What Was I Thinking?

What was I thinking? Seriously.

I don't usually prewash my fabric. I know there are many of you out there that do and I tip my hat to you for being that motivated. It's not a task for the feint of heart. Unless you diligently prewash every single thing you bring home each and every time you buy fabric. Otherwise it can be a big confusing mess.

Having heard stories of bleeding solids and ruined quilts, I decided to prewash the solids I plan to use for my BoulderMQG color study quilt. A project I have yet to start but I do still plan on making it so bear with me. The color study will return . . .

That led to deciding to prewash ALL my solids. I have several modern quilt ideas that will use all solids so why not be prepared?

Well . . . it took FOREVER. And technically I'm still not done as I haven't done the grays yet. I used color catchers in every load and there was very very very little bleeding. Seriously. That bit of aqua was the worst it ever got after loads of washing in all colors. Was it really worth all this effort?

The bigger problem I encountered was fading along the fold lines. My fabric is stored on open shelving but it never gets any direct sunlight so I was quite disappointed to see just how many cuts had faded along the fold. Nothing to be done about that but it does make me less likely to stash solids until I know how to avoid the fading. For now I'm storing them in tubs behind closed doors.

I have four tubs of freshly washed solids now. If only I had the motivation for those modern all solid quilts right now. Hopefully later this year . . .

At this point, I'm wondering why I got myself into this mess. And where does it end? What if I find other solids stashed away for a particular project like I did last week? Now I need to wash those because I've washed all the others. And what about projects that might mix solids with unwashed prints. Oy!!!

I'm not telling you this to start up a debate on prewashing. To each their own when it comes to that decision.

But I am curious about something. If you are a prewasher what is your process?

• Do you wash everything first before adding it to your stash? 
• Do you worry about mixing prewashed fabric with unwashed fabrics? 
• Do you worry about using precuts (unwashed) with prewashed fabrics?
• Do you have problems with fabrics fading along fold lines?

It feels like I've opened a HUGE can of worms and I am regretting my decisions. Where does it end?

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Colorful Colorado

I did it!  I got my challenge quilt done and delivered in time for the show next weekend. WaHoo!!!

"54 Fourteeners and Amber Waves of Grain"

Indian Peaks Wilderness in the distance

My understanding is four modern quilt guilds in Colorado participated in the challenge. We were given fat quarters of Free Spirit Solids in Tango, Saffron, Apple Green, and Hyacinth. Not the colors I would have chosen to highlight Colorado, but that's part of what makes it a challenge right?

the four given challenge fabrics

More than 50 solids were used altogether. I stopped trying to keep track but most were Kona Cotton Solids by Robert Kaufman. They are the easiest to find locally plus I have a Kona color card.

most of the additional solids used

The rules:  use a discernable amount of each color along with any other fabrics of our choice to create a modern quilt representing the theme Colorful Colorado. It needed to measure at 40".  Mine finished at 40" x 55" to approximate the proportional shape of the state.

My concept:

• use the mountain block from the logo I designed for the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild.
• depict 54 mountains to represent the 54 fourteeners here in Colorado. A fourteener is a mountain peak with an elevation of 14,000 ft or more. In researching the number of fourteeners, I discovered counts of 53 to 58 peaks with the most common agreed upon number as 54. 
• depict the eastern plains which are an integral, but often overlooked part of the state.
• use color to emphasize the Colorado sky from dawn to dusk. This provided a way to include the orange and yellow challenge fabrics as they are used in the dawn and dusk rows of mountains.

Working on this quilt was a great example of color study in terms of relativity. The three blocks below all use the same green in the mountain and yet all look quite different due to the color relationships. A little hard to see the color differences here but the green gets progressively darker in appearance.

I quilted large zigzags among the 54 peaks to suggest all the other peaks of the Rocky Mountains. It reminds me of seeing the mountains when they are a bit hazy in the distance.

zigzag quilting in the mountain section

The eastern plains were quilted with a series of curvy lines to suggest the waves of grain blowing in the wind. We can have very strong winds here.

gentle curving lines in the plains

To be really honest though, it was a struggle to finish this quilt for many reasons.

• I went with one of the first ideas I came up with and am not in love with the whole concept. Normally I would work through a design and explore several directions but didn't have the time for that on this one. Not feeling passionate about the design made it hard to stay motivated.
• I decided in order to pull it off, I needed LOTS of different colors. After 50, I lost count. This meant finding more solids which isn't easy at our local shops and when buying online proves quite hard to discern color differences.
• I thought I'd piece the mountain blocks improv but ended up going with a paper piecing method instead. I designed 7 slightly different mountains. Forgot to reverse the printing the first time but eventually it came together. You can see more about that process here.
• I quilted it in two sections and then pieced the sections together . . . new for me so I winged it. Thankfully it worked without incident. Whewww!
• I faced the edge rather than use a traditional binding . . . not as familiar with this technique but I like the overall finish.
• I lost a week.
• I procrastinated . . . haha, no surprise there.

I'm quite happy to have this one behind me now and am looking forward to a summer of projects I feel a lot more passionate about. Maybe even some non quilt related projects. Time will tell.

If you'd like to see all the challenge quilts, visit the Berthoud Outdoor Quilt Show this coming Saturday June 21st. Maybe I'll see you there.

one last shot before delivering the quilt shows Long Peak elevation 14,255ft. in the background.

I had hoped to have this finished in time to share on Esch House Quilts Sew Solid Sunday last month but missed the cut off so I'm linking up this month. Check out the great pillow Debbie made along with the tutorial to make your own.

WIP Wednesday

After a very very off week, I'm happy to report my motivation is back and I'm working away.  : )

My biggest WIP this week is the challenge quilt I'm hoping to finish in time for the Berthoud Outdoor Quilt Show June 21st. Not much time left so I've got to get busy.

Four modern quilt guilds in Colorado are participating. The theme is Colorful Colorado and we need to use four given solid colors plus whatever else we want to interpret the theme using a modern style. I decided to go with all solids. A lot of solids . . .

I first thought I would use an improv method to piece my blocks. Seemed easy enough. But sometimes improv and I don't get along so well. So I decided on a paper piecing method instead. However paper piecing and I don't always get along well either. To make it a little easier, I made tissue paper templates of the two main pieces I would need. This helped tremendously. Only once did I end up with a piece of fabric that wasn't big enough to cover the paper. For me that's an accomplishment.

Next, I arranged the paper blocks on my design wall and added bits of blue tape to indicate which mountains should be snow capped.

Then I added the mountain fabrics to distribute the colors.

Next came lots and lots of cutting, lots and lots of piecing, and lots and lots of scraps. The waste is one reason I don't love paper piecing. It's also the reason I make mistakes because I try too hard to minimize the waste and end up cutting pieces too small. Nothing is more frustrating than ripping out those teeny tiny stitches and having your paper fall apart. That's why the tissue paper templates helped.  Not as much waste, but I still ended up with this lovely pile . . .

It's beginning to take shape, but theres still plenty to do. Here's a few of the blocks.

If it looks a little familiar your'e right. I used this same block for my Four-In-Art mini quilt last month.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Hope by next week this will be a finish.
What are you working on this week?

Four-in-Art: Landmarks

Time for another reveal in the Four-in-Art mini group. I don't know how these quarters go by so quickly.

This quarter's theme was Landmarks. Amanda suggested a range of possibilities from biggies like the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge to local landmarks or even something from childhood that marks a distinct memory of home.

Unfortunately I got off on the wrong track when I managed to get the theme Monuments stuck in my head instead of Landmarks. Must have had The Monument Men movie on my mind or something. Anyway, most of my "thinking" time was spent coming up with ideas that didn't quite fit the landmarks theme. Good thing I revisited the Four-in-Art Flickr page before starting.

I chose to go local with my Landmark. I live in Colorado just outside of Boulder. The city lies at the base of the foothills or in other words the "baby" hills leading up into the Rocky Mountains. There is a very distinct group of rocky outcrops called the Flatirons that make it easy to locate Boulder from a distance and have become a very iconic image of the city. Here's a photo my daughter took awhile back. Not the angle from which the Flatirons are usually known but you get the idea. Giant slabs of rock thrust out of the ground at a rather sharp angle. A popular hiking and climbing area right within the city limits. How cool is that?

The Flatirons was also the inspiration for the logo I designed for the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild.

I have long thought I'd like to make a quilt using the basic blocks of the logo, so the Landmarks theme seemed like a good place to start. Plus two of the Colorado modern guilds are doing a challenge on the theme "Colorful Colorado" and my concept has to do with this same basic idea. What better way to tackle two challenges than to experiment with one and hopefully carry over what I learn to the second quilt which needs to be bigger.

One reason I joined this little group was to push myself to learn and try new things. I envisioned exploring different arty techniques like collage, improv and even photo transfers. This time round I tried a couple of new-to-me techniques and learned from them so I feel satisfied, however the end result is more like a modern mini than an art quilt in my opinion. One thing I learned is that it's harder than I thought for a structured person like me to let go . . . to be free and spontaneous in my making. Maybe the more arty freestyle will come in future quilts or maybe not. That's ok.

I used an improv approach to making the blocks and improv is not really a part of my comfort zone. But what could go wrong with these little blocks? Well, after the fact I realized my angles weren't as acute as they could have been to represent the real Flatirons. A minor detail but something learned.

I also wanted to try matchstick quilting like Leanne does so beautifully. Once again my structured self took over though and I ended up doing closely packed channel quilting. Easy in the sense that it's a small quilt and didn't take too long. Not easy in that it's hard to keep evenly spaced straight lines even on a small quilt.

One problem I encountered was the angle I chose ended up being nearly identical to 5 out of the 9 angles in the blocks which resulted in a either fudging the line or letting it go wonky. Only one turned out a bit off but next time I'll try a different angle to avoid the problem. Also all the tightly packed quilting accentuated the bulk of the border seams. Next time I'll try pressing the seams open.

In this example the stitching fell nicely in line with the piecing but you can see the shadowing and bulk of the seams just a bit. Nothing terrible, just another lesson learned.

Not so good example. The stitching line where the green hits the blue ended up a bit wonky. I ripped out at least two stitching lines before settling on this one. When the stitching is nearly, but not quite, at the same angle it pushes the stitching out of alignment and can be quite noticeable.

One last thing I learned is just how bloody hard it is to photograph white to look like white. I did all kinds of light balancing things but it's just not working today. And it's far too windy to go outside so this will have to do for now.

By now I hope you're curious to see the final quilt. I'm happy with my little experiment and think it makes for a nice modern mini. I love the effect of the closely stitched channel quilting lines. I love the simplicity and cleanness of the design. I feel confident about proceeding with the bigger challenge quilt due next month. Now to make time to get it done . . .  : )

I so enjoy this little group and seeing the creative things that others come up with. I'm always surprised by the diversity and level of thought and concept that is put into these small quilts. Hop over to see what Landmarks the others created.

Amanda  at whatthebobbin.com

Anne  at springleafstudios.com

Betty at a Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toot2

Carla at lollyquiltz.blogspot.com

Elizabeth at opquilt.com

Leanne at shecanquilt.ca

Nancy at  patchworkbreeze.blogspot.com

Rachel at rachel-thelifeofriley.blogspot.com

Another WIP Wednesday, Another Tetris Block

Week 3 for me and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.
Last week I posted about my Tradewinds quilt and runner getting finished and you can see more final results here. Love how both projects turned out although I'd like to get some better photos.

Also finished up my Stitch project and it's ready to ship. Wish I didn't have to wait till spring 2013 to see it in print and share it with you. I'm very excited.

Last but not least is the ongoing Tetris WIP. Week 6 of the Tetris QAL by Melissa over at Happy Quilting and this is the last block. Melissa has done a great job of mixing up the shapes and colors every week and this week was no exception. Staying true to playing by the rules of the game, I tried several arrangements before settling on this one.

With the other blocks already done, I was able to see which layout played nicely with the rest before I committed to sewing up the final block. At first I wasn't too happy with having 2 blue squares right on top of each other and tried several other block possibilities. There seemed to be just a little too much dark blue going on near the top half of the quilt. But after consideration, I realized these 2 blue squares provide a valuable resting spot for the eye amidst the randomness of all the other shapes. So stacked blue squares got the go ahead and it's just right. Now all I have to do is sew the blocks together.

Next week will be border considerations and after that quilting and finishing up. I already have  good idea of how I'd like to finish this up. Looking forward to my final quilt and seeing what everyone else does with theirs.

I've also got piles of fabric on my counter as I try to decide what to do for an upcoming tutorial for the Let's Get Acquainted blog hop by Plum and June.  This blog hop has been a great way to get to know more newbie bloggers like myself.

Keep quilting   : )

Stay cool and refreshed with a new pattern . . . Cascade

Summer has settled in with temps topping 100- way too often as far as I'm concerned. So what better way to stay cool than to surround myself with some of my favorite cool colored fabrics. They are refreshing and calming amidst all the heat. The fabrics in this quilt remind me of a gentle rain in a lush green garden. I think of hanging gardens and cascading water. 

Thus was born Cascade . . . another SpringLeaf Studios quilt pattern.

I'm excited to share this pattern with all of you because it has so many possibilities.

The pattern features two different versions; 

A Scrappy version and a modern take on the ZigZag.

Plus 7 additional optional looks . . . all from the same design.

This is the Scrappy version and features fabrics from Kaffe Fassett and Michael Miller. It's perfect for layer cakes, fat quarters and of course large scraps. One of my favorites so far because it feels so refreshing.

Here's the ZigZag version featuring Kona Cotton solids. This version also works great with prints. I have to admit this is my first all solids quilt, but it won't be my last. There's a calmness about these solids that is very soothing to me.

I have so much fun designing quilts. Each time I create a new design I'm always exploring what would happen if I tried this or that. What if I arranged the blocks this way? What if the emphasis is changed? What if this? What if that? Sometimes it's very hard to stop experimenting and actually get to work making the quilt. I need little elves to sew for me... that would be so cool.

When I decided to start publishing my quilt designs it seemed like a natural choice to include all these explorations in each pattern. I've never been one to follow patterns exactly as they come. A little change here or there. I'll bet a lot of you feel the same. I really want the Design Explorations page provided in my patterns to inspire you to make a quilt the way you want. Not only with fabrics that you love but also with a flare that makes you feel like it's your very own. Here's what the Explorations page looks like.

Here's a few other versions of Cascade I've made to give you an idea of how it looks in other fabrics and arrangements. Hope they inspire.

Cascade ZigZag made with large scale prints from Kaffe  Fassett and Michael Miller.
A mini quilt was made from the trimmed leftovers.

Cascade made using a checkerboard arrangement of fabrics.

Cascade made using a concentric ring arrangement of fabrics.

A pillow made from the trimmed leftovers. The pattern gives detailed directions for the pillow.

So here's what included:

Cascade gives directions and yardage for 2 different versions; Scrappy and ZigZag.

It includes 3 sizes; baby, lap/twin, and double/queen.

A bonus pillow project is included that's made from the trimmed leftovers of the quilt. Or you can make a mini like I did with the leftovers.

And of course it includes the Design Lesson and Exploration sections to inspire you.

Cascade is available on Craftsy and in my Etsy shop. Hope you'll give it a look. I'd really love to know what you think. Please leave me a comment and tell me which version is your favorite.

Stay cool . . . and quilt on.

Anne

My First Pattern!

I’m super excited to share my quilt with you here at the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. My festival quilt marks a huge turning point for me and my quilting. 

Last year I finally discovered all you talented, enthusiastic quilters in blogland. A little late arriving, but so glad I finally made it to the party. A quilter for 15 plus years, I’ve never quite felt the connection to other quilters that I feel now as I discover more and more of your inspiring blogs. I’ve been more excited and inspired than I’ve been in years. So this year, I decided to join you and play along. My hat's off to Amy for creating this great online event.

Bloggers' Festival marks the introduction to my newbie blog and my very own quilt business, SpringLeaf Studios. And my festival quilt, Facets, is the very first of my pdf patterns to be released for sale. I have to tell you, it’s super exciting and scary all at the same time. I hope you like my quilt as much as I like looking at all of yours.

I’m a designer at heart and by training, so when I design a new quilt, I’m always exploring all the hidden potential within that design. There’s always more than one way to do something and I love looking at all the options. Simple changes to colors, fabrics and placement can make significant changes to the look of a quilt. One of the goals with my patterns is to share my process and explorations with you so that you can envision more possibilities beyond the featured design. 

The Facets pattern comes with 2 versions, optional sizes, plus 8 additional ideas and a bonus pillow project that's made from the trimmed leftovers. It’s like getting one pattern with endless possibilities. Pattern is available at Craftsy and in my Etsy shop. Check it out.

Lastly, I want to thank you for sharing all your inspiring work with the rest of us. No matter your level of experience, I believe we all have something to offer. You never know when your own little idea might be just what someone needs to give them inspiration to make something beautiful. And nothing is more beautiful and meaningful than something made by hand and with our heart for those we love. That’s what quilting gives to me. The opportunity to share my creativity and make the world more beautiful. : )

Here's a final shot of both quilts. Don't you just love that striped chair? My talented daughter, Emily, redid it last summer for her apartment. Love it!