Confetti Maze

This is a fun new version of my Triangle Maze free pattern download (see sidebar below).  (Edited to add that this download is no longer available - see my Craftsy, Etsy or PatternSpot shops to purchase this quilt with six sizes).

Instead of using all the same dark, I used one 3 7/8" strip of six different colors (plus another few strips for the binding). In addition, I replaced the light and two mediums with all white.

I don't usually use this much white in my quilts, but I really like how cheerful this quilt seems. It finished at about 45" x 63" - a great size for a young child.

Winter Skies and Inspiration

I took these pictures last winter (that would be in early 2009 - I live in Michigan and do not yet count this winter as over). The sunny days of winter always cheer me up and make the winter seem less dreary.

I was inspired to create a quilt that had shades of the blue sky with some white for the snow and clouds and some browns and blacks for the trees.

The quilt was not a success - it did not convey what I had intended. I quilted it hoping it might improve, but no. So it sits in one of my quilt piles. I'm not sure what I will do with it, if anything.

I am sure, however, that I will return to this inspiration and color scheme again sometime. Hopefully, the next time I'll get it right. I'll be sure to show you when I do.

Placemats finally!

We have badly needed some new placemats at our house. Despite the amount of time I spend sewing, I have neglected this area. Also, with the addition of my mom to our household, the set of four placemats I made several years ago means we are one short.

I decided to use the house block I designed for my bee and add a section on the side to make the right size. These are 12" x 16".

I collect fabric with words on it. I prefer handwriting style, but sometimes I buy the typeface style too. The combination of the words and this green color made this fabric one that had to join the collection. I think it looks great as houses. Unfortunately, I did not keep a note of the fabric line. The doors are scraps of orange/red from my scrap pile. The light grey (sky) is McKenna Ryan Glacier Lights and the med grey dots and dark grey texture are from David Textiles.

I quilted the house block areas the same for all the placemats and quilted each of the dark grey areas differently. I used a variety of triangle and rectangle shapes and straight lines.

Major Fabric Infusion!

I did some serious fabric shopping on Wednesday! I love these colors - I can't seem to get enough grey lately.

This picture doesn't quite show the intensity of these colors. However, starting with the orange, the fabrics are:
Michael Miller Krystals in Orange and Kona Cotton solids in Coal, Medium Grey, Berry, White and Slate.

These are not all destined for the same quilt. The orange and one of the greys will go together. The berry is for another quilt and I haven't decided what I'll put with it yet (maybe white, maybe pale green, maybe light grey). Still another quilt will have the slate as a background with other colors not shown.

There are so many quilts in my head and not enough hours in my life!! I love it!

College Visit #1 part 2

After I finished yesterday's post I realized that I did not include any pictures of the older buildings at Oberlin! While I am usually more interested in modern architecture, I do appreciate the grace and detail of many older buildings.

This is the Carnegie Bldg where the Oberlin Admissions Office is located. The next shot is the inside of the main entrance. I love all the leaded glass and architectural detail!

I'm afraid I don't remember the names of the next two buldings. I believe the last shot is a memorial for those who died in China's Boxer Rebellion.

College Visit #1

I spent Thursday and Friday visiting Oberlin College with my daughter and her friend.

They are juniors this year. Oberlin had a really nice program where they spent a night in the dorm with other freshman girls. The program continued on Friday with a campus tour, visits to classes, lunch in the dining hall and interviews for the girls.

Brief info about Oberlin College: a small liberal arts college; about 2500 students with another 500 at Oberlin Music Conservatory; a very small town; great academic program; located in Oberlin, OH.

The girls were not wild about me taking their pictures, so I took a lot of pictures of buildings (which I like to do anyway). Oberlin has a lot of different architectural styles.

My favorite was the King Building (top picture) where most of the liberal arts courses are held. I love the sort of modern gothic feel of it and would love to figure out a way to translate that into a quilt.

In order from the top, the other buildings are:

The Science Center, the Music Conservatory, Stevenson Dining Hall and Mudd Center (the library).

The other colleges my daughter wants to visit are all on or near the East Coast, so we are working on a plan to visit them later this year.

I'm sorry for the layout of the pictures and text in this post. I have so much trouble with Blogger getting pictures and text (returns) to stay where I put them! I really need to dedicate some time to figuring this out!