Tag Archives: 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge

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I use the descriptor "planned improv" loosely. Sometimes the improv comes in the piecing. Sometimes it comes in the design work before piecing starts. In this case, the improv had to do with having no idea where I was going when I started piecing scraps together. And the plan was that HSTs would be involved, and I was working with a limited amount of scraps (at the beginning) with a limited color palette (that I'd curated for the bag of scraps).

This quilt has been a long time coming. The scraps that were the start of it predate February 2016 when I took Jeni Baker's Creative HST workshop at QuiltCon in Pasadena. (We won't discuss how these are scraps from another project that is not yet finished.) This three-hour evening class was a chance to play. I finished my first four blocks for this quilt that night and eventually went on to create 140 more!

As with many of my quilt projects, I worked on this one intermittently over the years. It had no deadline or destination. The quilt top was finally finished at a quilt retreat in September 2018. I mailed it away to be quilted (by Jess Zeigler) in December 2019. No rush on this one. ;-)

I finished the quilt with a faced binding in order to submit to it PIQF in October for their Online Quilt Festival.

It's 59" x 59". I plan to hang it in my entryway.

 

Unrelatedly, check out the new short film, Canvas, on Netflix.

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Today marks nine months that I've been home. There is so much that I miss. But I am thankful to live with family that I enjoy and we have certainly found some new ways to entertain ourselves. I haven't gotten to paint as much as I'd like, but I did get into watercolor during this time.

I started in May with Let's Make Art's watercolor kits. Sarah's tutorials on YouTube are great. I generally watch once through so I know what's coming and then watch and paint along, pausing as needed or stepping away if I have to let a layer dry.

My biggest struggle is finding uninterrupted time to paint. Watercolor is a little unforgiving to interruptions because things dry when you don't want them too. Even without interruptions that's a bit of a trick.

This little beetle is a mashup of my drawing from Art Starts with a Line (affiliate link) and some watercolor.

Starting this week, I'll be working through the book 15 Minute Watercolor Masterpieces (affiliate link) by Anna Koliadych. I've joined a group with Lori from One-Per-Week. It's basically a pacing group to stay motivated and share our work as we work through the same book at the same time. She has a private Facebook group for the community. If you're interested, you can connect with Lori to join the group here. There's no fee beyond the cost of the book and supplies. I don't have the book in my hand yet, but the first assignments are landscapes.

And last night I received A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook (affiliate link) by Lisa Solomon. So lots of painting options in my future! (Don't worry, I won't stop quilting.)

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Fat Quarter Shop is currently hosting the Sewcialites quilt along. With 3", 6" and 9" size options, there are 36 blocks being released one week at a time on the Jolly Jabber blog. One block a week on top of my other sewing sounded like a lot, but I dove in on week one and made this 3" block.

I didn't really have a plan other than to make a few blocks, but I haven't made a second one yet. Someone recommended that I use this block as a rug in the dollhouse we are (very slowly) building. I think that's a lovely idea. Or maybe I'll finish it into a bed quilt for the dollhouse. We'll see.

This tiny little block has 45 pieces in it! And these are the tiniest HSTs I've ever sewn at 1/2" finished.

I think there's more fabric in the seam allowance than in the front!