Curated Quilts Triangles Mini challenge

Tada!  Here's my submission for Curated Quilts latest mini challenge.  Sizing up at 11.25 by 11.25 inches - it's much smaller than I usually make but it seemed to be just the right size for this project.   I enjoy their contests because they've been mini's and they have some criteria (color, feature, etc) so it's not an overwhelming endeavor.  Plus - it helps you grow as an artist.

You can find this and many other submissions here:

Curated Quilts


The colors this time were:

Pool blue, lime green, orange, light pink, berry pink and plum purple - descriptors not actual color names, and prints are always welcome. The quilt should use triangles and be square.

I think I'm calling this one Refraction.  I like the quilting lines inside the triangle and it reminds me of a prism a little bit.

I used a pale pink, lime green, mulberry, and orange thread in the quilting.

What are you working on today?

Happy stitching,

Shelley

VOTE on your favorite colors!

Today is the day I'm in the bracket for showing off my color group, Heirloom Opal which was inspired by the opal shown above.

Go visit PaintBrush Studio Fabrics at the locations below and you can vote at each one. 

PBStudio on Facebook

PBStudio Fabrics blog

@PBStudios   (their IG handle)

I'm working on a design that represents a silver bracelet with an opal on it.  The colors are just luscious and I hope I'm capturing the mysterious sparks and flashes of color you see in an opal.  I'm still working out the design (ahem....I've been doing some seam ripping today and after reviewing my photos this evening...just saw another mistake!!) but I'm getting close.  Sorry for the poor photography - I'm at a quilt retreat and the lighting isn't the best.

Can you catch my goof up here?

I'm using two shades of silver (not shown in my palette) to represent the bracelet.  I'll share all the color choices individually when I'm finished.  

Whether you find my color group your favorite or Stephanie's (@spontaneousthreads) - enjoy the eye candy and vote.

Enjoy!!

Shelley

Happy New Year!

Magic Boxes

A few days into the new year and I'm thrilled to say... I've got two finishes down!  Curated Quilts is hosting a mini quilt challenge where you use the colors :leaf green, blue grey, black, orchid, light grey, and medium grey.  The deadline is January 10th (so I'm REALLY proud of my very early finish) so there's time left if you'd like to partake in the fun.  If you live on the east coast - you've probably got some extra time on your hands.  We got about 8-10 inches of snow yesterday and it was beautiful but simultaneously.... frustrating.  We lost power overnight but thankfully it was restored yesterday.  In enough time for me to complete both of these....

My hummingbird feeder looks like a Jiffy pop pan!

The snow that was blown under our carport!!

Because I'm an overachiever - I couldn't make just one.  Plus with a size of 10" square up to 16" square ---- it's small enough to be able to make that deadline.

My first entry is all about 3 dimensions.  My grandson saw it on my design board the other day and said - Nana - you're a magician!!  How did you make those boxes come off the wall?   So that one was a hit.  Anytime you can get an 8 year old boy to comment on a quilt - it's got to be good.  I named it Magic Boxes just for him.

My second entry was a result of looking at the fabric scraps and thread (sitting all over my workspace) while binding my first entry.  I couldn't resist - so as soon as I finished Magic Boxes .... I jumped right on to it.  It's a love note to my husband.  It's called I Could Never Untangle You From My Heart.

I Could Never Untangle You From My Heart

Doesn't the black thread look like it's just laying there?  I'm very happy with this one.  :)

Have yourself a great new year and let's all make some beautiful things!!

Roaring to the deadline

CherryWood Fabrics held a contest.  Need I say more.  Ummm...yes - sign me up.   Of course, there was a nice lengthy time to enter before the deadline (a few months, I believe).  Per usual, I chose the work under pressure manner of creating - so in about 36 hours before the deadline - I was in.

It started like this.   It even came with a permission slip to encourage me to cut into those GORGEOUS fabrics....

And like a fearless lioness - I did just that. 

The theme was Lion King, The Musical.  If you had a chance to see any of their challenge entries from last year, based on the musical Wicked - they were amazing.  If you didn't catch it - by all means take a look.  Spectacular work.  I put the link below but you can google it and get even more things to peruse.

I was going to use the circle of life reference as my inspiration.

Finding all things circular for tracing

Lots of good choices for color

I toyed with this design but it was far too simplistic.  Didn't have enough "oomph".

So I mulled it over a night (wasted hours....) and then I got really juiced up and figured out a more complex and interesting design.  Which required...

A nice 9 degree wedge

The wedge really started working for me and I wound up with this:

 

I harnessed my super power : "working really fast under pressure" and the design began to form:

And eventually became this:

I called upon my secondary super hero power: "quilting the snot of out of a quilt".

And thus:

Mufasa is raw edge appliquéd with lots of tiny, slow quilting moves.

Totally worth the time....

Of course, what kind of sewist would I be without a little thread controversy....  Also per usual, I goofed a little (a lot) and had to do some unsewing.  Which leads me to my next tidbit to share.... I'm making seam rippers!!

I have learned how to turn these on a lathe and polish them into beautiful sewing tools.  If you've ever  held one of these in your own hand - then you know how good they feel.  If you haven't - you should absolutely take one for a test drive.  They feel luxurious.  I hardly minded unsewing while using this!!  More on this later...

So while the Mission Impossible them music played loudly - and despite the temporary slow down for unsewing, I was able to enter the contest (and I still had and hour and a half before the actual deadline!!!).

I'm pleased with my result (although those toes need some polish....) ...  What are you working on???

Wicked Challenge:Cherrywood Wicked Challenge 2015

Roaring to the deadline

CherryWood Fabrics held a contest.  Need I say more.  Ummm...yes - sign me up.   Of course, there was a nice lengthy time to enter before the deadline (a few months, I believe).  Per usual, I chose the work under pressure manner of creating - so in about 36 hours before the deadline - I was in.

It started like this.   It even came with a permission slip to encourage me to cut into those GORGEOUS fabrics....

And like a fearless lioness - I did just that. 

The theme was Lion King, The Musical.  If you had a chance to see any of their challenge entries from last year, based on the musical Wicked - they were amazing.  If you didn't catch it - by all means take a look.  Spectacular work.  I put the link below but you can google it and get even more things to peruse.

I was going to use the circle of life reference as my inspiration.

Finding all things circular for tracing

Lots of good choices for color

I toyed with this design but it was far too simplistic.  Didn't have enough "oomph".

So I mulled it over a night (wasted hours....) and then I got really juiced up and figured out a more complex and interesting design.  Which required...

A nice 9 degree wedge

The wedge really started working for me and I wound up with this:

 

I harnessed my super power : "working really fast under pressure" and the design began to form:

And eventually became this:

I called upon my secondary super hero power: "quilting the snot of out of a quilt".

And thus:

Mufasa is raw edge appliquéd with lots of tiny, slow quilting moves.

Totally worth the time....

Of course, what kind of sewist would I be without a little thread controversy....  Also per usual, I goofed a little (a lot) and had to do some unsewing.  Which leads me to my next tidbit to share.... I'm making seam rippers!!

I have learned how to turn these on a lathe and polish them into beautiful sewing tools.  If you've ever  held one of these in your own hand - then you know how good they feel.  If you haven't - you should absolutely take one for a test drive.  They feel luxurious.  I hardly minded unsewing while using this!!  More on this later...

So while the Mission Impossible them music played loudly - and despite the temporary slow down for unsewing, I was able to enter the contest (and I still had and hour and a half before the actual deadline!!!).

I'm pleased with my result (although those toes need some polish....) ...  What are you working on???

Wicked Challenge:Cherrywood Wicked Challenge 2015