Hot Five By

 

I worked a little more and made up some more blocks to play with for my Five By Five arrangement. One is just solids, another is just prints. The rest of the new blocks use up the majority of the remainder of the strips I'd initially cut out. A potential title is Hot Hot Hot, even that green is hot in this setting or maybe Hot by Five. I haven't tried out too many arrangements of the blocks yet.
 

Here's how it looks in black and white,  Looking at it in this way, I see that I may need more big squares of solids or maybe of the prints, but I have to do the math and also check that I have enough of the fabrics. I also have to think about what size I want this to end up as. I'd initially just wanted to play around with this idea from the class, but now I'm at that in-between size, it would be nice to have a usable lap throw size as this isn't something that I'd make for the wall.

Here's a closer up view of the prints.

And another. These are the pictures I take while I'm sewing so that I get the order right when sewing together like sized pieces. Easy piecing in these blocks which I'm finding is somewhat relaxing.

Color Bundle

Another monthly delivery of The Color Collective arrived, just as I was finally getting to work with the first month. I dislike feeling behind from the get-go, but my impromptu month off for health reasons caused that instead of general procrastination. Anyway...still behind no matter the causes.

The fabric bundle comes with a pattern every month. This month is comprised of half-rectangle triangles which I've been wanting to really investigate so I think I will attempt it. I really really like the selection of colors this month, so that's two for two so far.

I again took a picture of the bundle all laid out with the color labels showing before I pre-washed. Some of the people doing the Color Collective are taking little snips of each fabric selvedge and pasting them down along with the labels in a notebook. Maybe I'll try that out next month.

Again the two non-Kona fabrics are a crinkled crumpled mess of wrinkles after pre-washing. I truly love the look and feel of these fabrics, but sheesh! That's 55% linen/45% cotton for you I guess. Time to go get steamy with my iron.

Five By Five

 

I finally sat down and watched the class recording of the BAM online quilt class with Carole Lyles Shaw.

It was fun seeing everyone in the class and learning the interesting block "improv" technique in Carole's Five By Five Variations class. I was a bit lazy about picking fabrics, and chose from the recently washed, recently purchased fabrics that haven't been put away. They were so-so in the mono view as seen above, but I quite like the over saturation when you're seeing them together in color.

There are five blocks to make, how many of each is one of the first choices you get to make. I did a little planning on the class coloring page.

Here's the first few blocks, along with two "background" solid squares that may or may not end up in the final design.

I plugged along and got a few more blocks made, they're fairly easy. But once I had more than four...then it started getting fun rearranging them on the design wall.

This is how much I got done in one day, they're pretty big blocks and will add up to a big quilt fairly quickly. I'm really liking the over saturation that I'm making. It's hard to photograph with all the reds of course, but it's intense and vibrant, practically glowing on the wall.

It's pretty funny in the mono though. I love how the big green/orange rectangle block looks like one color. That's why I stepped the two orange solid squares in a diagonal.

Label This

 An advent calendar is always fun, and they seem to be all the rage this year. Off the top of my head, I've of course seen the normal terrible chocolate shape ones. But now there are advent calendars that have daily treats of yarn, tea, spices, pet toys/treats, wine, cocktail, beer. 

But an advent calendar full of sew-in labels? Hey, why not? Labels are all the rage in quilting/sewing world so it makes a lot of sense.

I gave the holiday version to friend Jaye, and bought myself this one that is not decorated for the winter holidays. Presumably it could be for any occasion, birthday, etc. n

I have to say that, four days into it, I'm loving what I've gotten behind each little sort of hard to open door. It will be interesting to see if the labels are the same in my box vs. Jaye's. I really hope she likes it!

Check these out, but don't look if you don't want the surprise spoiled.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3: Surprise! It's an embroidered patch instead of a label:

Day 4:

I really love this one!

Into the Rainbow

 
Here's how the first block from the first Color Collective rainbow selection ended up going together. It was  honestly quite hard to pick the two colors to begin with.

I was supposed to "plan ahead" to cut the pieces out of the fabrics and have enough to go around. I know, weird concept right? But I only got this far on the coloring sheet. I guess that the blank spots will be 🤷🤷🤷who-knows-winging-it.

This was the first time I've tried the glue stick, flip and sew version of paper piecing. At first I was a little irked at having to pre-fold all the lines. But then the process went really really quickly and I'm so totally onboard with this technique. Sewing right next to the folded line worked well for me and I didn't get the pieces flipped around the wrong way even once, which for me was kind of amazing.

The first of four sections, each one is slightly different from the other three.

The instructions were to write on the interior corners with a sharpie the number of the section. This was to be able to keep track of which section was which once the papers were unglued. Wow, was that ever nice just to pull it off in one re-usable piece. I like this new-to-me version of paper piecing. But, oh my goodness, writing on quilting cotton with a sharpie was unbelievably hard. It gets cut off of course, but still, approaching the sewn together section with a Sharpie was a breath-holding moment.

And there's how it looks, pretty cool, huh? I am Very Happy with the color choices that I made. It's going to look good with more blocks.

As per usual, my least favorite part of paper-piecing, the sort of wasteful feeling with all the scraps.

December Illustrated To-Do

 Welp, the Illustrated To-Do List for December is going to look rather familiar. It's going to be pretty much a copy of November's.  Honestly, my November is feeling like it was a lost month, truly, I was really checked out and off my normal, due to the extended fever battle I was waging. Not getting down on myself here at all, but I am finding that I have a mighty need to Get Some Stuff Done this month to keep up my mojo going into the new year.

Onto the list....

1. Do the quilt photography I'd staged for last month. As you can see from the picture above, I still need to photograph this group of quilts that are still all bundled up. 

2. Sandwich, quilt, bind and label the Orange Bullseye.

3.  Keep on making more Pantone Project blocks.

4. Do some Gelli plate printing for the Saqa/Printers exhibit (due 12/16!)

5. Now that it's finally cold, I'm wishing I had the Y.E.S. coat, so work on it, make blocks, piece them together, etc.

6. Sandwich, quilt, bind, label the Japanese Houses quilt.

7. Finish up those Holiday Presents, keeping it vague here just in case.

8. Make more blocks from the first month of the Color Collective, and make some blocks from the second month.

Well...that's probably plenty of choices to keep me busy this month (hah!)

So, December

 

So, it's already December, hard to believe! Already? In the first good news of the month, I've gotten more than an inch and a half of rain so far for my birthday today. 

As per usual this is my monthly marker photo, a combination of the following two photos in the app SnapSeed.

A picture I took at the SF airport of raindrops on an interesting window panel looking outside.

An arrangement of fallen cherry tree leaves on my deck.

Here's 30 seconds of my November.

And finally, the very short Monthly I-Did List for November

I kept making more blocks for the Pantone Project and sent the ones I've made to Jaye

I made a spreadsheet/database for the Pantone Project and discovered duplicate colors in my postcard box.

I made one block for the first month of the Color Collective.

I watercolored and hand-wrote and sent 20 postcards to voters.

I kept going on the Secret Lives of Color quilt-a-long (but still haven't posted it here yet). I guess it's remaining an actual secret for now. Such a cool book.

I very occasionally added to my Visual Journal aka Ephemera Journal.

I blogged here 13/30 days and Instagrammed 6 times. Including celebrating the 18th birthday of this very blog.

I traveled by air for the first time in years to participate in a medical trial.

I took an online class with BAM, not live, but recorded as I was traveling.

Not absolutely zero, but pretty close, but hey, it was essentially a lost month due to the stupid fever. But I'm coming back raring to go this month.

November Cornucopia

 

At the beginning of the month, the Angel's Trumpet went wild and crazy with so many blooms it nearly fell over. I think it was from the 2" of rain in October. Anyways, here's to the sunny yet cold days of winter when we'll not be enjoying this color and fragrance. It'll be evergreens inside and red poinsettias soon enough.

Here's a round-up of links to things I've read or encountered or enjoyed this month, hopefully helpful or maybe even inspiring to you. Obviously it's a little light this month, given I missed most of the usual time I spend online due to being ill. Sigh, next month maybe!

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Folded Fabric Star Ornaments out of strips of fabric with how to fold video.

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The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt this year called, Chilhowie has a really pretty color palette this year, based on irises.

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Mini-quilt challenge theme for Curated Quilts is "Abstract" which is very tempting to try and make a piece to enter.

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Remember RAOK? Random Acts Of Kindness? Here's a new twist on that, the Kindness Kalendar. (Yes I know, get over the intentional misspelling) You can get a personalized advent calendar of random acts to do, one per day.

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Really recommend listening to Ultra, the new podcast from Rachel Maddow, an engaging listen to a story you likely have never heard of from the US' fairly recent history.

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Percolator Countertop

 I was cleaning up the kitchen yesterday, when I noticed that these randomly grouped bright colors. From left to right, a glass jug of orange juice, the bottle of Dawn soap, my green insulated coffee cup, and the first pomegranate from our tree. I pushed them all closer together and took this picture. I just really liked the colors together.

Using the percolator app, this was the first random pour or random mixture of settings. I love how the transparent glass jar and plastic bottle of soap disappear as a shape and just become a part of the background.

Oh how I wish my countertop actually looked like this, wouldn't that be an amazing look?

I think I like this one the best, I used the "clouds" setting which makes the colored circles look more like fabrics to me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Happiest of Thanksgiving Days to you if you celebrate. Otherwise, I hope you have a very happy Thursday!

We are having a hybrid all over the place Thanksgiving at local relative's houses on different days. Today we head to my SIL's, she's doing the turkey, we're bringing the sides and my daughter is bringing pie and cocktails. It's going to be great to all get together.

Our sides that we've just finished making are Whiskey Drunk Sweet Potatoes, Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing, and Cranberry Wine Orange Spice Sauce.

Then on Saturday, we'll make all the same sides, as well as a turkey and bring it over to my parent's house to celebrate. And in between, on Friday it's my DH's birthday. So, a lot of to-ing and fro-ing for all the very best reasons. There is so much to be thankful this year, and I am counting all those blessings.

Duplicate Colors

Don't make me explain this too much, but I've gone and made a spreadsheet for the Pantone Project. I like to keep track, that's my excuse. But, my actual reason was to check that the distribution of colors over the total 100 cards would end up being somewhat balanced once we're all done making blocks.

So this great new spreadsheet has obviously got exactly 100 rows (for those 100 postcards). I thought it would be pretty easy, fill out the rows with each card's information, right?

It's got several columns, for color number, color description, card sent, card received, block made by me, block made by Jaye, color group, and duplicate?

Duplicate? Yes, I found that there were three duplicate cards!! They are pictured up above. Turns out that there were two pinks and a red specifically. As you can imagine, this made it take a lot more time than I'd estimated to finish making the spreadsheet.  So, essentially I'm short three new colors. And now I'm wondering if Jaye's box of postcards has the same duplicates or maybe different ones? Or maybe she has those three other colors I was also meant to have? So far the cards I've received from her have also been in my box, so who knows?  

Now I'm really curious about all this, and I'm kind of laughing at the assumption I'd made that the two boxes were identical. Pantone has A Lot of colors of course, so that was kind of a silly assumption. 

The big question is: Does this really affect our Pantone Project overall? No, of course not. But there are choices to be made here. I could send off both of the duplicates and assume Jaye has enough extra red and pinks. Or we could choose new colors to substitute in for the duplicates so that we actually have that even 100? I think that's what I'd like to do. Maybe it'd be a way to nudge that color grouping balance that I was initially checking on by making the spreadsheet. By the way, according to my informal classification, there are 11 Yellow, 7 Orange, 5 Red, 14 Pink, 12 Purple, 14 Blue, 18 Green, 14 Brown, 4 Grey, 1 Black.  Not terribly well balanced. So maybe the three duplicates should be reds?

Now This Is A Project

The Pantone Project is coming more fully into view, now that I've gotten a lovely surprise delivery of the blocks and squares friend Jaye has completed. She very helpfully labeled all of the fabrics with the color name or number from the postcard. Mine are winging their way to her, but not labeled at all, although I have pictures if needed.

It's a very different mixture of colors compared to the ones that I've made so far, don't you think?

Here's how they look when mixed in with the blocks that I've completed.

Very interesting mixture of prints and solids and colors that we've got going in the first 33 out of 200. I am not minding the browns as much as I thought I would. They're all playing pretty happily together.  Once we have even more choices available, playing with patterns you can make with these varied blocks is going to be a lot of fun.