Version 2 :: Positively Spring

Now it's time for version two of my Positively Spring Table Runner!  The only thing is I don't think the name fits this version at all.  

This time I used my medium of choice...solids.  Peppered Cottons to be precise.  I wish I could tell you the exact colors I used in this runner, but my documentation skills are sorely lacking.    



The table runner I designed for Modern By The Yard Issue #13 e-zine is available here:  Positively Spring, and it's free!! 

 

Both runners are the same design and pattern, but what a difference fabric choices make!  If you are willing to experiment with color/fabric placement you can easily change up the entire vibe of a quilt.  

Most of my Peppered Cottons were purchased at QuiltCon Nashville.  Which means they had plenty of time to sit on the shelf for me to admire.  Sometimes it's hard to actually make that first cut in a stack as pretty as this.  It's was time.  Of course I have plenty left over, so I'm sure more projects will happen one day. 

The quilting is a mixture of geometric lines and 1/2" lines using 50wt Aurifil thread in Light Fern (2882), Bright Turquoise (5005) and Grey (2605).  I love that Aurifil has every color you could ever want and I wish I had one of every color available!  A girl can dream!

When I do geometric quilting, I try to plan out my moves (or lines) so that I can work the entire section without having to stop and tie off the thread creating threads to bury.  It's like solving a puzzle and I might be slightly obsessed!  

There is always plenty of marking when doing this kind of quilting for me.  I almost always use my Hera marker to make the lines, that often depends on what color the fabric is.  Or if I totally flubbed up marking with the Hera marker and need clarity from the chaos I created I'll used a washable fabric marker.  

I nearly had enough of the minty green backing!  So, so close!  I was determined to use it regardless and added a strip of a slightly darker shade to extend the backing to be large enough for the front.  You gotta do what you gotta do, right?!

Half the fun of designing is trying different combinations of fabrics.  Solids or prints, a couple small piece placement changes and it can feel like you used two completely different patterns!

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING 
MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF ● WHOOP WHOOP FRIDAY

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY  

Positively Spring :: Modern by the Yard

It's that time of the year again!  Springtime!  I love this time of the year because it starts to warm up, flowers are growing and blooming and it's just feels fresh and new!  

Which brings me to the latest edition of Modern by the Yard Issue #13 E-Zine!  For those who aren't familiar with the magazine, it's published through Benartex.  Each issue offers several patterns from quilts to table runners and you know what the best part is?!!  It's free!  While many of us are staying home these days this might be the perfect solution to save your sanity!

MODERN BY THE YARD ISSUE #13

I just happen to have a Spring inspired table runner inside these virtual pages!  

POSITIVELY SPRING

The fabric is from the 'Choose to Shine' collection by Cherry Guidry.  It's a lovely print that has a fresh mod vibe.

These are the three main prints I used.  Springy, modern and fun!

55" x 15"

The runner is 55" x 15".  Not only does it include 'Choose to Shine' prints, I also added yellow and white Superior Solids.  



The goal was to keep it fresh and modern and I think I accomplished that.  There's a hint of a Plus block (positive) along with a bit of a woven feel with the yellow.  



For the quilting I added 1/2" straight lines using a pale yellow thread.  I even attempted a flower-ish design in the remaining white spaces.   



The possibilities are endless with this design regarding color, fabric and quilting.  



When I design, and especially when it's for publication, I like to make an extra one using completely different fabric.  I'll share that very soon, for now I hope you go check out the latest issue of Modern by the Yard! 

Here is the E-Zine link again:  MODERN BY THE YARD ISSUE #13

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING 
MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF ● WHOOP WHOOP FRIDAY

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY  

Tested and Mother Approved :: Half Circle Runner

Much like the old commercial for Kix the cereal...this design has been tested and approved!  Approved by me, but I don't think that matters in this case!

Half circles have been intriguing to me and when I finally made the time to play with them, I was hooked and inspired!  There are so many options and I was determined to make my mark in the world of circles.  

When I was testing I made several blocks in order to be sure I could line up the seams and get a feel for circles.  Half Circles :: The Test is the result of my efforts.  Efforts I was all to happy to make, happy with the results and happy to use said 'test' blocks and make a runner out of them!

CIRCUS
15" x 42"

In my mind, that was the easy part.  The hardest part, and the part I struggle with the most is quilting.  I remember when I first started quilting and blogging I asked once if quilting really mattered that much.  Naive.  Newbie.  In my mind I thought back then that the design is what spoke, not quilting.  Perhaps that gives you a glimpse into my mind and why quilting scares me!  Quilting does matter.  It's the make or break of any design.    



So we stress about it.  We set projects aside until an idea feels right.  Or maybe we even send it off to a professional who can make the determination of the right design for us.  Granted, this is just a runner.  A small piece that is inconsequential in the long run, but one I want to be killer good!  Which leads me to continually trying to make quilting a part of the design.



I decided to just do...and not think too much about it.  My first decision was thread.  I used Aurifil #5022 in Mustard.  I felt like it would be a good choice to blend into all the colors and not standout too much. 



The first thing I did was stitch in the ditch around the circles.  Then it was diagonal lines around the outside.   I first had my lines marked at 1", and then decided to make them 1/2".  It seemed so simple.  I struggled with making the lines line up, spaced evenly and at the right angle!



Struggle, yes!  I made it through and then had the circles to focus on.  I've never been one to see the big picture...so to say this was easy is a stretch!  It seemed appropriate to add some circles and that's just what I attempted to do!  



I will never say I nailed a pebble!  But...at some point it doesn't matter!  I will always and forever factor in the fact that pebbles are not perfectly round and after washing and the crinkle effect...it matters very little!

After pebbles, was a little swag action and a geometric star of sorts.  



I'm comfortable with how it turned out, enough so that it was time to bind it with a dark purple!  Which made for a very happy night of hand stitching Which I love to do so much.  No sarcasm...I really do!



I'm going to call this little adventure a test that panned out!!  It gave me the confidence to make an actual quilt using larger blocks. The troubling part for me is...lets revisit the quilting...how to quilt it!

 

I don't want to quilt this.  I do not want to quilt this one!!  I do not want to do sub par quilting on this quilt....HELP!

That's where I'm at right now!  My mind says that there is so many options for this design, my common sense says 'you ain't gonna do it justice'!  I believe this is going to hang on my design wall for many months to come!

Normally I don't bring personal into my quilting blog.  However the past few days have been so devastating and heartbreaking that I'd like to make mention and request that you pray for a couple of families.

One of my daughters best friends husband just passed on Thursday of brain cancer.  He first had tumors four years ago and had a clean bill of health until a year ago when the tumors returned. His family grew since then to include Julian (8 months old) as the little brother to Elvie (9).  Aaron and Jessica were one of those couples who you knew were destined to be together as one.  Aaron passed on Thursday at the very young age of 33.  His brain cancer brought everyone to their knees.  Unexpected to say the least.

Also, my ex-sister-in-law succumbed to brain cancer just this morning.  She fought for ten years with colon cancer and in the past month she received the devastating news that she had brain cancer.  She fought valiantly for so long only to have another death sentence handed down to her. 

If you can send a prayer, I know that these families would receive it with open arms.  It's such a devastating diagnosis for anyone.  One, but two...Prayers...that's all that matters.

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

A Medley :: Mishmash :: Potpourri of Little Things

It's the little things that fill our time and keeps us busy!  There is always a reason or at least a way to justify going off script, and I must say I do enjoy the change of pace every now and again!

In between large projects I do love to fill the time with smaller project as a way of clearing my head and regrouping.  Not all are with that purpose in mind, but it does help.

IMPROV POT HOLDERS
8.5" x 8.5"

Last week I dove into some good old fashioned improv.  I was contacted and asked if I could make two sets of black and white pot holders.  Of course I could!  In fact, I was itching to go from precise piecing to something a bit more freeing.     

The pot holders were received and she loved them!  Not only did she love them, but she wants another two sets!  It's rather perfect timing as I just finished quilting an labor intensive quilt and ... I need a change! 

SWEET MINI
5" x 7"

You guessed it!  I made another mini mini!  This was made with the bonus triangles from my Sweet Dreams Quilt.  I've been getting better about letting go of scraps, but in this case I was sure it would make a sweet little somethin'!    

THREADS TABLE RUNNER
15" X 52"

I'm feeling like a ping pong ball!  Here we are back to improv!  My gray scraps were building up and while there might not be enough for quilt size, there certainly were enough for a table runner.



It's a smaller version of a quilt I made years ago called 'Threads'.  Scraps of gray in all shades and bits of all the colors in the rainbow.  

I often say a runner is a smaller project that is quick and satisfying.  This was no exception.  



I finished it off by quilting organic lines in varying widths horizontally and vertically.  The vertical lines are just down the center which create a funky grid.

CURVE TABLE RUNNER
15" X 52"

Here we go with another runner!  One of my guilty pleasures is curves.  I love curves and honestly I don't do them enough.    



I like to take a neutral background, in this case it's ivory, and toss in one of every color!  Maybe not every color, but a lot of colors.  I used Shot Cottons with a few Peppered Cottons for variety sake.  



The quilting is another favorite, organic curves.  It's a sure fire way to create texture!  Plus, how fun is it to have something small to quilt where you aren't fighting with the bulk of a quilt and you can go full throttle with the pedal down?!

As you can see, I like to stay busy!  I don't like to be idle, except at night and even then I enjoy having some sort of hand stitching to do.

And I know I'm not alone!  What is it that you like to do to keep yourself busy?

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

'Point Made :: The Saga of a Table Runner

There might not be a lot of people who use table runners these days, but it won't stop me from making them!  

I have many reasons why I like making them.  I even have a top three as to why I enjoy tossing a table runner in the quilt rotation!
  
1:  they are quick.  2:   I can use scraps.  And 3:   the size makes quilting fun!

Also, it's a good way to try new ideas and use orphan blocks.  But that's just the beginning!  How about it's a good way to add color and texture to a room?  It can certainly add a big pop of color and deliver a bold statement!  That right there is reason enough!

POINT MADE
14" x 50 1/2"

Here I was with this idea.  The kind of ideas that you can't get out of your head until you do something about it.  While I was designing it in my head, I knew it would make a much better table runner than a quilt.  At least at this time.  

The one thing I wanted to have was two colors and crisp points.  What better way to achieve that than paper piecing?!   

Simple!  Not quite so simple.  Doable...it would just take a little more time than I thought.  I launched EQ7 and came up with a couple pointy blocks.  This is where the simple came into play.  I designed two blocks that were slightly different from each other.  One worked one was a total fail!  That's all fine.  The next step was a layout.  The possibilities are pretty endless.  I got the block, I figured out the design, now I just needed the right sizes.  If you look at the runner you'll see that they all vary.  Width, height...I like a variety and it soon came together.  

With the plan solidifying, it was printing time.  A few of the blocks were larger than a piece of letter size paper so taping was required.  That's what happens when you want variations!  

When it all comes down to it, most of my time was spent designing, taping and picking color combinations for the shapes.  The shapes are among the easiest to paper piece.  Which made the process quick and fun!  

I picked grey, aqua, green and blue thread for the quilting.  The center of the triangles were quilted using a coordinating thread (aqua or blue or green), and the background was grey thread all the way.  Geometric straight lines were a breeze!  That's why this size is always so much fun!

My last quilting project was free motion stippling and I loved it.  It was fast!  But my heart belongs to lines, geometric, straight or otherwise!  As much as I wish I would be more of an 'all around' quilter...we each like what we like!

Now that I've 'sold' you on why you should make table runners, what's your experience or thoughts on the subject?  

Are you thoroughly opposed to the idea, make them and love it, don't care one way or the other ...or have you just been coaxed into giving it a try?!

LINKING:

Oh Scrap

Main Crush Monday

Let's Bee Social

Needle & Thread

TGIFF

Finished or Not Friday

Crazy Mom Quilts

Rainbow Connection :: A Table Runner

Early last month I was working on a design for a table runner for a publication.  I fiddled and fiddled some more with it using specific fabrics and settled on a design.  That I can't share, but I will share a slightly similar, yet different design. 



I was scavenging through my scraps and of course, there were plenty of options to choose from. I couldn't help taking the rainbow route once again.  It's effective!  Plus, were coming to the end of winter and color has been in short demand!

14 1/2" x 50 1/2"

I started with a deep dark red and transitioned to a deep dark blue, for a total of twenty-nine different colors.  Hot and cold.  The squares and snowball blocks are 2" finished.  It's been a while since I made a snowball block!  But I liked it!



I machine quilted 1/4" lines around the center panel and added a criss-cross design in between the blocks.



The rest of the quilting I kept simple.  I guess you could call it the 'plaid effect'!  



I choose not to quilt in the blocks.  I wanted to!  If I had, I would have wanted to use a coordinating thread color.  That is a lot of work!



The backing is a print that has been lurking in my stash.  In an effort to use and clear out some 'oldies', I used it for the back.  A spring surprise!

Anytime I make anything rainbow, my first thought is to quilt each color with matching thread. You know and I know it's time consuming.  If I don't do that, I ignore the colors completely and quilt around them.  My brain doesn't seem to ever go anywhere else!

My question is:  What do you do when you have a quilt with so many colors?  How do you decide what color thread to use?  With the white background I guess I would choose white thread, would I?  Would you?

Such a conundrum!

LINKING:

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

Fabric Frenzy Friday

TGIFF

Oh Scrap!