Blooming Nine Patch Quilt - Easy Four Patch Version

Here's a snippet of a Blooming Nine Patch Quilt I made using a wonderful, easier four patch shortcut taught by Judy Doenias at the City Quilter in New York.  This is an incredibly, creatively satisfying quilt to make, the color migration is thrilling, the results are always a suprise.  In my opinion, there's really no way to predict exactly how the color combination and mergings will turn out - which for a quilter is quite thrilling.  The class met once a week for three weeks, so I was able to see how other student's fabric choices worked together.  I incorporated some fabric, the pink & white fabric in this photo, that I had dyed using an arashi technique. 

Black & White Quarter Log Cabin Quilt

Just a work in progress quilt, black & white quarter log cabin style. 

Paper Pieced Star Block, aka Block Rockin' Week - Caldonia

 
Here's my third paper pieced star!  I'm actually planning to make at least one more from this pattern as I really love this little star.  It's going to be part of a Modern Sampler Quilt I'm planning for a little  cousin.  My color palette plan is red, brown, all shades of greens, cobalt blue, with a neutral linen fabric included in all block with some room to improvise.  I sort of hold fabrics up again my existing blocks and fabric pull and include them if they're pleasing.  I enjoy freedom in my creative process!  

This block is courtesy of Julie Wallander Hirt over at 627 Handworks.  This and many more lovely star blocks available on her blog plus a Flickr pool & Instagram group too, so you can see the variety of results that can be achieved.

Color Inspiration - Cobalt to Mallard to Black

Palette created via Palette Builder with a little help from Koigu.  

I would also add a tiny amount of the lovely kiwi green. 

Simple Knitted Slippers

Perhaps it would be appropriate to admit to some mildly OCD-esque behavior here, as I have knitted at least 55 pairs of slippers from this pattern with another two pair currently on the needles.  The pattern can be found here.

If you know me, you most likely own a pair of these slippers.  I've found that people are generally much happier about receiving a pair of these then one might think.  I would consider them my most successful knitted gift.  

I use size 7, 8 or 9 needles, often using a combination of up to three different yarns.  I love mixing yarns - satisfies my artistic side - especially adding a shiny or glittery yarn like Vanna's Glamour from Lion Brand.  Sometimes if I have a small amount of yarn left over, I'll just divide it into two balls and knit two slippers until it's all used up.  So, it's an excellent pattern for using up scraps, also highly forgiving and easily adjustable. 

Color Inspiration - Pink, Green & Turquoise aka Child's Play

Palette created via Palette Builder

This painting is from a children's art school near my office.  I thought the color choice was brilliant and unique.  

WIP - Chevron Quilt Kaffe Fassett Pattern

This is a work in progress: top finished, basting and quilting required.  I was so taken by this quilt that I purchased the fabric pack from Glorious Color and made it as specified with just one color substitution.  The pattern requires the use of a woven, reversible fabric. 

Shibori Fabric Dyeing - Part I

Here are some bits of cotton pre-Shibori dyeing, post stitching.  According to Wikipedia, Shibori is a "Japanese term for several methods of dyeing cloth with a pattern by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, compressing it, or capping. Some of these methods are known in the West as tie-dye."  

I took a class at the City Quilter here in NYC with Susan - fabulous experience - and here are a few of the before shots of the fabric manipulation before dyeing.  It's labor intensive and takes longer than one might expect, aka don't wait until the night before to start.  The results are really stunning though.  

Photos of the finished product to follow.  

Baby Kimono Sweater

Above is a wee baby sweater that I made as a gift for a co-worker, or rather for his baby girl.  More details about the pattern can be found on Ravelry.  It's a fabulous pattern that I've made many, many times - examples here on my previous blog.  The construction is brilliant, making for an easy fit and

Here are the pants I paired it with from Baby Gap, part of their Diane von Furstenberg collection last Summer. 

Paper Pieced Star Block, aka Block Rockin' Week - Zepplin

Just another little paper pieced star courtesy of Julie Wallander Hirt over at 627 Handworks.  This and many more lovely star blocks available on her blog plus a Flickr pool & Instagram group too, so you can see the variety of results that can be achieved.

My ultimate goal is a modern sampler quilt with a few more star blocks plus some graphic patchwork blocks.  My color palette plan is red, brown, all shades of greens, cobalt blue, with a neutral linen fabric included in all blocks.

Paper Pieced Star Block, aka Block Rockin' Week - Morrison

Just a little paper pieced star courtesy of Julie Wallander Hirt over at 627 Handworks.  She posted some really great, free paper pieced patterns on her blog.  There is also a Flickr pool & Instagram group too, so you can see the variety of results that can be achieved.  I'd take a class at City Quilter with the fabulous Judy on working with striped fabric, so incorporated a few stripes. 

My big plan for this little block is a sort of modern sampler quilt for one of my cousins little kiddies (longer term goal is to make quilts for all kiddies of cousins who don't have one yet).  I'll be making a few more stars from Julie's blog as well as a few graphic, basic blocks as well.  My color palette plan is red, brown, all shades of greens, few blues, with a neutral linen fabric included in all blocks.

Color Inspiration - Graffiti in Soho

Palette created via Palette Builder

Manly Scarf - Mistaken Rib Stitch

This scarf was knit on size 8 needles, casting on 47 stitches and knit in a "mistaken rib stitch" throughout.  It's very simple, just knitting and purling.  I used three skeins of Lion Brand Amazing Yarn in Cobblestone, which is self stripe (wonderfully less expensive verison of Noro) and two of a khaki color in Cascade 220 wool.  I love Amazing yarn.  It is half acrylic and half wool, so I like to pair it with a soft natural yarn to cut down on the acrylic-ness a bit. This knit up as a luxuriouly long scarf, could be a great full cowl if the ends were sewn together. 

Color Inspiration - Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami

Palette created via Palette Builder

Color Inspiration - Asian Art from The British Museum

Palette created via Palette Builder

WIP Wednesday - Blues Triangle Quilt with a little Green for Good Measure

My latest work in progress....I have wanted to make a quilt with as many shades of blue as I could get my hands on and also wanted to make a quilt for darling little one year old boy.  So, I added a graphic print and a few shades of green and started a new quilt, one of my favorite things to do. 

Hexagon Quilt in Soft Pastels

This quilt started life as part of an experiment in a triangle class with Judy, fabulous teacher, at the City Quilter in NYC.

WIP Wednesday - Blooming Nine Patch Quilt

This is a current work in progress, a Blooming Nine Patch quilt.  I've cheated a bit by making four patch squares instead.  I'm using a hand-dyed fabric in navy & hot pink for the center and also a pink & white fabric dyed by yours truly in a shibori fabric dyeing class at City Quilter in NYC. 

Color Inspiration - Parisian Fruit & Veggie Stand

 

Palette created via Palette Builder

WIP Wednesday - Modern String Quilt

Here is a string quilt work in progress (I'm actually finished with this, just a little behind in my blogging, full quilt photo to follow shortly).  This quilt is incredibly fun to make.  It's scrap friendly and making it in the manner that I do - each square as it's own little mini-quilt - allows you to create many tiny quilts in one.  My favorite part of the quilting process is designing a new quilt, picking out the colors and seeing them shine together.  This style of quilt allows that many times over. 

On the right hand side, I'm auditioning colors for additional blocks, seeing if they work well with the quilt thus far.  Basically though, my design process involved using fabrics and colors I loved, so they were bound to work well together.  This was a very free and easy process. 

Best Modern Quilt Blogs

Here are my current, favorite, modernesque - if you will - quilting blogs in no particular order.  Most include some lovely sewing and knitting projects as well as quilts.  I like these sites in particular for their creative curiousity and lovely photography.  Please click on the titles to visit their websites. 
 

Film in the Fridge

 

 

 

 

Blue Elephant Stitches

Anna Maria Horner

 

 

 

 

 

Crazy Mom Quilts 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where the Orchids Grow

 

 

 

 

I'm a Ginger Monkey

 

 

 

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Kitchen Table Quilting

 

 

 

 

 

Purl Bee 

 

 

 

Make Something

 

 

 

 

Freshly Pieced

 

 

 Folk Fibers

 

Color Inspiration - Sophisticated Brights

Palette created via Palette Builder

WIP Wednesday - Modern Pineapple Quilt

A work in progress, Pineapple Quilt.  I'm attempting to make a circular sub-pattern with the colored portions.  I was inspired by a scrap quilt where it was randomly occurring in places. 

 

I combined two techniques that, I think, made this easier than the traditional method.  First, I strip pieced, working on multiple squares at a time.  Second, I cut the "logs" or strips about 1/8" wider than required and then trimmed down the width of each strip while making sure to align my ruler with the hot pink center square - either straight on or at a 45 degree angle for the corner pieces. 

 

This is sort of a cheater way to make sure that your blocks stay perfectly alligned.  I found it helpful and the tediousness of this step was offset by the strip piecing. 

Jay McCarroll Quilting Fabric Center City

I'm a little late to the party, but am completely in love with Jay McCarroll's fabric, designed for Free Spirit.  You can see the entire Center City collection here: Free Spirit Fabric.  The photo above is the "Center City" line in the "Downtown" colorway  and reminds me of a photo I took of a bit of rusty, paint peeling bit of the NYC subway (below). 

Victoria Findlay Wolfe created an incredible quilt from Jay McCarroll fabrics that won best in show at QuiltCon 2013, photo here: Best in Show Quilt.  My very favorite Swoon Quilt was also made with Jay's fabrics, take a peek: I'm a Ginger Monkey.  Jay brings a much needed bit of edge to the quilting world. 

Color Inspiration - Neutral, Masculine Palette

Photograph taken by my dad in Chicago.  I'm often in search of a masculine looking palette that doesn't bore, this one succeeds.

Palette created via Palette Builder

WIP Wednesday - Royal Purple Striped Scarf

 

A little work in progress scarf using Lion Brand Amazing yarn mixed with some Cascade 220.  Amazing yarn is akin to Noro yarn with, perhaps, more pleasing options for the person who favors cool colors. 

Fabric Card

 

Fabric Card made using technique from Denyse Schmidt's first book, 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects, which is basically just arranging scraps pleasingly and sewing on to the front of a card.  You may want to devote one needle exclusively to paper sewing as it dulls them quickly.

Color Inspiration - Viceroy Hotel

Color palette idea based on the lobby of the Viceroy Hotel in Miami.  I would probably add a few more varieties of turquoise, one of my favorite colors. 

 

Created with Palette Builder

WIP Wednesday - Two at a Time Toe Up Socks

 

I have always wanted to be a sock knitter, and I think I have arrived.  Knitting two at a time from the toe up is glorious!  Thanks for the inspiration to try and a great book recommendation goes to Mrs. McPorkchop . 

 

This glorious yarn was purchased at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC.  It's Alegria from Manos Del Uruguay in Carnaval colorway. 

 

Ugly Fabric Challenge

At a recent quilt class I was given the challenge of using an "ugly fabric" picked out of a grab bag.  It's the floral pattern on the far left.  I pieced together an assortment of fabrics and then turned it into a pouch using this tutorial: Noodle Head Blog  

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday (and the Occasional Thursday) - String Quilt Blues

Here's a glimpse of my design wall with a string quilt in progress. 

Color Inspiration - Electric Turquoise & Mauve

 

I used this lovely website to create a palette from my photo, Palette Builder.

Modern Kaleidoscope Quilt

This quilt was made using a technique found in the book Magic Stack-n-Whack Quilts by Reynolds, available here at Amazon. The hexagons are made up entirely of this fabric by Amy Butler.