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!

Paintbrush Studio - Perfectly pleasing Painter’s Palette

Its March - which means it’s  for Paintbrush Studio’s Mad for Solids event.  I am honored to be in the company of some great artists and we’ve been given the dream job of selecting 8 colors from PBStudio’s luscious palette.  I love working with solids but if you’ve ever been unsure about working with them- this event is custom made for you.  I know many people struggle with choosing colors.  This is a super way to see color combos that might spark your creative juices.

Mad for Solids is a contest where PBStudio highlights two artists per day and their color palettes.  You get to vote on your favorite.  And just like the March Madness sports bracket- the winners get paired up until we wind up with one winner.  This year is especially exciting as PBStudio is giving away Palette bundles- so not only do you have fun voting- you could win some fabric.  Go check it out!

Here’s a link to the page where you’ll find the daily contest:    Mad for Solids contest

Inspiration and anticipation....

I'm working on something...  My creative juices are flooding the valley so be on the lookout soon.  Let the images below showcase the colors I'm loving right now....

And Happy March to you!

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!!

Don't drop your computer - two posts in two days. I'm going for a record here...

News flash.  Mini quilts are like mini M&Ms.  you can't have just one can you?   I literally came in out of working on weeding my garden to make this mini.  It's another entry for the Curated Quilts 2nd Mini contest.

I was pulling those weeds and thinking about how much  I love being out in the country.  Weeds and all.  But I was also thinking about how the city is slowing creeping into our agricultural area (which creates the wonderful buffer from the city) and how I'd hate to be stuck in all the urban crawl (and...there is no political agenda here -it's strictly just a comment...).

Bingo.  Inspiration.  Tired of weeding.

and this is the result.  I'm calling this one - Little Log Cabin lost in the city.  Lots of matchstick quilting in a chartreuse color.  Thank you Aurifil - you make some luscious colors.  It's 10.5 x 12 inches.

Enjoy!!

Rocks Optional

Apparently words are, too.  In a hurry to post this to Curated Quilts.  More later....

It's later now.

So this all started with a little peer pressure.  My dear friend and quilt enabler @Marymenzerdesigns posted a photo of what she was working on for the latest round of mini challenge by Curated Quilts.  I'd been seeing some of the entries -all little works of art but once I saw Mary's efforts- I knew I had to knuckle down and get to work.  And there was a full 24 hours left to make and complete the project.  All the time in the world, right?

They wanted us to use a certain palette.  Charcoal, chartreuse, pale pink, mango, and greyish beige.  Ok...not gonna lie here- these are not my colors.   Having said that- sure enough...there they were in my stash (snickering at me for poo-pooing them).  I needed reassurance about my fabric pull and of course, consulted Ping.   She confirmed my selection met the criteria.

 

Oops.  Here's the photo with the chartreuse.   Ping reminded me off camera I'd neglected to put it on the table. Hard to see it when she's positioned a big fluffy sprawled out body on top of it...

We were to incorporate a log cabin design or be inspired by a log cabin design.  It could range from 10 inches by 10 inches up to 16x16.  I love making mini's.  you get to be creative but not beat yourself up if you don't like the direction it took.  Nothing like making a twin-sized dud.  And all crafters have those hideous projects that we got so far into... and then realised ...yuck- what was I thinking- this stinks.  And then you can't stop making it because you've invested so much time and money so you finish it.  And then it's folded up and hidden away.  Yep- got a few of those.  

The wonk is my groove.  When I'm trying to be free from rulers and precision- go to the wonk.  Wonky log cabins are my favourite block so I knew I'd love the process if I could start from there.   I made three but only two made it into the final design.  

The heavy quilting is kind of an undercurrent to pull your eye away from the graphics of the piece...  I liked the way it turned out.

I added the rocks because it looked lonely when I was photographing it.  Which just helped me give it a name - Rocks Optional.  Silly name but it just seems to fit. Enjoy the eye candy and don't forget to check out Curated Quilts!

Time for my annual post... or "The Pillow that ate Cleveland".

My DH is always saying-please- stop laughing at your own jokes.  But I couldn't help but chuckle to see it's almost been a year since I last posted.  Sorry about that- that little thing called a job (which pays for this quilting obsession) tends to get in the way.  On to the quilting - which is what we're all here for....

Wednesday, June 28th, I'll be the guest blogger for the PaintBrush Studio Fabrics Bloghop.  I ADORE their silky smooth solids.  The colors are deep and saturated and get my creative juices flowing.  This time around we were given beautiful Red White and Blue fabrics just in time for 4th of July.... and they Went together like a harmonious soup of color.   Let's face it.  Do any of us have to be goaded that hard in to being convinced we need to see another grouping of gorgeous fabrics?   So please.  Keep coming along here....

I have had the pineapple design on my mind lately and felt like this might be a good mash up (as all the kids say now) with the colors at hand.   I love the simple design of the pineapple and it's graphically strong- so I weighed the options of making a wall hanging or pillow.  The pillow won the fight when I rummaged through my notions box and found.....Pompons!!!!!   Nothing makes a pillow more fun than some happy little pompons.

My design was simple- 2.5 inch squares or HST's.   I added a 2.5 inch border around the pineapple- and then bordered that with a strip of red and blue at 1.25 inches.   I added more white to enlarge the pillow to fit my form.  I thought I had an 18 inch pillow form but alas- imagine my surprise when all I had was a 24 inch form.  Yikes - this is like the pillow that ate Cleveland!   It's YUGE....   Its a conversation piece alright- with the conversation being- where is there left for me to fit on this chair with that big honking pillow taking up so much space?  But ....I love it 💕💕❤️❤️❤️and wouldn't change a thing.

And if looking at this pillow wasn't enough fun for you- would you like to get some fabric for free????  Head over to Fabri-Quilt blog (@pbstudiofabrics) to check out how you can get some of this lovely palette of fabric. 

Uh oh.  Total tech failure Partial tech failure update.... Blogger isn't letting me add any photos to this😳😳😳😳😳😳. I'll try again shortly - sorry for the inconvenience!!! See gratuitous photos on my IG feed   @shelleybrooksquilts   until then.... 

In the meantime- check out my fellow patriotic sewists and their imaginative and inspiring Red White and Blue fabric creations:

6/22: Fabri-Quilt blog (@pbstudiofabrics)

6/23: Jayne of TwiggyandOpal (@twiggyandopal)

6/26: Elizabeth of OPQuilt (@occasionalpiecequilt)

6/27: Stephanie of Spontaneous Threads (@spontaneousthreads)

6/28: Shelley of A Pigeon in Pungo (@shelleybrooksquilts)

6/29: Linda of Flourishing Palms (@flourishingpalms)

6/30: Cindy Wiens of Live a Colorful Life (@liveacolorfullife)

7/3: Stephanie of Peas in a Pod (@stephiepeterson)