Process

Thought I'd show you a little of my process on one of these projects that's been sitting for a few months because I couldn't decide how to finish.

I had a charm pack of this fabric collection from Tula Pink (can't remember the name right now).  One day I was needing some instant gratification sewing, so I grabbed this charm pack (5" squares, one of each print in a collection of fabric).  I thought this lime green complimented the bright colors, so I cut each block into four 2.5" squares and made these green crosses in the middle.

Total impulse sewing, I had no plan.  It was fun sewing these little guys together though!

The obvious choice is then to sash them.  I did have enough of this green, but I knew that such a huge dose of lime green would be overpowering.

I really liked this bright lilac solid, although I only had a small piece.  So I merrily started sewing these blocks together, telling myself I'd just order more of the purple.

I got as far as the photo above and ran out of fabric.  The whole thing was shoved into the corner and I turned my attention to something more pressing.
 

Now we are four months later, and I'm trying to finish up a few of these cute but pesky piles.  So why didn't I just order more of the purple?  Well, I had my finger on the purchase button a few times but for some reason I never did.  One reason is that I've been making a real effort to use the fabric I have on hand.  The other reason is that I had some niggling doubts about the purple.

Oh, it's a perfect shade for these fabrics.  It looks really good with them.  But honestly, I knew this quilt would turn out really. really. purple.  I knew I wouldn't use such a purple quilt for a baby of mine, and not many other folks would either.

Time to get practical here!  So I'm going to rip out that purple sashing and instead use a more neutral fabric that I have in my stash.

Here you see I'm trying out some Kona Snow (a creamy white).  In the photo above is a light gray.  Either one will work.  I'm pretty sure I'll use Kona Snow.  It's my go-to safe zone!

At this point, my prediction is that I'm not gonna love this quilt, either way.  But I might surprise myself!

*Note*  I have a feeling that some of you will cry, "Keep the Purple!".  I hear you:)   If enough of you say that you would honest to goodness buy a bright purple quilt for your baby, I might reconsider!

Process:

Quilting With a Modern Slant: A Review

So friends, I'm doing a sponsored book review today!  (Sponsored meaning the publisher sent me a book for free, and I get to give one copy to one of you)  If you read my blog much, you know I just don't do this stuff.  I find it way too hard to be honest, but also nice at the same time:)

So why am I doing it this time?  I don't know.  Must have been that the concept of the book intrigued me, as it did not seem to be your typical quilting book.   And even though I don't label myself as a modern quilter, I am influenced by modern quilters and very interested in this topic as a whole.

So I said yes, I will accept this book and talk about it on my blog.  And then in the weeks I was waiting for it to arrive, I wondered to myself why I had put myself in for this, since I was sure to disagree with most of what the book said about 'modern' quilting.

After the book arrived (only yesterday, so I haven't had a lot of time to look at it) I cracked it open and started reading at the beginning.

I started out by being pleasantly surprised.  I enjoyed Rachel May's introduction, as well as the following pages which include Six Steps to a Quilt (simple breakdown on how to make a quilt),  as well as a few pages with her thoughts on modern quilting.  I found this first part of the book to be very encouraging and inclusive.

This book is mainly a collection of quilters and artists who have inspired or been a part of the modern quilting community.  Each person has a page or two with some of their thoughts on various aspects, as well as some examples of their work.

I was very pleased to find Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr as the first featured artists.  I only wish that they could have had a few more pages to share their amazing quilts and valuable thoughts.

I could go into so much more, but I'll try to put my overview into a few sentences.  I enjoyed reading this book, but am not sure what it's use is for me.  There are patterns sprinkled throughout, but none that I would be likely to use.  There are lots of beautiful quilts shown, but it felt like I'd seen a lot of them before.  It was interesting to hear a bit from each of these quilters, but I would have rather seen a smaller number of contributors and more in depth conversations as well as more samples of each artist's work.

I feel like I'm being picky by saying this, like I'm expecting perfection!  The fact is, this is a beautiful book with a LOT of content.

If you are a quilter deeply immersed in the modern quilting world, you'll find this book interesting simply because you'll recognize many names and feel a connection.

I would also recommend this book to a fairly new quilter as I feel like it has a very encouraging and inclusive tone to it.  Overall, I am very happy with the impression it leaves of the quilting community in general.

I hope this little review interested you enough to go check it out!

Oh, and leave me a comment here on this post for a chance to win a copy.  I'll leave the giveaway open till Feb. 24th.

A Little Red n Blue

Little Wheels Quilt

Rainy With a Spot of Sun