Daffodil and Crocus Machine Quilting Doodles

While it's fresh in my mind I thought I'd share a few pictures from tonight's machine quilting Fiber Cast.  I realize it didn't show up too well on video camera.  White on white is tricky.

My mystery quilt is purple and yellow, and because it's Spring I'm calling it my Crocus and Daffodil Quilt.

First I doodled some quilt pattern ideas.

Then I went to town with my Superior King Tut #40 "alabaster" thread.  Can you see the daffodil?

How about the crocus?

Subtle for sure!

Have a good weekend everyone.  Happy Spring!  (Or Happy Fall depending on where in the world you live!)

Lynn

P.S.

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P.S.S. Raggedy dolls are officially done!

A Quilting and Dolly Smorgasbord

According to Wikipedia ... 

"Smörgåsbord is a type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple hot and cold dishes of various foods on a table, originating in Sweden. The term Smörgåsbord became internationally known at the 1939 New York World's Fair when it was offered at the Swedish Pavilion's "Three Crowns Restaurant." It's typically a celebratory meal and guests can help themselves from a range of dishes laid out for their choice." 

Well, I have a Smorgasbord of Fiber arts projects!  

It's time to clear the "table."

Raggedy Ann needs hair.  Andy needs his hat.  My "Daffodil and Crocus" Spring mystery quilt (in the background) needs more machine quilting.

  

Then there's Hitty's braided rug. The braids are all made.  I just need to sew them together.  How long - really - can a 6" diameter rug take to complete???
  

And then I have my "grey-background" quilt which was designed at the Marathon Quilters' Retreat. 

I sure am glad we have Simply Colorful Fiber Cast tomorrow night ... I'll be working on one or more of these projects...Celebrating the range of fiber choices laid out before me and with you as my guest!

What project will you work on?

See you at 8PM EST tomorrow night.

Click here to access FiberCast

Lynn

P.S. For those following my car saga ... these 2 pictures pretty much tell the story.  

(Jeep on left being carted off to the "car doctor."  Styling minivan rental on the right.)

 

  

Spring, Scraps, and Raggedy

Hello from the Simply Colorful Fiber Art Studio!

It felt like Spring today, sunny, though not much over 60 degrees.  I went outside and soaked in as much Vitamin D as I could

Warmer weather and flower blooms are coming to New England, I can just feel it. 

But when?

Will these babies ever bloom?

And will this snow ever disappear?

How 'bout my Clematis?  

Will a purple flush of color replace these beige puffballs?  And most importantly, is it CLEMatis or ClemAAAtis? That is the question.

While we ponder these and other Spring delights, let's talk scraps.

I had lots.

I've spent time here and there all week pressing and cutting and sorting.

Now I have them organized!

I still have more to go, and there's a whole other container of strings not in this picture, but it's a start.

  

From now on whenever I have scraps left over from a project I vow to cut them into usable pieces right then and there!  Stockpiling random scraps stops today.  (insert skeptical happy face here)

P.S. See the brown box in the picture?  That is a special family heirloom from Vermont.  I'm saving it for a special occasion to show.  (Yes, that's what we call a "tease.")

Meanwhile, it's finally time to make a new Raggedy Ann doll.
(I first blogged about Raggedy a few weeks ago here.)

Her body will be cut out by tomorrow.  Here's the pattern.   

I'm sticking with the smallest, 15" tall doll.  The Raggedy Ann in this picture is the one my mother made for me when I was a girl.  She'll be my model.

Here are the fabrics I'm planning to use.   

I'm thinking she'll be a "modern day" Raggedy with narrow red-on-white striped legs ... maybe... if I can convince myself to break from tradition. 

You'll just have to tune into tomorrow night's FiberCast to watch the progress and see whether we go thin or thick red striped legs.  

Oh, can you stand the suspense?

Grab a project and I'll see you tomorrow night,

Lynn

At 8PM EST, Friday April 4th, 2014, click this URL to watch live: 

https://plus.google.com/b/117305597376045829646/events/ckg2tu2hefs4hmkqo20at0dpif0  

 (You'll need a Google+ account which is free.)

Or visit the Simply Colorful YouTube Channel to watch the archive and past episodes.

Spring 2014 Simply Colorful Mystery Quilt Reveal!

It's time to see what 2,299 scraps of fabric sewn into 667 Units can become!

Ta da!  

Here's the Spring 2014 Mystery Quilt Layout. 

Here's Clue 5 with all the final instructions. 

We'll be finishing this quilt on tonight's Simply Colorful Fiber Cast.  

When? 8PM Eastern Standard Time, March 21st.

Previous clues:

Clue #1  Corresponding Fiber Cast recorded on Feb 21

Clue #2 Corresponding Fiber Cast recorded on Feb 28

Clue #3 Corresponding Fiber Cast recorded on March 7

Clue #4 Corresponding Fiber Cast recorded on March 14

Clue #5 -- LIVE Fiber Cast Tonight at 8PM EST

Spring 2014 Mystery Quilt Clue #4

This is the last week of making 3.5" units!  

There are 192 units total.  You'll make the same design in two different colorways.

Click here to download the Simply Colorful Spring 2014 Mystery Quilt Clue #4.

This clue's so easy you can do it in your sleep or with one hand tied behind the back.

Next week we put it all together!  (REVEAL is MARCH 21 at 7AM EST.)

Remember: Simply Colorful Fiber Cast is tonight at 8PM EST.

Grab a project and come sew with me. 

It's amazing how much we can accomplish in 60 minutes!

Happy Friday,

Lynn

View Archived Simply Colorful FiberCasts on YouTube

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Mystery Quilt Clue #3 is LIVE!

Hello Simply Colorful Mystery Quilters!

Clue #3 is live.  

There are 4 different parts to this one.  Yikes!  All very doable.

 

Tune into tonight's Simply Colorful Fiber Cast at 8PM EST to get started.  It's amazing how many units we can make in just 60 minutes.

Happy Friday everyone!

Lynn

2014 Spring Mystery Quilt Clue #2

Good morning!

The second clue of our Spring 2014 Mystery Quilt is now ready for download. 

 

Please don't freak out about all the pieces.  It'll be worth the effort. If it's any consolation, there are more pieces in this clue than in any others that you'll do as part of this Mystery!

Have a good day and I hope to see you at Tonight's Simply Colorful FiberCast where we'll make Units #2A and #2B together.

Lynn

Mystery Quilt Clue #1 is Live (Spring 2014)

 It's time to make 64 Unit #1As. (Note: Large A triangle is on the lower right - ALWAYS.)

And 64 Unit #1Bs (Note: Large B triangle is on the lower right - ALWAYS.)

What are you waiting for?

Download the full clue #1 and get started!

See everyone tonight on Simply Colorful Fiber Cast!  We can make our units together.

Lynn

P.S. If you're new to the Mystery, here's how to prepare.  It's not too late to join the fun!

A Paper Piecer is Born! #QuiltLove

Isn't this paper pieced heart wonderful?  

Pattern by www.PiecebyNumber.com out of Geneva, Switzerland.
Sells for $3.50 on Craftsy.com here.  

My sister sewed it last night while watching me on SimplyColorful Fiber Cast.

Am I the luckiest big sister in the world?  I used to offer to pay her to let me have a sleep-over in her bedroom - that's how much fun I have hanging out with my sister.  And to think, all these years later, after very rarely letting me bunk in her room, she's willing to spend her time sewing with me.  

Anyway - enough about me!

Here's another of Karen's creations:

"Mercury"
Pattern by 627handworks.com is available for free this week on Craftsy.com here.

How about this bird? 

Nothing like a winter cardinal to brighten the day!

And a similarly-colored cocktail to enhance the night! (compliments of hubby TGBob)

Thanks for sharing Karen!

Just 6 days left until Hallmark says we're supposed to tell the people we love that we really do - in fact - love them. Why not say it today...a lot can happen between now and next Friday!

Sew on,

Lynn

Here's one more free pattern to celebrate the season of Love.

Pink Quilt for Valentine's Day

Remember my leader/ender pink half-square triangles?  

I'm using them in a Valentine's Day lap quilt!  

10 days and counting.  

People have asked about my quilt making process.

I'm a "loose" quilter.  I don't follow formal directions anymore.  Instead I draw inspiration from the fabrics, colors, and pictures of other quilts.  Then I just start cutting, sewing, and laying out.

Don't get me wrong.  I do think about lights and darks.  I think about design repetition.  I think about balance.  So I plan in that way, but I just don't seem to have patience for reading every line of complex patterns.

Here's where I'm at with my pink quilt so far:

The Chateau pattern from Timeless Treasures is my inspiration. 

Free on www.fatquartershop.com.

I have plenty of extra pink fabrics - both lights and darks.

Isn't it interesting to see how by changing just 1 fabric in the above 2 photos it looks so different?  (lower left flower fabric in top photo is replaced with a pale pink batik in the lower photo)

Which one do you like better?

We'll have to play with different combinations this Friday on Simply Colorful Fiber Cast!

8PM EST, 2/7/14

Until then, stay warm, and sew on!

Lynn

P.S. I'll post the Fiber Cast URL link on Friday morning to both www.facebook.com/SimplyColorful and on the Simply Colorful Google+ Page.

Making New Quilting Friends in Florida

   

Happy first day of February!  What a night we had last night at the   Cornerstone Quilt Shoppe in Orlando Florida.

If you were on Fiber Cast, I apologize for the spotty video and audio.  We were streaming through a local internet service provider, it was raining outside, and I only had my laptop PC camera and microphone.  Add to that, I jostled the PC as I moved it around the store ... and it made for a not-so-interesting-or-pleasurable experience for you - our viewers.  

I'm so sorry about it because the stories were priceless, including Fiona's.  As a member of the Royal School of Needlework, she worked on Kate Middleton's wedding dress.  (Did I mention she's also an aeronautical engineer?)  Cindy III is a nurse and a natural-born story-teller and producer (tiaras came from her!) She wants to say hi to her family in Austin. "Original Cindy" grew up in Berwick Maine and knows Keepsake Quilting, so we bonded over that.  Mary's grandchildren are named after presidents (Reagan and Lincoln - so far), and Patty started her needlework sampler in 1990!

Anyway, thanks everyone for sticking with me.  Next one will be better....

Nothing ventured, nothing gained ...

You don't know until you try ...

Yadda, yadda, yadda!

All technical difficulties aside, I consider myself so fortunate to have met new quilting friends.  Each one shared their story and passion for quilting with me.  They were open to trying a LIVE broadcast, and they clearly enjoy each other's company.  

A big thank you to Original Cindy, Cindy III, Mary, Patty, and Fiona!

Here are some (rather grainy) photos from last night. 

Here's the red FIAT I rented all week, in front of the store.

Here's "Arthur" the long arm quilting machine working on a snowflake design.  

Here's just one corner of the store.  Isn't the pineapple scrap quilt punchy and bright?

Here's just one of the quilts that "Original Cindy" machine quilted.  They do 100's of quilts a year, and people send their quilt tops to be done from as far away as Denmark.  If you have a quilt top in need of machine quilting, I highly recommend Judy Dickerson (Shoppe owner), Cindy, and the team at Cornerstone Quilt Shoppe.  Their machine quilting work is top-notch.  

Phone: 407-207-6500, email cornerstonequilt@cfl.rr.com 

I'm about to board my plane back to Boston.  Have a great Saturday everyone!

Lynn

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