~ Anchors Aweigh: Welcome to my Blog Tour! ~

I am tickled ... and honored ... to once again be a part of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks.
Volume 8 to be exact.

Page 49 ... block #752 ... to be even more exact.
It's probably no surprise that my subject matter is, well, sea worthy.

So here is an overview of my process.  I give you some good, a LOT of fun ... and a little bit of ugly.

I had decided that I would choose a motif and place four of them on my block, radiating out from the center. I chose anchors as my motif, due to their particularly "pointy" quality. I then proceeded to design an anchor that was particulary "pointy".

Next stop: fabric selection.  Always one of my MOST favorite parts of the process. I found that I had some fun fabrics that already had an anchor motif on them ... but I kept looking.

I spent a small amount of time considering these very patriotic star fabrics ... but I still kept looking.

Aha! Pay dirt. Once I came across the red/turquoise dot for the background ... I knew I had my color scheme.  It was just a matter of picking the more solid-reading fabrics to go with it, so the anchors (and the sashing strip) would stand out.

I sewed each of the 4 blocks and proceeded to trim them to size as is my routine with any machine applique project.  Unfortuneately, due to a momentary lack of focus, I trimmed one of the squares twice on the same side.  I had the choice to start completely over (because I didn't have enough of the fun Moda rick-racky fabric) or to make up for my mistake by adjusting the seam allowance as seen below.

Plan B it was! (Now where else are you going to see an admission such as this?!)

Now be sure and leave a comment on this post and you will be entered in a drawing to win one of two (count 'em 2!) great prizes.  First, visit my Etsy Shop and pick out your favorite pattern and let me know which one that is, in your comment here.

You will be entered to win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks volume 8 or your favorite Sea Quilts pattern.  I will post both of the winners next Wednesday, November 20th.

Thank you Quiltmaker's

And ... quilt makers.

~ What's Black and White and Crimson All Over? ~

So ... it's Autumn.  Has been for a week or so.
Tell that to the SoCal temperatures that were still in the 90's yesterday.
True Story.

I generally like to break out the fall decor on October 1st, but I just couldn't bring myself to this year.
Little by little I dipped into my treasure trove this weekend to try and will the autumnal temperatures to my front porch.

It worked.

Today starts the downturn of heat this will result in some chilly rain later this week.
Yay!

In the meantime, I added some splended black and white to my door.  I bought these precious (very inexpensive) numbers at a store in Mission Viejo called The Daisy Shoppe. I hooked them to the back of my wreath with some stretched out paper clips.

I am SO ready for this!

~ You May Need a Bib ~

Here is the project that greeted me this morning, having had some work already done on it on previous mornings.

Yes, I am a morning person.

I'm making a pillow actually.  More specifically ... a pillow slipcover.

Once again I am chossing not to reinvent a new design, but to use one I designed in the past.

This was a (very) small quilt I made earlier this year, for an earlier purpose.
Usually, when I use my design a second time, I use different fabrics.
This time I wanted to recreate it very closely since I had previously been gaga over the contrast between the corals and the aquas.

I. Am. Having. Fun.
And you?

~ A Lighter Shade of Pale ~

Just when I vowed to blog more frequently, I took a week long trip and thought about pretty much nothing but those 3 precious granddaughters who seemed to want my undivided attention.

However before I left, I made a new Sea Quilt and started on the binding.

Can you guess what it is?

Here's a hint:  It's NOT an ice cream cone ... although that would be good too.

I wanted to do a quilt in a ... gentler ... palette than some of my previously brighter ones.
And I do love sea shells.

I'm giving some thought to actually hanging this on my own wall.

Or, maybe I'll just Sell her at the Sea Shore.

~ The Spice of Sea Life ~

 

 

 

 

 

Most quilters who have been at it for a number of years, tend to lean towards a certain style or palette of colors.

About 5 years ago, when I made my choice as to where I would lean ... I chose the subject matter.

Having chosen to sew all things coastal, I have opened up my heart, mind and ... stash ... to a myriad of possiblilites.  This has been ever so apparently (and delightfully fun!) to me these past few weeks as I have worked on this project.

I am making iPad covers to sell here  at The JOY Expo this Saturday, June 8th.
With every single one, I tried to envision some new individual's style and palette, while still able to keep to my subject matter.

It has been an absolute JOY.

~ Mer-ternal Twins: Finished at Last! ~

 

I have to explain why it took me SO long to finish these latest additions to my Etsy Shop.

Number One:  There were two of them.
Number Two: About two weeks were taken out due to travelling and illness.

I might add a Number Three which was the fact that the hair on each of my little mermaids, took as long to design, cut, arrange and quilt as the rest of the quilt combined.

But when all was said and done, I was thrilled.

Each wall hanging is made exclusively with batiks, with the exception of the backs of the scales which are a variety of dupioni silks.  Each sister faces in a different direction, has her scales arranged in her own way, and has a somewhat unique hair style.

I am selling them separately.  Here.  And Here.
However, I would love it if they weren't separated. 
Twins hate that.

What do you think I should name them?

~ Coral Singing ~

Another week ... another offering.

This beautiful, hand appliqued piece of fabric art is now on sale on my

Etsy Shop.

And for this week only, the pattern is on sale for a mere 4 bucks.

Your 7th grade art teacher wasn't joking when she taught you about complimentary colors.

They compliment each other.  How handy.

Go here for the quilt and go here for the pattern.

Then close your eyes and listen for the waves.

~ The View from Where I Sit ~

So ... contrary to my last post, I actually didn't get back to the business of sewing until yesterday.  And when I did, it wasn't on my new project from that post, it was on something more urgent, which shall be revealed later.

The moment I sat in my chair and looked around ... I felt soooo content and happy.  My studio is one of the smaller ones you will ever see, but it brings me so much joy to be there.

I snapped some pictures of my view from that chair as I work, and it got me to thinking.

What are YOUR views from YOUR chair where YOU work?

Here are mine:

The view from behind my command post, looking front right.

Front and left. 

Directly to my left.
I'm pretty much obsessed with all things Sea Worthy.

Still looking left.  The TV is not on ... well ... because it's hardly ever on.
I do my best work in silence.
I blame that on having 4 children in 6 years.

This view directly to my right is the most colorful.
And I can't lie, one night in December ... for no particular reason ... I weeded and folded those fabrics.
Now I plan to add to them again.  That makes perfect sense ... right?

Now it's your turn.
Show me your views and comment with a link to them
.
I'm not trying to establish some sort of poor man's linky party.
I'm just nosy.