Sunday, February 27, 2011

LOOK! I can sew. Part 2.
half square triangles.
I realize it’s not a completed project, but it is sewing nonetheless. The fabric is from a charm pack of the upcoming Modern Workshop collection from Oliver + S (due in April), and paired with a white Bella solid. Beautiful bright colors and a good balance of large and small scale prints.
They were made using the full square method shown here. Basically, stack your two squares RST and sew ¼ inch around all sides. Cut in half diagonally, keep fabric in place, and cut again on the opposite diagonal. Press open and VOILA! Four half square triangles. Much easier in my opinion than marking the diagonal and sewing to either side, or (gasp!) cutting first on the diagonal and sewing on the bias. Especially great because I can use my quarter inch guide foot which means as close to perfect seams as I could ever hope to get. I also used my rotating cutting mat, which makes cutting the diagonals a breeze. I would lay three to four squares out at once, cut one direction, rotate the mat, cut the other direction. In the video, it shows sewing one complete square at a time, but I made mine by chain piecing, sewing one seam of the whole batch, then the next, and so on.  (Can you tell that I'm all about stream-lining the process?)


Now that they’re done, I just need to figure out what to do with them! So many options…





Which one is your favorite?

Friday, February 11, 2011

The stack. 
 I like beautiful books as much as the next person, and if they're about architecture or quilting, even better! This is the stack that's been frequenting my bedside table lately, for that last minute inspiration before I drift off to sleep. The book on top is my latest acquisition -  Quilting Line + Color by Yoshiko Jinzenji.  AMAZING!  I pre-ordered it a few months back from Amazon based on the title and cover alone, and was not disappointed. Very fresh, and all that white!  It reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite books, Landscape Painted with Tea by Milorad Pavic: 
".... because it matters what kind of emptyness is left behind by people and things." 

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Big changes are coming.  I tell ya.  BIG changes.  Just wait.  (but don't hold your breath)


Finn. He doesn't care so much. He's too dang cute to care. and he's also a cat.