Work Quilt #2 - Finished!

Finally finished my 2nd "Work Quilt"! (My fingers are very relieved!)


Now, I have tried sooooo hard to get the colors accurate.... almost to the point of insanity. Proving very difficult as the shot cotton seems to constantly change and shift colors depending on the angle it is viewed and how the light hits it. Some days it looks more green to me and some days more blue. But that is one of the things I love about shot cotton!


Looking at my monitor, the red squares are showing up more bright then they actually are... in truth they are more of a brick red, actually being woven with a rust weft and a purple warp! (who-da thunk?) I believe that quiet purple warp helps this particular red fabric get along very well with the surrounding blues and greens.


This photo above seems to be the best as far as color accuracy.... of course every monitor is different. (I am working on a Mac, but just looked at these pictures on my daughter's PC and surprisingly they looked very accurate on the PC. Again... who-da-thunk? Never-the-less, I love my Mac!) ...But I digress... back to the quilt...

With a little math I have estimated that there are approximately over 15,000 hand stitches in this piece, which after washing now measures 40" x 41.5"



Not wanting to use up my shot cottons on the back side, I instead choose solid Kona fabrics, giving the back a more contemporary feel...


If you look closely at the back, you can see small patches of horizontal stitching where the patches on the front have been quilted down. I like that subtle variation.

This "Work Quilt", at least for now, is another keeper.... I want the Work quilts in my possession so I can refer back to them as I continue on this series. The next one is in the planning stages, but I also want to make some smaller, related pieces to put in the shop.... Oh my. These are a bit more labor intensive then I am use to. If only I could get by on 2 hours sleep!

Beautiful Batik

Hope you all like color because my latest piece is almost dripping color!

It's another patchwork table runner, (or wall hanging if you prefer) this time done in assorted batik fabrics. (Actually, one of those fabrics pictured above is not a batik but a commercial print... anyone spot it?)


I rarely use batik fabrics yet am highly attracted to them. These two factors have helped me, over the years, to amass a nice little stash of the beauties and I thought that they would be perfect to finally use in some runners.


I am really enjoying working in this style of patchwork and quilting. Maybe it is the former weaver in me but I find myself very intrigued by this closely spaced, straight line quilting. I am definitely going to be doing more!


This Quilted Patchwork Batik Table Runner is now available for sale in my shop.

Also, I received my first order from Spoonflower, (Heaven help, me I like it!) Will post it next time around.
Till then, have a great day everyone!

P.S. A mighty big thanks for all the kind words and support from my last post. You are a wonderful group of people!

Patchwork Days

Hard to believe that this summer is coming to an end soon. Weather wise, the days have been so spectacular! Before the season is officially over, I thought I should make something that reflects the beautiful colors and wonderful patchwork of unstructured days that make summer so special.



This pretty patchwork table runner features various prints from Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs.


I stitched the quilted rows very close, (3/16" apart) and used various colors of thread, (Sulky's Premium Cotton which is slightly thicker then regular thread.)


The various stitched rows of color thread help to create a very subtle color overlay pattern on top of the fabric prints... a bit hard to see in these photos but a really lovely effect in person.


The back of quits can be as much fun to make as the fronts!


And of course, this Patchwork Table Runner is currently available in my shop!

Stones, Shells and Hemingway... Inspiration to Sew By

"Let him think I am more man than I am and I will be so."
- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea


With this new piece, I happily revisited a previous theme which I first began exploring a year ago... Mid Century inspired table runners/wall hangings, (which I also refer to as "functional art quilts" as these pieces work both as beautiful, functional table runners and decorative accent pieces, as well as a beautiful piece of art to hang.)


My muses for previous pieces, (see here, here and here) included old utilitarian quilts and Frank Lloyd Wright.


For this piece however, my inspiration came from stones, shells and the mental image of Ernest Hemingway. The stones and shells, gathered on my recent visit to the sea side, were a visual influence for my color and pattern choices,


where Hemingway provided the muse for creating a piece with a masculine feel... I wanted something that would look at home in a study, draped over an old and well used wooden table that had been oiled to a deep, rich shine.

"Hemingway" - A Mid-Century Inspired Functional Art Quilt is currently available in my shop.

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P.S. I was delighted to learn from the comments on my last post that so many of you are familiar with and like Tsatsiki! What a pleasant surprise!

Reconstruction no.1

Reconstruction no.1 was a true exercise in creativity for me. It's the first time I ever worked with denim, (in a quilt) and I had to exercise a few brain muscles on this one.

First I didn't want there to be a lot of bulky seams, so I kept most of the seams open and raw edged, securing them with zig-zag stitching.


Secondly, I was unprepared for how the twill weave on some of the pieces would prevent me from having an easy time quilting... the more I quilted the more some of these areas stretched and expanded, leaving me with long ridges and channels of excess fabric. Unlike the old quilting adage, "you can quilt it out" meaning the more you quilt the flatter the fabric will become, I found that the more I quilted the worse things got.

I don't know if it is because I am a big fan of "Project Runway" of if it was because I was using old denim pants, but I kept hearing the voice of Tim Gunn in my head, repeating his mantra, "Make it work!"
So I did!...


I cut long slashes where the fabric ran in raised gopher-made-like trails, and inserted red printed japanese fabric strips behind. Then I turned the raw denim edges in and carefully stitched things down.


I added an applique patch in one other problem area, and then scattered a few more all around the quilt to balance things out visually.


And I also added lots of big, red embroidered stitches through out... just for good measure....




and intentionally included certain naturally occurring imperfections found in the recycled denim, as honestly that is what drew me to wanting to work with it in the first place.


And when I was done, I found that the "problems" I had encountered and my solutions to them, ultimately created a quilt that was much more rich and interesting then anything I had originally set out to do. (But as for working with denim again... not so sure about that... we will see!)


Reconstruction no.1 is available for sale in my Etsy shop.

Two Black Leaves

Well, I enjoyed making my last mini quilt so much, (thanks for the lovely comments!) I just couldn't wait a whole week to make another one... so I guess we can call this "Wee Quilt Wednesday" just for fun!


I wanted this piece to look as elegant in its simplicity as a lovely black and white photograph that was matted and framed, but of course it's all fabric.


Just like the bird print in my last post, this leaf fabric came from Ikea, too. I hoped that the close line quilting would give the leaves a feeling of movement.

Two Black Leaves is currently available in my Etsy shop.

Have a lovely day everyone!

Of Moss and Muslin... The Birth of a New Art Quilt... Finally!

Inspiration has been low for me lately. I keep looking for a new direction but keep hitting dead ends...

But then this little lightening bug showed me the way...


I spotted her the other day crawling on a planter. I was taken by how her clay colored head was the same color as the clay pot, and at how vibrant the bright green moss was. This led me to look up and notice the moss growing on the tree trunk...


Which led me to impulsively run in the house grab some plain muslin fabric, soak it with the hose and rub it all over the tree trunk, (reason #325 the neighbors think I am a kook.)

While I was at it I also rubbed in some clay earth and a couple of decaying mushrooms...


After baking the wet and stained fabric in the sun, rinsing it well with the hose, hanging it to dry, and heat setting it with an iron, this is what I had.

And from there I started to quickly cut and sew my new stained fabric with plain muslin...


The colors faded a bit after a final wash in the machine... but I love the subtle shifts, how they melt into each other. I like the quietness of this quilt. It is very much in line with how my life feels currently.


There was never any question in my mind as how it should be quilted.


The understated colors work great with the densely quilted lines.


The backside is plain muslin... I like this, too. Just texture.



Due to the fact that I am unsure of the long term light fastness of the colors, I have decided to not put this one up for sale. I need to do more experimenting and testing before I felt comfortable. This also gives me a good excuse to keep it as I have just the spot in my not too sunny, pale green foyer to hang it!

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Mo and I really and truly appreciate all the continued loving thoughts and wishes shared with us from the last post.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. xo

Avocado Green and Harvest Gold

Funny how something that once looked fresh and modern, then oh so dated and old, can in time start to look fresh and modern again.


Such is the case with that great retro color combination of avocado green and harvest gold from the 1960's and '70's! I'm sure I'm not the only ones with fond memories of growing up with this color scheme. As a kid in the 1970's, the appliances in our house were indeed avocado green, and the wall to wall carpet was harvest gold!


So if your craving some retro color love, my newest Mod Square Functional Art Quilt in Avocado and Gold is now available in my Silly Boodilly shop. And below for your viewing pleasure are some wonderful avocado and gold retro kitchen images!








You can see more of these great retro images at Retro Renovation.

Drive by Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere, and happily quilt ideas pop into my head like Jiffy Pop popcorn over a campfire.


This modern studio art quilt was inspired by the colors of yellow taxis cabs, school buses, roads and road signs, thus the name, "Drive".


I love the minimalist modern design and bright colors of this quilt. Makes me happy!


Drive measures 20" x 24" and is available in my Silly BooDilly Etsy shop.

I also would like to thank everyone who left a comment on my Wonky Star Tutorial, for the Bushfire Quilt Project. I am delighted that it was of help! I've put a link up to access it over on the side.

Have a delightful weekend everyone! xo

Spring Quilt... Two Stitches Forward, One Stitch Back

If this quilt had been a baby, it would have been born breech, because it was a difficult quilt to birth.


Don't ask me why, as I have no idea. The piecing was a simple piece of cake, and the quilting should have been as well, but for every two stitches I took, another one had to be ripped out.


If it could go wrong it did. Broken threads, mysteriously faulty tensions, me getting off track from spacing out, (or more like glazing over in pure fatigue).


It was a true exercise in going with the flow, and keeping my sense of humor, (which at times I didn't do so well with. Good thing it's winter and the windows are closed, otherwise the neighborhood kiddies riding their tricycles outside may have been somewhat traumatized by hearing the slew of profanity flying from my mouth.) Maybe it was just the universe's way of reminding me that as much as I might wish it to be spring, it's the dead of winter and I better just except that!


But seeing as this quilt is suppose to be a celebration of spring, I tried to quilt it as such. Stitching horizontal points above to represent blades of grass, and straight rows below to represent the farmer plowing the field behind our house.


The majority of the quilt is stitched all over in my new favorite wavy stitch to represent the fluttery path of butterflies, and new growth emerging from the awakening garden beds.


Remember the piece of yellow from my previous post, that I had hacked off the front when piecing the top? Well, waste not, want not. It survived and was added to the back of the quilt!


I am happy to say the pain and frustration was all worth it in the end as I am very pleased with the final outcome, (but I am keeping my fingers crossed the next project goes more smoothly!)

Spring Quilt is currently available in my Silly BooDilly shop.