Fabric Colorway Strips

One of the comments I often hear from quilters is the challenge they feel in matching fabrics when making a quilt. This is one of the reasons why kits have become so popular in the quilt world. We like someone who understands color well to do some of the "seeing" for us.

My thanks to my friend Linda for sending links to two sites that are in my opinion brilliant.
http://www.morecloth.com/

http://www.morecloth.com/gloriouscolor/

When you go to these sites, created and maintained by morecloth dot com, you will see a series of rows of color strips like these.

When you click on one of the strips, you will be shown a series of fabrics that match the color way.

When you click on the fabric you will then be led to etsy sites where you can order on line.

How easy is that?

If you are decorating a room and would like a quilt to match the color scheme, look at the strips and see which one matches the closest.

Or if you are like me, just click on the strips and play with ideas. I have had so much fun with this site!

I love Kaffe fabrics. The second site http://www.morecloth.com/gloriouscolor/

shows you only Kaffes in the colorstrip, and leads you back to Glorious Color for ordering.

Amazing!

I'm Not Ready

My youngest turned 18 a few days ago. I'm not ready. I don't know why this birthday has been so hard on me.
He was baby Paul just yesterday,
and now he's old enough to vote. (How can that be?)
And, he's old enough to be drafted. (I can't even think about that).

As my children were growing up, my mother used to come to me and say "Can't you do something about that?"
I told her I was open to any suggestions.
She offered "Have you tried putting books on their heads?"

Fortunately Paul is a Senior in High school so I still have him home one last year.
Saturday was Homecoming, and I offered to cook dinner at our house. Free food is always a draw, and these are such good kids.

The custom in our area is that Homecoming is a day long date.
The group went on a hike with a picnic lunch in the Reserve behind our house. The boys came back and changed at our place, went to the school for pictures, came to our house for dinner, went to the dance and then back to our house close to midnight for dessert.
Whew!


Paul and Mercy.

Dixie Diva September Day Meeting/ Part 2

We had such a wonderful morning at Ricci's yesterday.

Here is the Show and Tell from the rest of the group.

While most of us were sitting and working on hand work, Ricci was busy at her machine sewing on this new Hoot-N-Annie owl softie pattern by Annie Unrein.

If you think the picture is cute, you should see the softie in real life. I can hardly wait to make one myself. In fact it's going to the top of my to-do list it's calling to me that much!

First Ricci stitched some Texture Magic to the back of pink Minkee for the owls tummy.

She showed the group how easy it is to steam Texture Magic. Pat Peters was the first to try.

Texture Magic looks wonderful on any fabric. Ricci did a series of wavy stitches, and look how wonderful the minkee turned out.

Just perfect for the owl's tummy.

I showed you the inside of the Cosmic Trails quilt a few weeks ago. Here it is, now finished. Ricci said it's an interpretation of Turning Twenty.

Margaret brought a present she just received from her daughter. This is an announcement that grandbaby #6 is on it's way, due in April 2010. Very clever way to let the family in on the excitement.

Margaret has made another Bow Tucks tote with Texture Magic. I think I love this fabric the best out of the three she has done so far.

She put Texture Magic on the pocket.

With a big black button to hold it together.

And added Texture Magic with batting stitched on a grid system for the bottom of the tote.

Margaret just finished a baby quilt for her daughters best friend.

This black and white quilt is out of Mark Lipinski fabrics.

Margaret was also binding this signature quilt for a friend.

Pat just won Best Of Show for her "The Birds and Roses" quilt at the Utah Quilt Guild's Quilt Fest. Congratulations Pat!! We are so proud of you! I still feel honored just to sit next to her and watch her applique. I sometimes tease her and say "May I touch your elbow?" and she just laughs. Pat is very unassuming even though she wins and wins and wins....

This is the latest block Pat is working on.

Sometimes I wonder if I have been living under a rock all my life. Bev brought these Hedge Apples she had picked in North Ogden, Utah to share with the group. Hedge Apples? I had never heard of them. Am I alone here?

They are so beautiful!

Hedge Apples, also known as Osage Orange are native to the U.S. and were planted across the nation for fences and windbreakers in the 1800's and early 1900's. They are not toxic, but are often sold to repel insects.

After my scorpion & bug invasion, I just might be putting these in every room of the house.

Dixie Diva September Day Meeting/ Part 1

Our Dixie Diva group met today at Ricci's house. We always start our meetings out with the latest Show and Tell. Bev had just gotten back from Quilt Fest where she had taken a class from Paula Nadelstern.

She worked on techniques from this book.

Paula taught a class on Simple Symmetry.

The group loved the fabric designed by Paula.

Bev gave a demonstration on how she fussy cut her fabric.

Then using a design wall, she put the blocks together in rows.

We voted to do this as a group project in 2010.

Bev has been in Logan all summer sewing away, so she had a lot to share.

I love the colors and the symmetrical lines in this one.

She also put together several Fractured quilts.

Bev made this quilt because she liked the brown focus fabric, and the pattern allowed the big print to show.

A Fun and Done quilt.

More baby quilts for nieces and nephews.

Just north of Logan is a quilt store called "Suppose" in Preston, Idaho. Bev did a lot of shopping there over the summer and came home with the most unique fabrics.

I thought this one looked like a vintage table cloth. In fact, I'd be afraid to cut into this one! So beautiful.

Bev had so much to share today that I'll show Part 2 from the rest of the group on tomorrow's post.

Thanks Bev! You were very missed over the summer, but it looks like you had a very productive time.

Toddler Girl Outfit with Texture Magic

As I have said previously, I'm always looking for new ideas for Texture Magic. There are so many ways to add a little bit here and a little bit there to make a project extra special.
Children especially love to be able to touch the texture in their clothes, quilts or toys.

I made a toddler size 2 outfit, putting Texture Magic on the pockets.

Perfect to make these little chicks stand out.

Imagine a little girl reaching inside the pocket to find a surprise. Or she may use this pocket to store a special keepsake.

The yellow rick rack on the legs of the pants tie the outfit together.

I used McCalls M4756 for my inspiration.

Look around at patterns and think of ways a little Texture Magic can make your outfits special.

Remember, Superior Threads offers a Conversion Chart on their website, so you will know what size to cut the pieces to allow for shrinkage.

On small pieces I recommend stitching quite close together. I have also noticed when I make the stitches close together the Texture Magic does not shrink the 30% when steamed.