Inspired Broken Diamonds Mini

 Name: Inpsired Broken Diamonds Mini

Design:  Inspired by Broken Diamonds by Kati from the Blue Chair

Size: 12" by 12"

Fabric:  Kona Scraps and Kona White scraps

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white, 

Binding and Backing:  Kona Medium grey binding and backed with IKEA Britten numbers

My guild is swapping mini quilts with the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild.  I had no idea what to make because the swap specified a 12" by 12" mini.  I usually make BIG quilts so a mini this tiny was a bit of a stretch.  A few of my quilts are part of a guild trunk show at the moment including this one, Inspired Broken Diamonds.    I made Inspired Broken Diamonds after seeing Kati's quilt, Broken Diamonds.  She did not have a pattern for the quilt at that time so I just went for it and came up with my own.  Kati has since published a pattern called Wonky Cabins and provides instructions on how to make the broken diamonds blocks in the pattern.  Seeing my quilt in the trunk show was one of those light bulb moments. Hello, people.  Let's mini size it!  It seemed like a good idea.  The little diamonds are make by foundation piecing string blocks.  You need 2 identical quarter string blocks for half of the diamond and another 2 identical but different quarter string blocks for the other half.  That way no two diamonds are the same.  Kind of cool.  The smallest diamond in this 12" by 12" mini is finished at 1.5" and the biggest finishes at 3.5".  Just a little fussy.  Let me just say that pulling the paper off such tiny blocks was not fun.  But it looks pretty awesome.  I used scraps of Kona solids, Kona white and used Kona Medium grey for the binding.  The quilting is dense straight line, 1/4" apart with Auriful 50 wt in white.  Just snazzy.  

On the barn wall  and a close up.

Before quilting, on the ironing board and with my trusty stitch ripper for scale.  

And my original biggie sized Inspired Broken Diamonds from February 2013. Just a little bigger at 64" by 74".

Organizing solids... it needed to be done.

I have been on a bit of a drawer tidying bender this summer.  From Husband's t-shirts to the kitchen junk drawer, I have tidied it.  It has been awesome and left me feeling virtuous beyond all measure.  Then I read a post by Very Kerry Berry where she talked about her organization and inventory of her solids stash.  Oh my goodness.  I got right on that.  I organized, folded, identified and inventoried the whole mess.  What this told me is that I really like buying certain colours.  Kona Crocus and Kona Ash for one thing.  I have several lengths of Kona Bahama Blue and Kona Ruby was another one that I seem to like buying.  Good grief.  I also realized how close some of the colours are as I tried to identify Kona Silver and Shadow.  Seriously.  So where did this leave me?  I am right out of Kona Berry (a favourite). I couldn't find Kona Curry which I was sure I had until I realized I had pulled it for something.  Crisis averted.  I think that now that I have a list with the colours and quantities on the computer, I will be much smarter about what I think I need.  I feel so much better now.   I did organize and inventory my non-Kona solids as well.  And I keep the whites and almost whites in another location just in case you wondered.

And if you are still with me, Sew Sisters has Tula Pink's extra wide backing fabric in stock.  It is apparently gorgeous.  Check it out.  And I will be placing a Sew Sisters order shortly to take care of my Kona Berry problem.

Kona Solids and Sew Sisters Mother's Day Sale

A package of squishy fabric was waiting for me today.  I had ordered some Kona solids from Sew Sisters last week.  And here they are!  Do you notice a trend?  Lots of neutrally colours.  In no particular order we have Medium Grey, Limestone, Pale Flesh, Pewter, Shadow, Silver and Butter.  Hmm.  I think Butter must be hiding in the pile.  Trust me.  Butter is there but hiding.  

And in case you wanted to go shopping, Sew Sisters has a Mother's Day sale.  May 10 only.  

Treat yourself!

I think I am floating

   Name:  I think I am Floating

Design:  Illusion block from the Missouri Star Quilt Company

Size:  64" by 81"

Fabric: Mostly Kona solids including Kona white and medium grey for the sashing

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white in straight lines on the sashing and  a squared stipple in the blocks in Aurifil 50 wt in grey

 Okay.  This is a finish.  I actually thought I was finished a week ago and then I decided I needed more quilting.  Oh how glad I am that I made that decision.  Even though it was a complete marathon session, I added a squared stipple in each of the solid colour blocks.  Now I can say, "Done!"  The quilting is all Aurifil 50 wt in a combination of white and light grey.  The grey Aurifil worked perfectly on all those solid colours.

The quilt design is from the Missouri Star Quilt Company and is a simple, straightforward Illusion block.  I decided to use only solids and only cool colours.  I was surprised how many choices I had in my stash!  The solids are mostly Konas with a few others in the mix,  The backing is an Ikea print along with a bit of a small graph paper print in blue and green.  I bound the quilt in the same Kona Medium Grey that is used in the sashing.  I took the pictures on Sunday.  We are having a marvelous spring.  I actually picked my first dandelion flower on Sunday as well.

So there it is.  A finish and off I go to work!

Some pouches and some signs of spring

The other night at quilt guild, I did a wee demo on zippy pouches and zippers without zipper feet or pins.  I had prepped 3 sets of pouches to demonstrate zipper tabs etc. but the pouches remained unfinished until Saturday when I whizzed them through the sewing machine to completion.  I will have to post all my hints, tricks and favourite zippy pouch tutorials another day.

I think they will become door prizes at future meetings.  These are totally scrap projects as I used all the little bits leftover from the Robert Kaufman challenge and my string theory mini.    And I think I will just have to link up with Leanne for Scraptastic Tuesday.    Today is the last day!

I would never want to rub it in but we have had GORGEOUS weather.  Sunny and totally t-shirt weather.  The crocuses are in full bloom.  Just saying.  Here's proof.  Snowdrops too.

Doe and some Kona

I took full advantage of Sew Sisters free shipping sale and ordered some Konas and some selections from Carolyn Friedlander's new collection for Robert Kaufman, Doe.  Now I am not sure how they managed it but super high fives to Carol and Judy at Sew Sisters because they got Doe before anybody else.  I am not even sure if the yardage is available yet even in American shops.  Seriously.  And it is just so awesome.  Clean and uncluttered as is Carolyn Friedlander's style, Doe is another winner for Robert Kaufman.  Sew Sisters also has some Architextures and Botanics.  The prices are fabulous.  I am a huge Carolyn Friedlander fan.  Can you tell?

Look at that light blue print on top.  Love it.  It is called blue sky ovals. And I picked up a few more cool Konas in greens and blues.  They will find their way into the Illusions quilt for sure.  Sew Sisters has a massive Kona selection.  The best.  Happy shopping!

Robert Kaufman Challenge: String Theory

   Name:  String Theory

Design: Mine

Traditional Block Inspiration:  String blocks and Pinwheel

Size:  25" by 34"

Fabric: Kona solids including Kona white, Carolyn Friedlander's Architextures 

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white 

My guild, the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild always plays a role in the March Creative Stitches Show in Abbotsford.  This year, Robert Kaufman fabrics sponsored our Modern Mini Challenge.  We were given a lovely bundle of Kona solids along with some prints from Carolyn Friedlander's Architextures line and we were asked to modern up a traditional block.

Well.  It is a little bit funny that my original idea morphed into something quite different but I really like it.  I started with a simple string block and thought that it was a bit too ordinary so I chopped those up into four pieces.  I reassembled the pieces of string blocks into half square triangles and then reassembled those into pinwheels. What do you think?  I set them on point.  I like blocks on point.

Quilted densely on the diagonal with matchstick quilting in Aurifil 50wt in white and finished with a scrappy binding.  All done.  Pretty cool.  String theory.

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it up Friday.