Doodled

Doodles are what doodles are, and rarely have I given them a second thought. Until a few weeks ago, when a random meeting doodle needed to be translated into fabric.

I had a few new stash additions, palette stacks by Marcia Derse, which I'd bought at a guild meeting where Marcia spoke; and Grid by Kimberly Kight for Ruby Star Society. The basic 'block' was quite simple, and I alternated between two versions. Nothing spectacularly clever, but satisfying nonetheless.

So I made a bunch of blocks, at some point adding a gray grid in with the black as things seemed a little dark. Eventually I put them all up on the design wall but nothing was really speaking to me. I rearranged and rearranged, and still I wasn't sure. So finally, I just started sewing, hoping it would figure itself out. I had a bit of an inkling that things were too crowded, so I cut a stack of rectangles from each grid fabric, and randomly added one in as I sewed the rows together. One thing I did love all along though, were those fabrics.... the colored print was just so interesting all cut up and dispersed, and those grids were the perfect geometric counterbalance.

By some miracle, it all worked, and by the time the top was pieced, I'd grown some fondness for it. So on to quilting! A grid was the obvious choice, and I decided to go low-key with some Aurifil 50wt #2600 (light gray). This was some fun, stress-free quilting, and I used Erica/Kitchen Table Quilting's method of quilting the right half, rotating 45-degrees and quilting the right half, rotating, and repeat. Both times I've done this it worked out really well, no puckers, and less bunching under the machine's arm. Yay. In no time I was binding it off with more of that black-and-white grid, which was the perfect frame.

So the whole reason I started this little (42" x 40") quilt was 1) as a way of procrastinating working on those larger wips hanging around and 2) a chance to play with those new stash fabrics. Even though there were bumps along the way, it was definitely a fun exploration, served its purpose well, and I'm ready to face those wips again.

This project was on my 2019 Finish-A-Long Q4 list!
Linking up with Meadow Mist Designs' Favorite Finish Monthly Linky!
Linking up with 2019 Finish-A-Long Q4 Link Up!

A Maker's Thought

Recently I had the opportunity to give a trunk show of my quilts – from the very traditional first to the most recent improvisation, and many in between. Right off, it was a pleasure, as I could tell that my audience was thoroughly enjoying the show, so to speak, and engaging in a way that encouraged me on. And I walked away with a full heart, thankful for our time together.

Once home, I received an email from one of the attendees… And she said what I thought in the moment to be the best thing ever. “You gave a fascinating talk (which was nice enough to say.…) and have driven me straight to my machine.” I think my heart stopped for just a second while I took that in. Something in what I had shared had sparked in her the NEED to create. I could not have asked for more.

All that to encourage you to be intentional about sharing your creativity. Who knows, you might just kindle a spark for someone else.

Summer Sampler 2019 :: Summertide Star

The Summertide Star designed by Faith/Fresh Lemons Quilts was the perfect final block for the Summer Sampler, especially since I actually enjoy sewing y-seams. I kinda think y-seams cause more angst than they need to. Or the thought of y-seams causes more angst, because they really aren't that tricky.

If you're not sure, check out Faith’s tutorials on the technique: Y-Seams Journal Photo Tutorial and Y-Seams Tutorial Video, and I'm sure you'll be a convert.

So now that all my blocks are done, I've chosen fabric for my setting blocks [Kona Storm + Kona Shadow] and need to start in on those soon. Wish me luck!

Week 20: Summer Kites [half-rectangle triangles]

Week 19: Heat Wave [flying geese]      Week 18: Mission Beach [hourglass blocks]

Week 17: Scattered [half-hexagons]     Week 16: Twist and Turn [equilateral triangles]

Week 15: Circle Gets the Square [color and fabric placement]

Week 14: Dandelion Clock [freehand foundation piecing/improvisational curves]

Week 13: Altitude [diamonds]     Week 12: Fussy Love [fussy-cutting]

Week 11: Bird's Eye Weave [stripes+curves]     Week 10: Off Kilter [partial seams]

Week 9: Oasis [inset pieced circle]     Week 8: Fierce [tiny piecing]

Week 7: Sparkler [transparency]     Week 6: Cul de Sac [curves]

Week 5: Rope Twist [paper-piecing]     Week 4: Victorian Tile [nested seams]

Week 3: Curious Crossing [improvisational piecing]

 Week 2: Pixelations [half-square triangles]     Week 1: Spring Fever [precision piecing]

#summersampler2019 #aqtsummersampler2019

Begonia :: October

It's seriously hard to believe. Looking back at the Seattle MQG Begonia BOM quilt schedule, I made over 300 half-square triangles over the last several months, and as of today, I HAVE ADDED THEM ALL TO MY BEGONIA QUILT TOP! Big wow.



I kinda love a sewalong like this. Each month there has been a very specific assignment, and I'm good at that kind of thing. And with the way Stefanie/@satterwhitequilts front-loaded the creation of all those HSTs, the last few months have been wonderfully relaxed sewing.

So now, the last row of HSTs is on, the 'mystery' pattern has basically been revealed (and I love it!), and now we just wait until November when we get info on borders. My quilt top is currently 66" square, and next month I'll need to decide just how big I want it to be. AND how to quilt it. I can be patient, but I'm also really looking forward to all that.

ecopeco!

A few weeks ago, Ecopeco Art offered to send me a few of their cutting mats (affiliate link) to try. In short, I love them! Right off, there are obvious attractions - they come in three sizes (18"x12", 24"x18", and 36"x24"), are self-healing, and are reversible with fresh high-contrast color combinations.

Upon closer inspection, you'll find they are odorless and BPA and PVC-free, made completely of eco-friendly materials.

***Giveaway is now closed. Thank you!***

Would you like a chance to win a mat for yourself and a friend? If so, head on over to Instagram, where Ecopeco Art is sponsoring a giveaway! I'm thinking a new ecopeco mat would be a great addition to your sewing space!

Tuesday at the Table

When a friend asked how the jet-lag was, I basically said it wasn't an issue, but I may have spoken too soon. I mean I'm making it through the days well enough, but when it IS time to sleep (or nap!) I'm sleeping SO hard. Can't get enough. But that's ok! It's great to be home. Yet the sleep thing reminds me that we're still catching up from pretty strenuous travel to amazing places. And I like being reminded.

We spent just one night in Beaune, an endearing little town in France's Burgundy region. According to Wikipedia, "The annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France. (The hospice structure, in the town center, being one of the best preserved renaissance buildings in Europe.)" Interesting! And we got to visit Hotel-Dieu and taste some great wine at a winery in town, Debray Domain. But the other thing Beaune is know for is.... beef bourguignon. So of course we had to hunt some down for dinner the one night we were there. Thankfully it wasn't hard. I did a google search for 'best beef bourguignon near me' (this is serious stuff!) and landed on Le Bistrot Bourguignon, and it did not disappoint. We arrived, though, before the kitchen opened (this is Europe, you know), and were intimidated by all the locals at the bar, and we actually walked away. But for reasons I don't remember, we turned and went back, and asked in our halting French if we could have a drink and wait. We apparently were understood well enough to be seated, enjoyed a delightful glass of wine while waiting for the kitchen to open, enjoying the restaurant's eclectic interior and the multitude of locals. That all led directly to a delicious salad with goat cheese on toast (remember, that's a favorite), and the much-anticipated beef bourguignon. Oh yum. It was everything we expected and more, and I really want to try making some at home and soon.

Bern, Switzerland wasn't a town we had anticipated seeing on our trip. It was an unexpected stop, and better yet, one of the best foodie moments of the whole trip. Except it wasn't actually the food. Oh, it was just fine - we actually had stopped in at Bread a Porter bakery for a quick, light lunch. We sat at a table out front to share our 'picnic' of sausage rolls, pretzel buns with salami, a mortadella sandwich, and some fresh-backed cookies, and that's when it happened. As there were very few tables, a young couple asked to join us. Gary & Kathryn were traveling from Dublin and we started chatting. We all shared about where we were from and where we were going, our families, and our jobs. In fact, we talked together so long, we had to race to meet up with our tour group. The encounter was even more unanticipated than our stop in Bern, and way more meaningful. And it left us with a warmth that we carried with us for days.

Then on we went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps. Undeniably gorgeous, and we spent quite the day walking up in the clouds. Besides making sure we tried a cup of true Swiss cocoa, we also enjoyed a fun demo of cheese fondue, and honestly that would have been enough of a meal for me.

We also tried Raclette, which didn't come in the specialty pan I had expected, but was mighty tasty nonetheless.

It was a few days later in Munich, Germany that we had a couple more encounters that stuck with us, at Oktoberfest of all places, where you literally had to shout to be heard over the din of music and thousands of voices. There, in a crowded beer hall (ie. the hall had a capacity of 6000!), we met Richard first, then later Sepina & George, all from Munich, and we were all eager to learn a bit about each other tho finding the right words wasn't easy for any of us. But worth it, oh yes, and memories were made that won't soon be forgotten. Sepina thanked us for letting her practice her English, which gave us all a chuckle as we parted ways.

So that was an overkill of a post I know, and I don't expect many of you are still with me. If so - thank you! I know of a few that enjoy those flavorful experiences as much as I do. And more than anything, I don't want to forget about those chance meetings shared around the table. They definitely added a something special to our days.

Sonia Delaunay

I think I actually raised my eyebrows when I saw Ken/@thekingslacker had introduced the prompt for Bee Sewcial this month. It was a person - Sonia Delaunay - an artist I wasn't familiar with. Ken shared a pinboard for us to take inspiration from, so once I perused that, I had a bit of an idea about Sonia's avant-garde style. Color and shape were obviously key.

In my own exploration, my search for cohesiveness in my block felt illusive, yet I still sensed some of Sonia's sensibilities in the arcs and stacks of blocks. My finished block measures 12 1/4" x 25", and even though I'm a tad hesitant with it, Ken and others say I hit the mark. I'll take it.

Curious about Sonia? I especially enjoyed 7 Lessons Sonia Delaunay Taught Us about Colour and Design.

2019 Finish-A-Long :: Q4 List

With fall here, it feels like we're racing towards the year's end, which is pretty hard to believe, don't you think? Among other things, it's time to create our Finish-A-Long Q4 lists. I'm going to go ahead and include most of my current wips, as I really don't know which one I want to focus on first! So not like me, but it is what it is.

1. First up is my Bee Sewcial Modular quilt, sadly a holdover from Q3. I've put the blocks up on the design wall a few different times, but still don't have a clue how to proceed. One of these days it'll come to me.



2. Then there is my meeting doodle quilt, which isn't very large at all (yet), but I'm really anxious to get back to it.



3. Oh and no list is complete without my Begonia quilt. Just a couple more rounds and this one will be ready to quilt.



4. And finally, there's my 2019 Summer Sampler! I have alot of work to do yet making setting blocks and piecing the top, but it's worth a try.



So that is very ambitious, I know, but it's what I have going on, and we'll see what I can accomplish in the next few months.

Linking up with the 2019 Finish-A-Long Q4 Link Up!

Summer Sampler 2019 :: Summer Kites

Half-rectangle triangles have always been a bit of an enigma for me. I mean I've done them, but trimming has always held some uncertainty. Things became alot clearer thanks to Katie/swim bike quilt's Summer Sampler block, Summer Kites.



AFTER finishing the block, taking photos, and putting the block up on the design wall to admire.... I realized I had inadvertently flipped the smaller kite strips so the center background 'star' design didn't come through. There's a slim chance I may 'fix' it, but chances are I won't, but rather consider it an unintentional design decision. Besides, just one more block to go!

Week 19: Heat Wave [flying geese]      Week 18: Mission Beach [hourglass blocks]

Week 17: Scattered [half-hexagons]     Week 16: Twist and Turn [equilateral triangles]

Week 15: Circle Gets the Square [color and fabric placement]

Week 14: Dandelion Clock [freehand foundation piecing/improvisational curves]

Week 13: Altitude [diamonds]     Week 12: Fussy Love [fussy-cutting]

Week 11: Bird's Eye Weave [stripes+curves]     Week 10: Off Kilter [partial seams]

Week 9: Oasis [inset pieced circle]     Week 8: Fierce [tiny piecing]

Week 7: Sparkler [transparency]     Week 6: Cul de Sac [curves]

Week 5: Rope Twist [paper-piecing]     Week 4: Victorian Tile [nested seams]

Week 3: Curious Crossing [improvisational piecing]

 Week 2: Pixelations [half-square triangles]     Week 1: Spring Fever [precision piecing]

#summersampler2019 #aqtsummersampler2019

Tuesday at the Table

You travel to Europe, and you're pretty much guaranteed some food-related moments you don't want to forget. And I have many, and I hope to share a few of them here. Considering we traveled through several different countries, I thought I might try sharing them by location. Let's begin where our trip began.... in Paris.

Our first meal was on the historic market street, Rue Cler, at a little place aptly named Le Petit Cler, recommended by our hotel clerk. Petit indeed, with the tables so close together, they pulled each one away from the banquette so diners could be seated. That aside, everything about it was charming. We had tartine, basically open-faced sandwiches topped with exquisite French ingredients.

Though our trip was primarily a guided group tour, we arrived a few days early, and enjoyed a Wine & Cheese Lunch we had pre-arranged at O'Chateau wine bar. There were some 20+ attendees from all over the world, which was an added bonus to the delicious food and wine pairing. It proved a great "opportunity not only to taste good French products but also to get an education about them," exactly as advertised.

As luck would have it, there was a very fine fromagerie [cheese shop] just steps from our hotel. Knowing full-well that it was unlikely that much English would be spoken there, we stepped in and had a lovely minimally spoken/mostly pointing "conversation" with the shopkeeper, and as hoped, left with a small collection of cheeses that proved perfect as an impromptu happy hour with the baguette we'd picked up at the corner boulangerie [bakery]. We were so glad we'd stepped out of our comfort zones - both for the encounter, as well as for that perfectly-crafted cheese.

There was a second opportunity we'd pre-arranged before leaving home, and that was a Paris by Mouth walking tour "Taste of the Left Bank." The tours are "designed to share the very best of what Parisians excel at: cheese, bread, charcuterie, chocolate, pastry, and wine." We visited several shops together, gathering goodies along the way to share at the end in a crowded little wine cellar. 

• La Maison d'Isabelle, whose butter croissants won "Best in Paris" in 2018, and for good reason

• Charcuterie Saint Germain, think rillettes, Paris ham, and terrine

• Patrick Roger Chocolatier with its exotic flavors

• Laurent Dubois, from which we picked up a variety of sheep, cow, and goat cheeses

• Un Dimanche a Paris' fancy pastries

• La cave du Senat wine shop, where the tour ended and we enjoyed our feast

Not to worry, we also devoured crepes, quiche, French onion soup, kir, and numerous salads topped with goat cheese on toast (I ordered it every chance I got!) while in town. Let's say Paris more than exceeded our expectations, culinary and otherwise.

Summer Sampler 2019 :: Heat Wave

So I'm back! Still adjusting to reality after a great time away, but looking forward to catching up. After all the fun of the Summer Sampler sewalong these last months, it wasn't easy leaving as the final blocks were rolling out, so I'm starting there.



Lee/Freshly Pieced designed block 19, which focuses on flying geese. You may remember that early in the sewalong, we made a block using Lee's Perfect HSTs. Well for her Heat Wave block, we were given the option of using her new Perfect Geese templates as opposed to a more traditional method. Since accuracy is always an issue for me with flying geese, I went ahead and used the templates, with good results. I feel my fabric combination is in question on this one, but I'm running low on some of my original fabric pull and choosing some neighboring fabrics from my swatch cards. Let's trust all is well as it fits in with the other blocks.

Week 18: Mission Beach [hourglass blocks]

Week 17: Scattered [half-hexagons]     Week 16: Twist and Turn [equilateral triangles]

Week 15: Circle Gets the Square [color and fabric placement]

Week 14: Dandelion Clock [freehand foundation piecing/improvisational curves]

Week 13: Altitude [diamonds]     Week 12: Fussy Love [fussy-cutting]

Week 11: Bird's Eye Weave [stripes+curves]     Week 10: Off Kilter [partial seams]

Week 9: Oasis [inset pieced circle]     Week 8: Fierce [tiny piecing]

Week 7: Sparkler [transparency]     Week 6: Cul de Sac [curves]

Week 5: Rope Twist [paper-piecing]     Week 4: Victorian Tile [nested seams]

Week 3: Curious Crossing [improvisational piecing]

 Week 2: Pixelations [half-square triangles]     Week 1: Spring Fever [precision piecing]

#summersampler2019 #aqtsummersampler2019

2019 Finish-A-Long :: Q3 Finish

I didn't think I'd be able to link up my finish this quarter, as I'm away traveling and blogging via my phone isn't a skill I've mastered. But thanks to a longish bus ride between countries, I thought I'd give it a try.

There were just two projects on my  Q3 List, and I finished only one, but it's a goody! My Scrap-ish Plaid-ish was made using the Plaid-ish Scrap Quilt free tutorial by 
Erica/@kitchentablequilting. It was a great scrap-buster, and though I was worried my scraps wouldn't lend themselves to as nice a range of values as others I'd seen, I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

So I'll face Q4 once I get home (soon!) but meanwhile, I'll link up with the 2019 Finish-A-Long Q3 Linky!