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.

Shades of Pink and Coral

This is my latest piece.
I find it very calming and decided to call it "Early Sunday Morning".
Sunday mornings around my home are generally very low key and easy going. Early in the morning there's a feeling of tranquility which even seems to translate into the light that shines in through the windows. I get the same feeling from these gentle shades of coral and pink.


I love how the quilting turned out. It was one of those splendid accidents. I had just oiled my machine and was sewing a piece of scrap fabric through, something I always do after an oiling... it helps to get all of the oil distributed... and my hand accidently hit on a stitch that I never use, and as I moved my hand away I wound up accidently swiping the stitch length control. Because I was just doing maintenance, I went ahead and started stitching on the scrap fabric... And to my delight I loved what I saw being stitched! Amazing what a little adjustment in stitch length and width can do. Note to self: Explore more stitches and variations of the stitches on sewing machine.


I am putting this one in my functional art quilts category, because I think it works equally well on the wall and on the table.


Early Sunday Morning-Modern Functional Art Quilt measures 23.5" x 36.5" and is available in my
Silly BooDilly shop.

Note: This quilt has been sold.

Finally!

I am finally getting some time to start some new work! This is the first in a new series of contemporary table runners/wall hangings. My original plan was to just do table runners, but then I thought "why not sew a hanging sleeve on the back, so they can also double as wall hangings?" So I did. Easy!


Please forgive this not so great photograph! It has been overcast and rainy all day. Once I can get some decent photos, I will post this baby in my shop, and hopefully will follow up with some more very soon!