echino Punch Quilt- Finished!!

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I hope you all enjoyed a lovely weekend!!!

I’m excited to share this new quilt finish with you all.  I have been working on this echino Punch Quilt for quite a few months now.  Happily I finished on a weekend that provided sunny skies and warm temps.  Perfect for some outisde photos!

Those flowy parallel lines took quite a bit of determination and time to finish,

not to mention, a gazillion spools of thread;  much like with this quilt, so I knew what I was in for when I started.

I chose a variegated pink thread color that sort of mimicked the colors in the negative space of the quilt,  and was really happy with the results.

It’s always interesting to me how quilting lines and binding can really transform a design.  I was sort of “so-so” about this quilt during the design and basting process. But when it all came together, I was quite pleasantly surprised!

I loved the Moda Pezzy Print so much that I decided to use it for the backing,(along with a few random leftovers) and the binding.

I think it made for quite a “zippy” little (about 58 x 64 inch) improv quilt!!

 This quilt reinforces to me how much I enjoy improv piecing!  The most difficult part of this type of design is filling in the negative space in between and adding the “tidbits” of color.  For this quilt I chose to use very subtle variations in tones for the negative space.  I used Kona Bone or Snow?  and I think Pearl Pink?   For the blocks I used a variety of mostly darker Kona solids and of course echino bicycles that I picked up at Superbuzzy.

I’m not sure yet where this one will end up, on the back of our couch, on a wall in the living space or bedroom, in my very lonely and empty shop…..hhmmm??   Our oldest daughter Miss K just might want to “adopt” it, she seems quite smitten with it.  Perhaps it’s all the pink and purple!! Colors Mamma doesn’t use too often.

I’m linking up this post with Sew Modern Monday  over at Canoe Ridge Creations.  Go on over and take a look at all the other modern, quilty/crafty goodness over there if you have a few minutes.  Oops, no linky party today after all!

Have a lovely and creative week!!

~~~karen

Dying our Easter Eggs-Naturally!!

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So after many years of intending to dye our eggs naturally, this year we finally did it!!!

What a fun day we all had……

cooking, boiling,

pouring, dunking,

 anticipating and discovering!!

The most popular dye seemed to be the beets!!  Very pretty results on the eggs and fun on your hands too.  It was so nice to know that there was nothing toxic in these dyes.

The most surprising result was the turmeric and beets combination which created a beautiful green color.

The red cabbage, made a soft blue.  The speckled look, is maybe from the small amount of vinegar I added and how it mixed with the coffee grounds???   I’m sure if we had had more patience to let them sit longer, we would have gotten stronger colors.  We let them sit in the jars for anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.

I like the soft “pastely” look that we achieved here though.  This is definitely our new and only way to dye eggs for easter.  I can’t believe it took me so long to try it.  I would say it is indeed more of a “process” than getting the box of pre-made dye from your local drug store, but well worth it.  I sort of made this method up as I went along, but it was after I had heavily pinned and browsed sites that have tried this before.  You can check out my Spring Board on Pinterest for tons of inspiration.  This being our first year, the results are not as spectacular as some, but we love them and can’t wait to show them to the Easter Bunny!!!

I’m linking up with Natural Suburbia’s Creative Friday.  If you have a minute, go on over and check out all the other creative craftiness that occurred this week!!!

Happy Spring, Happy Easter to all.

~~~karen

Some Great News and “blooming poppy” Love

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I found out some very exciting news last week, but wanted to share it with the lovely ladies(and gentlemen) in my local Modern Quilt Guild, before sharing it here. Well, we had our meeting last night, so it’s time to share with you all as well…..

I am so very honored and excited to find out that my “What’s For Breakfast” Quilt was chosen to be in the Modern Quilt Guild Showcase at the Houston Quilt Market this fall!!!  Wow–really?? Someone pinch me!!

 The 33 quilts that were chosen will also be traveling to various other quilt shows and markets.  It’s pretty exciting news for me and my quiet little improv quilt.

A little off topic, but I couldn’t help also sharing the genisis of my blog title inspiration.  My three little “blooming poppies” and I spent a bit of time at our local Botanic Gardens- a favorite little day trip destination for us.

  It is in it’s full spring glory right now with poppies, and catcus blooms and the like.  Our state flower however, the prolific California Poppy is definitely most prominent….. and blog title inspiring apparently!

Have a beautiful day!!

~~~karen

Echino Punch Progress

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Well, I planned to hang out with Granny this weekend, but something else took much of my attention instead.

I started quilting this about a month ago and after two lines, had some kind of walking foot “snafoo”. So rather than fixing my walking foot, I moved on to other projects.

But this quilt just kept staring at me from the “land of forgotten quilts” and just wouldn’t let me forget.  So finally I had another go at my walking foot wanting to be sure I knew what the problem was before I took it to the shop.

To my surprise, it worked fine!!!! What?? A mystery is born.  Well, who am I to question a working walking foot?

Back to work I went.  Now I hope it continues to work for the long hours I’m demanding of it for this quilt.  Once again, I’ve decided to go with these incredibly dense quilting lines.

I just love the way they make a quilt look so crisp and clean. I am aware however that it doesn’t exactly create a very relaxed and comfy quilt, you know, the kind you want to snuggle up under on the couch or cover your sick kiddos with. So not sure where this one will end up.  I’ll get back to you on that.

Regardless, I have my binding all ready, something I never do, so it’ll come together pretty quick after all these lines are done.  Yay!!

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead.

~~~karen

Took Granny out for some fresh air…..

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I know, many of you are maybe kind of over ”Granny” by now…. I was a little late on the granny square train and things are taking a bit longer to finish these days so bare with me if you will.

I’m one bottom panel away from being officially finished but it was such a lovely spring day here,  I couldn’t resist taking Granny outside for a little photo shoot.

My sweet Miss A, is becoming quite comfortable behind the camera.

A candid shot here and there is how we roll here.

I’m so excited to get this quilt basted so I can start quilting.  I am not sure what I’ll do yet for the quilting lines…..

but I’m sure some ideas will come to me during the long hours of basting this-my biggest quilt yet!

Hoping you all enjoy a beautiful weekend!!!

~~~karen

A finished knit!!!

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In addition to a bit of quilting last weekend, I was able to finish up the cardigan I’ve been working on for Miss K.

I am so happy with how it turned out!

Happily, Miss K likes it just as much; so much so that I have yet to block it.  Oh well, she sure doesn’t seem to mind.

This was my first ever sweater, and I thought it was so fun and easy, although definitely not perfect-don’t look too closely,  that I am now on the hunt for the right color yarn to make a second one for Miss A.  She is my bright and bold color lover!!

Miss K and I enjoyed picking out the buttons together.

I made it a bit longer than the pattern called for- yes that was an oops- but I’m kind of loving the length.

I used a 100% super wash wool called Ella Rae.  It was so lovely to work with and knit up on the chunky side.

I hope for this to be a sturdy, basic sweater that will be loved and worn(by three girls) for many years.

 I’m linking this up to Nicole’s Keep Calm and Craft On.  Her Frontier Dreams Blog is really inspiring to me and there are several others worth checking out.

Hope you are having a fabulously crafty week!!

~~~karen

Rainy Days and Sundays….

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I spent the rainy weekend we had catching up on an old scrappy project I started a while back with Miss K.  This little pink and red “explosion” quilt is starting to come together.

I just can’t commit to a layout yet.  If I go with this first option, I would want to make more blocks and create a square.  I was so inspired, once again, by Kati’s recent bee quilt layout; well the entire quilt actually, it’s sooo lovely!!!   However, since I’m not completely in love with these colors, I’m not sure I want to keep going.

The other option is to go with this layout and call it a done- well, except for the whole…. sewing it all together part!

Thanks to a rainy Sunday, I also managed to finish up the back for Miss K’s Granny Square quilt.  The girls are on Spring break this week so I may actually get to baste it!! I somehow get more work done when they are not in school than when they are.   Anyway, it was great to get a nice chunk of sewing time in this weekend. It’s one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day!!

~~~karen

Happy Spring and some randomness…..

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Welcome Spring!!!

We are happy to meet you again for another year!!  Even though, in these parts it sort of feels like Winter never arrived.  However the nasty winter flu sure came a lot.  With the littlest of the “littles” home all last week with a major cold/flu,

I was able to make lots of progress on the cardigan I’m knitting for Miss K.  It is my first attempt at a sweater, and I’m happy to say it’s been quite fun and much easier than expected.

I’m working on the sleeves now.  I’ll add the abalone buttons she picked out, and call it done; hopefully by this weekend.

I was also happily surprised to get my first volume of  taproot!!  Amanda of SouleMama is one of the editors, as well as one of my most favorite bloggers ever!!  She has this beautiful way of inspiring and instilling within others, a sense of appreciation for the simple beauty of everyday life.

This debut edition of the magazine focuses mostly on soil and the rewards that can come from living a life with connection to earth; note to self– make time for a trip to the nursery this weekend.  It is also full of many other interesting articles and even includes a little sewing project.

I couldn’t resist leaving you with my humble little rainbow capture from our pre-spring rainstorm last weekend.

Hope you’re enjoying your entry to Spring!!

“Pin”spiration…….

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While not a lot of sewing has been going on around here lately, I have discovered that Pinterest-better known as, my latest time-sucking obsession, provides me a quick and easy dose of visual inspiration, when I’m feeling creatively deprived!

Pencil drawing by Sol Lewitt -early 20th century

Indeed, in the post kiddo bedtime hours of the night, I have been enjoying some quiet time spent pondering art and design inspiration.

Rhythm of a Russian Dance, Theo van Doesburg-1918

It is so interesting to me how many parallels  exist between art and many of the design elements seen in modern quilting.

Paul Klee 1922

I personally find the most inspiration for my modern quilt designs in the art some of the early twentieth century art .

Sonia Deluanay 1924

Over the years, Joseph Albers, Paul Klee and Piet Mondrian, just to name a few, have been especially influential.  Do you have specific artists you find have influenced your work? Or does your inspiration come from someplace else altogether?  Nature, architecture, etc.?

Source: ibiblio.org via BPoppies on Pinterest

Aeroplane Flying, Kasimir Malavich 1915

I love how Pinterest allows you to collect these visual images, in a place that you can come to any time.  It is easily accessible and allows you to share with others.  Since the above examples just barely scratch the surface of the art I’ve been drawn to lately, I invite you to stop by and see if you can find some inspiration here!

Wishing you all a little healthy dose of inspiration and creativity…..

~~~karen