Wow, ever since discovering Pinterest, my inspiration for quilting has soared!! I've come across some amazing quilt blogs and wonderful tutorials. Even though it caused me to throw out my commitment to "No More Buying Imported Fabric from China", I believe it's been worth it.
I think my whole shift in quilt inspiration started last summer when I purchased this book at the Quilt Odyssey quilt show in Hershey. I had become so weary of the commercialism of the quilt industry (in many ways in reminded me of the fashion industry) and wanted to avoid getting caught up in the buying, buying, buying of fabric as so many quilters with too much money on their hands are doing these days. And, I wanted to extend my commitment to being green to my quilting habits. But, this book was different. I was so intrigued... It was as though it beckoned me to pick it up and take a look. Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison did a wonderful job of describing the Modern Quilt Movement which utilizes bright, clear colors and fresh designs. They also discussed the commitment to using the fabric scraps you already have instead of buying more fabric. They talked about how to sort your fabric scraps by color, and then to use them in a variety of quilts. I felt like I had found my niche!
I don't have a large assortment of colorful scraps, so I knew needed to acquire some more fabric scraps. I thought maybe I could find fabrics at the local thrift shop, but no luck - I just didn't care for the fabric that showed up there. So, even though I needed to buy more fabric, I decided to purchase scraps from a quilter on line vs. buying new yardage. What a great adventure!
I bought scraps in various colors from this etsy shop on line. I was so pleased! Monique sent me a large assortment of scraps in the bright clear colors I have come to love. I had so much fun sorting the scraps by color. My intention was to use the scraps to make several quilts out of the Sunday Morning Quilts book.
But, then I was introduced to all the unbelievably vast quilt connections though Pinterest.
First, I discovered this lovely hexagon quilt on this Australian quilt blog. I suddenly knew all the scraps I had purchased were destined to become a quilt similar to Leanne's. And so I got hooked on the hexagon craze that has descended upon the quilt world.
First I printed off a hexagon template from a site on line. Then I painstakingly started cutting them apart while with my family on Thanksgiving day. They thought I was crazy (nothing new!) for going to all that trouble.
But these cute little hexies...
... quickly become these sweet flowers!
Well, before long, I discovered the "Farmer's Wife Quilt Along" via Pinterest. I fell in love with Kristyne Czepuryk's choice of Sugar Flower fabric by Lecien as well as Helen Philipps' selection of fabrics and colors (and fell in love with their blogs too - "Pretty by Hand" and "Helen Phillips"!). So, I used my birthday money and bought ...
...a copy of the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book and some
fat quarters of Flower Sugar fabrics.
I LOVED, loved, loved reading this book. (I felt so connected to all those farm wives from the 1920's, and finally understood why I feel so stressed much of the time - I'm trying to live BOTH the life of a farm woman AND a the life of a city woman!) :)
Pinterest and the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along craze also introduced me to Camille Roskelley's blog (she has FABULOUS fabrics and quilts!), which caused me to fall in love with her "Flower Girl" quilt. I used my Christmas money to buy a kit on line.
Then, I found another Quilt Along and this lovely Granny Square quilt...
... by Messy Jesse. I have lots of 30's scraps, so they will happily agree to become a quilt like hers at some point.
And THEN, I came across this wonderful quilt:
It's another Quilt Along, but this time it's a "Scrappy Trip Around the World." I have just enough 2 1/2" by 16" strips leftover from the scraps I purchased from Moniques's Sew Fun Scraps Etsy shop to make a quilt similar to Camille's.
Right around Christmas I discovered this lovely "Peppermint Yo Yo Quilt" (as I named it). Can't wait to start stitching some yo yo's out of red & white fabrics!
But then, this morning, I discovered this lovely quilt:
I found it on Allison's Cluck Cluck Sew blog - I discovered her blog
in this book that I recently bought off Amazon.
So, I definitely have quilting on the brain!!! That's what I've been up to these past few months (instead of cooking, cleaning, finishing up Christmas presents OR blogging!). I'm eager to make these quilts, as well as finish up some other quilts I've already started. I've been really inspired by the various quilt blogs that these ladies write. They almost function like an on-line quilt guild for me, and I'm so grateful that these talented gals are eager to share their work, as well as free tutorials or even access to them by e-mail. I feel like I know them just by reading their blogs and e-mailing them with a question or two. It has motivated me to share a bit more about the quilts I'm working on. I'm still committed to not going overboard on buying fabric, but I also realize that it does take some beautiful fabrics if you want to make beautiful quilts.
I'll post pictures of my quilts as they progress!
I don't have a large assortment of colorful scraps, so I knew needed to acquire some more fabric scraps. I thought maybe I could find fabrics at the local thrift shop, but no luck - I just didn't care for the fabric that showed up there. So, even though I needed to buy more fabric, I decided to purchase scraps from a quilter on line vs. buying new yardage. What a great adventure!
I bought scraps in various colors from this etsy shop on line. I was so pleased! Monique sent me a large assortment of scraps in the bright clear colors I have come to love. I had so much fun sorting the scraps by color. My intention was to use the scraps to make several quilts out of the Sunday Morning Quilts book.
But, then I was introduced to all the unbelievably vast quilt connections though Pinterest.
| photo by Leanne Beasley |
First, I discovered this lovely hexagon quilt on this Australian quilt blog. I suddenly knew all the scraps I had purchased were destined to become a quilt similar to Leanne's. And so I got hooked on the hexagon craze that has descended upon the quilt world.
First I printed off a hexagon template from a site on line. Then I painstakingly started cutting them apart while with my family on Thanksgiving day. They thought I was crazy (nothing new!) for going to all that trouble.
... quickly become these sweet flowers!
Well, before long, I discovered the "Farmer's Wife Quilt Along" via Pinterest. I fell in love with Kristyne Czepuryk's choice of Sugar Flower fabric by Lecien as well as Helen Philipps' selection of fabrics and colors (and fell in love with their blogs too - "Pretty by Hand" and "Helen Phillips"!). So, I used my birthday money and bought ...
 |
| photo by Kristyne Czepuryk |
fat quarters of Flower Sugar fabrics.
I LOVED, loved, loved reading this book. (I felt so connected to all those farm wives from the 1920's, and finally understood why I feel so stressed much of the time - I'm trying to live BOTH the life of a farm woman AND a the life of a city woman!) :)
 |
| photo by Camille Roskelley |
Pinterest and the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along craze also introduced me to Camille Roskelley's blog (she has FABULOUS fabrics and quilts!), which caused me to fall in love with her "Flower Girl" quilt. I used my Christmas money to buy a kit on line.
Then, I found another Quilt Along and this lovely Granny Square quilt...
 |
| Photo by Messy Jesse |
... by Messy Jesse. I have lots of 30's scraps, so they will happily agree to become a quilt like hers at some point.
And THEN, I came across this wonderful quilt:
 |
| photo by Camille Roskelley |
It's another Quilt Along, but this time it's a "Scrappy Trip Around the World." I have just enough 2 1/2" by 16" strips leftover from the scraps I purchased from Moniques's Sew Fun Scraps Etsy shop to make a quilt similar to Camille's.
 |
| photo by Barefoot Daydreams |
Right around Christmas I discovered this lovely "Peppermint Yo Yo Quilt" (as I named it). Can't wait to start stitching some yo yo's out of red & white fabrics!
But then, this morning, I discovered this lovely quilt:
 |
| photo by Allison Harris |
I found it on Allison's Cluck Cluck Sew blog - I discovered her blog
in this book that I recently bought off Amazon.
So, I definitely have quilting on the brain!!! That's what I've been up to these past few months (instead of cooking, cleaning, finishing up Christmas presents OR blogging!). I'm eager to make these quilts, as well as finish up some other quilts I've already started. I've been really inspired by the various quilt blogs that these ladies write. They almost function like an on-line quilt guild for me, and I'm so grateful that these talented gals are eager to share their work, as well as free tutorials or even access to them by e-mail. I feel like I know them just by reading their blogs and e-mailing them with a question or two. It has motivated me to share a bit more about the quilts I'm working on. I'm still committed to not going overboard on buying fabric, but I also realize that it does take some beautiful fabrics if you want to make beautiful quilts.
I'll post pictures of my quilts as they progress!
No comments:
Post a Comment