The Fabrics Audition

One of my very favorite parts of making a quilt is auditioning fabrics. It often takes me longer than the actual making of the quilt! But it sure is fun, so maybe I stretch it out longer than necessary??!

In the last post I showed you the new (free!) table I got, and the lovely weather. Well now it has been raining for 2 days with more to come, so I am glad we spent time outside while we could. I spent the afternoon outside auditioning fabrics and took a lot of photos of the process so you can see how my mind works!

This will be photo-heavy, so hold on people....

First I cut out a whole bunch of baskets and handles.And now I get to mix'n'match them!

Then I started with a pink handle...which basket would I choose to go with it? Most everything looks good with this pink handle...
Perhaps too much pink here...
oooh I do like these two together...

This one is just OK for me (sounding totally like Randy on American Idol there)...But which did I choose?? None of them! I had this very hard piece of basket fabric to match and it just didn't look right with anything - in other words, the fabric was so garish (probably why I love it so much) that it clashed with everything! But I put it with the pink handle and instantly knew they belonged together...Do I think the basket is the best for the pink handle? No - but I DO think the handle is the best pick for the basket, so they are now a married couple. Aaaawwww!

Next I tried a couple of options for this blue basket...the first you already saw above...This handle isn't strong enough to be a good match with the blue...
But when I saw it with the following handle, I knew I had a match...
Now for another hard to match basket. It's a gorgeous Heather Bailey fabric, but it's been oh so hard to find a good match for it. Once again, this handle isn't a strong enough match...2 garish fabrics do not always a good match make. Sometimes, but like this match, not often...
The yellows are too different to look good...
The handle is too soft and pretty to match the brighter basket...
Hmmm I really like this match, but I LOVED the handle with the blue farther above, so with the blue it will stay.

I am still searching for a love match for this basket. However, I did find the match for the same fabric as a handle, which was equally hard to match. Remember the pink?
And finally for today, here are the options for the pink/grey handle. As I mentioned a couple of times above, it's hard to put this handle with a very strong fabric, so let's see it with a variety of good and bad matches...This one is OK but doesn't make me want to sing...No. Just plain no...Oh gosh no!!!...
Getting better...Hmmm I like this one...But what did I pick?!! This...Though I reserve the right to change my mind to one of the other two good choices!

I hope this was helpful to someone. All I can say is try a hundred different fabrics if you have to, and when you find the right one, you will just know, and get that warm excited feeling inside! And most of all, you must pick what YOU love, not what you think others will approve of. This is a quilt-police-free-zone!

Outside

Today was a lovely day - not too hot, not too cold, so I decided to sit outside with the kids and some lemonade. And of course some quilting:) The rhododendrons at our house are in full bloom this week, so sitting outside is particularly pleasant. Until the bees come in another week or so to do their thing. Just in case you were wondering, thanks to the previous owners, we have a lot of rhododendrons. A lot!



Do you like my new table? I picked it up just this morning from the side of the road for free! I have been looking for a round table, just this size, for just this purpose. I really coudn't have found it at a better time. I am thinking of spray painting the metal base a fun color, and maybe tiling the top. But I do like the current smooth surface..any ideas on how to jazz it up a bit?This is what I could see from where I was sitting...


Anyone know what this little worm will turn into? We were sitting under our red maple and these were falling on the table like crazy. Blech!
I swear I didn't arrange this photo...my youngest boy brought the flower over to me and placed it right there, and said, "Here Mummy!" Talk about melting a mother's heart...
My Sofia had a shower and then joined me at the table with paper and pencil to draw quilt patterns. So Sweet!
Apart from taking in the floral beauty around me, I also did some basket fabric auditioning, so check back in the next couple of days to see that process. I think I may like it even more than the sewing part!

Applique Baskets

I just thought I'd show you the applique I've been working on lately. Yes I have been sewing every day and keeping up with my goal! I thought I'd missed a day at Anna's house until her teenage son reminded me that I had sewn after midnight the night before, so all was good!

These baskets are going into an Anna-designed quilt, and we worked on the layout a bit at her place. Most of the fabrics are Anna's, as I didn't take fabric on the trip. She insisted that I just use what she had, and she has great taste so it was easy to find fabrics I liked in her stash.

Today is just such a glorious day, I had to take them outside and lay them out on my rock wall just to see what I've got...


And this is what happens with one gust of wind...
This has been my American Idol project, and now that it's finished (loved the Kara/Bikini Girl bit!!!!)I will have to find a new show to applique to!

The Amazing Kaffe Fassett

Last week I received an email from a quilt shop in New Hampshire saying that Kaffe Fassett , who is only my favorite fabric designer in the world, was coming to NH to give a lecture. Then I saw that it was going to be in just a few days, and in the same city I live in, AND only about 1 mile away from where I live! Oh yes, I HAD to go! So I called up my friend Brenda and told her she was coming with me - something like this is much better shared with a friend.

So off we went last night and it was amazing! Another designer, Brandon Mably was also there, so it was a double treat. I have GOT to get my hands on some of his yummy fabrics!

The evening was really for the knitting community, since Kaffe and Brandon are both heavily involved in knitting, but there were a few of us quilters that were in attendance, to Kaffe's surprise and delight! There were only 60 of us there (yes I counted) so it felt very intimate. There was a display of Kaffe and Brandon's knitted sweaters, and a meet and greet for an hour beforehand. This lady is Beverly from Connecticut and she bought along the first bright quilt she's ever made, from Kaffe fabrics - isn't it wonderful?! It was like a mini show-and-tell!

Kaffe's lecture/slideshow was called "Kaleidoscope of Color" and I'd say it leaned heavily on the quilting side of color and design, which was just fine by me! He is so funny (and soooo tall!) and had some hilarious anecdotes to share with us. Brenda and I both came away completely inspired - me to keep quilting, and her to start knitting! Brenda is very much into prim/country quilts, (check out her website and you'll see what I mean) so for her to love his lecture is really saying something.

Now have a look at Brenda's top....Brandan and Kaffe both separately remarked on the gorgeous design and raved about it - it was so funny! Don't be surprised if it shows up in one of their future fabrics!

If you ever have the chance to attend a lecture or a class by either of these men, I'd say don't walk, RUN and just do it! Even if you're not into the brighter side of quilting, there is still a wealth of color information and just plain good fun to be had.