What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Because my sewing room fabric shelves are almost to the breaking point -  I've been selling fabric. Except that  some just don't move fast enough and between the sales post and an actual sale,

 I came up with a quilt idea for these fabrics.....starting with a yard of Jay McCarroll's  "Center City - Philadelphia".  Combined with Michael Miller's Glitz bars and Alison Glass, Deb Strain and Marcia Derse and even some of my hand dyes, they made up into a cluster of half square triangles

 Any season is good for making a quilt, but especially when the air is cool outside.

I only have a few batik scraps left so decided to reduce them a little bit more by making an Ohio Star quilt...AKA Sawtooth Star by some.  It's a 4 block by 4 block construction simply because that's all the lighter batik background fabric there was in my stash.  It's a good community service size - 48" x 48".  Those stars made big are so easy and finished in no time by making the 2-at-a-time flying geese blocks for the star ...

 There was just no good place to stop, once I got started.....making those patchwork 16-patch blocks.  And then there was three quilt tops, each different layout and sizes.   The first one blogged about  at Marty's Fiber Musings

Patchwork 16-patch #2:

I decided the on-point orientation deserved one of my favorite Malka Dubrawsky fabrics to finish.

Then, just this morning I finished the third 16-patch.  It's even more spontaneous and whimsical  with added filler blocks cut from my vintage linen table napkins.  No, I had no fear....either they worked, or they didn't!

 The temperature has cooled this week and has me energized.  A 16-patch quilt has been on my to-do list and now I can strike that one off.  It was a good time pulling from my left over fabric scraps to get 35 16-patches completed in just about no time.  That's when it seemed a need to be a bit larger and since there was plenty of fabric, I made more blocks to get a 48" x 64" quilt top.  Without any ado or over-thinking I lined  up all the blocks on the design wall and stitched in rows.  

The ...

 Yes, a story is always in the making and now it's time to share this one.  Those of you who follow my slow down-sizing path know that I've been doing this for more than a year.  THIS being selling books and patterns and quilts and quilt tops and more.  I've tried selling locally and on FB, Instagram, Etsy and Ebay  and with hard work and tenacity have had goodly success. There's still a lot to be done!  

Anyway, I'm making this story longer than it perhaps should be.  There's one book I've tried ...

 I'm delighted to tell you that some of them are selling!   I'm a prolific quilt maker and have absolutely, overwhelmingly, without a doubt, in tears and screaming out loud run out of space to store them.  Yes, it hurts to be able to never see one again, but what's hurting more right now is that until some are out of the house, there can be no more.

This one sold quickly ~   The one called "Improv Triangles" was so fun to make so I do hope it gives the recipient as much pleasure as it did me.  

It ...

 Houses - improv - what a hoot?  I've been in the Freddy Moran quilters' fan club for many a year and seem never to tire of her spontaneity.  What fascinates me most is her unlikely fabric selection for each of her house quilts, yet each house lives beautifully in its neighborhood.  

So, having a bit of time and a lot of scraps, I set about emulating a neighborhood in an improvisational style.  House by house and tree by tree, until construction was complete. It's perfectly sized at 50" x 60" or so. 

Houses surrounded by trees.....how refreshing is that?

 What fun!  Started in February, 2021, in the virtual QuiltCon workshop presented by Blair Stocker of Wise Craft Handmade - Boro Inspired! A patchwork quilt with lots of hand stitching.  

Derived from the Japanese boroboro, meaning something tattered or repaired, boro refers to the practice of reworking and repairing textiles (often clothes or bedding) through piecing, patching and stitching, in order to extend their use.

I cut into a thrift shop linen blouse.....a slither of a t-shirt.....a feed sack....an aqua linen skirt plus one of my cut apart acid green floral silk skirts to add just the right ...

 The poll question I was asked to respond to read "How brave are you feeling?"  At the time, I was feeling so wimpish that I couldn't respond to the question.  You see,  I want to be brave and strong and be in the present....but at that present time, I was feeling bored and not sure where to go with my newest floating squares work-in-progress!   

After having a second cup of coffee (too early for wine) and muddling around the possibilities, I decided this is it, this quilt is done! 

 But it still needed to be squared (she said ...

 I wasn't alone yesterday......not with 81 other participants!  Being in a workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood, whether live or virtual,  is always a joy.  She quietly pushes without bruising body or ego.  In her very joyful way, Sherri Lynn  encourages and inspires by example.  

No, how could I be alone while interacting with the group.  We listened, we learned, we cheered each other along as we cut and sewed, each of us working separately, yet together on our personal vision of  an improv floating squares patchwork.