Friday, January 19, 2018

Sewing a Blue Streak

While the snow is gently falling outside (may I say.... FINALLY!!!), I’ve gathered up my sewing progress pictures for the week and am ready to blog! My supervisor Darla is deftly pacing back and forth here in front of the big computer screen, raising an occasional paw to catch  the cursor. When she tires of it, she will perch on the back of the chair to read over my shoulder. I’m so lucky to have such great support!

Starry, Starry Day is now a completed quilt. YAY!!  


It finished at 72x78”. The batting is Warm and Plush cotton, and the quilting is just simple wavy lines. I did wash it before photographing. I just love how it has a lit-from-within look radiating out from the yellow center.


The binding was a simple orange and white print, and the backing was pieced from random fat quarters and pieces that have aged well (and too long) in my stash. This was a Rainbow Scrap project from 2017 and is my first finish of this year.


I will be sharing this finish and post with Rainbow Scrap Saturday, Oh Scrap!, OMG - One Monthly Goal, and the 2018 Finish Along as the link-ups come online.

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Once Starry, Starry Day was done, it was back to sewing blue scraps.  I made two blocks for the 2018 Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler, Squared Away. 



The next block is the beginning of a new quilt for me, and it will combine two blocks; the birds  plus an Irish Chain block. Irish Chains have been on my bucket list for a long time, and I will start off with a single chain in this quilt to create a lattice effect. The background of the quilt is Kona White, and the lattice will be Kona Ocean, the deep blue in the fabric of the body of the bird.









In fact, it is that fabric that I fell in love with. I ordered yards and yards of it last spring to be the inspiration for this quilt. It’s called Maggie Jean and is from the Frolic line by one of my very favorite fabric designers, Tamara Kate. The birds will all be made in coordinating rich blues, greens, pinks, and warm orange-yellows. I found a free bird pattern at Quilting Support, and also ordered the Feathers pattern from The Scrap Basket. I looked at both, but used neither. The Feathers pattern was poorly written and made an 8” finished block. The Quilting Support pattern made a 12” finished block. I needed a 10” block to work with the 10” Irish Chain alternate block, so I drafted my own in a similar style. Half the birds will face right, the other half left. I will show more detail as I complete more birds and chain blocks.  This quilt will definitely be for me. I originally drafted my pattern to be 50x70” plus borders (probably 60x80”), but I may go larger and turn it into a queen bed size. Time will tell.


And then all my blue scraps got sewn into these 12 miscellaneous 6.5” (unfinished) blocks; three nine-patches, one block of half-square triangles, and the others being crumb blocks. They will join all the other 6.5” blocks in the Parts Departments for eventual inclusion into either kennel quilts, baby quilts or who knows what....

And next up on the design board is Hot Rods, a quilt for my brother Steve. The fabrics are all here and I am playing around with them and letting ideas percolate. Lots of accent colors are being auditioned. The larger motifs have been cut up and will be trimmed and framed. This one is going to have to lead me instead of me leading it. 


The only part I am not enjoying is that my dear brother is hovering too much and weighing in on every.little.thing. I know he’s excited, but geez. I know what I’m doing (for the most part, LOL). Anyway, this project may end up going on vacation with me next month just so I can think in peace. 

Speaking of thinking, I think that wraps it up for this past week. Oh! Just one more thing. I often get questions from No-Reply bloggers. Often I am slow to reply, but I do get there. So if you don’t hear back from me, it’s because I have no way to contact you. So be sure to either include your email address in your comment, or update your account. Bonnie Hunter has full information on how to correct your No Reply status HERE.





30 comments:

  1. Love your Starry, Stary Nights quilt - it's gorgeous! You've been busy with the blue scraps too. Hopefully your brother will let you work on his quilt without too much looking over your shoulder!

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  2. Congratulations on a RSC finish! Love the layout. The back is perfect too. Lots of great progress.

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  3. Starry Night excites me every time I see it. And your productivity amazes me.

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  4. Your Starry, Starry Day quilt is just gorgeous! What beautiful colors you used!

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  5. Oh, your little bird is so perky and fun! That will be a great quilt with Irish chain blocks.

    Congrats on the finish of Starry, Starry Day! You're right, it just glows. I've enjoyed seeing each step in the life cycle of this quilt :)

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  6. Love all those projects--but my favorite on is the bird block--
    how cute is that!!! will be watching to watch this quilt grow--during the year!!
    enjoy, di

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  7. Love your little bird - the Blue Bird of Happiness? I tried a paper pieced bird this week... too small, and one of the pieces was mitered! I set it aside. Can't think how to do that.
    Also love your star quilt. Nice arrangement... like a color wash. Good job.
    Hugs

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  8. That fabric is so gorgeous. I MUST NOT buy any. Your bird pattern is so sweet, looks like she is singing. It has to be she. Congrats on a luminescent finish. Isn't that an exciting discovery?

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  9. Some gorgeous projects happening at your place. Love the bird.

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  10. OH.MY.GOSH. CATHY!! Your Starry, Starry Day is so GOOOORRRRGEEEOUS!! AWWWWESSSOOOOOMMME! ♥ it. Congratulations on this wonderful first finish of the year. It does look like it is lit from within. Also love the little bird and that fabric, WOW!! I don't blame you for buying yards of it. Good luck with your brother. Men can be so childish sometimes, lol. But we so love them. In regards to the no-reply, I'm probably one of them. I know that I am on some blogs but I'm not on others. Go figure! I don't know what to do anymore since Blogger has changed its setting at one point but I will read Bonnie's advice as I have a lot of respect for this lady. Thanks. ;^)
    Chantal (scrap(dot)and(dot)quilts via gmail (dot) com)

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  11. Hi, me again. I've made some changes on my account. Can you tell me if you still see me as a no-reply, please. Thank you. ;^)

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  12. Starry, Starry Day is wonderful, Cathy! It really does glow! And your bird block has me intrigued, too - I have been wanting to make a bird quilt, but haven't seen that block before.

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  13. Congrats on Starry, Starry Day! I really like the color layout. I never would have thought of that radiant version.

    That Bird block is so cute!

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  14. Hooray! for a completed RSC quilt. BLUE blocks, too!!

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  15. I love Starry, starry, day. I've seen a similar one on another blog and need to add it to my (growing) todo list. But the bird is wonderful. Do you mind if I copy it. I can figure most of it out and will experiment with the bottom body part that looks a little tricky.
    You've gotten a lot done.
    Pat

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  16. Your quilt is so bright and happy. I love how you rainbowfied it. And what a cute bird block. You might want to put a flip triangle in the upper left hand corner to round off the wing a bit...or not.

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  17. Starry, Starry Day turned out fantastic! Laundering gave it that perfect krinkly-quilty look! Congrats on a lovely finish!
    I LOVE the bird block - what a great bit of inspiration! It looks straight forward enough, but I couldn't figure out how you did the beak - is it pieced or fused?

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  18. Wow!!! Is that a Fantabulous quilt!!! the light radiating out is just amazing!!!

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  19. Your star quilt is gorgeous. Love the blue birdie ... :) Pat

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  20. Starry Starry day is gorgeous!!! And I love your birdie, can't wait to see them in your Irish Chain quilt. Fabulous project!

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  21. Starry Starry Day is AMAZING! Beautiful colors! And that is one cute little birdy.

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  22. Wow - you must be so thrilled with 'Starry'!!!! I think it's one of my favourites of the ones you've done (and I agree that the light does radiate from the middle!). I have to also say that my heart did a little flip when I saw the sweet wee blue bird! I love him/her and the fact that there's blue involved makes me just feel happy. I suspect there's a new favourite (of mine) being created here!

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  23. I too love your Starry quilt finish. The color placement is spot on! Great job on all your pretty blue blocks. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!

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  24. Love the Starry Starry Day quilt, All your projects, in fact. And I think I would have bought yards and yards of that fabric, too!

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  25. I love the quilt! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish.

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  26. What a beautiful star quilt! It always amazes me how simple blocks create such wonderfully complex quilt designs.

    I look forward to seeing how your brother's quilt progresses. I have a similar panel that my husband picked up. I know he won't get to working on it any time soon so I may just take it over & do something for him.

    Have a lovely day,

    Sherry V.

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  27. Wow! It really does look luminescent! Super pretty finish!~

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  28. I love Starry, Starry Day, and all the other pretty blue projects on the go.

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  29. Beautiful finish! The colors all work so well together plus it is scrappy which is even better! Congrats on a fantastic finish!

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