Monday, October 31, 2011

Some pieces in their "forever homes"

Fortunately, the first few days of my trip to California have coincided with a [brief] lag in my custom quilt orders.  I'm going to be starting back up in a few days, and some photos from recent customers have provided some inspiration.  Here we go...

First of all, how great does this quilt look on the Case Study Bed from HiveModern?  The soft, handmade appearance contrasts so well with the angular bed frame.  And kitties, I find, are the ultimate quilt accessory.



Next, you'll remember this one from my previous post.  The customer, Julia, sent me a great suggested layout for the quilt back, and it turned out to be nearly as nice as the front.  Toddlers and quilts are a good combination too.  What a cute kid.  I hope he loves his new bed!


And finally, since I'm on my way up to Cambria to visit my aunt, here is the lovely quilt I made for her a few months ago.  The colors and fabrics are pretty cool... kind of Gauguin-esque.  I'll be offering this pattern as yet another queen size custom offering on my etsy store as soon as I have a moment to write up a description.  Again... cats and quilts:




Happy Halloween, folks!  Stay warm!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Now what am I working on?

Hi!  I've been working on another custom City Block quilt.  I've finished the quilt top, picture here, as well as the quilt back.  Now I need to sandwich it together, do the actual "quilting" (when the layers are joined together by thread), and bind the quilt.  Good time for a break, I'd say!

I'm finding that this pattern is very versatile.  It always looks modern, but it can be very cute at the same time.  Here's a snap shot of the quilt top.  It isn't quilted yet, so it will look more cuddly and crinkly once it's finished:


This quilt is for a little boy who is moving from his crib into a big boy bed.  His mom chose 7 fabrics instead of the 10 that I recommend in the listing.  This is just fine, and still gives the quilt plenty of variation.  I'm probably going to adjust the listing so it says something like: "send me between 6 and 14 of your favorite fabrics" since I can see it working in either direction.  There just needs to be some solid fabric in the design or it becomes way too busy.  The eye needs a place to rest.


 
Look at what my customer did here: she chose one "focus fabric" (Michael Miller Zoology), two "solids" (one is a linen that has some visible texture, but it still looks solid overall), two "small" prints (dot n' square and stripes), and two "large" prints (Ellis Turquoise and the quarter dots).  Really, this is a perfect fabric combo, and I'm going to use it as an example for future custom work if someone needs help choosing their fabric. 

More pictures to come as the quilt is completed!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

"Habitat" preview

In addition to other projects, I am working on a series of wall hangings using Jay McCarroll "Habitat" fabrics. I am doing this partially because of the Modern Quilt Guild fabric challenge, but also because the fabric designs are amazing and a tiny bit of them pack a huge punch.  There will be lots of straightline quilting and negative space.


These are going to be "painting sized" so that you can put them pretty much anywhere you'd hang a painting.  Textiles add a lot of warmth to a room.

Monday, October 10, 2011

A finished product

Working on this piece  has been a pleasure, and I'll be a little bit sad to see it leave for its new home in California.  I know it will be loved.

Here's the best of my early afternoon photoshoot in the beautiful Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum in The Old West End.  I am so lucky to live here, and I definitely need to do more outdoor photography for my quilts.  Oh, and if you're concerned about the picture in the top left, I assure you that I didn't just plop the quilt in some dirt... there's a layer of plastic tucked carefully underneath!


Now on  to my next commissioned project!  The same pattern, but in a blue/grey/brown palette for a little boy.  More on that soon.