Quilting and Sewing Archives - Page 74 of 161

Seashell Banner

October 4, 2017 jennifer Decorating, Quilting and Sewing

This seashell banner is a new slow sewing project. For years I’ve been finding shells at the beach, and ones with tiny holes in them have always caught my eye. I remember collecting them as a young girl, hoping to make necklaces with them. The problem is, I’ve never done anything with them – until now.

Two summers ago I made a linen banner and sewed a row of shells to it. I added a few more rows this year. The broken shell at the top reminds me there’s beauty in broken things, that God loves and heals us and brings joy.

So far there’s no plan for the layout of shells; I’m adding them as I go and not worrying about anything else. Just enjoying the beauty of each one as I spend a few minutes stitching it to the banner.

I find myself enjoying the simplicity of this project: the natural colors, the contrast of supple linen against the cool solid of the shells.

Our annual trips to the sea are incredibly rejuvenating for our family and it makes me happy to create something simple to celebrate that. I am a visual learner and I find that visual reminders are important for me to stay focused on what matters. Much of the decor in my home is here not only because I like it aesthetically, but because it reminds me of something I desire to remember.

Soon more rows will be added and I’m eager to see how it looks. One thing is certain: I have more shells than will fit on one seashell banner. Perhaps I’ll make another, smaller version for a mini seashell banner. What else should I do with them, I wonder?

Do you make special things with vacation souvenirs? How do you use them to preserve memories? I’d love to hear!

Jennifer

Coastal Quilt

September 28, 2017 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

I saved my Coastal Quilt for our beach trip so I could photograph it in the setting that inspired it. My husband, who uses a drone to film his mountain biking, thought it would be fun to lay the quilt on the jetty and fly the drone over, so here’s a quick video of a coastal quilt in it’s natural habitat!

https://youtu.be/2ipLreN3JjQ Now for some photos!

When I decided to make a quilt that reminded me of the beach I pulled fabrics largely from two collections: Sharon Holland’s Coastline collection, and a collection by Lewis & Irene for Makower called Coastal. Both of these collections have some prints that I just love and I enjoyed putting them together with a few other prints from my stash.

I started making half square triangles and soon a layout materialized, one that makes me feel like I’m looking out to sea. I keep thinking there’s probably a name for this layout, but the closest I’ve seen is the ocean waves design which uses more rows of small half square triangles between blocks. Perhaps this is a variation on it? (If you know, help me out and tell!)

Setting everything on point was fun and the Joel Dewberry print – from his Atrium collection – turned out to be the perfect background. It continues the geometric design of the quilt without competing with the center design, and I really didn’t want so much negative space in just a solid. When I pulled out the fabric my heart said YES!

I pieced the backing from fabrics in my stash, which always makes me happy. Those little beach huts make me smile. I’ve saved them for a long time and am glad to have included them in this project.

I quilted it very simply and used my favorite Lewis & Irene wavy print for the binding. I think I bought that fabric three or four times while there was a bolt at my local quilt shop!

These pictures make me ache to go back to the beach! I love how perfectly matched it is to it’s surroundings, which is precisely why I made a coastal quilt. A little reminder of my favorite place to curl up in on days when I’m trying to remember .

I have a few scraps and a few more beachy prints I didn’t use in this quilt, and I’m thinking it would be fun to make another coastal-inspired quilt to take with me next summer….

For now, I’m enjoying this one as the days get cooler at home.

Have a great day!
Jennifer

Long Time Gone quilt: a beginning

September 11, 2017 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

Earlier this year I joined the Long Time Gone sew along on Instagram. When I’m done sewing through all my Carolyn Friedlander projects I plan to sew through all the Jen Kingwell patterns I’ve got. The sew along seemed like a good excuse to start early.

My plan is to use low volumes and brights. I’d like a quilt with a lot of contrast in it, so I’ve been pulling scraps along this theme. Many of the blocks in the Long Time Gone pattern are great for using scraps, and I enjoy using little bits of past projects and favorite fabrics to make new combinations and create quilts that are something of a scrapbook.

In fact, sometimes I wonder how long I could sew for if I only used scraps. I always think I’ll use a lot of them but my scrap bucket looks the same when a scrap quilt is finished. I’ve toyed with the idea of sewing for a year with only scraps, just to see what kind of creative journey it inspires.

Unlike some of Jen Kingwell’s patterns, this one is easy to follow, and a block a week isn’t too much to accomplish. I like sew-alongs for that reason: they break things down to small steps, provide a deadline and a way to share progress, and I feel like I get more sewing done when I commit to them.

I did a good job of keeping up with the schedule for the first while, but when my daughter was in a car accident that left her with a concussion and just a few weeks left of high school, I let everything else sit while I worked to help her regain her health and finish school. Nearly six months later, these blocks are still waiting for me to finish the rest of the quilt. This year has been a lot crazier than I anticipated, and a lot is on the horizon, but I hope to have a finished quilt top before the holidays.

I have a few more blocks cut out and hope to squeeze in sewing time this week!

Jennifer