Scottie Quilt Fini!

If you are reading this, it means I successfully managed to package up myself, my camera, my kids, my lint roller, and this freshly completed Scottie Quilt, and ventured out into the Spring afternoon to take pictures. The last stitch in the binding went on late last night. This quilt is headed to France for my Aunt Nina's birthday in May.

This is a value quilt. You'll see the play between the dark and light colors is what makes the design pop. I also wanted to use Pearl Bracelets fabric by Lizzy House. They add such wondrous movement! There are two slim scrappy borders, one light value on the inside and a  dark one against the binding. The binding is mostly black with little Champagne-style bubbles.

This quilt is a bold, super eye-popper with a bright radiating diamond design which is done in black, red, white and gray.  Honestly, I feel like the boldness got away from me and flew a little out of control. My Aunt Nina is a gentle soul who loves floral fabrics and I hope she remotely likes it. In fact, I want her to know it's okay if she re-gifts it. It's that bold.

Choosing the back was challenging as well. What do you put on the back of such an eye-popping front? I would have chosen a rich soft cotton flannel plaid with reds and greens, but could not find it. Instead I chose  a primary color scheme with a little french blue and soft yellow.

Hopefully as Aunt Nina snuggles with this quilt, the charming Scotties and light value fabrics, especially the Riley Blake stitch instructions, will come into view. The all cotton batting will keep her lap (and cat) warm, and the love I sewed along with each stitch will melt all around her. It's a handmade quilt, after-all. Before the fabrics, colors, and design are chosen, there's love. 

 Linking up to Finish it up Friday! Happy Quilting!

Scottie fabric - Great Scott by Greta Lynn for Benartex Fabrics
Red and black plaid -  Great Scott by Greta Lynn for Benartex Fabrics
Pearl Bracelet fabric, black - Lizzy House and Andover fabrics
Stitch instructions - Lori Holt of Bee In My Bonnet for Riley Blake Designs.
 

Framed it!

I should, and I would encourage you, to wear some sunglasses before viewing the following pictures. It's a bright and bold one, this radiating diamond.

See, I could move foreword and baste the quilt in the first picture here:

But...then I thought, I haven't done a border in awhile. So here is the same quilt with a snazzy scrappy (and value-conscious) border:

I like it! When I was in my 20's, living in any-old apartment, I would nail, tack or tape art on the walls for decoration. It was easy and the whole place could be easily re-arranged. Only recently has the beauty of framed art made its way into the deepest cockles of my heart. There's something regal and classy about framed art - even a greeting card looks fancy in a frame. I notice too how a frame tends to draws the eye towards the art within its center. That's what I wanted with this quilt. I wanted the radiating diamonds to feel like they were radiating, but then at the same time, I wanted the radiating to stop and be contained within a frame.

I decided to do a slim light-value border followed by a thicker border using the same dark-value colors that make up the radiating diamond.  This value-play is something I am most extremely excited about and the frame just makes is fancy.

Triangle (and value) Love.

The more I quilt, the more I fall deeper in love with the triangle. At first, it was an intimidating foe, those three pointy sides. Now, it is a welcome symbol of versatility and design freedom. The other thing I am overjoyed to integrate into my quilting is value. For me, it's more of a feeling than anything I can define but it is usually summed up as, the difference between light and dark color intensity. The contrast between light colors and dark colors in the photos below is what makes the design appear to your eye. The dark colors appear to move into the foreground and the light colors recede. 

Here's six reasons to love the triangle, made from the same blocks:

DID YOU SEE THAT?! 6 different designs made from the SAME 1/2 square triangle blocks! Maybe I don't get out much, but THIS is the kind of art-magic that I  LOVE! And notice the versatility of the 1/2 square triangle blocks - triangles, I'm telling you, best shape EVER.

Now, which design do I choose for the quilt?
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And, special thanks to my most supportive assistant.

New Beginning

I know and love someone who has a birthday in May. This same talented individual also loves Scottie Terriers. If this sounds like you...stop reading! What lies ahead is your birthday present! If you wish to proceed (which wouldn't be the end of the world) you will get a glimpse of the eye popping quilt that will be arriving upon your doorstep on, or slightly before, May 10, along with exploding happy birthday wishes and thanks for your strong and inspirational support.

I am speaking of course of my Aunt Nina. It was a tough decision because I know Nina loves Scotties, gardens and flowers, specifically. So naturally this quilt could have been floral, and it would have been stunning...but instead I listened to my gut, which I am learning to do more of and finding it is often the voice of wisdom eternal - I went Scottie! 

This is also a Value Quilt, which I am excited to try. I want my Aunt Nina to know how much I value her.

Bella Terra Quilt Complete!

 Steep some tea, get a blanket for your lap, and enjoy the pictures that follow ~

 Let me say first, I love this quilt and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Sometimes I'm not sure how a quilt will look at completion, even though I do plenty of graph paper sketches. There is a slight gap between what I see in my mind and what materializes in reality. I suppose this element of surprise is one of the reasons why I keep making quilts.

So let's get the formalities out of the way. This quilt is a mix of 4 fabrics, the most memorable being Inspirational Words by Cosmo Cricket for Moda. The other three fabrics are very cute and from a session of retail therapy at Joannes, one random Saturday in last October. You will have to forgive me, I only know 1 designer specifically, Premium Quilt Fabric Market Stolls (the little pastel houses you see). The sashing is Kona Snow. The binding is from Moda's line Marmalade. The buttercup yellow on the back is DS Quilts Collection. I learned with this quilt to pay closer attention to fabric names and designers. Oh, and it's 561/2 inches square.

When combined, the fabrics remind me of a walk around the block. The little houses, the birds, and the bold sunflower botanical make me think of an afternoon stroll. The inspirational words however, suggest  the stroll becomes a more thoughtful and purposeful adventure. Maybe it's a break for a frazzled mom (I say this from experience), or someone looking for a new perspective, or a way to get your heart beating. I like to monitor the gardens, fruit trees, and bird activity around my block. Every walk I take is a little different. The seasons change and the world (our Bella Terra) never fails to make me feel inspired and charmed.

In a desire to be in very good company with the other quilters out there, I linked up to Finish it up Friday. Happy Quilting everyone!

In This Moment

 In this moment I am beyond excited about finishing up this guy...

 Praying the rain and cold of winter will soon be replaced with warmer, drier (dare I say sunny) days...

Enjoying the back yard again (it's been about 5 months)....

Seeking the comfort of our mantel memorial for our fathers who passed away last month.

Thinking about them a lot...

and Grateful for all of the thoughtful condolences.

Packaged

Packaging a quilt that is bound for shipping is a  new territory for me. I recently discovered that when the quilt is folded, wrapped in tissue, and placed in the box, my heat is a-flutter with anticipation. I am overflowing with excitement for the individual who will eventually open the package and gasp with joy (I hope). I am filled with gratitude for said individual who has trusted my fabric talents and bought a quilt! And I am overjoyed to be doing quilting (this work I love, love), designing quilts, selling quilts, packaging quilts, addressing quilts, and using the revenue from sold quilts to dream and create new quilts. In other words, living my dream! Whew, as you can see this is pretty cathartic for me.

Yes, there are a lot of emotions swirling when I take that one final look in the package (the one with the quilt inside, bound for shipping).  Maybe it's the crisp white tissue? The cloth ribbon? The hand addressed thank you note? Maybe it's the handmade quilt inside package bound for shipping... the quilt that is headed for a new home. Oh yes, it's that, that's the anticipation that makes my heart flutter.

Loving Memory

There are two people who make it possible for me to be here, at this creative endeavor, writing this blog and sewing quilts. The first Person is Cutie, my better half, my husband. His heart is so enormously generous that he drags himself out of bed at 5:15am every work day, showers, dresses, makes an espresso (home roasted by him and bursting with deliciousness), and then he shoves off to work. He walks out the door and I stay home with the kids, everyday. He has never asked me to work and in fact, he considers it a better choice for me to stay home and raise our kids in a comfortable environment during their early years. I agree, even if some days feel like an frazzled eternity. What came out of my time here at home was the dream of quilting (as a means of staying sane) and having a little place I could sell my quilts. That dream became reality recently after I posted my quilts on ETSY and my quilting is a source of constant bliss amongst the ups and downs of raising little ones. So, Cutie, Thank you!

The other person that makes it possible for me to be here is my dad. I grew up surrounded by his love of the arts and at every turn of my young life, if I showed any interest in any artistic medium, he indulged me. When I wanted to draw, he bought me paper and markers. When I wanted to sculpt, he bought me clay. He taught me how to throw and glaze pottery when I was 12. He bought me a drum set and lessons when I fell in love with music as a teenager. He believed travel was a way to expand consciousness and he made it so (by scrimping and saving) I could stand beneath Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling, see the Mona Lisa in real life, gaze upon the ornate gold designs in the Book of Kells, walk through the Louvre, take a train over the Swiss Alps, see windmills and wear wooden shoes, smell the fragrant floral breeze of Hawaiian air, and look up at the Redwoods (an exercise in perspective, no doubt). Now, we weren't rich by any means. But my dad believed that a rich life experience and seeing the world was essential. Above all, my dad's best gift to me was unconditional love, full support, and someone believing in me enough to give me a solid artistic foundation.

My Dad passed away on January 16th. He was 58. I notice, as I grieve him, the most healing and comforting thing I can do for myself is quilt. Quilting reconnects me to my dad's memory and a dream he had for me to be fulfilled as an artist. A dream he would have loved to live himself. When medics were trying to revive him, I ran to my sewing machine, crying, and I sewed a few seams. It was the only thing I knew to do in those few chaotic minutes and I felt like sewing was something my dad would want me do. I could feel his soul, saying, "Go and sew!" Since the 16th, I have cried buckets at my loss of him. I have cried in front of other people, in public, and silently in the middle of the night. I know my dad is free despite my grief. I know his spirit is with me always and he would want me to lean on the foundation he gave me and keep making beautiful quilts. So, Pap, Thank You, too!

Recently I sold two of my quilts through my Etsy shop. I wish I could call my dad and tell him. I wish I could hear the excitement in his voice, I know it would be audible. The dream of making quilts is mine, but now, I quilt for him too.