So Many Choices

Quite frankly I have fallen behind on my infamous “To Do List”. I’m dragging my feet where that To Do List is concerned anticipating future projects and all that goes with the planning and acquiring all the necessary components required to complete those projects. I am struggling a bit putting together the fabrics for the Bird by Bird quilt. I would like to accomplish a combination of colors that are attractive and that draw you to them as opposed to having the appearance of just thrown together. So I am stepping back for a couple of weeks to work on the “To Do List” and hopefully have fresh eyes when I go to the quilt shop with my for sure fabrics to spend quality time in the solid fabric section and see what appeals to me.

I was fortunate to spend last Saturday at our local quilt shop displaying my Missouri Splendor quilt and answering questions about the making of it as well as displaying a small project for a future applique class. I am very pleased with the response and had quite a few sign up for the future class. It’s been some time since I’ve taught a class but am very much looking forward to it.

This week I would like to accomplish the following:

1. Finish quilting my sister’s quilt
2. make quilt shop sample
3. start decorating for christmas
4. sew day at church – baste next quilt on my To Do List to quilt
5. research solar off grid options for my cute little camper.
6. yes, i put away Bird by Bird and am sticking to it for a couple of weeks

The techniques used for Bird by Bird are new to me and I am considering using them in the Stars and Sprigs quilt on my list. I really like the results of the points I get when using her technique. Which means I will probably need a whole bolt of iron on interfacing just for that project. I do enjoy learning new techniques and using them in a project. As I get started I will post photos of work in progress to demonstrate the differences. Looking forward to that also.

Off to get my week started. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Keep in those stitches.

Katherine Sissy Malone

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New Inspirations New Adventures In Applique

New Inspirations New Adventures In Applique

I have been considering what stimulates us in our creativity process. I look to other quilters projects, I look to nature’s color schemes, I look at my environment. Many factors influence me. When starting or considering a new project I love the feelings I get when I am influenced by colors, fabrics, and possible design ideas flood through me and the excitement of a new project fills me with happiness. This is where I found myself today and yesterday. I have been struggling with whether I will continue with competition quilts or just have fun making all those UFO/Bucket List Quilts. Decision made…. I will have fun and pursue a possible competition quilt. Determination on whether is is competition worthy will be made at a later date.

Several years ago I subscribed to Phillipa Naylor’s Quilters Question Time video series. I purchased her book Applique Mastery which has subsequently gone out of print. In one of her classes in her series she demonstrates her techniques of how she made her sample for the book. My background in Applique is needleturn which has evolved into prepared edge and still hand appliqued in place. Phillipa demonstrates using many of the same concepts but with some added bonuses. Some of those bonuses are using rick rack, twisted piping, and fusible used on the applique. All new to me and excited to explore. I am interested in trying these added bonuses to my skillset which brings me to my possible next competition quilt. I spent yesterday online shopping for possible fabrics. I fell in love with Tula Pink’s Moon Garden line that my local quilt shop, Buckles, Bobbins & Bolts just received. I of course will be purchasing those from them. For the solids, I found what I was looking for at Missouri Star Quilts. I will need to verify that my local shop does not carry the Tula Pink solids first. So humming along today thinking of my new inspirations while working on current projects. I just love being inspired.

Currently under my needle is a Debbie Mumm Christmas wallhanging that has long been in the UFO pile. Aha this is the year it gets completed. There is hope for me yet. Today I will be putting the flange binding on and sewing on the decorative ceramic buttons that make this wall hanging so unique. O course I have Jr. here to critique the work going on but in reality he found a box to squirm into. What is it about cats and boxes? The age old question.

It is no surprise that I am an avid hand applique nut and am always trying new techniques and threads. Well, I am in the process of collecting all 88 colors of the 80 wt Aurifil line. I had used 21 of the colors making my Baltimore Album quilt along with some Kimono silk threads. I just received the collection presented by Sarah Fielke called her Everyday Applique that she uses from Aurifil. only 47 more to go to have a complete collection. It’s fun to pick up a couple of spools each month when I go to Springfield, MO for our Saturday Sampler group. Not everyone carries this thread. I printed out the full list of colors and numbers and I take my sheet with me to the quilt shop. When I purchase more thread I then cross it off the list. I know I’m weird. But just look at those fabulous colors.

I still have my quilt tops to get quilted before the end of the year. Progress in the making for different designs. Just finished quilting the Debbie Mumm Christmas wallhanging and next my Sister would like for me to quilt a whole cloth design on a project. I plan to use some of my old hand quilting stencils in the design. I am actually encouraged with the concept and watched a couple of videos for inspiration. Perhaps I’ll get started on that tomorrow.

I’m off to make flange binding and sew on buttons. (Funny story….. when I was little when I misbehaved I was given a piece of fabric and the button jar and had to cover the fabric with button all hand sewn. I detested sewing on buttons for years.. HAHA now my sewing machine does that for me. I have been saved…. woohoo because I still misbehave at times.)

Happy Stitches everyone!

Katherine Sissy Malone