Circle Star Quilt

My Circle Star Quilt was inspired by the starting

of my Goldfish Quilt, (which is still in pieces!)

I took Victoria Findlay Wolfe's 

Double Wedding Ring class last May up in Salem, MA.

As you know, I love taking a class.

Sewing in a group is tons of fun and inspiration!

Here are the start to all my archs.

 I used the templates for her Bright Lights, Big City Pattern

from her Double Wedding Ring Book.

Then I started playing around with them and voila!

Circle Stars.

It is so important to let your mind just fool around with shapes

and colors.  You never know what you'll find.

 

 So I made this little lovely right on the spot!

I knew I was going to make this quilt,

but I set it aside for the other 15 projects I have going.

 In September I came back to it.

 For a very special couple of peeps that I love.

 I hardly ever plan out a quilt, but I did this time.

It's so funny to actually have a pattern 

and layout in mind.  I never work this way.

Slowly I made my blocks.  I think they are 19.5" unfinished here.

 

I've always wanted to try star sashing too,

so the more stars the merrier!

 

While hosting these two loons,

the kid, and Gidget for a sweat shop day,

I finished all the sashing parts.

I love these two. 

They always brighten my day!

Pieces up on the wall!

 

All the parts sewn together!

 

Layering on the conference room table at work.

 

Binding away.

 

And finally a show and tell yesterday at my guild meeting.

 

I am so pleased with this quilt.

The unexpected block design,

the colors and star sashing.

I couldn't be happier!

And I can't wait to deliver it at the end of the month.

Blogging . . . . .

 Blogging . . .

So this top picture won't move. 

Thanks Blogger!

I decided to write a blog post because two of my Queeps

(quilt people friends)

Have been giving me the business about not blogging.

Apparently they actually read my blog posts.  Hehe

 I find it funny, because really I'm a picture girl.

I don't need a lot of words.

I decided that, yes, I will try to give this old blog

some much needed CPR and return it from its

place of languishing in cyber space.

So once or twice a week I will photo bomb something in here.

Comment, don't comment, doesn't matter, just enjoy.

The top picture and this one under are my final pics

For the sizzix challenge.

Love the way it came out! Have you entered yet?

Last weekend I was in Salem, MA for a two day class

with my buddy Victoria Findlay Wolfe.

Double Wedding Rings baby!

I'm doing my goldfish version of her Big Lights Bright City Pattern.

 

And then this happened.

I was fooling around with the arcs and they made a circle star!

Squeals of delight insued!

Two quilts for the price of one!

I've only made one star block, but I can tell this is going to be a quilt.

Maybe if I blow the pattern up huge, I can make a one block star baby quilt.

Because you know, I only have six other quilts in progress right now.

I guess it beats smoking crack for an addiction!  Hehe.

So Jacqui and Julie, thanks for the poke.

I will try not to let you down in the blogging world.

oxoxoxo

My Double Wedding Ring . . . .

This is a quilt I didn't think I would EVER make.

Wasn't ever a fan of the pattern, thought it was too

"Old-Fashioned"

Haha.  Boy was I wrong.

After Victoria's DWR  win at Quiltcon 2 years ago,

and then her DWR Challenge, I got the bug.

I made this single ring for the challenge.

I only did a single ring because I was a judge and couldn't win,

so I was a slacker. Haha.

And I still wasn't sold on this pattern.

Then I saw so many wonderful DWR quilts coming out of

Victoria's inspiration, I decided to give it a whirl

I had been hoarding Kaffe Fassett stripes and plaids for a while.

Couldn't cut them up.  Haha.

Then I found some rich peppered cotton solids 

and started a "Plan" so to speak.

Actually I just started cutting everything up.

No counting how many I need of this or that.

Sound familiar? 

Put it away for a while, dragged it back out and cut some more.

Then I started sewing the melons together.  Still no real plan.

I didn't even lay it all out first, 

just made each melon as I liked them.

I started with all the deep blues, purples and greens on one side,

and worked my way across the design wall.

More sewing and slapping up.

But I had all these bright yellows, pinks and greens too.

I put them on the end.

This pattern does take awhile to put together.

Patience is the word!

I sewed all the melons first.

It was coming together.

I liked it but . . . .  Didn't love it.

So off the wall it went for a while.

I had other quilts calling my name.

Then when Victoria's book came out.

It is such a great book!  You have to get it!

Inspiration re-fired!

I had most of the  pieces cut and put together,

so I played around with the layout.

I wanted it scrappy, and it surely is!

I added in a few other Kaffe prints 

where I had run out of what I was using.

I sewed the rings into rows,

and slowly put the rows together.

Because everything was overlapping on my design wall,

I had no idea how big this was going to be!

Below is on a third of it!

It was a slow sewing process 

and I tend to pin the hell out of everything

curvy!  But that's just me.  

It was definitely worth taking my time on.

See here, I sewed the it together wrong!

Jack the Ripper makes an appearance.

It's not perfect, there are some puckers and tucks.

I'm hoping the quilting will take that out.

I am so pleased with this top.

I am also pleased that I tried something

I didn't think I ever would.

Good lesson don't you think?

What are you afraid of?

Or not interested in?

Take a chance, you might be inspired.

Focus . . .

Focus!

I have none.

Nada, not an ounce.

Not a drop.

Does that ever happen to you?

Usually I'm pretty good, I can stay on task for the most part.

But lately . . . 

I am all over the map!

I started cutting a new quilt a few weeks ago.

I need to hang a huge piece of batting on the wall so I can lay it out

and sewing it properly.

Okay, skip to the next then . . . . 

I got sucked into Pat Sloan's quilt along.

Don't know why, just thought it would be fun.

I love a mystery quilt.  Hehe.

Made this a few weeks ago.

I had a bunch of made fabric laying around, so I just did it.

Then I thought a medallion quilt,

so I started making a few of these to go with it.

Yup made three and moved on.

Wanted to try this x and + block,

ended up making 13 . . . 

(Maybe all of that can become a quilt together!)

Have a swap quilt to make that needs to be done soon.

I know what I'm going to do, now to just do it!

And these little lovelies arrived on my step this week too.

Aren't they fun?

Seahorse scissors for the redheaded mermaid!

So there you have it.

All over the map.

No focus.

Maybe that should have been my word for 2014!

Check out all the other words by quilters over here.