Sewing Saturday... Summer Blues

 Welcome to this week's sewing round up!

I worked on scrap challenge blocks in dark blue, made a whole new piece, and finished borders on last week's piece. Let's get this party started, shall we??

the design wall was exciting this week!

I'll start with the wine bottles in dark blue scraps... here is the mock up, supply gather...

pattern free from Hoffman Fabrics

They are a bit close in value to the "bright blue" month at rainbow scrap challenge but that's okay, at least I got the labels different. 

Lesson learned

1. fabrics look different according to the proportion used...

2. cropping fabric images can really change the finished product

3. with paper pieced weird angles, pin pin pin

Next up is the blue petal scrap improv work from last week. I auditioned a lot of fabrics to finish off the edges and bring ones focus to the center... harder than one might think. 

I added the bright green (more intense in real life) at the top, and it needs adjusting

Then chose a lovely green and blue vintage fabric from the stash to contrast with the busy center but hopefully bring your eye back to the petals. 

I looked through my blue scrap strips til I found a print with blue and green in a flower print to remind the viewer this is a floral abstract. 

I did try this one and it was a close race....

In the end I decided to use the one with a flower print, and cut some curves into it with the idea to start squaring it up on the outside edges

about 15" X 19" now

I'm satisfied. Now to block it, and get it ready to overquilt!! I plan to use some inks to make the center blossom stand out more, and this one is calling out for beading and hand stitching with thick threads. 

I woke on Monday with "the blues" in my heart, and wanted to sew something mindless, as a tonic to my spirit. On a sorting expedition into studio two last week I spied a set of tiny 1.5" squares someone gave me a while back. The kind Keepsake used to send as samples. Okay I thought, let's use neutral scraps to make 9-patches. 

Whee! they make unfinished 3.5" blocks. I have been wanting to use my prints on beige backgrounds in something for a while to showcase them, so I cut a bunch of 3.5" squares from those scraps. Like the Chinese food, spools, stars, donkeys..... then sewed them into a whole center...

Loved the softness of it but it wanted a border. I auditioned a lot of fabrics, then sent the pic to some friends and one said to use more 1.5" blocks in contrast to finish it off. 

No, not going to cut up more of those tiny blocks but I do keep a box of 2" squares laid out in watercolor shades. I went to the  next to lightest squares and created a border. No matching of seams needed and they work beautifully to give the center some room visually! Thanks Linda!

I made this in two afternoons.    Lessons?

1. Even if you think it's just mindless sewing it will need design decisions 

2. light shades and neutrals still have contrast and 

3. low contrast is calming and still interesting

4. a traditional block and setting can feel artistic too

 

Time to quilt it now! Oh I tried the fabrics again, to border it and like Joy said when she saw it, they are a bit too intense or bright for it, which is why they take your eye way from the center. 

lesson? Even if colors match, and pattern matches, sometimes it doesn't help the artwork

 

I also made two cute mug rugs for my friend in Florida... she spent the week with her family at the beach so I took the leftover cabana and fixed it up. She is a nurse, so I used some nurse fabric scraps to make a 2nd one too. I'll show those on Table scraps party next week!

 

I'll end with a quick watercolor sketch on my calendar page done this week while having morning coffee... just a way to see color relationships and it matches my quilting this week. 

Three analogous colors of watercolor pencil... scribbled overlapping, then brushed with water to blend

To me it looks like a water scene, one I couldn't have planned but is one that looks like scenery I've observed over the years. See how similar it is in color and depth from the blue petal piece... purely serendipity.  Just by playing with color pencil... Now I wish it was done on good paper! 

That's the thing with art... there's always something to learn, and something to make 

I plan to watch a lot of Olympics coverage this week... especially dressage, synchronized swimming if I can find it, badminton (can you believe that's an Olympic sport?) and gymnastics. The opening ceremonies were terrific especially the human interpretation of the event icons. 

What about you?

 Linking to

http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.com/
finished or not
off the wall Fridays 

can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  

myquiltinfatuation Thursdays

http://www.inquiringquilter.com/ Wednesday wait loss

Midweek makers wednesdays  

https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/

 

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays

blue mondays
 

oh Scrap Sundays 

 scrap happy Saturdays