OOPS!!

Forgot to include picture. When I get started on a subject, I get really focused on it and everything flies out of my head.

Quilting trends

Some of the favorite patterns in the 30's and 40's were fans, dresden plate, wedding ring and hexagons (grandmother's flower garden). It is amazing that dresden plate and hexagons are again very popular. They almost disappeared for 50 years. In the
50's little quilting was done. Its reemerged around the time of the bicentennial.
It slowly regained momentum and stores devoted to quilting, magazines, and guilds began to spring up.
There were fabric fads and pattern fads, but little return to those popular patterns of the 30's and 40's. Quilting changed a lot from hand piecing and quilting to machines to do it for us. During the late 80's and 90's there was an expansion of what constituted a quilt....improv piecing, embellishment, art quilts.
Now there is a new generation of quilters...internet savvy, looking to a fresh approach to fabric, patterns and styles. Bright, clear colors, use of solids, more graphic prints and those old favorites dresden plate and hexagons.
Even the desire to use scraps up and/or use an improv style to do it.
I have a now out-of-print book Beautiful Quilts: Art Deco by Jenni Dobson, who I think is English. Her premise is that most of those popular 30's/40's patterns were a reflection of Art Deco stlye popular between the two world wars. There are great modern variations for the popular patterns and patterns to make them, but not any completed quilts (just drawings). I suspect that it did not sell well without pictures of actual quilts. If you ever have the chance to see it enjoy the inspiration.
The upshot of all this babbling is I have started cutting pieces for a dresden plate quilt. Where this will go is totally unknown.

enough curvy strips.

I think I am done for now with curvy strips. Not sure how it will be completed but considering a darker solid between strips.

I have crammed a lot of new techniques into this summer. The weather has been too hot and humid to spend much of it outdoors. It time to slow down and let everything be absorbed. I certainly do not lack for projects to finish. There are scads more than I have ever posted. Onto picking out one to work on and enjoy the rest of summer.

squarely done, then strips

Working on lots of hand stuff this week...binding the scrap challenge quilt and making more of those little drunkards path blocks.

Then there is the 15 min. of play blocks. I have found a solution for how I want them set. I included 2 pictures..one with some possible applique elements and one without.

Made some more strips. LOve the fluidity of the rust/print strip. I must say I love just cutting and sewing.

I still want to make all my quilts as large as my design wall. Silly Bonnie. I need to continue to think small.

Who da thought? Both my seam rippers fell off the back of a rolling cart. I moved the cart and found lots to pick up and trash, but neither ripper can be found. Is this a hint to rearrange my quilting space, since I will now need to move several things to look for my rippers. No sewer can live without a seam ripper!!!

Going in circles

Have almost quilted by quilt made of my friend's scraps. I just love the circles---softens the mainly straight lines in the quilt. Plan a dark teal binding only 1/4" wide. Also a picture of the back. Love the fish...picked up at a quilter's fabric exchange. I thought great, it will be a stripe across the whole back. Surprise!! When I opened it only one fish was cut out on one side...I laughed and laughed and them improvised.

15 min a day

In using 15 min a day for play have made a few scrap blocks, even using old orphans as the center of the blocks. In the same vein I used an extra 15 min to make a stripe piece. Like the stripes and plan on making more. Do not like the alternate blocks for the scrap blocks, so back to the drawing board.

A friend loaned me ART QUILTS A CELEBRATION. It had some very inspirational quilts in it, but I came I realize that I will never be a lover of white, off white, cream, etc. To me it is blank. It reflects all colors and is, indeed, blank. I will use it in more traditional type quilts, but seldom in my own creations. It does make things look airy, cheerful and blank. However, I want to brighten and lighten up. The use of so much white lately, woke me up to the fact that I have many intense colors but on the dark side. Hmmm---I just love the dark side. Hmmmm----step into the light side and feel the force be with you!!!

Why am I starting another project...little 3inch drunkard's path blocks. Well needed some handwork (what about the quilt along blocks?) to take on a trip. This is my substitute for hexagons since I couldn't find the paper template sheet I wanted. In a moment of craziness I thought I would make 600 of them...well I do have a lot of reds. I would like to make a red and white quilt.

Couldn't resist making a quilt out of two of my favorite colors Cheddar (Chrome Yellow) and Double Pink (aka bubblegum) It is light and fun. STill piecing it and then it will go on the pile to be quilted. I think some "modern" girl will love receiving it. Tried to get the checkerboard to show up but a lot of vibration between the two colors.

Hey what happened to the pictures

Last weekend

We went up north to Traverse City to stay with friends---4th of July, Blue Angels, hot as hell and antique quilts. Had a great and snapped pictures of quilts owned by our friends...2 from his side and 1 from her side. The leaf quilt came out blurry but I'm glad I took pictures of some of my favorite blocks. It is from the thirties. The Ocean Waves is earlier, probably 1900 to 1915. The applique tulips look like a kit quilt from the thirties or forties. Applique was done by machine using a very short stitch. What a wonderful group of old quilts to have in your family. ps. held by guys who had a hard time knowing which way was up.