Monthly Archives: November 2018

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The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, including products from Aurifil and Hobbs.

Our November Island Batik Ambassador challenge was to use log cabins. Log cabin blocks are so versatile. Many of us decided to utilize our 2 1/2" strip precuts. I thought this would be a great opportunity to do just that and brought out my Jungle Cruise strips. This collection is full of color in a variety of prints: tortoise shell, giraffe, snake skin, cheetah, reptile, and fern/leaf. My accompanying yardage was snake skin in hay and giraffe in citrine.

I chose to feature some of the brighter colored 2 1/2" strips with Snake Skin in Hay as my light neutral to contrast. I considered starting with a rectangle in the center of my single large log cabin, but eventually chose to start with an 8 1/2" center square (unfinished). It was once I had added my fourth side to the log cabin that I decided I really did want a rectangular center section. So I chopped off the side to trim down my center piece to (what would have started at) 6 1/2" x 8 1/2". There wasn't anything magical about this size except that the finished dimensions were both multiples of 2, since the 2 1/2" strips would finish at 2" wide.

From this point I worked improvisationally, auditioning colors for the next strips as I went. I had a slightly different vision in mind (which I'll consider for a future project), but I'm pleased with the final composition. It finished at approximately 38" x 40".

I opted to try out Hobbs Tuscany 100% wool batting for the first time with this project. I was a bit concerned that the higher loft than I'm used to would create a problem quilting on my domestic machine, but it was very easy to work with. My quilting all had the same density, but I think I'll be using some of the batting scraps to play around with mixing in some more dense quilting to really make the less quilted areas pop. Compared to my default cotton batting, this quilt is puffier and lighter weight. The wool batting seemed to cause less drag as I pushed the quilt around to do the quilting.

Jungle Cabin was quilted with Aurifil 50wt #2310 Light Beige thread. I opted for ribbon candy in the colored strips and I created a 1-inch grid of wavy lines in the background.

Giraffes are one of my favorite animals. I just love this giraffe print I chose for the back. Sometimes the favorite print going on the back of a quilt is a great way to enjoy a large piece of it.

And you know how I love a machine binding!

 

 

Thanks for visiting!

P.S. Kathleen and Laura both opted for super sized log cabins this month, too!

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My Greenery project was born out of the Pantone Quilt Challenge in 2017 coupled with the Bay Area Modern scrap challenge to utilize squares and rectangles. I finished the quilt top in May 2017, in time to submit to the Just the Top category of the 2017 Pantone Quilt Challenge. I’m so excited to have finally finished this quilt, the original inspiration for Planned Improv: Scrappy Squares which I started teaching in 2017.

This project started with a thumbnail sketch and a pile of scraps. I began by cutting all my Greenery scraps into squares. Purple was added by the advice of my friend, Mel. I worked improvisationally on the design wall with my squares and then "made it work" to piece and fill in with background fabrics (also from the scrap bin) to make my first unit. Then I repeated my process to make related units. I initially thought I would make nine, but felt "done" after 7, which resulted in the chosen layout.

I quilted this one on the longarm at Always Quilting. I started with some echo quilting around my scrappy squares. Then I filled in the background with organic, wavy lines. Lastly, I filled each scrappy square section with a boxy meander. I chose three thread colors, a pale green for the background, darker green for the squares, and purple for the center section. There were many stops and starts between switching colors and needing to advance the quilt on the frame. I'm quite pleased with the result, but it was a bit of "beat the clock" at the end of the afternoon to finish up before the shop closed. I underestimated how much time would be spent changing colors.

I made a scrappy binding and piecing the back with any stash fabric close to the color palette. Overall, it's a very scrappy quilt. It finished at approximately 61" x 66".

Thanks for visiting!

I've linked up to the Q4 FAL Finishes Linkup.

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One of my favorite parts of being in a quilt guild (or two!) is attending quilt retreats. The first weekend in November I spend the weekend in the Marin Headlands with SCVQA. It has a spacious sewing space, the food is delicious, and the views are amazing!

The majority of projects that I brought for the weekend were pieces that I wanted to finish in time to share at my Nov. 10 lecture at Amador Valley Quilters. Two of these were finished at the retreat. (The other two I made great progress on and will be sharing them on the blog soon!) I shared my Wonder Full quilt tops back in June. They use my Planned Improv: All About Angles technique in a more regular unit construction. I really like how I took two piles of identically constructed units and made two quilts with such different overall compositions.

These two were the first and third quilts I longarm quilted myself. I've been renting time at Always Quilting in San Mateo for free hand longarm quilting. The pink quilt was my very first one. I opted for a floral and leaf design with large scale motifs and lots of space.

On my second trip to the longarm I quilted the navy quilt. I opted for three different motifs and alternated the designs in each diagonal strip. This led to a challenge as I couldn't complete a strip without advancing the quilt on the frame which resulted in numerous starts and stops. That said, I'm thrilled with the overall look of the quilting. Check out that texture on the back! Between this one and Fandangle Scrappy Squares I am now hooked on the longarm.

 

All About Angles is my latest Planned Improv workshop. I'm currently working on a mostly blue version with Cherrywood fabrics, using smaller units. And you may have seen my Pantone Ultra Violet version which I finished this summer.

 

The second night of our retreat I took advantage of the opportunity to go on a short hike with a few other quilters to watch the sunset. The weather was perfect.

Thanks for visiting! Happy quilting!

I've linked up to the Q4 FAL Finishes Linkup.