Color Walk 010

I was out walking the dog after a storm and everything was dark, muddy and wet. Imagine my surprise when I saw this shock of hot pink and green on the sidewalk. The wind had knocked down this tiny little blossom and it was on the ground just waiting for someone to find it. What a delight! Keep your eyes open, you never know what beauty you will find.

Sometimes when I'm walking, I see something that makes me stop and take a closer look. These color palettes start with a photo I've taken, usually with my phone, and often when I'm out doing ordinary things. Each color swatch is labeled with the coordinating Kona cottons by Robert Kaufman. 

Starting Something New - Sunday Sail Quilt

I've been collecting fabrics for this project for over a year and recently completed the stack by adding in a little aqua. I stacked it up nicely to shared a photo of it on Instagram and then the fabric just sat there. We've been so busy lately it's been hard to find some sewing time. Luckily, I got to sneak away and sew with some good friends for a couple of hours last Friday night. This project was just the thing to bring and work on.

It's a new version of my Regatta quilt. This time I'm using my Recs tool to cut all of the pieces. The cutting took awhile, but the piecing is going pretty quickly. For the layout, I'm working on clustering the prints together and intentionally placing blocks based on the color and scale of the fabric. This version is less of a race and more of a Sunday stroll that takes place in a boat out at sea. I imagine calm seas, a gentle breeze and the boats gliding about in a peaceful community.

Shortly after I took this photo, our new kitten Max climbed up the design wall and every-single-block fell off. Dang it! It's ok because the blocks needed to be trimmed anyway, but Kitty, stay off the design wall!!!

It's been stormy here and we were all getting a little stir-crazy. When the storm broke and the kids asked to go to the beach, this Mama answered with an emphatic yes. This is the mouth of our harbor and the lighthouse guides the sailors and fisherman home for the night.

Color Walk 009

Sometimes when I'm walking, I see something that makes me stop and take a closer look. These color palettes start with a photo I've taken, usually with my phone, and often when I'm out doing ordinary things. Each color swatch is labeled with the coordinating Kona cottons by Robert Kaufman. 

I came across these sweet little daisies in a field near our house. My daughter and I picked a wee bouquet and brought them home. 

Color Walk 008

Sometimes when I'm walking, I see something that makes me stop and take a closer look. These color palettes start with a photo I've taken, usually with my phone, and often when I'm out doing ordinary things. Each color swatch is labeled with the coordinating Kona cottons by Robert Kaufman. 

It was a soft grey morning and the light was dancing off of my favorite necklace. It caught my eye as I was rushing back and forth doing my morning chores. It begged me to stop and play, but I could only stay for a moment.

Thank you, Mood!

Any Project Runway fans out there? One of my favorite parts of the show is when the designers go fabric shopping at Mood Fabrics. Imagine my surprise and delight when I received my backing fabric in an official Mood bag! It's the little things. : )

My quilt top has been pieced and pressed for over a week, but I wasn't ready to quilt it just yet. I needed to pick out fabric for my quilt back first. At my house, quilts are loved and tossed on the couch and rumpled on the beds. It's wonderful to walk by and see the quilts waiting for their next snuggle session. It also means that you can see the quilt tops and backs all lumped together into one colorful composition.

Part of my quilting process is thinking about how the back of the quilt relates to the front of the quilt. We put so much time and thought into the front of our quilts, why not show the backs a little love too? Yes, it does take a little more time and yes, it can cost a little more. If quilts are going to be part of our home, our lives, and our memories, isn't it worth the time and effort to make them the best they can be?

Choosing a print for the back of a quilt can be a fun juxtaposition to an all solids quilt top. The key is coordinating them is to choose colors that you love from your top and find a fabric that uses those same colors. For this quilt, I loved the grey and the red trees. I wanted something that felt a little bit Christmassy, but would also last us through winter and into spring. I lucked out and found a beautiful grey and red plaid flannel that I think it compliments the quilt and it will also look cozy and all winter as it's slumped on the couch.

Here's to slumping, and quilting, and fabric shopping!
-A