Color Wheel Online

Another quilt blogger just posted a link to an online color wheel where you can experiment with options. I think this site will likely crash from getting far too many hits! The link is at HEART IN HIS HAND: Color Wheel

Mesmerized

Elaine over at Elaine Adair Pieces asked me about the kaleidoscope ruler in my comment on her blog. The one that I have is designed by Marti Mitchell and will do up to 16" blocks using the marked lines, but you could fudge and easily do 18" blocks. It will also do little ones as small as 6 inches. The ruler looks like this:

Elaine also asked about the quilt that I made with it, which I may never have posted, so here it is. I'd have liked a scrappier version like Elaine's, but this was a class sample so I just bought a bunch of fabric for it. The colors in the photo are not accurate. It is more of a soft purple (think lilac) with soft yellows and pinks.

These are easy, fun, and an excellent stash-buster, much better if not so matchy-matchy, in my opinion.

A Narrow Sea - Done!

Finally, this one is finished. I called it "A Narrow Sea" for obvious reasons.

For the gulls, I printed pictures unto fabric and then needle-turned them, which was much easier than I expected. These birds are about 1-2" from wingtip to wingtip. A friend gave me that marvelous piece of sky fabric!

The water has beads, some yarn that looks like seaweed, lace to look like foam, and some lamé peeking out in a couple of places. I also put tulle over the darker part after deciding it was too dark.

The sand also has tulle to give it varying shades. I only used one fabric for the three sand parts. It has small beads that look like shells, plus shells that really are shells, a little piece of driftwood, plus more beads and a fence with some of the same sea-weed looking yarn hanging on it as I put in the water. I outlined the shadow thinking a darker shadow would be too busy.

I really liked making this one. The label is also long and skinny, with a background photo of the beach in Florida outside a place we sometimes go to for vacations, and where I picked up the shells and other embellishments.

Next I hope to get the skinny mountain one done. It requires lots of threadplay, which I don't like doing. I keep telling myself to bite the bullet because it will be worth it.

Yikes, what happened to April?

Wendy at Snippets of a Quilter bemoans she hadn't posted for a week, so I checked and I haven't posted since the middle of last month. That doesn't mean my sewing machine is getting rusty though! I actually made a pair of pj bottoms yesterday!

I'm quilting too. I finished the borders on my skinny seascape, added hanging sleeve and one at the bottom (to weight it since it is so long and lean), and now have to add some embellishments. Photo soon.

While that seemed to take forever, I was also quilting a couple of joint projects made by the small quilting group from our church. Now that I have HQ-16, I get that part of the process. These quilts are given away.

Cheri's post today over at Jovaliquilts reminded me of a quilt I made for my husband. He is one of those guys who hates to toss his favorite shirts, but finally put 4-5 into the rag bag. I took off all the buttons, cut them up, and made him a small lap quilt to use in the car on those days he drives to work and it is -40. He was totally surprised. I called it "Optical Illusion." I posted it before, but am feeling guilty about not posting for so long, so here it is again, draped over the back of a sofa (the lines are actually straight).


My other excuse for not posting is that I'm making a two-hour presentation to a group of people (not quilting related) at the end of May and this requires lots of preparation, Powerpoint, and handouts. I know, it is four weeks away, but life keeps interrupting my good intentions.

Kelly's Quilt

Finally, after sleet and snow, sunshine and rain, and a trillion other interruptions and distractions, this quilt is finished!

The quilting is in the ditch around the sashing and large stars to stabilize, then more stars etc. to fill in the center of the blocks and around the setting stones in the sashing. I decided that curvy quilting would distract from the piecing/blocks, so wanted to keep it real simple. If you double-click on this, it might show up better.

This one goes to a friend of a friend, a wall hanging to brighten a spot in her home and give her joy.

Now, onward... to battle the UFO's while the weather is cool and before gardening starts. Some plants are finally poking through, but together we are trying to ignore the small snowbanks lurking in the shadows -- mere reminders of a very stubborn yet slowly fading winter.

Happy Easter

I've quilted the sampler and will post a photo as soon as I'm done cooking and eating and celebrating Easter this weekend. We are driving 5 hours to see my mom-in-law, then back 2 hours to celebrate a 50th wedding with friends, then 3 hours home to cook dinner Sunday for family here. Yikes, I'm tired just writing it down!!

Interested in a giveaway? Try this site for a chance at 30 FQ's! Thearica is celebrating her daughter's birthday by giving someone else a terrific gift!

Blessed Easter to everyone!

Help?

Does anyone have suggestions for quilting this star sampler? I've been told to keep it simple; stitch in the ditch. That is a tad boring. I'd love to hear something a little more innovative.

I'm one of those people who throws her hands in the air when it says "quilt as desired" but quite glad to try a new idea! Thanks!