Rusty Windmills

Well, here's the finished pinwheel quilt that I gave a small peek of in my last post. It was inspired by rusty farm windmills. Now, it seems to me that not so long ago just about every farm around here had a windmill, but now I am seeing them less and less, which makes me sad.

However, I am really happy with how the quilt turned out!

I wanted a modern take on a traditional Amish pattern, and of course I also wanted to use colors that reflect the barn/farm structures in this area. Around here you see lots of whites and reds, as well as various colors of weathered brown wood. And rust. Lots of rust!

So, once again I turned to those great "Grunge" fabrics, (from Moda). They capture the patina of this area better then any other fabric I have yet to find. Even the white fabric is streaked and flecked with bits of grey and beige, although it's so subtle you unfortunately can't really see it from the photos.

I quilted this piece with straight and wavy lines in an arrangement that I hope gives the feeling of air moving through the windmills blades...

because what good is a windmill without moving air?!

"Rusty Windmills is now here available in my Rural Retro Designs shop.

Hope you all have a great day!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

I made this little quilt last week, with that old saying, "April Showers Bring May Flowers" in mind.


However this year, truth is that we not only haven't had any real April showers yet, we also have had no need for them either, (as far as flowers go) as unseasonably warm March days have brought flowers to us unusually early...


And even if some are really allergy inducing agents of torture, for now we will forgive them a bit, as they just look so darn pretty!

To help create the feeling of April rain coming down, I decided to quilt this piece a bit more closely then the previous two quilts that I did, (found here and here) and which for simplicities sake, I am from here on out going to refer to as "color blocking" quilts.


I used several different colors of the beautiful Sulky® variegated threads that I was gifted a while back. I love how they dance across the top and add a whole extra dimension of color and texture.


'April Showers' is now available in my shop here.

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And here's a little peek of what I am currently working on...


I've had a case of pinwheels on the brain this week, and am currently putting together this quilt top, inspired by rusty windmills. Hope to have it all finished by next week. Till then, have a great weekend everyone!

Easter Inspiration

It dawned on me this week that I have no Easter decorations. At least none that I can find. Not sure where they went... I know that I use to have decorations, which I would bring out every year when the girls were little, along with their baskets which would be filled to the brim come Easter morning.


Over time though, I have gotten more and more lax, but along with still dyeing Easter eggs, (which I have yet to do this year) and filling at least one communal basket full of treats, (which I have yet to buy any of this year) I always seemed to have the house at least a little decorated for the season, (although I admit it's been less and less with each year the girls grew). With the exception of the white stone egg, pictured in the photo above, I haven't been able to find a single Easter related decoration. (We will blame it on last year's spring cleaning. I must have done an unusually good job!)

Well, no harm done, as it gave me the perfect excuse to make this little quilt for the house! (I want to give it a name but can't can't decide between 'Egg Hunt', 'Easter Parade', or 'Candy Dots'. I am open to suggestions).


I used some of the pretty organic Cloud 9 Fabrics that my good friend Michelle, (co-owner of Cloud 9 Fabrics) gifted me a few months back. (I have been saving them for just the right projects!)

And it also gave me a good reason to do a little old-fashioned piecing, something I haven't done in a long time. And yes, I felt rusty! I had to practice a bit to get those curves close to right, and not every point matches up perfectly... which made me realize that as much as I adore improvised quilt making, I don't want to lose the formal techniques and skills that I once worked hard to learn. I have always felt that it's best to know the rules before breaking them, and it simply never occurred to me before that you could know them but forget them! So, expect to see some more old-fashioned piecing along with the improv, as I realize I need to use it so I don't lose it, (like my Easter decorations!)

Color Inspiration: Blood Oranges

Color inspiration truly is everywhere and if you are ever in need of a quick fix, just visit your local produce supplier.


Blood Oranges. Are they not gorgeous?! I have been enjoying this delectable fruit for the last few years, and am always delighted when they become available. The deep reddish, purple coloring comes from the presence of anthocyanins, which are a type of plant pigments found in many different flowers and fruits, but generally not found in most citrus fruits.... which makes these babies extra special.


For this quilt, I used colors found in the blood oranges and for some pop and zing added some contrasting greens and blues.



I continue to be enamored by the Moda Grunge fabrics, (by Basic Gray). Love that they work as solids but have that layer of added interest, which reminds me of worn and exposed paint. (You may remember I first started using the Grunge fabrics when making this quilt in shades of off-white and brown.)


This colorful little quilt is now available in my shop here. (Now SOLD)
Hope you all have a joyful and colorful week! xo

Hello!

Wow. I did not mean to be gone from the blog for so long! It seems that I wound up taking an unexpectedly long break from sewing and haven't had anything to show. Part life, part winter, part creative burn-out.


But happily this week, the sun has been shining, my enthusiasm once again lifting, and my creative juices are slooowly starting to flow.


I managed to make two quilts. The first one is this little mini quilt. (Yes, the trip to Rincon has sparked a renewed interest in bringing some color back to my work!) I am planning on doing a small series of these little quilts... all with the intent to get back to the basics by exploring color interaction, line, and the division of space.

And previous to the quilt above, I also made this wall hanging which was inspired by the split rail fences that are frequently found in my area, as well as something I saw ...


Last week while walking down a country road near my home, I stopped to watch two horses playing and frolicking in a small, fence enclosed pasture, situated between two farm houses. On the opposite side of the road was another pasture, but this time large and expansive, and filled with rows and rows of split rail fencing, creating many enclosed areas for more horses...


The thing was, all of the fenced in areas were empty, except for one at the very farthest corner, where one lone horse stood, head hung over the fence railing, staring across the fields. He watched with a longing look at the two horses on the other side of me having a grand, old time.


I imagined how that horse wished that all the fences were broken, so that he could gallop with wild abandon over the pastures and across the road, joining in on the horse play.


And so with that horse in mind I choose to quilt this piece with stippling, (instead of the straight stitching I had originally intended). As I quilted I imaged he, (and maybe myself?) was having a grand old time knocking down fences and running free with wild abandon!

So here's to Springtime, renewed creative energy, and all good things coming alive again!