Improvisational Quilts in the Bay Area

The computer died again. Fortunately, the maker decided to replace it this time. Unfortunately that will take a week or two.

I've been sewing daily but took time out to see Eli Leon's exhibit at the Museum of California in Oakland. Yo-Yo's and Half Squares: Contemporary California Quilts is a small but delightful exhibit of quilts Mr. Leon purchased at various East Bay flea markets. Most were purchased as tops; he had a quilter who finished them for him. Focusing on African-American quilters, he amassed a spectacular collection that partly inspired Sherri Lynn Wood's work and current book. As as side note, many of the quiltmakers originally hailed from Texas and the South, moving to California in the 1960s and '70s.

Many of the quilts were denim. What fun to see blue jeans incorporated with their pockets and welting. Kaja's recent finish reminds me of them. Some quilts were velvet; they had a surprising depth and shine. Photography was not allowed at this show but Mr. Leon has a website well worth visiting.

Outside the gallery was L'Atelier by Lucien Ladaubt. Notice anything?

L'Atelier by Lucien Ladaubt
at the Museum of California, Oakland

Yep. She's sewing sideways! Lucien had a successful art and fashion business so he should have known better. What was he thinking? This painting highlights the workers who created the gorgeous clothes in his murals on the circular staircase at Coit Tower as well as those at the Beach Chalet in Golden Gate Park.

This weekend I'm pulling fabric for a two-day workshop with Maria Shell. She will guide us through abstracting a favorite location or place. Friends heard her speak at a SAQA convention last year and others took workshops. It will be such fun!

Don't forget out next improvisational and utility quilt linkup is this coming Tuesday: here or at Sew Slowly.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Rhythmic Grid Results from the Study Group

Wow! This was one of our most successful scores. Everyone was so excited by their work, in part because we used our favorite fabrics and/or colors. All these tops blend so well, they could go into one quilt, couldn't they? Clockwise from upper left in the photo below are MK, Tami M-N, and mine.

Four variations of Rhythmic Grid score

M-N surrounded cream with beautiful blues. She and I read the directions to mean eyeball measuring each block. It took me several days to estimate the various widths and sew sashing so each was in the planned location. MK and Tami didn't worry about that aspect at all. Isn't it funny how differently we read {and hear and see} instructions?

MK picked up discarded fabrics at her last guild meeting. The squares were already cut so she spent time arranging the pieces to please herself. Love the cherry reds! Because her centers were the same size, it was easier to create a zigzag design with the sashing.

Tami's fabrics are her favorite colors. What a beauty! She used narrow strips of filler to fill openings along some of her rows. I hope she'll write a post about her process soon.

Here's my finished top.

Rhythmic Grid top

I like the combination of creating strong borders with the blue gingham and softening the same borders by extending some dark browns across. Running out of the first green border fabric was another lucky event. The two replacements are even better choices. The tan on the right also softens the delineation of the border. Definitely a "yes, and..." experience.

I deliberately buy smaller amounts of fabric for this exact reason. Running out forces creativity IMO. This quilt used a total of ten fabrics, a very small number for me. All that remains is a fat eighth of the center cream and the blue gingham. How's that for using it up?

Enjoy the day, Ann

Bordering Rhythmic Grid

Adding the borders to Rhythmic Grid this week.

There wasn't enough fabric in original green centers (bottom left.) Someone had cut the piece on the diagonal and refolded the remnant. So I got to add two leftovers from kaleidoscope to fill it out. I like them even better than my first choice.

BTW, you can see at the top how I'm waiting to cut the final rectangle for the border until the other pieces are sewn. I want to make sure the width is close to what's needed.

Adding the border, Rhythmic Grid

But now the blue gingham jars. I replaced some with the last of the brown. It's coming along

Dark brown replaces some blue gingham
in the border of Rhythmic Grid.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Rhythmic Grid Begins and AHIQ Wrap Up

Another great AHIQ link up. Kaja and I are delighted with the response. The projects cover a broad range of improvisation highlighting its diversity. Several people told us how happy they are to have a place to share their interest. We can tell: viewers click the links and leave insightful comments on many blogs. Conversations begin; others join in. Thank you so much for making this linkup a success. We look forward to our next one, February 22. What will you have to share?

This month's score in my study group was Rhythmic Grid. From the moment I saw it on the cover of Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, Sherri's bold boxes in strong, clear blues and apple reds had me chomping at the bit to try it myself. However, the month got away from me. Okay, grandbaby cuddling took precedence but {I thought} I had a plan. Turns out I had a lot to learn.

The peachy-cream polished cotton came from the Britex sale room. It was supposed to be the border of my selvedge string quilt. The leaves looked good against the fabric but it did not work with the top. Not awful; just like they were two different tops.

Selvedge leaves as a possible border

The polished cotton should have gone into a box. Instead, it only made it as far as the to-be-filed pile where it caught my eye daily. When MK sent a reminder of the meeting, I knew I had to get busy. Starting here I pulled five other fabrics that {seemed to} go together but also had a definite color shift for the permeable border of rhythmic grid. And immediately forgot to take a photo.

The inner sashings were pink/green/tan stripe and brown with coral polka dots. When laid out, the brown had too much contrast. The stripe turned out to be a fat quarter and was almost gone.

Original row for Rhythmic Grid

Next I pulled a coral red batik and a large floral Alexander Henry. After unsewing one brown side, I set the others aside. That turned out to be a wise decision.

Adding the sixth row to Rhythmic Grid

As the quilt progressed, it needed some darker areas. Back came the original sections, reworked into diagonals. By the sixth row, only some floral and a bit of the cream solid remained.

Surprises:

1. Not checking fabric amounts carefully before beginning.
2. Quilt size affects the color values. The brown was too strong for a small section but perfect as the quilt increased in size.

Discoveries:

1. Construction worked best for me when I cut the sashing strips first and then filled in the solid center. 
2. Wait until the two-, three-, and four-sided units are sewn before determining the width of filler units, those with no colored strips on any side. All those seam allowances take more room than I planned. Good thing there was enough cream filler.

On to the borders!

Enjoy the day, Ann

January Progress on Quilty 365

Eighty-nine circles through the end of January. Much brighter colors this month. I didn't realize I'd used so much red and orange.

Quilty365 circles for January 2016

I'm enjoying this project on my own terms. Which means:

• Pulling background fabrics from hither and yon, cutting them into squares, and stashing them in a ziplock. 
• Putting smaller remnants in ziplock #2 for circle consideration.
• Occasionally sewing crumbs into a piece large enough for a circle and adding those to ziplock #2.
• Writing an event and date on each finished block.
• Keeping a stash of red fabrics for "red circle days."

Equally enjoyable is seeing the many different ways people have approached this QAL. Especially notable to me are Stephie's fabulously artistic, expressive creations. Her abstract pieces convey so much emotion that I could look at them for hours. On the other hand, Shasta's style runs to the fun, funky side. Her circles make me laugh as I wonder what she'll pull out of her hat tomorrow! What a treat to see how two artists with vastly different styles work within the same parameters.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to check all of the current work at Audrey's Quilty365.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Link Up

It's time for the kaleidoscope of butterflies to take flight! Cathy and I are excited to see what everyone posts. Knowing how clever quilters are, there will be many different takes on this subject.

It's a bit early for caterpillars and butterflies around here but QS (my quilting sister) kindly sent this photo. She's such a good photographer. How fortunate I am to have the BEST sisters!

Caterpillar photo by QS

I found two new places for butterfly watching.

• Habitat restoration of Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio of San Francisco began about twenty years ago. Western blue pygmy butterflies returned in 2008. They usually prefer the salt marshes of the east bay. These tiny butterflies have a half-inch wingspan, making them one of the world's smallest. They range through the southwestern US, Hawaii, and the Persian Gulf.
• Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont has an enclosed nectar garden. Several benches and easy walking make this a destination for young and old.

I'm keeping my ears open for restoration or release events but haven't found any yet. However, Seedles is a California company selling wildflower seed bombs to help bee habitats. Wildflower mixes have been created for six regions of the US. Their colorful balls would be a great favor for your child's birthday or school party.

What's going on in your neck of the woods? Help us spread the word worldwide.

Lastly, my progress on the current kaleidoscope. By Day 8 the wedges are sewn. Time to create many-colored tulips, realistic or not. Some need to be purple.

Dark purple tulip added to the kaleidoscope

The bright orange is such a happy color. I also like the softer green tulip and the way it blends with the tan print below it.

Tulips across the first row

Tiptoeing through the tulips, the red is a keeper. The blues are made of two wonderful fabrics I've stored for too long. The light purple tulips are fish fabric that look like trout. I'm always amazed at the changes in this design as it's filled in. It actually loses its definition; that will come back as I sew it up.

Filling in the corner triangles of the kaleidoscope pattern.

For the third purple tulip, I tested the dark stripe on the left. In my opinion, it's too dark. Sophisticated but not happy. The choice on the right works much better.

Two  purple choices.

This is where my kaleidoscope stands today. How are your butterfly and kaleidoscope projects coming along?

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkx removed because it was hacked.

Improv Rail Fence and AHIQ Link up #5

Like Kaja, it's been an unexpectedly busy month for me. Best? Visiting my new grandson.
Worst? Computer crash again. It's extremely hard to get any photos uploaded and impossible to follow links.

I finished quilting Improv Rail Fence. Again I squared the quilt with a ruler before binding. It seems to work better for me although it does remove more of the top than would happen with a more traditional pattern.

Improv Rail Fence

Striped binding seemed a good plan but there wasn't enough of either. So I used both.

Binding detail

Quilt Details

Size: 82"(H) x 59"(W)

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: Aurifil 50/2 cotton thread in pink

Quilting: Free motion swirls and flowers

Previous posts:
1. Another Improv String Quilt
2. Improv String Quilt, a Beginning

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because site was hacked.

Who Wants to Flitter Through a Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Link Up?

Cathy wrote last week she's starting a quilt using some of her butterfly fabric in a kaleidoscope pattern! Many other kaleidoscopes are floating around the Internet. Wouldn't it be great to share them all and publicize the need for butterfly habitat improvement, too?

We think a link up might be fun. Very casual. Any information about butterflies, release events, planting, festivals is great. We'll also share photos of quilts we're making with butterfly fabric. Or any kaleidoscope or butterfly quilt. Quilters are an inventive group. :-)

Clusters of monarch butterflies
at Natural Bridges State Park, CA

Again, here are the parameters:

1. Celebrate butterflies and other pollinators with photos of butterflies, pupae, or larvae in your area and/or the plants they feed on AND/OR
2. Use butterfly fabric OR
3. Use any kaleidoscope or butterfly pattern (Don't forget those fabulous designs by Paula Nadelstern!)

Let us know if you're interested in the Kaleidoscope of Butterflies link up starting February 1.

Enjoy the day, Ann

A New Kaleidoscope

Three of us decided to have a quilting day and we chose to play with kaleidoscopes: sophisticated fabrics for Gayle, whimsical for Joni, and a bright mix for me. Each of us brought a good selection then spent the day laughing, sewing and discussing. Gayle made a delicious bean soup for lunch. Joni brought a wonderful salad. I brought my appetite. Oops.

Kaleidoscope wedges by Gayle, Joni, and me.

This is some of what we finished by day's end. The biggest surprise was how much better all of our blocks looked together than individually. It emphasized the need to mix values and vibrancy.

Continuing my monarch butterfly theme, I plan to use orange, yellow and black... along with other colors, of course. I was determined to use this fabric - Tribal Lace Mountain by Zandra Rhodes for Free Spirit. It worked better once I decided to semi-fussy cut the strips.

One of the large scale fabrics
used in my kaleidoscope was
Tribal Lace Mountain by Zandra Rhodes for Free Spirit.

Can you find it in the blocks below?

Some potential kaleidoscope layouts. 

Here's my progress at the end of day two...

Day 2 progress.

and after day three.

Day 3 progress.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Of Monarchs and Milkweed

For several Januaries, I've visited Ano Nuevo and Natural Bridges State Parks to see the elephant seals and monarch butterflies respectively. This year rain made the seals more active. Who knew?

Northern elephant seals have made a significant comeback from near extinction. Fifty were left by the turn of the last century. Over 200,000 are believed to exist now. Excellent protections by both Mexican and American governments helped this recovery.

The monarchs had already left Natural Bridges. There have been significantly fewer butterflies each year.  A docent told us some still remained at Lighthouse Field State Park. We found several clusters there.

A cluster of monarch butterflies
at Lighthouse Field State Park

Unfortunately monarchs have been declining rapidly everywhere. Californians tell me there used to be millions in this small location. I've only seen thousands the past few years. The 9 January Google doodle celebrates the 1975 discovery of the monarchs' overwintering site in the Mexican Sierra Madres where they "swirled like autumn leaves." From billions, they are down to a few million.

What's the problem? Basically, milkweed eradication. Monarchs lay their eggs solely on milkweed which is rapidly disappearing as farmland is turned to housing. Each year monarchs have fewer places to lay their eggs.

What can we do? Iowa recently started "bombing for butterflies." Golf-ball sized globs of milkweed seed, loam and clay are given to cyclists, runners, and basically anyone who will toss them around the countryside. We can all join this effort. Iowa is important for monarch migration, but there are many more miles from Canada to Mexico, one of the main migratory paths for these beautiful and vital insects.

I bought native milkweed seed at a state park and grow it in a pot. No butterflies yet, but I collect and scatter the seeds annually. Milkweed has large clusters of small flowerets. From pods, their seeds disperse on little parachutes like dandelion. I thought all milkweed was white but these blossoms are pink and orange. Luther Burbank Gardens in Santa Rosa have a section to encourage and feed local pollinators that includes milkweed. Perhaps more of us could incorporate local species into our gardens.

Which milkweed should you use? There are 73 varieties native to the Americas; buy one that comes from your area.

Where should you toss them? Think nature preserves, bogs, streambeds, empty lots, your own backyard... not your neighbor's flowerbed. Here's another site with more information. If you don't live in the Americas, ask what flowers (or weeds) best support the native pollinators of your country and plant those. Update: Monarch Watch sells and mails milkweed plugs. They also have a list of seed providers for various areas.

Did you know the collective noun for a group of butterflies is a kaleidoscope? This is how I interpret kaleidoscope. How appropriate. A kaleidoscope of butterflies. Wouldn't that be a sight?

Enjoy the day, Ann

Floating Squares Finished

The top was pinned before Thanksgiving but I finally quilted it just before the new year. Very simple straight lines with a walking foot. Again I chose to square up the edges with the ruler.

I liked the challenge of using scraps to make the blocks and finding a way to put them together. One diagonal is roughly red/pink; the other green. I have several ideas about blending the edges of the blocks next time.

Floating Squares

There was almost enough of a brown and pink print for the binding. It needed a foot of light pink leftover from the Chinese Coins string to complete. You can see it at the top left of the photo below. Machine sewed on one side, hand stitched on the other.

Floating Squares, view of quilt back

The back used vintage yardage from my stash with 12.5" string block squares that were leftover from another project. I love using up the scraps. :-)

Quilt Details

Size: 60"(H) x 56"(W)

Pattern: Floating Squares from Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: Gutermann 50 wt. cotton thread in pink (800 m spool)

Quilting: Walking foot on a Bernina 1230

This is a perfect size for a toddler, lap, or picnic quilt. Just waiting for a home...

Previous posts:
1. Floating Squares Begun
2. Floating Squares Top Complete

Enjoy the day, Ann

Vintage Kaleidoscope and End of Year Sorting

I intended to write about cleaning up my sewing room but Julie wrote everything last week. We must be related: there are millions of shiny, new objects (quilts) in my mind but I couldn't get started until I'd cleared out the scrap bag, sorted the storage and vacuumed, dusted and polished. As Julie said, it's so refreshing to take the time to regroup.

As part of the general cleaning, I pulled out this top. Some kaleidoscope blocks have been around since 1997. About five years ago, I made more blocks, tossed some older ones and sewed the top. It's never been quilted.

Kaleidoscope quilt

This is another quilt constructed using Marilyn Doheny's kaleidoscope ruler. (I can't find photos of the first two made with this ruler. They were lovely and well-loved.) The ruler continues to be useful.

Detail shots include some of the original blocks as well as newer ones.

Kaleidoscope quilt, detail

This design is created with two blocks; both have the same pieces but the value placement changes. It's most noticeable if you look at the darks; they create either an X or a + in the center. The four corner triangles that complete the squares are very light against the dark X or medium light against the medium X. The strict attention to value creates the stronger light circles and diamonds as well as the occasional dark circle "after image."

The center octagons are usually created with two sets of four wedges (alternating dark and medium.) However, many of these have two pairs of darks and/or mediums.

It's still a pretty quilt that should be used instead of languishing on a shelf.  Now it's donated as a veteran's quilt.

Kaleidoscope quilt, detail

Over the holidays I sewed 146 string blocks solely from my [now empty!] scrap bag. In addition to these colors, there are  yellow, orange, black, brown and purple blocks. Perhaps they will become toddler quilts or... ?

String blocks from the scrap bag scraps.

This year I am choosing a scrap block as a leader/ender project to regularly reduce the scraps. There will still be scraps in the scrap bag but hopefully it will take longer to fill. I know I'm weird but a full scrap bag bothers me until it's used.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Red Circle Days - Quilty365

Thanks to Audrey's Quilty365 I'm rediscovering hand applique. Like so many others, I sew one circle a day... and I'm up to date.

Some backgrounds are pieced; some circles are pieced.

Red Circle Days - Quilty365
through December, 2015

Some days there is too much to do to choose a fabric. Those are my "red circle days." One small circle for every day in a row I'm busy or sick. It reminds me of Red Letter Days although being under the weather is not exactly a "red letter" event.

Other people appliqued multiple circles to a single background. I think they are counting the backgrounds. I'm counting the circles! Is that too didactic? Or cheating? That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

See many more wonderfully inventive variations of this project at Audrey's Quilty365. There's also one more day to add your improv work to AHIQ, too.

Enjoy the day, Ann