Purple and Orange Table Runner

I was determined to make these fabrics work together.

I considered it a mission.

I was not going to take 'no'

for an answer.

And, yes I believe I succeeded.

Like it?

Love it?

Buy it today at my ETSY store!

After all, Purple goes with everything :)

Sweet Pillow Dreams

On Sunday I worked on a cute little pillow to match the Log Cabin quilt on the guestroom bed.  I think it came out really pretty. Here are some artsy photos that I took when I put it up on the bed.  I know I know, I've surprised you with my mad photography skills.

Okay I can't lie, I was just to lazy to shut the blinds and figured it was a nice change :).








What I learned:

• Putting together one log cabin block is allot easier then putting together a quilts worth

• Free-motion quilting through very tightly woven fabric is pure hell (for lack of a better term).  This was the white fabric on the pillow.  It took me about 4 times as long to quilt this pillow because of all the hangups that occurred.   

 ....... OH and i love (love LOVE) making pillows.

 I was a little short on the material for the back so I ended up striping in a couple of other colors, and in the end it made the pillow all that much better if I do say so myself.

I had a bunch of the fabric cut for the block already as when we cut the pieces for the quilt we way over estimated on the size.  Luckily little OCD me separated all the little pieces out into their own Ziploc baggies and labeled them (no you cannot see this picture).  Thus I was able to just take out the baggies and grab two strips of each size to make the block.  Hopefully this is something I do again as wow, how nice.  Anyway, when picking out the strip pieces I tried to choose the "Purplest" of the bunch as I thought this would make the pillow stand out against the quilt better as the quilt as a whole kinda reads more 'Blue'.  But in the end I'm not sure it worked out that way. But whatever, still pretty.

Okay last picture!   I love it!


Last thought.  Since I plan on spending more time quilting and following other creative endeavors I might be changing my blogs name. I have a couple of ideas I just need to pin it down.  Then I will hopefully be opening an Etsey Shop under the same name.

SEW, stay tuned for more and be sure to 'like' or 'friend' my blog on Facebook!  There should be a little link over to the right of the blog to easily allow you to do this.

My First Design Challange

So I think I have come up with the perfect deign for me to do for the Project Modern Challenge.  This would be the first composition or challenge I've ever done so I think careful planning is in order.  My design would come out a bit bigger then the 45" X 45" minimum for a quilt but I don't think it would be excessively big and thus impossible to finish before the due date.  .. i think...i hope...
I need to double check my drawing and have Patrick run the numbers to make sure.

I also need to buy purple fabric which will be a struggle for me...ha!!!  As, I think my first challenge like this should utilize my signature color don't you?

No pictures yet as I don't want to give away too much.  But here is the link to the challenge.  http://themodernquiltguild.com/2011/01/05/project-modern-challenge-2/

...Once I get some fabric I'll maybe post a little tidbit of my idea, maybe.

Cabin Raising - A Log Cabin Quilt Story

Once upon a time a community of LeClair's got together to make a log cabin quilt.

The quilt was cut and started at house₁ in Alabama. Brought to South Dakota for more work. Then mailed to house₂ in Alabama to be admired, used and displayed.

 "PURPLE GOES WITH EVERYTHING!"

"A touch of purple 

in quilts that you sew 

make everything special

as you already know!"

 "Pieced by Christine, Patrick

and Fay LeClair" 

"Quilted by Fay LeClair 2010"

The quilt has so much blue and purple in it that while there are plenty of other color strips I think of this as primarily a blue log cabin quilt. That being said the Pink totally stands out in the pictures doesn't it?! The log cabin quilt block has a long and varied history. The most traditional blocks have the center square being red to symbolize the hearth fire in the cabin and one side of the block being dark fabrics and the other light to symbolize the night and day, or good and bad of life. I've even read stories of the center block being made black as a way to help slaves searching for freedom during Americas Under Ground Railroad days. Here is one of the many many fascinating articles out there regarding quilting history and the log cabin block in particular: http://www.womenfolk.com/quilt_pattern_history/logcabin.htm

Back to my quilt (smile)

One of the aspects that drew me to this pattern, and gave Fay pause as teaching me how to make this quilt would be time consuming for her, was that the blocks are pieced together at the diagonal with smaller cabin blocks along the edge.

We've placed the quilt into our guest room and are eagerly awaiting our first guests to come sleep under it. Which should be in about an hour :) The bedroom set in that room comes from Patrick's maternal Grandparents and dates back to the 40's maybe. Thus my modern take on the log cabin quilt fits well in our little suite.

Do you think our quests will find sleeping under the quilt an inspiring experience? Perhaps they will have dreams of working the underground railroad. At the very least I think our dear quests will find themselves having a cozy nights sleep.

... lastly I think I will be making a pillow shame for that little white pillow someday soon. I'm thinking a cabin block on an angle framed by lots of white ... But we'll see!






Finally, here's another one of the squares close up:

Caren's Quilt

Okay so this quilt took me a long time to do.  It looks simple but I refused to use a pattern, even one I drew out myself, or ask for help and yet I wanted it perfect.  Oh and Pink and Purple.  That was my requirements.  At first is was to be a Just Because Quilt. Then when her graduation got near it became a Graduation Quilt.  Then when that time came and went it became a Bridesmaids Quilt for me to give her when she came to my wedding.. But that time came and went.  Then Caren announced her engagement and.. well you know what happened then... In the end I'm not exactly sure when i finally finished and mailed it... But I know she has it now!   One day I will have to get a picture of her and Casey with it :)

The picture doesn't do it justice. The pink and purple fabrics were just beautiful.

The Finished Quilt:

The Quilt in Progress:

First Quilt

The story:  When my mother in law Fay came for her first visit to Alabama she brought along some quilting notions with the idea of teaching my husband and I how to quilt.  We did a Ricky Tims quilt that came together beautifully and I was hooked!

I will post a picture of this quilt here

We then all went fabric shopping and I saw a picture of a quilt that I really liked in one of the stores and Fay made a pattern similar to it and we purchased fabric to make it.. and well the rest is history!  I didn't take any pictures immediately and it hung on the wall of our first home for 5 years!  Unfortunately during it's last washing ti didn't hold up so well. Not surprising since my seam allowances were all over the place and I never quilted it more then making a few straight lines.  So I have it folded up now in my closet to one day be patches and fixed.  When I get a chance I will post pictures of this quilt in all its faded glory.

A picture of this quilt here: