Sand Castles

So, my friends know that although I've been making quilts for over 30 years, I don't do the quilting part. Here's my quilting history. The first quilt I ever made, I hand-pieced and hand-quilted because I believed that I should understand how it was done before machines took over. I hand-quilted one other wall hanging, and then I was done.

I made a few quilts for my kids back in the day and machine quilted them...stitch in the ditch, simple straight lines, nothing more.

Then I discovered long-arm quilters. What a relief! Now I could do what I love the most...piece quilt tops. Well, I got to a certain point where I was cranking out more tops than I could afford to send out to be quilted, so I was in a bind. At the coaxing of a friend, about a year ago I started quilting my own very small pieces...small wall hangings. I've wrestled with wanting to learn free motion quilting, even took a class, but have never practiced enough to feel comfortable with it.

In July, I decided to make the Toes in the Sand quilt designed by Jaybird Quilts. I thought to myself...Ok, this is it. You're going to quilt this one. I figured that I could handle one strip at a time. I searched YouTube for "quilt as you go without sashing" and found lots of videos to show me the way and off I went.

A month later, I was finished and it's currently hanging in 

Cloth and Bobbin...

which now has an online shop. 

Check it out HERE! 

I made so many mistakes, but I love it anyway. I was initially fascinated with the idea of a pieced triangular block. I went with pastel-ish batiks on a sand colored background and named the quilt, "Sand Castles."

No free motion here. I sat and did a ton of needle down, presser foot up, and turn.....ad nauseam.

Will I ever do this again? Who knows. I'm closer to my goal of quilting my own work than I was several months ago...so I'll take it and be happy!

By the way, this was a very fun quilt to construct. You should try it!

More stars...

I guess I never really do get tired of stars. There are endless ways to construct them and endless fabric and color combinations you can use to piece them. Also, I never get tired of batiks!!!

I have finally finished all of the star blocks for the Millennium Compass quilt that will be a block of the month class at Cloth and Bobbin starting in October.

I find myself rejoicing in the beauty of all these vibrant colors. For this quilt, you need sixteen colors spanning the full color wheel...four for each quadrant. How much fun is that?

There are borders to come and several of them. Just picked out the fabric yesterday and can't wait to get started.

Here's wishing you a wonderful week ahead full of color and fun!

More ribbons!

A friend's daughter is getting married this summer at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. So, my friend decided to decorate this "cavernous room" with quilts. She planned to create quilts for two sets of grandparents, two sets of parents, and other relatives, all king size. I actually forget how many quilts in all in this crazy undertaking. The bride has no idea that this taking place behind the scenes. It will be a complete surprise!

This past Tuesday, several woman got together at the Cloth and Bobbin to help this process along. One was ironing, one or two were cutting, and several were sewing. My friend has taken one of my paper-piecing classes and had made a yellow and blue star. She pulled it out and said, "I'd like to do something with this." Well I had been aching to do another ribbon quilt and she had a stack of fabric to go with the star, so I came home with this...

and started making ribbon panels. This is how far I've gotten. I'm not sure what the draw is to these quilts, but the process is quite meditative. The sewing part requires little thought....just long, endless, straight lines.

I managed to complete another set of blocks for the Reflections quilt. I now have 48 blocks...one set of 16 to go. Then I can begin to assemble it. Very excited!

Cloth & Bobbin

I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and have always thought that Narberth is the most charming town on the Main Line. So, it is not surprising at all that in Narberth you will find the most wonderful "small but mighty" fabric shop for crafters, quilters, and seamstresses alike. From the sunny yellow storefront to the owner's cheerful hello when you walk in the door, visiting Cloth & Bobbin (http://clothandbobbin.com/) always, without exception, makes my day better.

The owner, Johanna Hertz, often posts pictures of new fabric lines she has just received on the store's Facebook. I commented on one of the most recent pictures with....

Holly Z. Perry This is not good....they are so beautiful. Somebody stop me :)

Yesterday at 2:58pm · 

These gorgeous fabrics are part of the Benedictus Collection designed by the Victoria and Albert Museum for Westminster Fabrics. 

"Benedictus is a beautiful collection of Art Deco textile designs. These designs have been recreated from Edouard Benedictus` beautiful albums of textile and wallpaper designs held at the V&A. Benedictus was a talented man, not only an artist and textile designer but he was a writer, bookbinder and the chemist who discovered safety glass in 1903."

So, as I drool, my mind is churning with ideas for this fabric. It is only a matter of time.

The second line, also from Westminster Fabrics, is a collection of abstract geometric florals by UK designer, Dan Bennett, called Cosmos.

Without question, the most difficult part of visiting Cloth & Bobbin is leaving without spending all of your money :) It is simply eye-candy! Johanna has a remarkable knack for filling her modest space with a wonderful variety of fabrics and notions. The store also offers classes for the beginner, such as "Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine," classes for seamstresses who want to make skirts or pajama pants, and classes for quilters, including instruction in paper-piecing and applique. These are only a few!

If you are local, come and visit. If you are out-of-town and ever plan to visit Southeast Pennsylvania, find time to add a stop at Cloth & Bobbin. You will NOT regret it.