Value Added QAL {Quilt Top}

What a FUN project this has been!

I had been wanting to do a chevron quilt when I saw that Rachel at Stitched in Color was planning a quilt along (QAL) with Leila (Where the Orchids Grow), Amy (Badskirt), and Jolene (Blue Elephant Stitches).  I thought joining the QAL would be a great way to make that chevron quilt.  

I learned so much about value from these amazing quilters! 

Converting a color photo to black and white, I learned, is a great way to see value.  Isn't that cool?

 

Until making this quilt, I didn't give value a thought.  I would just choose fabrics that I loved - usually bright, bold (and relatively dark) fabrics.  The way I chose to study value in this quilt also involved a color study.   I wanted it to have a simple and clean look.

The inspiration for this quilt came when I saw a very bright and colorful Mexican serape blanket like this.   I wanted to do something similar using colors I loved and a chevron pattern.

Learning something new  in sewing (in this case making a chevron top) takes so much mental energy for me that I didn't want to have to also worry about numbers.  I just purchased the smallest cut of fabric my fabric store would cut and that determined the size of the quilt. I chose a dark in value patterned fabric then 3 solids in the same color but each differing in value for each color:  orange, green, blue, purple and pink.  

After using white in my last quilt and not really loving it (love the quilt, not the white), I knew I was going to use a natural linen to make the colors stand out.  Linen isn't soft and isn't that much fun to work with, but I absolutely adore the rustic and natural look next to the bright colors. 

I will set this quilt aside for a week or so while I work on some Christmas doll orders.  In the meantime, I'll decide how to finish the quilt.  I am trying to decide whether or not to add a linen border.  Do you think I should add a border or leave the top as is?  I'd love to hear your input.  

As always, the kids and I had fun taking quilt pics!  

Here they are throwing rocks in the desert:

 My quilt holder finding a good spot to stand:

 My totally-not-photo-shy 14 year old:

Thank you Rachel, Leila, Amy and Jolene for hosting this QAL!

The next value quilt I am going to make will focus more on value and less on color.  It is the second picture in this tutorial by Sew Katie Did.

White {yes, WHITE} cloth napkins!

What do you do when:

you are too sick to be out and about but not too sick to be in bed all day;

you are depressed because you realize you are going to need to lose a good chunk of weight before you can train for that marathon you wanted to run;

you are disgusted that your house hasn't been thoroughly cleaned in forever;

and 

you are avoiding a huge project that needs to be finished?

I don't about you, but,  I make white {yes! WHITE} cloth napkins for my family.

 Could this be the sign of a deranged mind? 

White everyday napkins for the messiest family in the world?

It just so happens that I had the fabric on hand and I really wanted to embroider each one with an initial in our favorite colors. 

I followed two tutorials to make these:  here and here.

So, there you have it.  White embroidered napkins.  Tell me I'm not crazy.

What's In The Mail Today!

Three fun dolls are in the mail today on their way to their new happy owners!

First, here is sweet little Norah:

She's super cute, but I think she needs a tutu, don't you?

That's better!

These two Super Dolls are headed to Oregon.  They have their trusty Super Dogs with them!

It feels good to have all 3 dolls on their way.  

Tomorrow it's back to quilting.  I'll also be making curtains for my sister's bathroom.  Fun!

What I'm Working On Today...

It's all dolls, all day today!

 I'm about to turn on the tube and watch a bit while I stuff arms and legs.

These should be in the mail tomorrow.

I just love the bandit Superheros and the sweetie with the blue/green eyes.

What are you working on today?

Scrappy Stash QAL [Quilt Along] - Finished!

My first QAL!

I had such a great time making this quilt and participating in the Scrappy Stash QAL!  Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts hosted this QAL and it was a great experience for my very first QAL!  

I see many more QALs in my quilting future.  :)

My quilt blocks were 10.25" and the finished size of the quilt is 50"x60" - the perfect size for a lap quilt!  

I used the QAYG [Quilt As You Go] method for my blocks.  

I love almost everything about QAYG.  It is easy and I really like the look of the quilting on the front of the blocks.  

The one thing I don't like about QAYG is that the quilting on the back isn't very beautiful. 

I added 3 strips on the back to tie in some of my scraps in a rainbow order.

I am pretty proud of how my corners turned out:

So that the blocks would stand out, I added white to the monochromatic blocks.  Half of the blocks have white in the middle and half have white around the outside.  

One fun thing about quilting is taking the photos.  I did not love the pictures I took of the completed quilt.  I'm still learning about lighting.

But, my helpers always make me laugh!

The completed quilt:

I love how it turned out! 

Thanks for taking a look at my Scrappy Stash QAL quilt!

xo