I am so excited to see how this Tee collection came out! I did a second series of sea creatures and more for Hanna Andersson last year and they are live on their website now. These were really fun to draw - the puffer fish went through a few changes before the final design and the shark was originally a whale (a cute whale to boot!). I want to see some kids wearing these this spring! Which one do you like best?

Wow! I can't believe I finished two quilts! I think I'm still sewing in my sleep... The students at daVinci Arts Middle School named this one 'Simplicity'. The idea to use a variety of blues in the off-set design came from Marie at Cool Cottons and the lovely swirl and starburst quilt pattern was Nancy at Pat's Just Quilting contribution. And - I should add that she rushed the job and donated it to the cause. Thank you!!!

Exciting day - I finished my very first quilt project EVER! This is one of two quilts I made with a class of middle school students at daVinci Arts Middle School in Portland, Oregon and it will be auctioned off this Saturday. Miyong Noh worked with the students to do the shibori squares and then beached the color out to create the designs. Then the class named the quilts 'Diversity' and 'Simplicity' which inspired how I designed the layouts. I bought the shot cotton fabrics at Cool Cottons - and I have to give them a ton of credit for inspiring the color choices! The back was completely improvised: I wanted to leave spaces for the kids to sign and I also wanted to use up my scraps.
There are more photos here: Design Camp Flickr page

I have a new toy! A size 10 pre-teen size Wolf dress form! I have been building pleated skirts for the middle school play and this arrived just in time. I must say that pleated skirts are not easy to make. I've been winging it a bit (as much as you can wing pleats) but the skirts have to work for a quick change from a school girl into a ninja warrior, but I couldn't resist the challenge. I can't wait to introduce my girls to her at camp this summer. They are going to be super excited to have a dress form that is their size!

Am I really crazy enough to take on another quilt project? Indeed I am! Miyong and I are working on a Shibori resist project with the middle school for their annual auction. Here are a few samples of their work. Miyong from Idyeology is leading the project and handling the bleach. I will work on the block layout and design with the class next week.

I was reading the NY Times style magazine this morning which featured pieces from the Fall 2011 collections. I had not really followed the shows closely, so I looked up some of my favorite designers. I was excited to see that Rodarte's prairie-inspired designs were full of quilt references. Who knew patchwork would be on the cutting edge of fashion next season! Count me in!
All photos are by Imaxtree and I found them on the fasionista blog. There are also some great photos on theDaily Beast.

It is a bit like a Sudoku puzzle laying a quilt out isn't it! Here are the boytie blocks on my wall in my latest arrangement. The tiny hedgehog print I bought is a trick to get in the right direction - which is why the little squares are pinned up. I want to plan those out so I sew them in the right direction. I can't wait to start sewing everything together!

Oscar Wilde said “A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life,” and so it goes with my leap into quilting. Inspired by a pretty bunch of fat quarters I put together and the linen strips Jenn used in the mug rug I got at the swap, I decided to 'go for it.' I cut  5x5 pieces (I believe they are called 'charm squares' in the quilting world) to make all the bow tie blocks and picked up the linen-colored solid from Cool Cottons in SE Portland. Here is a preview of the design:

I think when I finish this one I will make a mate using a box of shirting stripes that is collecting dust in my basement. Maybe I'll name them the Duke and Duchess of Windsor!

Last night I got a hankering to sew a bow tie block. I saw a pattern for one in a book I had checked out and returned to the library and I couldn't get it out of my head. The pattern was unusual and I was determined to try it. I had jotted down some notes so I grabbed some scraps and went to work. Here is my first try:

I loved how this sweet little block came out and I wanted to see some whole quilts made with this technique, so I did a search on flickr for bow tie quilts and discovered that there was another way to build this block. So, of course I had to try it and compare the two. Here is the second block:

The technique I used for the second block did not use the sandwich method like the traditional block, instead it pieced the corners together using smaller squares to form the little triangles in the center.

So, after this exercise did I prefer one version over the other? Truth be told, I am favoring the traditional bow tie. I love the dimensional quality of the center of the bow and I can't resist the odd construction. It is a bit trickier to sew, but I think it is worth it. What do you think?

I was working on the Cement Brick blocks the other day and thought I'd indulge in some design inspiration. I knew the interior of the Parker Hotel (my original inspiration for the brick design) was done by Jonathan Alder so I thought I'd look him up. I got his book 'Happy Colors' from the library and designed about fifty more quilts in my head just flipping thought the pages. His Nixon collection uses the same brick design. It is to die for! Now I am even more excited about building this quilt! Here are a few picture of his Nixon Collection products: Rug, Bedding and pillow.

Looking at the Alder products brings up some interesting questions about how to build the quilt. If you look at these products, the motif has been done two ways. On the bedding the 'bricks' are separated (like I would with sashing in a quilt) but on the rug and pillow they attach and a cross design forms in the negative spaces. Originally I had planned to be more true to the wall, like the bedding design is, but I love the way the pillow and rug look too. Oh - more design decisions to make. Yay!

I am very happy that I went to my second Portland Modern Quilt Guild meeting last night. I am so inspired by the talented women I have met there and I participated in my first show and tell. I brought a portable version of my wall o'work on a piece of curtain backing and showed some of the block designs I've been experimenting with. I also made what is called a 'mug rug' to swap and I lucked out! The one I chose made by Jen (gee why didn't I ask for her last name - such a dope!) is darling! Thanks Jen! Here are some pics. Also - Cherri Langley from Get Your Sew On offered to help me with binding techniques. Thanks Cherri!

My 'mug rug' for the swap - the squares were inspired by a project Violet Craft showed me how to do and the reverse applique was inspired by the Alabama Stitch Book

Here is what I traded for in the swap. I am going to try this technique. I love the fabrics and the linen details. Thanks Jen!