Sewing Room Update, 6/28/24

You remember when I said I loved all the fun templates popping up on Instagram. Here is the latest batch.

This is probably my favorite so far...

I completed the Welcome to London quilt, including the label. It's a large one but I found a place to include the patches I had purchased.

My project this summer/fall is to make quilts just because I love the patterns and want to make them. Most of them have recipients in mind. I started with this Pen + Paper Patterns design called Snap Happy. Lindsey writes great and easy-to-follow patterns, and this was a lot of fun. 

Ella gave me the cutest sticker she had gotten at summer school. I added it to my sewing table. Maybe it will help with quilt math. I can only hope...

During this two-week span where my show is airing on The Quilt Show (although it is always available if you have a membership), before the next new episode airs, they advertise it in the newsletter. I'm documenting it along the way, as it will never happen again. :) Although I did get this fortune at lunch the other day... haha.

The other fun thing The Quilt Show does in the newsletter is turn quilts into digital puzzles, which they did with both Delta Breeze, Grand Prismatic and Lumos. It was fun to read the descriptions.

Someone left this extremely kind comment.

It's been a fun experience--something I didn't think I would ever say. It was so out of my comfort zone, but in retrospect, I'm really glad I didn't say no finally said yes.

I'll leave you with these thoughts...

 

Welcome!

 If you are here from The Quilt Show, welcome! 

I used to watch Alex faithfully on Simply Quilts, and again when she and Ricky starting filming The Quilt Show.

My husband, Mark, and I have known Alex for a long time, from back in the days when we used to go on quilting cruises, probably twenty years. And she only lives a few hours away from us. 

When Mark started making fused glass, one of the first shows where we vended was Quilting in the Garden held in Livermore, Alex's home town.

But it never would have crossed my mind in any possible scenario that I would ever be a guest on The Quilt Show! There was a lot bit of hesitation on my part, thinking of the lights, cameras, crew, all those people watching me during the filming... But everyone was amazing and I'm so glad I decided to accept a personal challenge. 

I've been quilting for about thirty years, and while this blog will also have posts about family things happening during the week, I try to update what is happening in my sewing room. I'd love to have you follow along.

If you do not have a membership to The Quilt Show (and I highly recommend it, as it is a source of so much good information and lots of fun episodes), here is a link for a seven-day free trial so you can check everything that is available (and watch my episode when it's convenient for you). 

You can follow me on Instagram at @liveacolorfullife, Facebook at Cindy Wiens, and see photos and stories of the quilts I have made in the last 30 years at laclquiltdiary.blogspot.com.

Again, welcome, and happy quilting!

Sewing Room Update, 6/15/24

 I finished another trio of Echinacea blocks, this time in the Haute colorway. I'm having fun trying to place the templates in different parts of the fabric to see how many different looks I can get from this incredible fabric. 

I also finished the first block from the Out Loud colorway. This one has been out of print for a long time--I did some research and found out I have been collecting Echinacea fabric for ten years. This is one of two prints I have from 2014.

I don't know who is making all these cool "add yours" templates on Instagram that are ideal for quilts, but I'm sure enjoying them. 

Lest you think all I do is happily drop photos into those templates, I have also been completing the binding on ten quilts that I got back from Darby in May. On seven of them, the binding will be finished by machine, and I will hand sew the binding on the other three. I made six quilts from my stash of Anna Maria Horner fabric and have titled them "The Same But Different, 1-6," super creative title... I decided to bind them in black and I love the way it frames the fabric. I hope the recipients enjoy receiving them as much as I've enjoyed making them.

Tomorrow is a big day for me. Back in March I filmed an episode for The Quilt Show and tomorrow is the air date (watch the trailer here )!  One of the segments is about working with different types of solid fabric.

I took this photo in the Albert Cafe' in Liberty of London, an example of how inspiration is everywhere.

Then I came home and made two nearly identical pillows based on that photo--one using only Kona solid cottons, and the one below, in which I swapped out a few squares in similar colors of Dupioni silk, Oakshott shot cottons, crossweaves, etc., for added sparkle. It would have been a great illustration for both the segment on inspiration and also an example for the segment on solids.  Except I forgot to bring it. *sigh* Anyway, tomorrow I will have a link where you can get a seven-day free trial and watch the show at your leisure. Hope you check it out. :)

Sewing Room Update, 6/9/24

 I've been spending a lot of time in my sewing room lately, trying to sew my way through as much of my stash as possible. It could take a while but I'm really focused and determined.

I finished the Strawberry Jam quilt top and backing. I had a lot of fun making these blocks, choosing lots of fun fabrics and diving into my extensive stash of pink fabric.

These were some of my favorites, especially that pink violin!

For the backing I sewed 12" squares together. I was mildly surprised that with my extensive stash of pink, I had a hard time finding 48 different fabrics that were large enough or wide enough to cut 12.5" squares!

And seriously, how cute is this strawberry cottage block that will serve as the quilt label (pattern by Kate Basti). 

So now my job is to find someone who really loves pink. And strawberries!

After piecing 1,369 squares together, I needed a project that was a bit quicker. Charlotte had given me the t-shirts from her years of participating in plays at Roosevelt High School. Her school colors are green and gold, and I had this cool ombre fabric that was perfect for the sashing.

I'm in a bee group that is called Not a Bee. Haha. It's different in that you don't sent blocks to anyone. Each month someone is in charge of the block design. We each make the block for ourselves and keep it. The theme this year is triangles and June was my month. I chose a block I had designed a few years ago called Split Chain.

I got my color inspiration from this very quilty announcement.

Here are my blocks so far.

Sarah, one of the bee members, made this version of Split Chain. I haven't ever made the block with prints and her block is so pretty.

Ha!

Charlotte has chosen to go to college at Oregon State University, so I made a couple of things to take along with her: a bowl cozy and a key fob.

A zipper pouch for an upcoming Central Valley Justice Coalition event.

In the evenings when I have time, I make more echinacea blocks, three of each colorway. This is Seaweed.

Autumn.

These templates that pop up on Instagram are so much fun.

I'm very saddened that my all-time favorite fabric company, Oakshott shot cottons, is closing up shop. The owner, Michael Oakshott, has been ill and has chosen to retire. Over the years, he has been generous and supportive, and I will miss him.

This photo popped up on the Fresno Arts Council website and I'm trying to find out if it is a real place or just AI. If it is a real place, wouldn't it be a great place to photograph a quilt??

And finally, Christa brought me this very cool wine bottle. 

And that's it for this week.