Project Quilting 15.2 - Milky Way Postcard

My second Project Quilting challenge is complete!  I made another postcard.  This week's challenge was Sky Color - the twist was to not use more than 10% of typical "sky" blue.  My first thought was an evening star at sunset; I was thinking reds and blues.  Then Rob suggested the Milky Way.  Hmmm... that had potential.  Last September I stood with a friend at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, admiring the stars in the Milky Way.  That's what popped into my head. 

And I really like how it came out.  I started with black fabric, added some dark blue, then indigo.  I bound it in a very dark purple.

It's quilted in shiny grey and flat black.  Then I embroidered a bunch of french knots and some running stitch with white, cream and pastel pink and blue thread entwined with sparkly thread of purple, blue and white.  It twinkles quite nicely in the sunlight.

This Way and That

The rick-rack quilt top is done.  I'm pleased with the result.  Very cheerful.  Time to brainstorm on quilting designs!  

I ended up ripping out a few blocks to line up the two blues together so the bottom half zigged and zagged like the top.  It was worth the extra work.

Rick-Rack Layouts

 

Isn't it interesting how a little bit of rearranging can change how a quilt looks?  I kind of like the ovals in the middle.  I'm starting to sew the rows together - I'll have to pick one soon! 

I've started to work on the backing, too.  It's a good way to use the discarded squares I cut for my first design. 

 

Got My Wiggle On

Did a lot of work on this the last two days!  An hour or two of cutting, then several hours of sewing drunkard's path blocks and assembling some squares.  I'm loving how it looks!  I'm debating about doing Green-Yellow-Blue-White-Green-Yellow-Blue or GYBWBYG or BYGWGYB.  I'll rearrange and take photos once I get them all the drunkard's path blocks sewn.  (Although now I realize with how much I've sewn together, some of the crests and troughs may not be easily interchangeable.)  Regardless, I think I may move the light patch of color to the top. 

At this rate, I should have a flimsy by the weekend - just in time to start thinking about backing and start work on the next Project Quilting challenge. 

Sharing with:
Quilt Schmilt - To-Do Tuesday

Around the Bend

I had pulled fabrics for the rick-rack quilt, but I didn't like how it looked on the design wall.  Time to scrap the scrappy look and go for solid strips.  At least I hadn't yet cut the curves, so the squares can merge into my growing bags of square scraps.

However, my stash didn't have enough half-yard chunks of the right colors.  Back to the shop.  I bought a light blue, a dark green, some more yellow and white.  I could finally start cutting again.  Since I had already cut some light green and yellow, I finished up those (and confirmed I do indeed have enough yardage).

Project Quilting 15.1 - Birdhouse Postcard

A new season of Project Quilting!  This is my fourth year of participating.  The challenge:  a quilt inspired by bird houses.  

These challenges are so much fun.  I never know where they'll take me.  My first thought was to piece together a mug rug.  I even had the design in my head.  But as I hit the sewing room, I discarded that in favor of an appliqued postcard.  I dug through my scraps until the right color combo came along.  It seemed too plain, so I fussy cut some leaves and flowers.  

My prior postcards have had square set binding.  I decided to try mitered corners on this one.  Would you look at that?  They came out nearly perfect.  I wish my normal-sized quilts came out so square!  (Although I'm not showing you the back - the corners are not so pretty.)  

I love it!

Sharing with:
Persimon Dreams - Project Quilting 15.1
My Quilt Infatuation - Needle and Thread Thursday

A Short Stay

Our two guinea pig foster boys from Dakin didn't stay long.  They were just getting getting into the swing of things around the house.  Lots of wheeking.  Not a lot of begging.  They had strange names:  Boov and Oh! (yes, including the exclamation point).  Boov hid most of the time but was a good boy when picked up and snuggled.  Oh! was very excitable, made most of the noise of the two.  He had no fear and loved running laps.

Playing with Rick-Rack

I'm working on a couple of projects right now, including a new baby quilt.  I'm doing curves again!  This will be a variation on drunken path - it will look like rick-rack.  I'm working with green, yellow and blue.  

So far it looks like a mess!  I'm cutting the squares for now - I haven't added the curves yet.  The colors look different up on the wall than they did bundled up on the table.  I think there needs to be more of a division between the colors.  Well, it's up where I can see it during the day; I can mull over it while at work.  It will be interesting to see how this progresses.