Tone it Down Quilt Blocks


toneitdownblock1

Like many others, I fell in love with Lissa Alexander’s Tone it Down quilt which was featured in the January/February issue of American Patchwork & Quilting .  I loved the instructions for strip piecing, but loved the scrappy low volume look more and wondered if I’d be up for so many hundreds of little pieces (approximately 2250!).  Early in the year I decided to make a test block, choosing navy blue and green as my two colors, and I loved it.  Still, it sat, in spite of the quilt along.

toneitdownblock2

Last week I made a huge mess in my sewing room, pulling out most of my low volume prints and cutting into them until all the background pieces were cut.   I’ve made one block every day or two since, and with every block I make I like this quilt more.  It makes me happy to be using so many different fabrics that I love, and doing a bit of fussy cutting in a few spots has been a lot of fun.

toneitdownblock3

The block above is the brightest so far, and I really love that little boy in the center, and also the pink typewriter.  I pieced it on my youngest son’s birthday, and it reminds me of his happy smile.

toneitdownblock4

I’ve been starching all the pieces before I sew, which takes time, but I’ve been able to piece the blocks together without any pins.  While not perfect in every spot, I’m happy with the accuracy of my seams.

toneitdownfirst4blocks

I love the way they look together, although there will be sashing and lots of little nine patches between them when the quilt top comes together.

toneitdownblockwaiting

After finishing a block I’ve been laying out the next one so it’s ready for me whenever I have a few minutes to sew.  So far I’ve been lucky and no little hands have scattered the pieces.  After the first four blocks I feel like I have a system for chain piecing and I’m getting faster.  What sounded overwhelming at first has become enjoyable in these bite sized pieces and I’m sure I’ll have all twenty blocks done soon.

sewingspace

Maybe it’s just because I haven’t had much time to sew this year, but the sight of my sewing space is really making me happy this week!  It feels so good to do even a little bit of sewing.

Jennifer Linking to Freshly Pieced Also, I almost forgot!  My sister is giving away a free Craftsy class over at Sisterview.
You should enter!

Making Space


simplespace

Today is March 20th, the first day of spring.  I discovered my first daffodil in the yard a few minutes ago and thought that I’ve got to hurry up and get outside to deal with my yard!  There is work to do and miracles to watch as everything comes back to life.

I was scanning one of my Pinterest boards a few months ago, noticing that many of the home decor pictures I’m drawn to in the last year or so are more sparsely decorated than my own home is.  It made me wonder if my style is changing, or if the craziness of my family made these really simple spaces seem calming to me.  The question has been floating around in my mind for a while and I concluded that it’s time to act.

I set aside the month of March to go through everything we have in storage in our house and get rid of as much as possible.  Keeping my commitment to myself has meant zero sewing (yet still my brain is scheming) and lots of 15 minute time segments going through another box or pile.  I want our family to learn a simpler way of living, one that leaves margin in every area.  I want more space for people, for things that matter, for spontaneity, for reading and writing and dreaming and talking.  I know I’ve said this before, and I realize that it’s probably an ideal I’ll always chase with varying degrees of success, but this month my goal has been creating margin in our living space.  Less, less, less.    While I know that getting rid of “stuff” won’t solve the larger challenges we’re facing, it’s my first step in trying to tell the Lord that I’m willing to do whatever He wants.  In having less “stuff” to take care of/clean/store I’m hoping I’ll also make space in my mind for more important things and room in my schedule for more service.

And then my husband went snowboarding and crashed on his head.  We were grateful – very grateful – that no serious injury was sustained.  His ribs were bruised but not cracked and his neck and spine seemed fine.  Until 4 days later when suddenly his legs had no strength.  Today, 10 days later, everything seems to be ok.  He’s banged up but fine, but it took a toll on me emotionally.   A new (and dreaded) assignment at Church came his way and all of a sudden I felt like I’d been pushed off the emotional cliff I’d been so carefully backing away from.  The irony of it all is that lately I’ve been studying the life of Abraham and particularly his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.  I’d taught a lesson on the subject and had prayed for the ability to be like him.  And then there I was, facing something I had no inkling belonged on the table and I did not want it.  At all.  Now that I’ve had several days to process it (and feel certain that his health is fine), I’m sure things will work out, likely for our good, but I’d be lying if I said this chapter began with a willing heart.   Oh well.  I’m obviously no Abraham.  Thank goodness for repentance!

Today I feel trapped because the next steps in my mission to make more space for life require another set of strong arms, and they are all at school.  I keep walking into my sewing room, wanting to start something but not knowing what to work on.  So here I am, blogging!

I’m not sure I’ll accomplish all the tasks on my list for the month, but it’s been a great experience.  I sort of informally started the 40 bags in 40 days thing, and have already said goodbye to more than 40 full bags.  That’s a good thing, because I have no intention of taking a 40 day break from sewing!   I chose to start in all the areas where I have primary stewardship (plus the basement) and make sure I’m setting the right example for my children, who will be asked to do the same thing in their spaces when I’m done with all the other rooms in the house.   I’ve had a clarity of thought that makes my heart sing.   I find myself lingering in the areas where I’ve accomplished my goal because I love how they feel.  I think it’s working.  I’m making more space for the life I want.

Jennifer

Sweet as Honey – Hunter’s Star Pillow & Hexagon Beehive Mini Quilt


blog-tour-image

Welcome to Day One of the Sweet as Honey Blog Tour!
I’m honored to start things off by sharing my projects made with Bonnie’s lovely new fabric collection, Sweet as Honey.
I loved her first fabric collection, Reminisce, and was waiting eagerly for Sweet as Honey to arrive.  It does not disappoint!

sweetashoneystack

This collection has captured my heart with its beehives, hexagons, and nestled deer.  I’ve been drawn to the warm yellow, coral and orange tones in this line.  They remind me of a sunrise – my favorite part of the day.  When the light hits these fabrics just right, they seem to glow.  The warmth and color make me smile.

sweetashoneypackage

Bonnie generously sent me this beautiful little package to play with, which I immediately paired with a natural linen to create a Hunter’s Star pillow.

huntersstarpillow

I hand quilted the pillow front with perle cotton to emphasize and frame the eight pointed star.

handquilting

I used a coral solid for the pillow back and chose to bind it with a low volume print for added contrast.

pillowbinding&back

The textures, colors and design harmonize well together and the pillow has quickly become a favorite.  It’s a cheerful sight on all the rainy, overcast days we’re having lately.

huntersstarpillow2

While I was planning this pillow, another idea came to mind and I couldn’t resist trying it.   I enjoy growing lavender on our property and every summer I marvel at the wonder of dozens of honey bees surrounding me as I harvest.  The Sweet as Honey fabrics reminded me of that feeling and fueled the endeavor.

hexagonbeehiveminiquilt1

In my first effort at English paper piecing, I made 125 half inch hexagons, pieced together in a scrappy style to create a Sweet as Honey beehive!

hexibeehivemini3

Once again, I preferred linen as a background and added the hexagon print from Bonnie’s line for a binding.  This mini quilt measures 15″ by 16″ and also features a single honey bee, embroidered in white, in the corner.

miniquiltback

It seemed only appropriate to use the peach honey house print on the back!:)

perlecotton

I wanted to add dimension to the beehive, so a variety of coordinating perle cottons were used to hand quilt around each hexagon.  This step took time, but was completely worth it.  I love the shine of the threads mingling with the colors and prints of the hexagons!

handquiltedbeehive

I’ve been watching the growing mini quilt craze with interest, and this is my first mini.  It already hangs in my sewing room, a bright reminder that Spring is on it’s way.

hexibeehiveminiquilt2

Thanks so much for visiting, and many thanks to Bonnie for creating such lovely fabrics and for allowing me to participate in the Sweet as Honey Blog Tour !  Be sure to keep up with the tour, as there are many talented people creating beautiful things with Sweet as Honey .  Tomorrow’s feature will be Jessica at Haile & Co .  Make sure you visit and see what she’s made!

Best Wishes, Jennifer

1 101 102 103 104 105 217