Artful Homemade Quilts Have A Way

[freedombecki]

Thanks for the kind words, Koshergrl.

After all that quilt fabric shopping yesterday afternoon 60 miles from here, and being too tired after getting home to do much of anything except read posts, sleeping on it worked out well. In the morning, I reviewed my new pieces purchases, and decided on using a between fabric I found the other day around the house as the inner border and the new deep sea fish fabric on the outside. The blue Gypsy collection fabric from Hoffman has light and dark splotches with some metallic light blue "kelp" weblike fabric that joined the well-matched light Forget-me-not flowers in the sashes, lowered the impact of the yellow fabric by increasing the # of square inches in blues, plus the blue Enchanted Oceans fabric by South Sea Islands (SSI) had so many beautiful fish and colors, it actually enhanced the frenetic look of placed "windmills" or "propellers" so I changed the name to reflect the new look-- "The Blue Submarine Propellers Forget-me-not" quilt top. What a mouthful of words! Probably would be more understandable to call it "Fishes."

Scan 1 - Top and info card
Scan 2 - side
Scan 3 - bottom corner

I like that fish design. Don't think I've ever seen it in a quilt before.

Thanks, Sunshine.

When I was picking fabrics for my shop, I learned to pick a lot of ocean fabrics, because they turned in a year in Wyoming. We lived at an altitude of a mile high and were 1500 miles from one coast and over 2000 to the other. Few people were able to maintain an ocean aquarium for more than a year due to the failure of the animals to survive. I'm not sure exactly why that was, except it could be a full-time job, most likely, to get hostile creatures to thrive. One thing I never did see was a fabric that was as well done as that one with well-defined fish in such a small scale overall with the very largest fish being 2" and many well under one inch. The blue background shows ambiguously-shaped outlines of reef life and adds enchantment in the prettiest royal blues to the bright-colored reef fish. The metallic fabric is so subtle, but it had its charm. As far as the "propeller" design, it's a windmill usually, but on point really looks like a propeller. (or windmill blades turning). I made 5 or 6 quilts using the windmill/propeller square in the last 3 years that went to the Charity bees, the most recent of which was in the green phase (3 or 4 months ago) while you were absent. Green is a good sashing when rainbow windmill/propellers are used, because of the tendency to resemble flowers in a garden. Green is just a good color that loves and enhances warm tones, even in a neutral setting in which it brings a new view of caramel tans v pumpkin-toned tans. Green makes other colors talk, while green just sits there and just listens.

 

[Sunshine]

Thanks for the kind words, Koshergrl.

After all that quilt fabric shopping yesterday afternoon 60 miles from here, and being too tired after getting home to do much of anything except read posts, sleeping on it worked out well. In the morning, I reviewed my new pieces purchases, and decided on using a between fabric I found the other day around the house as the inner border and the new deep sea fish fabric on the outside. The blue Gypsy collection fabric from Hoffman has light and dark splotches with some metallic light blue "kelp" weblike fabric that joined the well-matched light Forget-me-not flowers in the sashes, lowered the impact of the yellow fabric by increasing the # of square inches in blues, plus the blue Enchanted Oceans fabric by South Sea Islands (SSI) had so many beautiful fish and colors, it actually enhanced the frenetic look of placed "windmills" or "propellers" so I changed the name to reflect the new look-- "The Blue Submarine Propellers Forget-me-not" quilt top. What a mouthful of words! Probably would be more understandable to call it "Fishes."

Scan 1 - Top and info card
Scan 2 - side
Scan 3 - bottom corner

I like that fish design. Don't think I've ever seen it in a quilt before.

Thanks, Sunshine.

When I was picking fabrics for my shop, I learned to pick a lot of ocean fabrics, because they turned in a year in Wyoming. We lived at an altitude of a mile high and were 1500 miles from one coast and over 2000 to the other. Few people were able to maintain an ocean aquarium for more than a year due to the failure of the animals to survive. I'm not sure exactly why that was, except it could be a full-time job, most likely, to get hostile creatures to thrive. One thing I never did see was a fabric that was as well done as that one with well-defined fish in such a small scale overall with the very largest fish being 2" and many well under one inch. The blue background shows ambiguously-shaped outlines of reef life and adds enchantment in the prettiest royal blues to the bright-colored reef fish. The metallic fabric is so subtle, but it had its charm. As far as the "propeller" design, it's a windmill usually, but on point really looks like a propeller. (or windmill blades turning). I made 5 or 6 quilts using the windmill/propeller square in the last 3 years that went to the Charity bees, the most recent of which was in the green phase (3 or 4 months ago) while you were absent. Green is a good sashing when rainbow windmill/propellers are used, because of the tendency to resemble flowers in a garden. Green is just a good color that loves and enhances warm tones, even in a neutral setting in which it brings a new view of caramel tans v pumpkin-toned tans. Green makes other colors talk, while green just sits there and just listens.

That's interesting. Most people in the US, I suppose, are not 'coastal.' Which is likely why the 'nautical look' comes around every other year or so.

 

[freedombecki]

I like that fish design. Don't think I've ever seen it in a quilt before.

Thanks, Sunshine.

When I was picking fabrics for my shop, I learned to pick a lot of ocean fabrics, because they turned in a year in Wyoming. We lived at an altitude of a mile high and were 1500 miles from one coast and over 2000 to the other. Few people were able to maintain an ocean aquarium for more than a year due to the failure of the animals to survive. I'm not sure exactly why that was, except it could be a full-time job, most likely, to get hostile creatures to thrive. One thing I never did see was a fabric that was as well done as that one with well-defined fish in such a small scale overall with the very largest fish being 2" and many well under one inch. The blue background shows ambiguously-shaped outlines of reef life and adds enchantment in the prettiest royal blues to the bright-colored reef fish. The metallic fabric is so subtle, but it had its charm. As far as the "propeller" design, it's a windmill usually, but on point really looks like a propeller. (or windmill blades turning). I made 5 or 6 quilts using the windmill/propeller square in the last 3 years that went to the Charity bees, the most recent of which was in the green phase (3 or 4 months ago) while you were absent. Green is a good sashing when rainbow windmill/propellers are used, because of the tendency to resemble flowers in a garden. Green is just a good color that loves and enhances warm tones, even in a neutral setting in which it brings a new view of caramel tans v pumpkin-toned tans. Green makes other colors talk, while green just sits there and just listens.

That's interesting. Most people in the US, I suppose, are not 'coastal.' Which is likely why the 'nautical look' comes around every other year or so.

It was loved by me, just because. When one of my uncles got back from WWII, having served on a ship ouside Sydney, Australia, he filled his home with tanks of colorful fish. They were wall-to-wall everywhere. He knew all their names, and it was just awesome to go over to his house to see his inimitable collection. Then, I was too young to know the difference between marine sea life and guppies, but I'm sure he did. It was a lot more fun to play with all the cousins who gathered there for whatever occasion that brought us together.

 

[koshergrl]

I have some pics of the little pillow I'm working for my daughter...I think the finished pillow will be around 10 inches across (sans ruffle)..with a ruffle. My plan is to crochet blue edging on the ruffle, too.

Not as skilled as Becki's quilts or as painstaking. You can see where I used the wrong yellow on the big butterfly; I might pick that out but the more I look the more I realize I could pick and repick and still it wouldn't be perfect. There are sections where I reversed the cross stitches; i can't always see such small work up close, especially if I'm working at night or looking at dark colors.

 

[freedombecki]

I have some pics of the little pillow I'm working for my daughter...I think the finished pillow will be around 10 inches across (sans ruffle)..with a ruffle. My plan is to crochet blue edging on the ruffle, too.

Not as skilled as Becki's quilts or as painstaking. You can see where I used the wrong yellow on the big butterfly; I might pick that out but the more I look the more I realize I could pick and repick and still it wouldn't be perfect. There are sections where I reversed the cross stitches; i can't always see such small work up close, especially if I'm working at night or looking at dark colors.

My opinion. Koshergrl, you have no idea how complex it is to take a pattern like your butterfly and make it into a postage stamp quilt. And your use of yellow as the 'wrong' color? Your "different" use of thread made it all the more luminous to this artist's eye. And your refusal to take it out and do the mundane monkey-see, monkey-do bit only shows your adventuresome spirit. I say, "Vive la differance!" and let it go at that.

^^Pos repped for breaking the mold^^

I just love it!!!!

 

[koshergrl]

I like the yellow...but I used the *wrong* one in that I was supposed to be using one but grabbed the wrong skein and did a few sections in that...so I have random different shades of yellow where there shouldn't be a different shade, lol.

I've seen old embroidery and tapestries where you can see where a different dye batch was used; it's a common enough thing but irritates me because in my case, I had plenty of the right color, I just didn't check my lot/color numbers.

I still haven't decided...I finished the blue border, now i just have to do the French knots and that part is finished. I found a tiny stain on the bottom....i'll wash and see if it comes out...if not, I may embroider another tiny butterfly down there to cover it. That the problem with having a piece of cloth you work on for weeks and drag to different places. I think klaus did it when he put his chin on it last night. Anyhoo, he can't talk so I'll blame him.

 

[koshergrl]

1456 attachments in this thread, Becki, congrats!

I'm currently making little applique flowers, using up ugly yarn I have laying around, and for a break from my pillow before I embark on the French knots.

Each of the knots stands alone, so I knot, knot, knot, snip, then onto the next. Tiresome, no possibility of cadence but it's all good.

So I'm making these:

Haha aren't they cute...I'm using a size J hook (they used an F for that one). I don't know where my dozens of crochet hooks go..I have, literally, dozens, but I can NEVER FIND ONE when I want it. Not one. I dug in my bedroom and came up with a massive wooden handled hook, and the J. I bought SETS of them over Christmas vacation, not to mention the dozens I know I already have. I buy them the same way I buy butter, milk and mayo..if I'm in the store, I assume I need it, so I buy it.

Except I never have it when I want it.

Anyway. Having just established my "space" in the living room, with a table and eternacuppacoffee when I'm there, I actually find myself in the interesting position of needing coasters.

Usually, you know, you have coasters coming out of your ears and nobody ever uses them. Well now I need some and I don't have any.

So I have hopes that I can sew a few of these together for that. And maybe make the monkey a blanket or something, lol..

 

[freedombecki]

ummm, pretty in blue!

 

[koshergrl]

Yeah, the yarn I'm using right now is blue. It's nice blue, too...I think it's wool, but maybe it's just a good polyester. I think I got it at a thrift store.

 

[Delia]

Do you ladies notice the different colors you work with having an affect on your state of mind?

Blue and green are really soothing for me. Brown bores me.

 

[koshergrl]

I love blue and green..

But I do like brown, and orange, too.

I dunno, when I'm crocheting, I get pretty sick of whatever color it is I'm using. That's why I have 1500 unfinished afghans laying around, and skeins and skeins and skeins of yarn that at one time I liked, but now thoroughly detest.

 

[Delia]

I love blue and green..

But I do like brown, and orange, too.

I dunno, when I'm crocheting, I get pretty sick of whatever color it is I'm using. That's why I have 1500 unfinished afghans laying around, and skeins and skeins and skeins of yarn that at one time I liked, but now thoroughly detest.

Do you have to keep your eyes on your work? I just do simple crocheting, so am watching TV at the same time. But peripherally, I can see what I'm working on. I do like orange and red as well. So far, it's only brown that has me going meh.

 

[freedombecki]

Do you ladies notice the different colors you work with having an affect on your state of mind?

Blue and green are really soothing for me. Brown bores me.

I like all the colors in the rainbow, Southwest rainbow atmospheric colors, neutrals, colorwheel adjacent warms; CA cools...a huge variety. It's especially easy for me to work with green. Those bright colors Dabs brought in last week with her crochet project? I bought a skein, and I just keep it by the computer. It's a truly happy eyeful of cheer, kind of like Disneyland or Walt Disney World. I love black and white, all neutrals, and brown, too. I love the colors of nature. The Great White Egrets are back, and one floated (airborne) past the window a few minutes back. Noticing the small lake out back, it's refracting a perfect sky blue color, and the wind is whipping ripples on its surface, causing there to be areas of darker blues.

I just know there's a lot of joy in changing colors 2 or 3 times a week when working on quilts. It was a joy to see the counted cross stitches that Sunshine and Koshergrl have been doing.

I just have a special affinity for well-done needleworks, whether traditional or on the experimental cutting edge of hobo lace.

But quilting is my obsession, it seems.

 

[koshergrl]

I love blue and green..

But I do like brown, and orange, too.

I dunno, when I'm crocheting, I get pretty sick of whatever color it is I'm using. That's why I have 1500 unfinished afghans laying around, and skeins and skeins and skeins of yarn that at one time I liked, but now thoroughly detest.

Do you have to keep your eyes on your work? I just do simple crocheting, so am watching TV at the same time. But peripherally, I can see what I'm working on. I do like orange and red as well. So far, it's only brown that has me going meh.

Yes, I usually need to watch it...

 

[freedombecki]

I love blue and green..

But I do like brown, and orange, too.

I dunno, when I'm crocheting, I get pretty sick of whatever color it is I'm using. That's why I have 1500 unfinished afghans laying around, and skeins and skeins and skeins of yarn that at one time I liked, but now thoroughly detest.

Do you have to keep your eyes on your work? I just do simple crocheting, so am watching TV at the same time. But peripherally, I can see what I'm working on. I do like orange and red as well. So far, it's only brown that has me going meh.

Hope you put some of your work on the scanner or take a picture of one and bring it here, Delia. We love all kinds of needle crafts here.

 

[Delia]

Do you ladies notice the different colors you work with having an affect on your state of mind?

Blue and green are really soothing for me. Brown bores me.

I like all the colors in the rainbow, Southwest rainbow atmospheric colors, neutrals, colorwheel adjacent warms; CA cools...a huge variety. It's especially easy for me to work with green. Those bright colors Dabs brought in last week with her crochet project? I bought a skein, and I just keep it by the computer. It's a truly happy eyeful of cheer, kind of like Disneyland or Walt Disney World. I love black and white, all neutrals, and brown, too. I love the colors of nature. The Great White Egrets are back, and one floated (airborne) past the window a few minutes back. Noticing the small lake out back, it's refracting a perfect sky blue color, and the wind is whipping ripples on its surface, causing there to be areas of darker blues.

I just know there's a lot of joy in changing colors 2 or 3 times a week when working on quilts. It was a joy to see the counted cross stitches that Sunshine and Koshergrl have been doing.

I just have a special affinity for well-done needleworks, whether traditional or on the experimental cutting edge of hobo lace.

But quilting is my obsession, it seems.

You have a MAJOR eye for color. Have you ever painted?

 

[freedombecki]

Do you ladies notice the different colors you work with having an affect on your state of mind?

Blue and green are really soothing for me. Brown bores me.

I like all the colors in the rainbow, Southwest rainbow atmospheric colors, neutrals, colorwheel adjacent warms; CA cools...a huge variety. It's especially easy for me to work with green. Those bright colors Dabs brought in last week with her crochet project? I bought a skein, and I just keep it by the computer. It's a truly happy eyeful of cheer, kind of like Disneyland or Walt Disney World. I love black and white, all neutrals, and brown, too. I love the colors of nature. The Great White Egrets are back, and one floated (airborne) past the window a few minutes back. Noticing the small lake out back, it's refracting a perfect sky blue color, and the wind is whipping ripples on its surface, causing there to be areas of darker blues.

I just know there's a lot of joy in changing colors 2 or 3 times a week when working on quilts. It was a joy to see the counted cross stitches that Sunshine and Koshergrl have been doing.

I just have a special affinity for well-done needleworks, whether traditional or on the experimental cutting edge of hobo lace.

But quilting is my obsession, it seems.

You have a MAJOR eye for color. Have you ever painted?

Yep. Unfortunately, many years ago, my son got into my oil paints and painted himself all over twice, ruining 2 of his 3 shirts. At that point, young me is given her mother's old sewing machine, and starts making his clothes. It got to be an unappreciated fetish when daughter was born... and as soon as she was old enough to speak, I asked her to come try this new dress on, "little lady." She puts her 18-months-old hands on her hips, scowls and tells her mother, "I ain't no lady!!!!"

Anyway, eventually she and my husband agreed she would spend the duration of her childhood wearing her brother's hand-me-downs! (There is a God!) However, she was dead serious all her life. She grew up and became a really, reallly good cop on the beat and a beauty queen at home--on her own terms, of course. /proud mom

My oils were traded in for a sewing machine, which became my new paintbrush after so many years. (literally) I taught machine embroidery before home embroidery machines came out, and you just used the thread as your paint and did free motion sketches like pen and inks, did portraits on the machine (one of a Wyoming governor), a landscape painting of a view of the Snake River twisting under the shadows of the Grand Tetons, etc. I designed many quilts and self-published applique books for people who liked my work, some of which are shown on my Album page, which includes 44 animal characters for making appliqued baby quilts for children or babies.

The problem quilters have is color choice. I made a business of providing all that an artist who can mix paints--fabric color choices so our remote quilt artists in Wyoing could have their exact shade needed for whatever they were making. Some found it terribly confusing, but the artists in the quilt world locally knew they'd likely find the correct shade that exactly matched what they needed for their interior decorating with quilts. I worked at it for 23 years until my fibromyalgia caused such pain we had to move to a warmer climate. I still have that love for color, but I'm so picky about texture and value, I still have to make runs to local quilt stores for that right piece for whatever I'm doing. I love quilt stores and the different people who start them for their own purposes, none quite like mine, but very, very worthy contributors to the greater good of their communities. I left the store to the care of two very devoted ladies and told them "use the store to serve the Lord and the community, as long as you can have a good time doing it and draw a paycheck."

They're the best.

 

[Delia]

I like all the colors in the rainbow, Southwest rainbow atmospheric colors, neutrals, colorwheel adjacent warms; CA cools...a huge variety. It's especially easy for me to work with green. Those bright colors Dabs brought in last week with her crochet project? I bought a skein, and I just keep it by the computer. It's a truly happy eyeful of cheer, kind of like Disneyland or Walt Disney World. I love black and white, all neutrals, and brown, too. I love the colors of nature. The Great White Egrets are back, and one floated (airborne) past the window a few minutes back. Noticing the small lake out back, it's refracting a perfect sky blue color, and the wind is whipping ripples on its surface, causing there to be areas of darker blues.

I just know there's a lot of joy in changing colors 2 or 3 times a week when working on quilts. It was a joy to see the counted cross stitches that Sunshine and Koshergrl have been doing.

I just have a special affinity for well-done needleworks, whether traditional or on the experimental cutting edge of hobo lace.

But quilting is my obsession, it seems.

You have a MAJOR eye for color. Have you ever painted?

Yep. Unfortunately, many years ago, my son got into my oil paints and painted himself all over twice, ruining 2 of his 3 shirts. At that point, young me is given her mother's old sewing machine, and starts making his clothes. It got to be an unappreciated fetish when daughter was born... and as soon as she was old enough to speak, I asked her to come try this new dress on, "little lady." She puts her 18-months-old hands on her hips, scowls and tells her mother, "I ain't no lady!!!!"

Anyway, eventually she and my husband agreed she would spend the duration of her childhood wearing her brother's hand-me-downs! (There is a God!) However, she was dead serious all her life. She grew up and became a really, reallly good cop on the beat and a beauty queen at home--on her own terms, of course. /proud mom

My oils were traded in for a sewing machine, which became my new paintbrush after so many years. (literally) I taught machine embroidery before home embroidery machines came out, and you just used the thread as your paint and did free motion sketches like pen and inks, did portraits on the machine (one of a Wyoming governor), a landscape painting of a view of the Snake River twisting under the shadows of the Grand Tetons, etc. I designed many quilts and self-published applique books for people who liked my work, some of which are shown on my Album page, which includes 44 animal characters for making appliqued baby quilts for children or babies.

The problem quilters have is color choice. I made a business of providing all that an artist who can mix paints--fabric color choices so our remote quilt artists in Wyoing could have their exact shade needed for whatever they were making. Some found it terribly confusing, but the artists in the quilt world locally knew they'd likely find the correct shade that exactly matched what they needed for their interior decorating with quilts. I worked at it for 23 years until my fibromyalgia caused such pain we had to move to a warmer climate. I still have that love for color, but I'm so picky about texture and value, I still have to make runs to local quilt stores for that right piece for whatever I'm doing. I love quilt stores and the different people who start them for their own purposes, none quite like mine, but very, very worthy contributors to the greater good of their communities. I left the store to the care of two very devoted ladies and told them "use the store to serve the Lord and the community, as long as you can have a good time doing it and draw a paycheck."

They're the best.

Do you miss having your own shop?

 

[Care4all]

I love blue and green..

But I do like brown, and orange, too.

I dunno, when I'm crocheting, I get pretty sick of whatever color it is I'm using. That's why I have 1500 unfinished afghans laying around, and skeins and skeins and skeins of yarn that at one time I liked, but now thoroughly detest.

like the teal blues?

I love the blues right now too....and I love to crochet...I too have a gazillion unfinished projects....so we actually have something in common!!!!!!!

 

[koshergrl]

I was watching some videos on tapestry crochet...that's what your basket/bag work looks like. Fascinating.