Slow stitching....relaxing at the end

Heirloom Opal Bracelet is done!  I adore the colors and am very pleased with my finished wall hanging.  There's something very satisfying about hand sewing the binding.  Usually, I rip through binding and sew it completely on by machine but this one demanded quiet attention and sewing on by  hand.  Have you got a favorite piece of jewelry?  Maybe you could create a quilt around it.

Did I make you think of an opal?

love these binding clips...

slow and steady....

almost done....

Ahhhh.  Complete.  

Heirloom Opal Bracelet
31' x 21

Hope you've enjoyed watching the progress.  Onto something new....

Drum roll please..... Introducing.... Felicia

Felicia (not the cat - that would be Ping photobombing!!) joined the family last week.  A dear quilting friend sold me her "extra" Featherweight...  She had four.  Let me back up here...  

I was at my quilting gang's annual retreat and one of them mentioned she was thinking about selling a couple of sewing machines.  I didn't think much about that - I own 4 sewing machines myself but when she started telling us the story about how her family members had these Featherweights and as they got older or passed - the younger members didn't sew, etc., etc., .....my spider senses were on DEF CON 5......  So then she says the magic words...  I think I'm interested in selling two of them.   Simultaneously-me and another in my gang YELLED OUT - "I want one!!!".  I think two people fell out of their sewing chairs from the abrupt yelling and commotion....

She was definitely surprised and said if we were interested (my gosh - did I need to yell it any louder?) that she would bring them to our retreat house the next day.  So she did.  And just like that - she sold two machines.  

I chose the name Felicia because she'll be my retreat / class machine.  So, she'll be traveling.  And you know what people always are saying...   Bye, Felicia.  Only when they say it to my Felicia, it will be out of love and happiness and not in sarcasm.  Cause ....there's no sarcasm in sewing (LOL).

P.S.---- oh my there are so many things out on the internet about these machines.  And I've been in full learning mode.  It's been SO much fun.  She sews like a dream.  She's in EXCELLENT condition - I am so lucky and honored.  

Ping was so jealous - she had to photo bomb Felicia AGAIN!!

Ignore that my thread isn't threaded correctly here - just wanted a shot of the fabulous stitching.

And - in other news....  Heirloom Opal Bracelet is coming along nicely.  She's under the machine right now - waiting for me to return and finish my quilting.

Sorry for the poor lighting - the flying geese are shades of silver grey and the purple is more warm than cold

This color is closer to the real shade.

Slowly coming along with my quilting.  Using Aurifil 40 wt (didn't have any 28 wt in this color)

It will be a wall hanging - probably around 36 x 22 or so.  I plan on very heavy quilting.  The colors of fabric are beautiful - all Paintbrush Studio solids (Painters Palette Solids).  I got my fabric from Pineapple Fabrics.  They have all the colors and are a great enabler for most of your quilting needs...

You can find them here:

Pineapple Fabrics



If you'd like to know what colors I used they are:

016 - Pale Silver

104 - Aluminum

080 - Amethyst

008 -  Royal

025 -  River

100 -  Aruba

098 - Cyan

072 - Honeydew

076 - Apple Green

093 - Android

Check out @pbstudio for the Mad for Solids contest each day.  I won my last bracket and I think  may be back up on the contest later today.  Vote for your favorite and you'll also get a chance for free fabric!!

Happy Quilting from me and Felicia!

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

The colors of an Australian Boulder Opal

These colors have always been my favorites.  My very favorite is green but purple, turquoise, and blues follow.  I think this photo is mesmerizing in the way the colors just melt from one to the next.  I am working on a project using my selection of colors from PBStudio fabrics.  My color group is called Heirloom Opal and I hope you'll see my vision.

I wanted to be able to capture the sparkle so I'm working in small pieces.  I've grown very fond of large HST's and such but I know the tiny tedious quarter square triangles and three quarter triangles will be the way to accomplish my goal.

This was one of my renditions but I've changed it since then and I'm much happier.  Follow me for the next few days as I create my Heirloom Opal design.....

Also - tomorrow (Tuesday, 3/20) is my turn at the Mad For Solids contest.  Check it out here and join in on the fun!!  And don't forget to vote for your favorite each day!

Mad For Solids contest

                                                       What are your favorite colors?

Happy St. Patty's Day!  I loved all the green!