Sun-Sunny Days!!

I love Summer! Mostly because it means I can go to one of Boston's many beaches!  So when a good friend invited me to a beach outing, I was excited!!

But I couldn't find my beach bag anywhere...! 

Well, it was time to update it anyways, right?  Last Friday evening I whipped up this guy: 

It was super simple to make: cut various width of fabric strips, alternate colors, sew strips into one big panel, fold in half and sew up the bottom and side! Add handles and you're done! I did not want to put a huge amount of effort into a lining or pockets (by all means you can!!) and if I were making it for any other purpose than the beach, I would have put more details into it. I did add top stitching and French seams on the side/bottom to keep things from unraveling but that's as fancy as this one gets! Start to finish, this project took a total of 35 minutes!

Same night, still feeling the glow of a new bag and couldn't shut my brain off.  Plus I had The Princess Bride playing in the background (ooo that Dread Pirate Roberts...!) and ended up with this little tote.  Lately I've been thinking through what our family coat of arms might look like, if I were to create one. Of course it would have to be piratey on some level. Combine the two trains of thought and you get:

Not bad for a project started after midnight!!

The next day was GREAT!!  We went to Revere Beach, just outside Boston.  Our original plan was just to see the annual Sand Sculpture contest. It also happened to be Disney's Kid Triatholon, a country music fest, and the Food Truck fest - all at once on the beach!! What a day!!  It was a bit breezey and cloudy but, with the overwhelming crowds, I didn't mind one bit!  Not to mention just having a great time with friends, new and old! 

I can't rember the exact title but it had something to do with her transforming into waves of the Ocean. 

This one is called "Fear"

This is "Double Vision" - study it a bit you'll see why! And this beauty won first place!

I LOVED this one, called "Eternal Love"

Dedicated to our Troops of all branches of service!

And finally, the sand castle!!

Keep enjoying the Summer Sun and we'll chat soon!  Keep stitchin'!!

Cheers!

Maer

Feathers All Around!!

My poor husband has been so sick the past week or so, making me the loving nurse! He is finally feeling better (thankfully!!) but his nurse caught all his germs.  There is nothing worse than being sick in hot weather, agreed??

Which is why I hid in my sewing studio the past couple days - it has beautiful air conditioning!! :-)

My studio recently got an upgrade, which my fellow tall quilters might appreciate! I've always complained about cutting because it meant bending over to awkward heights. When you are 5'10", the standard table height is not comfy at all.  The Hubs suggested bed raisers. Sold in 4 packs from Amazon or Ikea for roughly $15, these are back savers!!! Best $15 I've ever spent!

Today's post is a combo of 2 different day's work, both of which are part of my Guild's summer challenge.  We were given the panetone of Radient Orchid and told to create a wall hanging using at least one fat 16th of that color.  Luckily it happens to be one of my favorite colors!!

The top I made 2 weeks ago and really enjoyed making it! It is fusible applique with random pieced sides, no boarders.  It measures 24" by 21".

I held on to all the scraps in order to make the back - today's project!  despite feeling like Death warmed over, I had a lot of fun with this.  And I find myself loving the back a smidge more than the front...  

Did this just become a pair of wall hangings?  Or perhaps a double sided piece to blow in the breeze?

Next step - quilting!! Which will be my weekend project!

Enjoy the sunshine!!

Cheers!

~M

Laptopped

Talk about a scorcher, woo!! I love Summer but I love Summer because of air conditioning.  We just built a sewing studio in the only room in our house without air conditioning... So I worked in shifts today rotating to other, cooler rooms of the house!

I have needed a new laptop bag for ages and today I finally had the chance to make it!  This was my first complex style bag, taking it a step beyond just a simple tote. Lined, with stiffening batting and a few quickie pockets, I did pieced bottom, sides and a curvy front flap. I haven't decided on a fastener just yet but that can come later. And to make it my style, I had to add an applique feather or two!!

The front!

The back with the flap open.

The inside. The whole project was done with leftovers of previous quilts so the feathers don't exactly match pinks but I love all the fabrics, so yay for mismatched!!

All packed for the office tomorrow!

Stay cool my friends!!

~Maer

Starry chevrons

Today was a red, white & blue kind of day, I'm always excited for July 4th!! We recently repainted our dining room to a bright blue & white, picked because I've always wanted a Colonial style dining room. Secretly, I think I picked these colors because they are so fun to decorate with during the Summer!!

So today my job was to make placemats for our new dining room!! I've always wanted to do something with chevrons - today was my chance!! The fabrics were part of a collection I picked up at our Guild's UFO auction last year and are actually Christmas fabrics - tho I think they work great as Americana, too!!

 I think later, they might become our picnic mats, after I add the binding that is... :-)

But I couldn't stop with the mats. I had a few leftovers that were just begging to be used! Pink the edges, add some twine, and a cute banner is made to match!

And our dining room is ready for the 4th!!

Happy 4th!!!

Cheers, 

M

Catching up, as always!!

2014, so far, has been a year of action.  And good action, at that.  Since last we chatted, I've taken up part time work for an amazing bio-tech firm here in Boston as a legal writer.  I'm sure there will be a time when I go further into what I do and where it is I work, just let me say  that, by far, this phenomenal company has been one of the best experiences in my career!

Another massive(ly awesome) change is that I'm married!!  For many, many reasons, J and I felt like we needed to move up our date and got married May 3rd in Pekin, NY (just outside Niagara Falls...).  We had an intimate, outdoor ceremony with our family and nearest-dearest friends and a small dinner after. A rainy, cold day turned out to be a sunny afternoon just in the nick of time and we had a beautiful, memorable day.

Among the many, many wonderful people who shared in our day was our lovely photographer, Elizabeth Snyder of Elizabeth Snyder Photography.  Most of the above photos are hers and we are so thrilled to have these keepsakes.  She has even more lovely photos (not just of our day...) on her blog - check it out!!






Quilting in 2014 has been a great experience so far this year!  You may remember the Bright Day of Thanks Turkey from this past Thanksgiving - he's been busy traveling and has had great success.  We're very proud of him!

In March I was invited to enter the Amherst, NY Guild show and decided to do a piece new for that show.  "Bloomin' Spring Peacocks" was lucky enough to win President's Choice in New York and will be traveling out to Grand Rapids, MI this August for the American Quilter's Society Quilt Week Show.  I'm beyond excited to attend the show and will be sure to post LOTS of pictures of the show!

This past weekend, I had the great luck to participate in a get-together in Rindge, NH at Franklin Pierce University with some of the greatest quilting friends a gal could imagine!  We were surrounded by gorgeous nature, situated on a lake, and got to sew to our hearts' content!!  I left not knowing entirely what I'd be doing and worried because I've had a bit of a dry spell as far as creativity.  For future reference to anyone who feels this way, the instant fix is to surround yourself with fellow creators and artists and you can't help but feel the inspiration flow!  I came back with so many ideas, I'm nervous I won't get them down on paper in time before I forget them!  Love my Proper Bostonian Ladies!!

Binding in the sunshine and breeze!

This was my view from my machine - amazing!

Everyone hard at work!

Project experiment #1 - I'll be continuing this one as a paper pieced quilt.

Another experimental project using Kona solid charm squares.  I will play around with the background spacing and flow of colors.

If you are at all interested in checking out the quilting scene in Boston you can find more info here for the Proper Bostonian Quilters Guild or, of course, you can always ask me!  

Thanks for checking in!  Stay tuned this summer - I have a feeling it's going to be a very colorful season!!

Cheers!

Mood: Chipper
Music: "Come with me Now!" by KONGOS

Hot Stitchin'!

Polar Vortex, what...?  Meh!  Go ahead, let it drop to negative "Let's freeze the World on it's axis" temps.  It's been toasty warm and creative in our house!  I'm sure I'll feel differently when I see the oil bill...  but for now I'm loving the creative oasis in our dining room/sewing studio!

A lot of sketching has been happening.  I love Henna/Mehndi floral patterns and am always doodling them in some form or other.  But lately I've been plotting how to get more Henna into my quilting.  So why not just whole cloth quilt it - essentially drawing on fabric with my machine!  EASIER SAID THAN DONE!!

I had a simple flower and leaf patten on paper, drew the basic outline onto my fabric and set to it!  20 minutes later I had a jumbled mess of thread and lost my overall pattern.  Time to back up to something simpler.  Feathers!

I've done feathers in my quilting before, but I've never taken the time to practice or study them.  I just winged it.  When done correctly, they are beautiful!  Flowing, fun, some are formal or they can be more playful.  Whatever you need them to be, you can stylize them to meet your project.

After many, many pages of sketch practice, I came up with these first fabric attempts.  And I'm proud to say that every time it got a bit easier and (at least I think) a bit more artistic.  They really are fun.  And once you have your stem built, the plumage just flows naturally.

First Attempt!

Second Attempt! 

Ok, so not perfect but getting better, right? :-)

This afternoon, I tried adding the Henna back in:

It was also fun playing with thread colors, highlighting here and there...

In addition to feathering about, I've been working on a couple Valentines Day projects!   So far this what I've got.  I cannot take any credit for the overall design as I've seen it done a million times over - postage stamps, tee-shirts, wallets, etc...  This is just my version  :-)

16" by 16" wall hanging.  Thinking maybe Prairie Points to finish it off...?

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you are all staying warm and keeping creative!!  Feel free to share your projects either here in the comments or on my Facebook Page for M. Rose Quilt Studios!

And here's the link up to Leah Day and The Free Motion Quilting Blog.  I frequent both her blog and her books for quilting ideas - love her! 

Cheers and stitch on!!

Mood: Chipper
Music: "The Clincher" by Chevelle

I'm Back!!!

Hi Y'all and Happy 2014!
 And what a great year it's been so far!  

I'm sorry I haven't posted recently - the Holidays were wonderful but so incredibly busy!  Wow!!  From Thanksgiving till now was one giant whirlwind of friends and food and so many things to get done in a hurry that I didn't have a minute to sit and gather my thoughts!  So much so that we didn't even have the time to get a proper tree - so I made one :-)

Our dining room/quilting studio turned into a snowflake ornament factory.

Advent Stars are made by fusing 2 fabrics together, cutting into strips and weaving then tacking with hot glue

Several years ago, my Aunt M made an Advent Star ornament for me which now stays over my drafting table.  I used her pattern and made a bunch as gifts this year and were a hit at a couple ornament exchange parties! 

 Along with the Advent Star, we made a few 3D snowflakes.  I saw one made out of paper hanging in the window of a paper store a few years ago and played around with it until I figured out how it was made.  After making a few dozen in paper for Christmas parties, I decided to try them with fabric!  Even Django liked the results!

Also made with fused fabrics!

(Both ornaments are super easy and quick to make!)





I'm also just now (hanging head in shame...) just finishing my Christmas gifts for my Mom.  She loves cardinals, especially anything quilty with cardinals.  As any proper quilter would, my mom has a giant stash of fabric, filling many a bin all over the house.  And like any self respecting quilter, she knows every piece of fabric and in which bin it rested!  I, being the young quilter with a healthy addiction to fabric and design, often perused said bins and would try to barter with her for pieces I wanted.  Separate and hidden from the general stash was her collection of winter cardinal fabrics.  I once found them on accident (she has some GORGEOUS fabrics there) but my life was threatened.  Ever touch those fabrics again and fingers would get smacked.  Hard!

DISCLAIMER!!!  My mother is the SWEETEST, most loving mother in the entire world!  Never has she ever been anything but wonderful in every way!  I don't want anyone to have the wrong impression of her in the slightest!  Just know that this cardinal collection of fabrics was on the same level to her as her children and protects it just as dearly!

She is so sweet that she looks more the part of Mrs. Santa Clause than the Mrs. Clause at the hospital that day!! :-)

This year I made a table runner and wall hanging of cardinals for her.  The two are not a matching set but they feel similar as they came from the same fabrics.  Interesting story here - this table runner is another "No Planner" project, just like the Bright Day of Thanks turkey.  A few minutes after I finished quilting it, I relaxed  by browsing pinterest and what pops up?  A table runner of branches with cardinals.  The one I found was lovely, done with branches of evergreens and in wool but I was slightly disheartened.  I'm in awe of how creative our quilting world is but I was going for originality and something unique for my mom.  **deep sigh**  I'm still proud of my little project.

Wall hanging in progress!

2014 has started with a new baby quilt pattern!  This pattern started as a post-it note and got dropped into a sketch book for months until I was asked recently if I had any puppy patterns!  I was very excited to say, "Why, yes I do!"  Let me introduce "Puppy Paws" newest from M. Rose Quilt Studios!  (Obviously the customized name can change or be omitted completely - this was a custom job...)

The paws on the top of the quilt were done by appliqueing the outline in white over a block of print.  I had all these cute left over cut outs and thought they'd be a cute surprise on the back!

Also up and coming with 2014 will be some blogs on costuming!  I've recently signed on with a Revolutionary War era group and will be visiting with a Civil War group shortly.  I love quilting so much, but there is nothing like throwing on "funny clothes" and running around for a few days!  With each of these groups, I'll be recreating pieces to wear and I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share!

So thanks for checking back in!  I hope you're enjoying 2014 as much as I am!  We'll chat again soon!  Be well!

Mood: All New and Excited
Music: "Come a Little Closer" by Cage the Elephant