Peaceful Pagoda, Progress

Fabric Stack for my newest project, Peaceful Pagoda

I picked these up from Julie (The Intrepid Thread) on Friday afternoon, and I was cutting strips by Saturday morning. I am so excited about this project, these fabrics, and especially working with these colors.

Favorite Prints (Left to Right): Raked Sand in Light Blue, Tranquility Lantern Flower in Aqua, Savannah in Peacock, Lace in Blue, Spirit Yoshino in Orange, Raked Sand in Orange)

These are my favorite prints from the stack. Just looking at them makes me smile. : )

Progress can be pretty

Strip Piecing.  I was struck by the pretty ribbon shapes piling up behind my machine.  Progress.

Test Block

I finished a test block, took a photo, and then it was time to take a break and play with the kids. We had a full crew to play restaurant; one customer, one waiter, one chef, and one plate licker (Daisy!).  Thankfully, I got to be the customer. : )

If you haven't already, go enter for a chance to win some fabric.  Giveaway ends February 1st, 2012.

You can read more about Peaceful Pagoda here.

GIVEAWAY: 1,000 and What?!?

I recently passed a big milestone on this little blog of mine.1,000 followers!! I know there are even more that read along in your readers, through blogger, your inboxes and even bookmarked as a favorite blog. Thank ALL of you for visiting and sharing this space with me.  Each and every one of you! Your comments and friendship inspire me to keep sharing and creating.


A fun look at Little Bluebell so far...


TOP 3 POSTS:

1. DS Quilts Collection Giveaway
2. Bliss Giveaway
3. $600 Baby Quilt

TOP 3 PROJECTS:

1. Postage Stamp Quilt
2. Pillow Talk Swap 6
3. Baby Mish Mash

TOP 3 SEARCHES:

1. Sherbet Pips
2. Postage Stamp Quilt
3. Fabric Wreath

GIVEAWAY: I know you all love a good giveaway.  Me too!!! To celebrate this very special occasion, I'm giving away charm packs.  Oodles and oodles of charm packs!   I had so much fun shopping for you guys.  I'm giving away charm packs of Domestic Bliss, Echo (not pictured), Good Fortune, Half Moon Modern, Pezzy Print and Reunion.

Six lucky readers will win one charm pack each.

TO ENTER: Please leave a comment below

International entries are welcome! Six winners will be selected randomly on February 1st, 2012. Each winner will be contacted via email. Please make sure your email is visible in your profile or added to your comment.

Peaceful Pagoda

Step 1: Choose Colors

Step 2: Choose Fabrics

One of my favorite things to do is play with color and fabric. Inspiration is everywhere! Sometimes it starts with one fabric that I see and just love. Then I start thinking, what would I do with that?  

The other night I was window shopping online at The Intrepid Thread. Kate Spain's new line Good Fortune had just arrived and I was excited to take a closer look. I was drawn immediately to the Tranquility Lantern Flower print. I really liked the mix of purple, aqua and orange.

Then I browsed through the other fabrics looking for prints I liked in those colors. Initially I opened anything that might work. I was looking for a variety of scale, value, and subject (i.e. not too many florals or dots) and I narrowed the list down slowly. It was not surprising that many of them came from Good Fortune!


Sometimes my day dreaming stops there. Other times, I start to build a quilt.


Introducing a double hourglass quilt named, Peaceful Pagoda.


Step 3: Build A Quilt

** Edited to add: Stay tuned for a custom bundle from The Intrepid Thread and a GIVEAWAY. Eeeek!!!


FABRICS USED:

1. Good Fortune, Spirit Yoshino, Orange
2. Oval Elements, Amethyst
3. Good Fortune, Dragonfly, Lavender
4. Pure Elements, Fresh Water
5. Good Fortune, Raked Sand, Orange
6. Good Fortune, Reflection Yoshino, Purple
7. Oval Elements, Mood Indigo
8. Good Fortune, Tranquility Lantern Flower, Aqua
9. Pure Elements, Linen White
10. Impressions, Medallion, Orange
11. Good Fortune, Waterfall Sakura, Purple
12. Sunny Happy Skies, Lace, Blue
13. Good Fortune, Waterfall Rakes Sand, Light Blue
14. Pure Elements, Cabernet
15. Karavan, Savannah, Peacock
16. Good Fortune, Tranquility Dragonfly, Aqua
17. A Stitch In Color, Hand Dyed, Clementine
18. Half Moon Modern, Big Dots, Aqua

California Swoon #2

These Swoon blocks are like a really good book that you can't put down.  Just one more chapter...

California Swoon #2

I just love these two fabrics together.  Look at the birds and the leaves.  Cute!

Fabric: Meet the Gang & Little Apples

I'm hoping to squeeze out a few more Swoon blocks tomorrow at our Guild Sew Day.  If you're local, come on over!  : )

Swoon Quilt Along

I am so giddy about this project I can't sit still.

These colors...

This pattern...

Image Credit: Thimble Blossoms by Camille Roskelley

SWOON!

California Swoon #1

It all started last spring when I was sitting at home ogling the Quilt Market photos on twitter.  I remember seeing this booth photo and taking full notice of the quilt in the back right-hand corner.  What is that?  It was Swoon by Camille Roskelley.  The scale of those stars made my heart beat faster.  I loved it.

Fast forward several months and I started seeing some gorgeous versions of this pattern showing up on flickr.  This halloween quilt from Amanda, this sweet baby girl version from Tracey, and this scrappy block from Erin.  Oh-my-goodness, talk about love!  I was anxiously watching from the sidelines.  I already had several quilts started that I should be working on. No need to add to the project pile.  Right?

Enter the Pillow Talk Swap.  I decided my partner needed a Swoon pillow.  Yes she did.  It is such a great, dynamic block and it was a lot of fun to make.  I knew I wanted to make a whole Swoon quilt someday.

Now let's talk about Katy.  I don't know how she does it.  Last year she got me started making the Single Girl pattern by Denyse Schmidt.  Katy somehow knew that I had the pattern, knew I was dying to make it, knew that I cannot resist a good quilt along and knew that I was busy with other stuff and needed a nudge.  Katy started a Swoon quilt along over on flickr.  Love her!  Over 400 Swooners crowded around and said Yes!  Me too!  I'm in!  Amazing.

And so it begins.  I am so happy to begin!

LINKS:

• Swoon Quilt Along on Flickr
• Katy's Swoon Quilt Along Introduction
• Camille's Introduces new patterns, including Swoon
• Pattern available in Camille's shop, Thimble Blossoms

Blocks for The Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee

California Quilt Block

One of my new bee friends Diane, made a block named after her home state, Hawaii. I loved that. Now when I look at the block she sent me, I smile and think of her in Hawaii.

When I was looking for inspiration for my own blocks, I looked at the 12" block section of the Quilter's Cache and I saw a California block.  It looked like fun block so I sewed up a sample in my colors of aqua, orange and pink. My fabric choices left it kind of mushy looking. I still like the block, but I decided to go in a different direction for my bee blocks.

Strings on the work table

I have a bin of 1.5" strips. Whenever I'm cutting up fabric for projects, I cut small leftover bits into 2.5" or 1.5" strips and save them. I looked through the colors, and I noticed I had a lot of aqua, yellow, red and gray. Perfect colors for the blocks I needed to make.

Scrappy block for Jill

I decided to make string blocks with a twist. After several failed attempts, I found one I really liked using half strings and half solid.

1. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 2. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 3. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee, 4. Modern 4x5 Quilt Bee

My favorite thing about participating in this bee is working with everyone's colors and pushing myself to make something different. Are you in any Quilt Bees? What do you like about them?

LINKS:

• Diane's Hawaii Blocks
• California Block Tutorial from the Quilter's Cache
• The 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee
• My other 4x5 blog entries, Block Making, Modern 4x5 Bee, Cross Strings

Flurry for Breakfast

Liberated Star

Flurry for breakfast...or lunch, or dinner. I made these placemats for my guild's holiday swap. A little patchwork, a liberated star and a lot of happy holidays!! I used Flurry by Kate Spain and Moda Bella Solid in Christmas Red and White.

This corner makes me happy.

I'm always looking for ways to improve my corners. I tried a new (to me) technique and it worked out pretty well. Instead of stopping 1/4" from your corner and ending your stitching line, you turn it 90 degrees and sew right off of the edge.

Flurry Placemat

Kate Spain sure has a way with Christmas fabric doesn't she? Did you see the sneak peek of "Joy" on Kate's blog?? I LOVE it! It's so JOYful. Bah-dum-ching. ; ) Zig zags? Snowflakes? and Winter Mint? Yes please!!

Here's a closer look at Joy from Moda (pdf).

I know it's January and Christmas is over. I'll get there. ; )

Photo Credit: Jaye from Artquiltmaker

Here are the BAMQG swappers (I'm at the bottom left, kneeling and holding my awesome aprons from Jen).