Skinny Strips Again

I was feeling more than a little creatively STUCK, then a kind note from Rayna Gillman got me kick started last night.  I sent her a note this morning, asking how it felt to have a box named after her!

That box holds strips and strings left over from other projects or trimmed while cutting.  With her "Create Your Own Free-Form Quilt" style, almost nothing is too skinny.

I pulled out scraps left over from this, made from the Pagodas pattern from Maple Island Quilts:

And this, the Carnival pattern, also from Maple Island Quilts:

Then I sewed and sewed for about 1 1/2 hours.

I took a break and browsed through Rayna's book for a while.

When I was pulling out all of those fall-colored strips, a couple of red pieces of batik also appeared and I decided that they could stay.  I went looking and found that I had more.  I also found a pretty gold Kona Bay texture.  Those will come in handy for accents and if I need any larger chunks.  The solid yellow is ancient and will be used in small amounts also.

Back to the machine for another half hour or so.  This is what I ended the night with:

Probably the next step will be taking everything off the design wall and playing with arrangements.  I'm taking a trip next week, so I will look at it all with fresh eyes when I return.

Deeper down in that box, I found a lot of leftovers from this:

 More than I remember, these are definitely "seed" for another project.

I dug further and found a variety of greens that I think might play nicely with the rest.  Some of it is from the backing and facing.

One of the galleries in town is planning a "tiny art show".  I will visit them today and find out the particulars.  

Now I have some new fun things to work on and think about!

 

More Christmas?!

Before I toddle off to vend at another quilt show next week, I wanted to put together one more sample.  This is a pattern from Bloomin' Minds.  I have a number of patterns from their Half to Haves series, fun little wall hangings that go together quickly.  I chose to make "Owl Be Home for Christmas". It's about 13" square.

After hand embroidering the letters, the colored pieces were fused, then I did machine blanket stitch around the edges of each piece.

Borders on.

Machine quilting in a simple stipple.  Straight stitching on both sides of that narrow inner border.

Isn't this CUTE???  If you are curious about the other Bloomin' Minds patterns that I carry in the store, take a look at my store blog

 http://cottonfieldsnc.blogspot.com/

See the August 12 post - they are not on the ordering page YET.

Today in the store, I'm giving a lesson on making fabric Christmas ornaments. Not an original idea, you can find this on YOUTUBE under "Folded Fabric Ornaments".  Always give credit where credit's due!  In progress ...

The finished product:

Christmas Project FINISHED

And it's only August.

Two years ago, I made the Hexagon Table Topper as part of a challenge in my store.  Here's the original:

Then I developed a pattern for sale.

I wanted to make sure that people realize it could be a holiday decoration too, just by altering the fabrics.  I enjoyed making the first one, so I went to work on a second.  This morning I finished the last of the binding.

Here are a few close-ups, as promised:

For inspiration, I used my Pocket Guide (to) Crazy Quilt Stitches, which I also carry in the store. 

Christmas Project

I've been working on this table topper all week, but didn't take "work in progress" pictures.  Sorry.  There is batting layered under the crazy patch hexagon, and trimmed to size.  It needs to be tied, then I'll trim the backing and roll it to the front for the binding.  The finished product should be ready for viewing in a day or two.  I'll include close-ups and further explanation.

I've begun machine quilting on the third bird quilt, but it's not quite ready to show yet. 

The Winners

Here are the WINNERS of my annual store challenge. First prize goes to Ruth Larson for her quilt "Love, Peace, and the Summer of 1969".

Second prize goes to Sally Hamilton for her quilt "Hearts Galore".

Two more challenge entries were delivered after my last post.

I certainly appreciate the effort and creativity of each person.  All the quilts were wonderful and each was unique in it's own way.

Challenge - Have a Heart

Time for the annual Cotton Fields Quilt Shop Anniversary Challenge.  The theme was "Have a Heart".  Each participant was furnished with 1/2 yard of the same multi-colored fabric and lenient rules.  This year, there was no set size or limit to number of fabrics used.  Quilts just needed to be finished and include a heart or hearts.

There were fewer entries this year, but each are very different and delightful. Visitors to the shop during the sale will vote for their favorite.  Two winners will each receive a $25 gift certificate.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Winners will be announced next week.