I Was Just Thinking About...

...how much I liked the PTS10 pillow swap pillow that I made for Kettleboiler (otherwise known as Moira of Nottingham, England).  It looks like this:

 

 

After getting the pillow and some goodies into the mail, my brain was still hovering over the idea of making one for myself.  So I did.

 

My favorite colors right now are purple, citrine, black and gray.  I thought you might like to see some of the steps of getting this quilt as you go top made. 

 

I decided on a 16" pillow for myself.  I cut the backing and the batting about 18.5" and chose my focus fabric.  This Echino owl just cried out to be IT.  This photo is after a few rounds of fabric had been added:









 

 

I was trying to preserve the rectangular frame of the owl resulting in longer strips of fabric on the longer side of the owl that created some visual design issues for me.

 

Here she is after all the fabric has been applied and quilted but before I squared her up and cut her down.



 

 

Lastly, here she is ready to be bound.  I've decided on a purple binding for this gal.  I learned alot from making this second pillow top.  Made fewer technical mistakes but have learned more about the design issues that come along with this technique.  For example, if I were to do this again, I would move the owl farther to the right and down a little, so that I could have more room for wonkiness and shorter strips.  Maybe I would plan the layout a little more rather than being surprised with the end result.  Maybe I wouldn't run out of black fabric leaving me with a section that has no black at all and no black binding...hmmmm, doesn't sound much like me.  I suppose that's an aspirational thought that has little chance of being actualized!

 

Other news in my little quilt world:  our guild challenge quilts are hanging at the San Mateo County Fair quilt show right now!  A few of us are going over tomorrow afternoon to check out the show, see the challenge quilts and also look at all the other quilts, mostly traditional, but some art quilts and some modern.  I'll take some photos for the next blog!

 

What's happening in your quilt world?

 

Aaaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.  

Here, There and Everywhere

I've been a little quiet in the blogging realm as there was much on my plate that had hard deadlines - as in I sold my vacation home that is in the foothills of the Sierras and had to move everything that wasn't going to be donated, gifted, or sent to the dump to my new vacation home in Reno, Nevada.  Everything had to be accomplished by May 22 at 5:00 p.m. - the magical hour when the new owners took possession. 

So my youngest brother came and took some furniture and other items.  My older brother came and took a few bits and pieces of things.  I gave stuff away to just about anyone I knew up there, and when that pool ran out, I got things ready for donation or the dump. 

Then the movers came and packed and packed and packed.   





They came back the next day and loaded the truck.  That was May 22nd.  I left at 3:30 p.m. to make the drive to Reno, which is about 4.5 hours.  The next morning they showed up in Reno with the "stuff" and unloaded it all into the new house. 

I have no pictures of the move-in because by that time I was pretty much exhausted and thinking only of being finished!  My son and DIL then helped me with the unpacking and setting up of the kitchen and other rooms. 

I am happy to report that my 2 grandsons are thrilled that I have a house so close to them (about 14 houses away) and have already had a sleep over at my house.  We stayed up until 10:00 p.m. and rose at the crack of dawn - 6:00 a.m. to begin the new day. 

Boo has already gotten out of the yard when the gate blew open and I thought he was gone for good.  I assumed that he would not be able to find his way home since we had only been there a few days.  I rushed out to look for him when I discovered the side gate open only to find him running up the block towards the house where he zipped into the backyard like he'd done it a million times!  Note to self:  get latch on gate fixed so it doesn't happen again. 

I returned to another deadline - the Pillow Talk Swap 10 pillow deadline is due June 3rd.  I think this is the 3rd time that I have participated in this swap.  I started the pillow top at the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild retreat (May 17-19).  I almost had it finished but then had to put it down to get the move accomplished. It is due today and it is finished (Yeah!!!!!)  Here it is:

 
It's a quilt-as-you go technique that I had never tried but now simply adore!  I saw a pillow made by Cori (www.letseatgrandpa.com) and went to her website to check out her tutorial for Blooming Quit As You Go.  Here is the link to the tutorial for this pillow top, should you want to try it yourself:  Here   

My PTS10 swap partner didn't give me much in the way of color preference, so I was able to choose a focus fabric (the Melody Miller clocks) and run with the colors as I put the pillow top together.  I really like it when my partner isn't restrictive about colors or fabrics.  I do worry, of course, that she might not like it, but hopeful that she does.

This little beauty is headed overseas.  Can't tell you where just yet as it will take about 2 weeks or so to get there and the recipient doesn't know she is receiving it.  Ssssssh - I've said too much already!

Speaking of finishes (or near finishes), my wonky log cabin is with my log arm quilter who is poised to put it on the rails.  Now I have to turn my attention to the quilting of my string quilt and making Steam Punk blocks.  What are you working on this week?

Aaaanyway, that's it from the Robertson household.