Season of Snow - Project Quilting 7.2

It's been an exciting week, lots of creativity brewing, lots of productivity!  And finally Boston has a bit of snow!

And it's coming down in blankest as I type!

I'm trying to grow a bit and joined a couple photography challenges.  Can't say if I'm any good, but they are fun!

Sunlight Challenge

Side light Challenge

Back lit Challenge - I call this "Anatomy of a Quilt"

This week's #sewprompted2016 theme was Buttons :-)

A little secret about my fantastic Hubs, he knows sewing machines!  He knows their mechanics and how to make them sing.  Me on the other hand, know how to abuse them and use them till they drop!  So earlier this week, when I could sew a simple straight seam without a punching sound or having to physically pull my fabric through, I begged for his help and attention :-)

THE FEED DOGS COULD NOT MOVE!!  Yikes!!??!!

Aside from a 1/8 cup of lint, thread and fuzz clogging everything, my needle tip had burred to the side and was completely flat.  Lesson - be kind to your machine!

Project Quilting Episode TWO theme was Seasons.  My first inclination was to do something in the round - a modern Dresden plate or dahlia quilt.  But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do something completely different and take chances.

I have been reading much about minimalism - in art, in lifestyle, in quilting, in cooking.  And the little designer imp in my head prompted me to do this:

Seasons measures 30" by 30", machine pieced, machine quilted

This was all about fabric and color selection for me.  It was partial improv piecing, as I had a general idea of where some colors should go and made a map.  But the final product is very different from the map.

Each quadrant is a different season.  The top left, with the circular quilting, is Spring, and the other seasons follow in a counter-clock wise motion.  I have a very visual way of thinking and see my calendar and seasons in my head counter-clock wise.

2016 has been a brutal year on my favorite celebs, the hardest to say good-bye to was Alan Rickman.  I fell in love with him in Sense and Sensibility.  And when Harry Potter rolled around, I was always pro-Snape.  Wednesday night I was feeling a bit emotional and came home to make a little tribute to him.  In Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore learns of Snape's lasting love for Harry's mother, Lily, and asks "After all this time?"  To which Snape replies, "Always."

Thank you, Mr. Rickman, and sleep well.  You will be our always and never forgotten.

6" by 6" completed size

Until next time, stay warm, be groovy and strut your stuff!  

Mood: Burrrrrrr!
Music: "Ghost Walking" by Lamb of God

Hexi Fever

It's been a good week to stitch!  So much done - tons of color!

The week started with a weekend road trip for me and Mr. Django to Niagara Falls, visiting family and catching up with framily.  It was a short 48 hour visit but so dearly needed - came home refreshed and ready to work!

The doggie version of mints on a pillow!

It was a perfect pose until a car pulled up next to us with another dog in the window...!

The skies on the drive back to Boston were stunning and full of vivid color - great inspiration for upcoming projects!

Boston is enjoying a beautiful winter so far, too!  Clear, sunny days make for good walks and great inspiration.

Also made it to Symphony Hall for the first time - stunning!

A night of Mozart and Stravinsky with great friends!

I love the Boston night time skyline!

I loved Project Quilting's first challenge of confetti so much that I couldn't stop.  It turned into hexi-mania in the studio and I even warmed up the free motion quilting.  I used each piece as a learning exercise for different quilting stitches that I've never used and am pretty happy with the results!

I loved adding the quilting that made the hexi's pop, giving it an almost trapunto effect.

This was a fun and quick project - great for pre-cut charm packs!  It goes together very easily and love the freedom in placement!

And now for something completely different - no hexi's but off to a sweet baby girl!

Until next time, keep stitching!

Mood: Cozy
Music: "City of Achilles" by Alter Bridge

Confetti! PQ7 #1

Happy New Year!

The rush of the holidays are past and life is settling back into a normal simmer.  After taking a break from my studio, I am excited to get back in it and am bursting with ideas!  I collected so much fabric and have little sketches all over the place - it's going to be a good year!

A little cheer from our dining room!

My local guild has a fun yankee swap/white elephant - this was my contribution  - I loved the orange peel design and have plans to do more!

Hubs and I bought dollar store stockings our first year dating, that are now pretty ratty.  This year I made new ones for us, our parents...

...and Mr. Django :-)

In the New Year's Resolution spirit of things, I started the year off by finishing a UFO and had lots of fun quilting it!

A simple exercise with flying geese and straight line, free motion quilting.  The fabrics are from Kona Winter Classics collection. 

It has been beautiful and mild in Boston this winter (and I have many hopes it stays thus!!)  Walking with Django has been really lovely.

Love sunsets - don't exactly love that they happen at 4pm...

I've also joined Project QUILTING for it's 7th season in an effort to spice up the creativity and use their motivation in the studio!  Their first challenge this week was "Confetti" - exactly the challenge I've been looking for!  This idea has been floating around in my head for a while and I'm pretty happy with the completed project!

Last summer I fell in love with English Paper Piecing and used my cutting machine to create customized EPP templates.  This was a Christmas gift from the Hubs last year - seriously my favorite appliance :-)

My fabrics were a charm pack of batiks - Tonga Treats - very bright and happy, the look like confetti!  From each 5" square, I first cut one 1.25" strip and two 1.75" strips and made squares from each strips.  Using EPP, I made hexagons in both half inch and 3/4 inch sizes, pressed them, removed the template and tacked them to my background material with the tiniest dot of fabric glue.  This kept them in place firmly enough through quilting.  I added an extra strip to the binding, giving it an extra border and a 3D effect.

I love to start with something in order then break it down until it is very sparse, playing with space and motion.   

I also had a bunch of fun with making hexi's and had a bunch left over - here's a peak at the next project! (My own, not related to Project QUILTING)

I am out for now!  I'm taking a mini road trip with Django this weekend and I'll be back in the studio next week!

From us to you - wishing you the best for 2016, with love and cheers!

Mood: Trying
Music: "House of the Rising Sun" by Five Finger Death Punch