new yarn

Darling daughter gave me this yarn for Christmas, its a dark green code name Kale.  The top pic is the most true to the color.  The blue really came out in the other pics.  I stewed for days over the cable pattern because I made this pattern a couple years ago and didn't want to do the same cable. So lots of swatching and samples all of which I ripped so as not to waste the yarn.  I should be wearing it for St. Patricks Day.  The snow looks tired of winter here, the few sunny days have shrunk the piles exposing the grit.  One of these days it will be gone but until then I'm still wearing wool.  --Ann--

Erin fabrics log cabin stars

Same pattern, same size strips, same configuration, different fabrics, different look.  And I'm getting very near the end of the fun bright Erin Fabrics. 

Have you ever been to a quilt show and seen 2 very similar quilts you love one but the other is not quite as striking or pretty?  Have you ever tried to figure out why you like one better than the other?  Well look at these 4 quilts which colors do you like better? Can you name the color scheme? complimentry colors or analogous colors? triad or split triad?  placement of lights and darks?  Is there variety in the prints large, small, stripes, dots, plaids etc? Is the arrangement calming or too busy? You  don't need to tell me what you think but analyzing why you like a quilt or dislike a quilt might impact your choice of fabrics in your next quilt.   Food for thought  --Ann--

erin fabrics sailboats

The bottom two quilts have more Erin fabrics than the top two.  The bottom two are more fun to look at and how I wish I still had some of that fabric.  --Ann--

Erin fabrics beach balls

More Erin fabrics and beach balls.  The original plan for this quilt was to put the beach balls on a tan sand looking fabric, that was really dull.  The turquoise was so much more fun and lively.  The multicolored prints are so much more exciting than the monotones.
--Ann--

Erin fabrics Turtle quilt

This is the first quilt I made with the Erin Fabrics.  I think she even picked out the pattern book which I loaned to someone and never got it back.  I let Erin choose the fabrics for each turtle.  She auditioned a lot of fabrics  we would talk about contrast of colors,  the scale of prints, the busyness or calmness of prints.  She wanted to show off the fabrics in each turtle. We were both tickled with the finished quilt.  Fun fabrics, fun time, fun daughter, fun quilt.
--Ann--

Erin colors

The above are all fabrics my daughter picked out when she was a little girl 3 - 8 years old.  I always let her choose 2 or 3 fat quarters, it made shopping for me so much more pleasant, less whining in the fabric store if she got to supplement her own little stash.  I've used most of those fabrics and wish now I would have let her pick out 10 each shopping trip because the bright fabrics of today are nothing like those from 20 some years ago.  Purchases in the last couple years below.

They are so monotone!!!!! Not just with color but with design.  I love polka dots in all sizes and forms but I also need some stripes and plaids and ditsies.  Above are all half yard purchases with the exception of the chartreuse in the middle which was the end of the bolt and three yards. I would have liked either the navy or purple dots for the borders of the last quilt but didn't have enough.  In the future the brights will be at least a yard if not 4.  Bemoaning how the textile industry has changed.
 --Ann--

stayed tuned for some of the bright quilts

Ta DaDa Done

A few weeks ago I finished a little girl quilt for a girlfriend's daughter who was having a baby well she had a baby boy!  I was having fun in my sewing room playing with colors, bright colors, because this winter has been very grey however the last couple days have been bright and sunny but cold, below zero cold, stay in the house cold.  I finished it yesterday my girlfiend picked it up and is on her way to visit the new grandson.  I just did an all over meandering feather / concentric teardrops / free motion quilting design.  Mother, baby, and dad are doing fine.  Another great day to sew on the wind swept plains of South Dakota. --Ann--

quilt top together

Quilt top finished!! get it basted this afternoon and machine quilted.  Another 6 inches or so of snow here, hard to tell when the wind moves it around and makes drifts then the plow goes through and makes piles.  It was a good weekend to sew.   --Ann--

Bright colors and possibilities

Back to gloomy days here but its NOT snowing!  The corner triangles are finished with 3 different possibilities for placement. I suppose there are 6 but lets not confuse things. The pattern suggests the long side of the triangle butted together that would be the polka dots at the top of the quilt.  I could butt the purple side together on the left side.  I like the short side butted together, that would be the multi colored stripe on the right with the polka dots surrounding the quilt.  The stripe on the outside is choppy looking.  I like the continuity of the dots it also creates an optical illusion of a cube.  Just talking through my design process  --Ann--

just playing

 Kaleidoscopes were one of my favorite toys as a child, I still have to check all the possibilities  before I sew them together.  I also have to sew 18 triangle blocks to fill out the hexagon.  The sun came out!! the sky is bright blue I had to go for a walk  I also had to sweep the hard floors, the sun really brings out the dust!!  Back to playing with blocks  --Ann--

brighter day

 I started  something bright and sunny because too many days have been overcast and gloomy except for those few hours over the weekend when we were at son's house and the sun came out.  What a glorious sight to see clear blue sky and feel the sun on my face and on my back for those few hours.   I have made this pattern a few times in the past for baby quilts as this one will be.  So many moms have told me how intently her baby looks at the quilt.  Bright colors and strong contrast are good for babies brain.  Too bad so many of the newer fabrics are so monochromatic.  The multicolored stripes and plaid is from my stash and probably 20 years old.  Get off my soap box and back to my sewing room. --Ann--

Happy Groundhog Day

I had the sneaking suspicion that I was being followed, son’s dog was in front of me. I turned around quick and there it was my shadow! It seems like forever since it was by my side or behind me or in front of me.

Happy Groundhog Day!! —Ann—
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Frontwards and backwards