Flying high!!

Busy busy busy....but not all sewing things.  So what I have managed to squeeze in lately has been some really satisfying projects.

1.  I love the beach.  Grew up on the coast of South Carolina - and I just love the beach.  So as soon as it warms up just enough...you'll find me there regularly.

Here's a photo of my daughter who joined me on a beach walk recently:

And here's the quilt this photo inspired:

I used a modern approach to the design and used quilting to complete the vibe.  I was very pleased with the result.  I'll be entering this in a contest soon.  They are looking for things that represent the Hampton Roads area and it's hosted by our Virginia Beach Library system (I think - I need to read the details on all of that...).

2.  My daughters and I are major dumpster divers/ thrift store junkies  fans of vintage, gently used items.  Ok, truth be told - we're obsessed with haunting the Goodwills and thrift stores.  We've scored MAJOR lately with none other than a Singer 99K and a Bernette 440.  Each was $45.  I nearly peed my pants.  Of course, my dear husband is not convinced I need more than one sewing machine....but he's just crazy like that.  The Singer is in BEAUTIFUL condition and the Bernette looked equally as cared for.  My youngest daughter will be learning to sew on the Bernette.  It's perfect to learn on.

Bernette 440.  It's so pretty...you need sunglasses to view it.

Singer 99K.  Am a I a lucky girl or what!!

3.   Our lovely niece and nephew had an adorable son recently.  The theme for his nursery is red, white, and blue and airplanes.  Here's my present for her, step by step...

I paper pieced the plane, flying geese, and NY Beauty blocks

step one: the center

Then comes the flying geese

Add some 4 patch blocks for interest

And finish off with NY Beauties

Glamour shot

So that's all I've got this week.  Enjoy quilting and the summer sun!!  What are you up to right now?

Check out the link parties in my side bar.  There are so many wonderful inspirational quilts and projects!!

And we now return to normally scheduled programming

A wise man I once worked for always use to say "If you have something important to say - please start at the end".  So more about this quilt as you read through today....

Quilting was temporarily put on hold for a couple of weeks for some home updates.  The fruits of my labor:

The Before of these two rooms

The After!!

Actually, the doors and jambs are still in the stain color.  I have to have a special "door painting" day to finish those.  I'm TERRIBLE at remembering to take a good "before" photo.  The room with the cabinets is my laundry room.  The walls were a stark white and I painted them the pale turquoise the week before.  Again...should have remembered to take the before photo....

And I did this...  Transformed these two Goodwill treasures into....

They were $15 each!!!

Lots of spray paint and some cushions from Target and WHAM!!!    Gorgeous sliders for my screened in porch.  

After all that great home updating...I got down to some quilting.  You may remember my Tulip Fields:

One of the many inspiration photos.

Work in progress


And then it became....

But it still wasn't right....

So I made a few more changes....

I like this.... so then it was quilting time....

Quilting didn't go too fast as I got harassed by Ping, a lot...

Who can resist this furry beast!!

Lots and lots of quilting

And then face binding (Thank you Mary Menzer Designs for the excellent  tutorial on Face Binding   Face Binding Tutorial   )

And then finally here it is.  It makes me smile.  I hope to see the fields in person one day.

What have you made lately that makes you smile?

I'll be linking up to some GREAT links parties - check out the bar to the right for the links each day.

I'm in the Championship....

Carnival palette

Almost finished with my runner made from the palette

Ok folks - it's go time.  I made it to the Championship!!  Thank you , thank you, thank you to all of you who voted so far.  This link : Inspired by Fabric Blog is open for the final contest and only until noon CST tomorrow.   To vote, you simply leave the palette name and the curator's name in the comment section.  This last voting session is especially great as one lucky voter will be chosen to receive a package of fabric in their curator's palette.

It's between me and Lorna McMahon of Sew Fresh Quilts .  Vote your heart...hopefully it's mine but  you can't go wrong with either palette - they are both beautiful.  Both of us had interesting inspirations behind our color choices that made them special.  My inspiration was the carnivals and festivals of spring.  Cotton candy, the rides, flowers, and all of those fun things we do when creeping out of winter and breathing in the first spring air.

A huge thank you to Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.  They made this contest possible and with 84 solid colors to choose from - there is a lot to like.  They are giving away One Yard Cuts!!  of the winning palette - which means someone is getting 8 yards of lovely fabric to pet and cuddle with!  So don't wait anymore - go vote and GOOD LUCK!!!

Some of the other quilts I've finished....

Thanks for all the great suggestions of flower trails (see my post about tulips ).  A Maidenhair Fern asked me about the quilt in the header of my blog.   I thought I'd share some of the quilts I've made over the last couple of years.  (and check out her blog...she has some beautiful quilts and posts).

I made this one back in 2011

This quilt was my entry (and winner!!) to the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year - Marsala 

So many quilts....

This was made for a dear friend who had a crazy accident...but healed up perfectly (it was probably the gift of the quilt that magically healed her...)

And then babies were born...

This was for my niece who loves giraffes - and her gorgeous new daughter.

This was for a friend who is battling a terrible disease...but she's a warrior!

This was my Riley Blake fabric challenge entry in 2015.

But wait ...there were more...

This was for my daughter - I give her a pillow each year.  Can't you just hear the Christmas carols...

And still more............

This was another challenge.  It has writing on the bright green sashing that is a quote from Salvador Dali'.  "Never fear perfection, you'll never reach it."  What it meant to me was don't sweat the small stuff - enjoy the process and you'll get better at it as you practice.  So I quilt a lot....

This is a really snuggly quilt I made on which I finally attempted matchstick quilting.  I love that type of design for quilting - but it takes f o r e v e r to finish...

 

And I liked the style of applying the fabric to the quilt blocks so much - I made another one.

The blocks are made by appliquéing the tiny fabric bits down WHEN YOU QUILT IT!!!   That's like skipping a whole step!!!

I baste (just barely) the tiny pieces on and then while matchstick quilting - they magically get sewn on permanently.  I love the texture of the quilting and the raw edge of the fabric pieces.

What have you worked on that you haven't shown us?

Vote for me!!!! There's fabric involved!!

As if you haven't had enough election coverage already....here's one more decision for you to consider...  Voting for me and my fabric collection!!


 I am COMPLETELY honored and thrilled to have been chosen to participate in March Madness!!  The contest is being generously hosted by a Kansas based fabric company producing cotton under both the Fabri-quilt and Paintbrush Studio names.  They have a blog called Inspired by Fabric.

My palette of colors is called CARNIVAL.  Remember that and that my name is Shelley because I need you to vote for me at Inspired by Fabric by using the fabric palette and my name.  So... Carnival and Shelley.  (It's a well known advertising premise that if you repeat the information three times - folks are more likely to remember so ....Carnival and Shelley..... should be wafting through your subconscious right now.... or just make it easy on yourself and right that down!).  I have some VERY tough competition -this is going to be a fun event so make sure and check them all out.  I know I'm a total push over for staring at fabric so I'm thinking this will be some great eye candy for you and a nice opportunity to drool over some great fabric.

VOTE HERE:                  Inspired by Fabric

So when someone says...you get to choose 8 colors, you think...hey- this will be easy.  HA!!!  

Carnival collection by Shelley 

I needed inspiration and since it's finally warming up where I live - Spring popped in my head.  The usual suspects came to mind:  

1. The chance to wiggle your toes in the sunshine (need pedicure ASAP).  
2. The ability to be outside without multiple layers of clothing (oh dear---where did those extra 5 lbs come from?).  
3. Looking for crocuses to pop their pretty purple heads up or waiting for daffodils to remind me of which varieties my beds are graced (you know, I think dandelions are pretty, too).  
4. And, the fun that the children have when they get to play outside as the days grow longer (hallelujah - send those kids outside for awhile!!).   
5. Growing up near the ocean, the carnivals would reopen and the smell of funnel cakes and cotton candy would be thick in the air.... (hmmm- is that where my addiction to sugar began?)
6. All of my senses were involved in my final selection (and now I'm wishing I had a funnel cake to nibble on while I write this...).

I had to select 8 colors out of a beautiful lineup of possibilities.  Isn't that cruel.  It's like saying you can only have 8 TINY bites of an enormous chocolate cake!  The fabric is luscious and supple and sewing up beautifully.  I'll be working with Carnival to create a beautiful wall hanging size piece to hand in my studio.  I want to remind myself throughout the year of the sweetness of spring.  

My design is inspired by Frank Stella's Protractor Variation series.  With his focus on line, shape, color, and composition...I can't help wondering if he'll ever try his hand at quilting.  His work is so easily translated into quilting - it just seems perfectly aligned.  Here's a photo with Frank and one of the more iconic Protractor designs.

But .....check out the particular design I've chosen....  

Isn't this gorgeous??  I'll be showing my work later today...stay tuned for updates.

AND - DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR ME!

(Carnival and Shelley)

(and thank you!!)

I'll be linking up with those great quilting linky parties located on my sidebar.  Please go check them out - they are wonderful sources of HOURS of oogling quilting related things...

And one more thing....social media - use these hashtags if you're inspired to tweet, IG, FB, or Ello about this!!

#pbstudiofabrics    #painterspalettesolids    #madforsolids    #solidsbracket2016

****update - here's the progress on my Frank Stella inspired block with my Carnival palette.  Check back for the process and finish.

And here's my work from last night...aren't these gorgeous!