Let Your Creativity Take Over

Have you ever created a design for a quilt or made a certain plan for one and then after you played around with fabrics and settings it turned into something completely different?  This happens to me all the time and I'm guessing I'm not alone. It truly does seem like the quilts always take on a life of their own and turn out the way they want to, not necessarily the way I plan them. What looks good on paper or in my head doesn't always work when I begin to sew the pieces together. This is one of the things I really love about quilting: if you trust your instincts and let your creativity speak to you, you'll almost always be pleasantly surprised at what you can make. 

Using prints that don't match made this simple block a little more interesting. Worked in the rest of the quilt too - I opted for mismatching the setting squares and triangles.

I never know how a quilt will turn out when I begin and I've been known to start over from scratch if I take the wrong road and ignore my instincts (much easier to do if you're making small quilts!)

This month my small quilt groups (Yes! There are 2 groups - Yahoo and Facebook. Take your pick. ) are making small quilts with Double Pinwheel blocks for the September challenge.          

I thought this would be a perfect project to display for fall and since I do not have many quilts in this color range it seemed like a nice challenge for me to work on something a little different. I designed it in nice, warm colors. It looked cute on paper. I poked through all of my brown and green and rust prints and tried to put something together. Here's what I came up with -

Yep. Sorry to disapoint. I really tried. But, no -  this quilt of mine does not not want to be made in fall colors. Indigo kept leaping up out of the scrap box and mixing it up with my pink prints. I guess my mind (or the quilt) was telling me something . . . . Stick with what you like and the creativity will surely follow.  If you're making one of these this month, don't listen to me - make it your own way. Hope I can stay on track and finish this one.  I think it'll be cute. 

Tumbling Blocks

One of the most "antiquey" looking quilts I've ever made is the little Tumbling Blocks quilt from my book Remembering Adelia. Remember this one?  Anyone made it? Why not? It's easier than it looks. 

This little quilt was inspired by a large Tumbling Blocks quilt made in the 19th century by President Calvin Coolidge when he was about ten. I saw a photo of that quilt in a magazine and knew I wanted to make a little one for myself. If you've been itching to make a tumbling blocks quilt yourself, this is a good one to try because it's small and easy. It's really a lot of fun and a good way to use up your scraps.

I've hand pieced and hand quilted THREE of these if you can believe it. Not because I was crazy but because I was sending trunk shows to various shops around the country at the time so they could display them and promote the book for me. Sure, it took a little time but they were fun to make and if you haven't hand pieced a quilt yet, try making a little tumbling blocks quilt by hand. It's not as hard as it looks. Remember, I've made three so it can't be that bad.

The instructions in the book are very clear cut and simple. If you prefer to do it on your own, without a pattern, cut diamond shapes from 2-inch scrap strips, lining them up with a 60-degree diamond ruler. There's a pattern for a template included in the book.

Because the blocks are small, it was easier for me to sew the "Y" seams, or set-in seams, by hand. but you can certainly do it on your machine.
                                               


If I were going to make another one someday I think I'd like try English paper piecing the blocks.

If you don't feel like making your own, here's a link to buy this antique quilt that's remarkably similar -

                                    


                                          

LLBean used to sell one.

I wonder if Adelia or her daughter ever made a tumbling blocks quilt?

Inspired by Beads

Quilting isn't the only thing that inspires me to be creative. I love playing with beads and have since I was a child.  Two words - Pop beads. Remember? What fun my friend Audrey (NOT Audrey Hepburn) and I had with those in 3rd grade, making things and trading. (Shhh, pretend you don't know how old I am now.)

                                

                                 

If you're longing for some retro fun, Hey Viv! is a shop that still sells these.

I, however, have graduated. Not to gems, though. Now I favor turquoise beads combined with silver and natural colored, polished stones. Every now and then, instead of doing the things I'm supposed to be doing or just to take a break from making blocks for a quilt or sewing on a binding. I bring out my bead boxes and fritter the day away making earrings or bracelets. It's very relaxing and I still get my "color fix."

These unique silver beads would look great mixed with any color beads.

I've added a few new things to my Etsy shop so you can see for yourself. (When I was very young, I received much encouragement from my mom and sisters whenever I attempted anything creative - "Oh, Kathleen, it's beautiful!" Hence, the name of the shop. See what happens when someone encourages me?? I believe them.)

FYI - I make custom orders as well and if blue is not your color, e-mail me and I'll see what I can do. 

A Little Walk on the Prairie

There's a prairie garden near my home and it's so much fun to walk around it. Especially on days when there's no one else around.

There's a waterfall at the end.

Spools Quilt

We're making some little Spools quilts in my Yahoo and Facebook Small Quilt groups this month.

In 2008, I fell in love with this antique Spools quilt after I saw it on eBay - I think it was all the different blues that got me.  I had started an online small quilt group that year and so decided to design a spool block for one of the group's monthly challenges. 

I started, but never finished  . . . .

Many of you who are in one or both of my groups now are new to the challenges so we are recycling the block from 2008. I revised the block to be 3" x  3" this time around. You can make a quilt this month using any colors or any size block you like. Find another pattern and use set-in seams if you prefer. Remember to show us by posting a picture in the yahoo group or on Facebook. I hope I get a chance to make one for myself this time.

                   

It makes you wonder -  how did makers of antique quilts like this one come up with such wonderful color combinations?  

Join one of my groups (see sidebar) to get the free pattern and then start having fun making your own little quilt.

Here's a vintage spools doll quilt I received a few years ago as a gift from a friend to inspire you -

Sweet, sweet, sweet.