a great job with an overall swirl.
I like how it shows up on the back.

More fun designs on the borders.

All this mention of Strawberries and Chocolate has
me craving something sweet.
I'd better go see if there's anything left in my secret chocolate stash!
Hope so.


Until Next Time-

Monday, February 4, 2013

Surrounded by Vines


Wouldn't it be fun to live in
a cottage covered in vines.

This poor place looks like it might have been a victim
of too many vines.


Vines can be an interesting vertical design element in a garden
or 
even add vertical interest to quilt borders.

I've been continuing to work on the quilt
Midnight Silhouette.

The outside borders are appliqued vines that 
surround the center appliques and pieced blocks.
The bias tape maker is my "go to" tool
for making bias stems.

 The Roxanne's Glue Baste narrow tip
works perfectly adhering those narrow strips
 to the background fabric.

These vines have just a gentle curve.

When  a pattern is primitive style,
the leaf placement can be left up to the quilter
to see what looks best.

Balancing the colors of leaves is also
important and
the simple leave designs are fun and easy 
to applique.

Appliqueing a couple leaves a day is all it took
and the first border is already complete.

I've just had to imagine sitting in my vine covered  cottage,
with a warm fire,
a glass of something good to sip, and 
stitching on my vine border.
Until Next Time-