Thinking more than doing..............

One of my readers wondered if Marcia Derse fabrics would work with the Terrie Mangat fabrics.  Marcia's newest line, Marble Run, does have some that will work and will give me the almost solid look for some of the pieces.

This Nancy Crow black/white stripe might work.  I have the opposite piece also, white/black.

This uneven black/white check might work too.  I will cut some pieces to do some mockups.

I may not use all of the Marcia Derse fabrics but I have a good selection to choose from.

I also found 3 black/white prints cut in 9.5" squares which I may add in.  All of this fabric is on the table where I need to trim my quilts so I can add binding.  I'll be doing some clean up today.

 

Second quilt................

I wanted to use the Strips 'n Curves templates for the second quilt so I cut a few pieces of assorted Terrie Mangat fabric and played with some layouts.  I'm not sure I like any of it so far.  I can always use the cut pieces to make blocks to use in the backing of the first quilt.

There are 4 shapes that can be used.  In this one the quarter circle is in one piece and in the photo above it is 2 pieces.

I have another stripe that I can use too.  I didn't have it down in the basement when I was cutting these pieces.

I started out cutting the people fabric on the straight grain and now I'm not sure that is going to look good.

If you look closely there is a quarter circle template laying on top of the fabric at a 45 degree angle to the grainline.  That is my fluorescent bulbs reflected on the template.  This is likely the direction I will have to go if I decide to stay with this pattern.

This is the smaller quarter circle template at the same 45 degree angle.  I will have to cut a few more pieces before I decide if this is a go.

These are the 3 fabrics I haven't used so far.  I have 2 yards of the one on the left and thought it would be part of the backing for quilt 1.  I don't need to save it for that though.  I think I would have to add some additional black fabric to make this work.  I'll be thinking about another option in the meantime.  Time to trim a quilt and start doing some binding.

(EH- I have been trying to answer your emails but I am getting a temporary failure message every time I try.)

Strata Gradation/Colorwash........

As I get ready to teach my online Colorwash 360 class again I start thinking about all of the ways I use smooth blend/gradation in my other quilts.  One of them is Trip Around the World which is made from strata (set of strips sewn together).

Another is the strata for Strips 'n Curves.  They both depend on a smooth blend/gradation for the resulting glow in the finished piece. Lessons learned in my class lead to stunning quilts in the future for my students.

I have been working on the 4 kinds of colorwash kits that will be offered to the students this time: Kaffe, batik, floral and African fabrics.  

Inside the course, you will learn smooth blend/gradation that can be applied to many types of quilts. 

June recap............

It seemed like a busy month but I only finished two quilt tops and didn't get anything quilted and finished.  The plaid Drundard's Path (cut with acrylic templates and rotary cutter) is 56" x 70".  Most of the plaids are Roberta Horton plaids from the 1990s.

The Keiko Goke Japanese fabric quilt (cut with Strips 'n Curves templates and rotary cutter) is 54" x 72".  I was almost done with the Marcia Derse triangle quilt but I spent time pulling weeds instead of sewing yesterday.

The year is officially half over.  I used 87 yards of fabric in my projects for the first 6 months.  I quilted 11 quilts and finished one table centerpiece and 2 table runners.  I made 15 quilt tops that didn't get quilted yet.  The rest of the tops are in the finished group.  

I have one bonus plant this year, a snapdragon growing in the crack of the driveway.  It gets very little water and is doing just fine.

I have a tomato starting to turn red.  The squirrels have already picked 2 tomatoes and took one bite and left them on the ground.  I have now hung a bunch of small aluminum pans from the rings of the cages.  I hope that keeps them away.

I showed the elephant ear last week and it had one leaf the size of the small leaf on the right.  Now that leaf is the big one.  I have another one in another pot and one leaf is just starting to emerge.

Top sewn.............

The top is sewn.  There are a lot of pieces on the bias on the edge so I staystitched it to keep it from stretching.

A recap in case you haven't been following my progress on this quilt top:  all Keiko Goke Japanese fabrics, cut with Strips 'n Curves templates sets 1 and 2.

Here are 2 small pots that sit in front of the garage door.  I don't use this side of the garage for a car so the pots aren't in the way.  The pink flowers were on clearance so I had to rescue them.

The art quilters are coming today.  The cookies are baked, the basement is clean.  

Almost done..........

I made two more blocks and played with the arrangement some more.  I thought I was done, did the photography and then looked at it again..........

and I exchanged two blocks with each other, near the center.  I need to made a decision and get this sewn so I can clean off the design walls and get the stray threads with a lint roller.  The art quilters are coming tomorrow and I need empty walls.  

I baked two batches of cookies last night.  It was hot yesterday but supposed to be hotter and more humid today.  Since I don't have central air, just 2 window A/C units I thought it was better to bake at night.  It was still 78 degrees at 11:30 p.m. with 88% humidity.

The balloon flowers are blooming.  I used to have two colors of them but I'll have to wait and see if I still do.

They used to be short plants, maybe 10" tall.  Now they are more like 18" or taller.

The porch pots are doing great.  

2 more blocks............

I made two more blocks and then spent a half hour moving blocks.  I thought this looked good when I was standing in front of it but I can see2 blocks that need to be moved after seeing the photo.  I spent more time vacuuming yesterday than sewing.  I think I need to make several new blocks and then eliminate the ones that aren't working as well.

While cleaning off the cutting table I decided that the Marcia Derse scraps are big enough to cut Drunkard's Path blocks.

Wicked storms, but all is OK..........

I made 11 blocks yesterday morning and early afternoon.  In the late afternoon storm watches were beginning.  The tornado siren went off twice but the tornado went south of me.  It was really scary to hear my town mentioned on the news as being in the path of the storm.  We got an inch of rain with that storm after getting almost 3/4" overnight and light rain all through the day.  

I went to the basement when the siren went off and put the new blocks up on the wall.  I have to decide now which fabrics need to be used for the last 4 blocks.  I'm not happy with the arrangement of colors and fabrics at this point.

I have a tiny little start to an elephant ear plant.  I'll have to take a photo once a week on this plant to document the growth.

This is the corner of the yard where the ditch lilies are with hostas along the front of the bed.  It has gotten way too shady for the lilies and they don't have many blooms. 

Playing with blocks again...........

I took my Marcia Derse fabric quilt sections off my double design wall and moved the Keiko Goke fabric blocks over there (cut with Strips 'n Curves templates sets 1 and 2).  I thought maybe I needed to do the layout as all complete circles since the blocks are so busy.

I just turned 2 groups of 4 around to new positions and I think I like it better.

We have a new interim pastor at my church and she came to visit me yesterday morning.  In the afternoon I mowed my grass since the humidity level dropped dramatically from the day before.  Since I was busy all day I didn't make any new blocks.  I need to cut some more parts today for at least 15 more quarter circle blocks.  My art quilters group is coming next Monday so I also am cleaning up the basement a little each day.

This is one of my favorite hostas.  It is a sun lover and turns lighter colored as the summer progresses.

I have complementary colors in this garden.  The Campanula has planted itself all over.  The sundrops spread too so I need to do some thinning out in this area.

Last night I picked enough black raspberries to top a small dish of ice cream.  Yum!!

15 more blocks, 33 total..................

It was another beautiful day to work outside yesterday.  I did more planting and weed control.

Last night I sewed 15 more blocks.  I was pretty tired when I finished them so I just plopped them up on the design wall in no particular order.  I'm ready to move them to a double design wall and get serious this weekend.  The humidity is supposed to creep back in to go along with the 90+ degree days.  That means staying inside and sewing for me. 

This group of fabrics is all by one designer, Keiko Goke, over several years.  Her designs look like they were drawn with chalk or crayons.  I like it when a designer stays with colors that work well together from year to year because it takes several years to have enough variety for an interesting quilt.  I'm sure some of you are thinking 3 to 5 different fabrics is enough variety to make a quilt but I'm always thinking 25 to 100 different fabrics (or more) in a quilt.  

10 more blocks, 18 so far....................

It was a beautiful day yesterday in the 70s with low humidity.  It was a good day to plant things and cut volunteer trees.  I planted the Dahlia bulbs in pots.  They are the strangest looking things and I hope I have them planted the right way.

I managed to get 10 more blocks sewn and put all 18 up on the design wall.  
 

Then I laid out 8 more blocks to sew today.  I need to cut some more of the skinny arc before I make any more blocks.

First blocks.........

I did a lot of cutting yesterday (Strips 'n Curves templates set 1 and 2 and rotary cutter) and by last night I was ready to lay out some blocks.  I always start this way, making some random blocks and then go to the design wall when I have a bunch sewn.  At that time I decide what I need for the rest of the blocks and plan them.

This is all loose pieces laying on the table.  I did get these 8 sewn last night while I watched the news and weather.  The blocks look a little bumpy right after they are sewn but they will look fine when they are pressed.  Here is a post where I show sewing the curved seam.  I now clip a small V at the center of each piece and don't use any pins.

We got almost an inch of rain Tuesday night and yesterday was hot and steamy - 93 degrees.  I did my half hour of weed pulling when it got down to 82 just before dark.  Today is supposed to be cooler so I will be planting my 91cent begonia.  I love those clearance sales.  I got some Dahlia bulbs too (3 for $2) so I'll get them planted in pots. 

The Red Penstemon is in full bloom and leaning over the sidewalk after the rain.  The balloon flowers will be the next ones to bloom in this garden.

The Milkweed is starting to bloom.  I haven't seen any Monarch butterflies yet.

Preparing for cutting...........

Yesterday I cut a strip off each of the Keiko Goke Japanese fabrics that I want to use for my Strips 'n Curves quilt.  I needed 3 different widths depending on the way the largest template would be cut from the fabric.  This first one is lengthwise stripes with the stripe being cut on the diagonal.

The second cut is using the template with the long edges on the straight of grain.

The third one is crosswise stripes with the stripes on the diagonal.  

By cutting these strips I won't have to be wrestling with large pieces of fabric when cutting the pieces.

 This group is the rest of the fabrics and I don't know at this point if I will use them in the quilt so I didn't cut strips from them.  I will just keep them out and decide if they work later.









If you have been reading my blog for awhile you might remember I made a trip around the world quilt from this group of fabrics in 2014.

My hydrangea blooms are at three different stages right now.  They will be all white soon.

We got a third of an inch of rain Monday night so I didn't have to water my tomato plants yesterday.

Next in line............

I got these fabrics and templates out on Sunday afternoon.  Then I mowed half of my yard and worked on preemie outfits in the evening.  Yesterday I finished mowing the yard in the morning, church sewing circle in the afternoon, filling bird feeders and birdbath and pulling weeds on my way back across the yard before it got dark.  I was simply too tired to work on anything last night.

Several of us in the art quilters group were talking about doing another project with the Strips 'n Curves templates.  They will be coming in 2 weeks so I thought I had better start cutting mine.  Maybe while it is raining today I will get to it.  I also need to work on the horizontal strips in the Marcia Derse triangle quilt so I can get it off the design wall.

I sold a couple quilts in my Wandaful Quilts blogshop so I will be going to the post office to this morning.