Mosaic Tuesday - Red, Blue, and Grey {Quiltspiration 365}

Thanks to some of the lovely ladies over at Late Night Quilters I'm happy to introduce a new series of weekly posts I'm calling Mosaic Tuesdays (for lack of a better name at this point).  It's part of an effort we're calling quiltspiration365‬, intended to fulfill your every need when it comes to quilty inspiration 365 days a year.  You can find more posts about the series on Facebook and instagram using  #quiltspiration365 as well as links to the other posts this week below.  I'll be sharing color mosaics that inspire me, and hopefully you as well.  Feel free to use these to inspire your projects I just ask that you link back to the original color pallet post to give credit.  So without further adu...


There is this one tree in the middle of the parking lot at work that I love.  I get to walk past it when I have a meeting at the big house as we sometimes say.  It's bright red.  It stands all alone on a little hill and its showy red leaves shine against only the sky.  Today, with the sky caught between grey blue storm clouds and clear blue fall sky it was particularly striking.  Today's palette is inspired by that tree.

I don't generally do primary colors.  I don't know why.  I think I just prefer the subtle variances of all of the secondary and tertiary colors.  But there is something special about red and blue together.  I think the various shades of each color help keep it from feeling too patriotic, though it does still have some of that vibe to it.

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: 1. indigo and linen quilt, 2. Red!, 3. lily quilt wall, 4. marley of the sea {do.good}, 5. red | orange, 6. Reserved Custom Order, 7. IQSCM circa 1900, 8. creux quilt, plus quilt, 9. Totem, 10. French Dot Constellation Runner , 11. Red and Blue triangles, 12. amish hourglass, 13. hand quilting geese, 14. Around the Color Wheel Solid Red, 15. Japanese blue and indigo quilt, 16. T-Hello Red!

Be sure to search for #quiltspiration365 for even more inspiration!

Round #1 - Liz @ Green Cheese Quilting {Round Trip Quilts}

Has it been six weeks already?  On Saturday I mailed off my finished package to Leanne at Devoted Quilter for round #2 of Round Trip Quilts.  But first, let me tell you about this beautiful block I received from Liz at Green Cheese Quilting.

I was so excited to open the package after seeing Liz's kick-off post and when I did I was just floored.  Her feathered star block is stunning.  Just look at those teeny-tiny points!  I may be inspired to try one for myself at some point in the future.

Liz said she likes geometric patterns and bold designs so I started out making some Plus Blocks in her basic color palette.  I was inspired by the Arizona fabric that Liz used in her border and wanted to really play off of that pattern but to be totally honest... I hated them.  Regardless, I stuck with it and made 9 in total - I think.  When I had them done I started playing with layouts.... and still hated it.

The whole things sat on my design wall for about two weeks while I tried to fall in love with the blocks I had made but I never did.  Finally I gave in and did what I think I had wanted to do from the beginning.  I ended up with this happy little pile of trimmings.

Am I only person that loves trimmings?  They are so pretty in their happy little haphazard piles!

Those trimmings belonged to a boatload of peach and low volume 2.5" half square triangles.  And when I got them all put together I couldn't be happier.

Finished top as of Round #1

I turned the block on point and added a thin teal border before adding my triangles.  I used a mixture of blenders and novelty prints.  Liz said she likes novelty but not fussy cut to death.  I think this has the right balance; a little peak of a bicycle here, and a friendly lion there.  I also had some of the Arizona and the Carolyn Friedlander fabric that Liz uses in her center and I think that helps contribute to a feeling of continuity.

detail of round #1 addition

I hope that Liz loves what I did.  After writing in her adorable coffee cup note book I sent the package on it's way to  Leanne.  I did include the plus blocks I made at the beginning.  Maybe someone can work them in later....?

Happy Quilting!

I'm linking up with this weeks WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Mosaic Tuesday - Navy, Orchid, Fuschia, & Natural {Quiltspiration 365}

Thanks to some of the lovely ladies over at Late Night Quilters I'm happy to introduce a new series of weekly posts I'm calling Mosaic Tuesdays (for lack of a better name at this point).  It's part of an effort we're calling quiltspiration365‬, intended to fulfill your every need when it comes to quilty inspiration 365 days a year.  You can find more posts about the series on Facebook and instagram using  #quiltspiration365 as well as links to the other posts this week below.  I'll be sharing color mosaics that inspire me, and hopefully you as well.  Feel free to use these to inspire your projects I just ask that you link back to the original color pallet post to give credit.  So without further adu...


Inspired by this photograph

Radiant Orchid, this year's Pantone color of the year plays perfectly with Bright Fuschia.  These power house colors are offset by the soft and warm Natural.  Navy grounds the whole thing and keeps it from floating away.

I know brown isn't big in the modern quilting movement but there is just something I really love about a good brown/natural off-setting some good, bright colors.  What are your thoughts on the color brown?

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: 1. Handmade Modern Patchwork Baby/Lap Quilt, 2. Pink Ombre Triangle Quilt, 3. Pink/Coral, Navy, and Grey Hexagon Blanket, 4. Poolside Biology, 5. Just giving it away! ~ Radiant Orchid Bundle, 6. Quilt Block, 7. Stash Bee 2014 – September Blocks, 8. Navy Quilt, 9. Pantone Radiant Orchid Fat Quarter Bundle, 10. Luminous Field Flowers , 11. Grab Some Color Bundle-Cafe au Lait, 12. Fabricworm Custom Bundle, Radiant Orchid, 13. Around the Color Wheel Solid White/Neutral Fat Quarter Bundle, 14. Geometric Flying Geese Lap Quilt, 15. TRIANGLE QUILT, 16. Hearty Good Wishes, School of Fish Natural

Be sure to search for #quiltspiration365 for even more inspiration!

Mosaic Tuesday - Chartreuse, Ivy, Mocha, & Shale {Quiltspiration 365}

Thanks to some of the lovely ladies over at Late Night Quilters I'm happy to introduce a new series of weekly posts I'm calling Mosaic Tuesdays (for lack of a better name at this point).  It's part of an effort we're calling quiltspiration365‬, intended to fulfill your every need when it comes to quilty inspiration 365 days a year.  You can find more posts about the series on Facebook and instagram using  #quiltspiration365 as well as links to the other posts this week below.  I'll be sharing color mosaics that inspire me, and hopefully you as well.  Feel free to use these to inspire your projects I just ask that you link back to the original color pallet post to give credit.  So without further adu...


It's autumn here and the trees are in the middle of a wild competition of color.  It is always so short.  so quick.  Soon all that will be left are the evergreens: pine, douglass fir, hemlock, spruce in all their green glory.  They sit patiently and wait for the rest of the mountains to finish showing off and then surprise us with their soft, never ending beauty.  And those trees that were so busy showing off for us in autumn will turn to brown and grey as they drop their leaves and soon that will be all that is left:  evergreens, naked brown trees, and the grey sky of late fall in New England (and not long after it will all be covered in pure, white snow).

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: 1. Pearl Bracelet in Gray Pearlessenc, 2. Tudor in Gray, 3. Shale Baby Blanket, 4. Squared Elements in Lime, 5. Simple pattern, 6. Contemporary Baby Quilt - Earth & Grey, 7. Shaded Chevron Medium in Grasshopper, 8. Relative Value, 9. Oakshott Bundle, 10. Green Wool Bundle , 11. Mocha Brown Oasis Organic Cotton fabric, 12. Pearl Bracelet in Verbena, 13. a little bit, 14. CROSS-STITCH CHRISTMAS COVER, 15. grey and green geometric quilt, 16. Echino, Decoro, Stag Brown

Be sure to search for #quiltspiration365 for even more inspiration!

I'm a Folksy Fall Finalist!

On Thursday I shared my two Folksy Fall color mosaics.  Well I'm excited to tell you that I'm a finalist!

Rachel liked my first mosaic and now I have the chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the fabrics.  I need your help to do it though!  Hop over to Stitched in Color and vote for me!

Here's what I had to say about my mosaic:

Folksy Fall #1

With this mosaic I wanted to capture both the warmth and chill of fall.  The winds are starting to get chill and the nights are getting cold, but the sun is still warm when it shines.  Some of the late flowers are still in bloom and there are still a few butterflies hanging around but the birds have begun to migrate south to warmer climates for the soon-to-arrive winter.  The spring fawns are nearly grown and the deer proudly display their fall antlers this time of year.  The trees change too.  Orange, yellow, and purple dot the mountains.  Soon the leaves will fall and all that will be left are the dark brown trunks and faded brown leaves crunching underfoot.

Click here to visit Stitched in Color and vote!

A Mosaic Contest - Folksy Fall

Stitched in Color is once again having a color mosaic contest, sponsored by The Intrepid Thread.  The theme this time is Folksy Fall...

Two winners will receive a FQ bundle of their fabric choices and have their bundle sold in the store for others to purchase!  The contest runs through midnight October 12th at which time Rachel will choose her favorites and then open up voting to the rest of us with the final winners announced on Thursday, October 16th.  So get your entries in and then come back to vote for your favorites!

Rachel describes the theme as a "collection of fabrics [that] can be pretty, funky, dramatic or totally playful.  Just make sure to include a variety of colors complimented by some rich fall neutrals - browns, grays or navy blue."  I spent a bit of time thinking about what this means to me.  I think that funky, whimsy, and playful are right up my alley when it comes to fabric choices and rich fall colors with neutrals? I think I tend to do that pretty well too.

Folksy Fall #1

With this mosaic I wanted to capture both the warmth and chill of fall.  The winds are starting to get chill and the nights are getting cold, but the sun is still warm when it shines.  Some of the late flowers are still in bloom and there are still a few butterflies hanging around but the birds have begun to migrate south to warmer climates for the soon-to-arrive winter.  The spring fawns are nearly grown and the deer proudly display their fall antlers this time of year.  The trees change too.  Orange, yellow, and purple dot the mountains.  Soon the leaves will fall and all that will be left are the dark brown trunks and faded brown leaves crunching underfoot.

Fabrics are as follows (left to right top to bottom): 1. Sweet as Honey - Fly by Night, 2. Catnap - Pilgrim Butterfly in Yellow, 3. Indelible - Time is Dear in Ember, 4. Waterfront Park - Domino Dot in Geranium 5. Pretty Potent - Mary Thistle in Eggplant, 6. Meadow - Valley of Azure, 7. True Colors - Herringbone in Maple, 8. August - Frolic in Coral, 9. Cotton + Steel Basics - Dottie in Caviar, 10. Winged - Wingspan in Fig, 11. Sweet as Honey - Cherished Deer Sepia, 12. Catnap - Finn in Orange

Folksy Fall #2

I wanted to be more playful with this mosaic.  Brighter colors and playful patterns.  I love how the green, orange and violet play off of each other.  These are tertiary colors, meaning they are equidistant from each other around the color wheel.  That's why, even though they are a little clashy, they still work together.  I wanted a warm grey to offset the bright colors - like the color of the fall sky on an overcast day.  But the sun does still shine bright and metallic through the clouds on occasion so I needed a little bit of sparkle with the pearl bracelets and Cotton+Steel netorious. 

Fabrics are as follows (left to right top to bottom): 1. Pearl Bracelets - Metallic Copper on Cream, 2. Brambleberry Ridge - Flight in Orchid, 3. Far Far Away - Clover in Orange, 4. Cotton+Steel Basics - Dottie in Gnome Hut 5. Lottie Da - Vintage Rose in Tangerine, 6. Riddles and Rhymes - Foulard in Red, 7. Briar Rose - Cricket Clover in Lilac, 8. Pretty Potent - Mary Thistle in Cumin, 9. Winged - Feathered Flight in Acorn, 10. Cotton+Steel Basics - Netorious in Cloud Silver, 11. Bungalow - Chevron in Lavender, 12. Field Study - Coordinates in Kelly

I had a lot of fun pulling these bundles together.  Regardless of whether or not I will, I have a feeling that they may find themselves in my mailbox relatively soon.  Remember, you have until Sunday, October 12th to get your entry in for the contest!

WIP Wednesday - I'm still here!

**tap, tap** Anyone still here?  I realized it's been over a month since I posted something besides Mosaic Tuesday posts.  If you follow me on Instagram you know that I've been busy busy.

This month I've been working on the center block for Liz at Green Cheese Quilting for our Round Trip Quilts bee.  I'll be following up with a full post later on.

I love trimming scraps all in a pile.  They are so pretty!

I took a trip to the New England Quilt Museum to see an exhibit titled Down by the Old Mill Stream: Rhode Island Quilts & Historic Fashions.  By surprise I ended up there on the same day as my real-life quilting friend Alex, though we didn't bump into each other.

I've also started my Irish Chain quilt using the pattern from Denise Schmit's Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration.  I bought fabric to make it in two color-ways.  One is very similar to the version Denise shares in the book.  The other is purple and gold: Saint Mike's colors!  That's the version I've started with.  I purchased the new American Made Brand solids for the background for both quilts and so far I'm not disappointed.  I like that it has a little bit of variation in color within the fabric weave.

We also painted our house a few weeks ago - BRIGHT yellow - and I absolutely love it.

That's about it for now.  I'm away on a business trip next week so won't be back until afterwards.  Hope you enjoyed catching up with me.  To stay up-to-day with what else is happening follow me on Instagram.  I tend to post there most frequently.

Happy Quilting!

I'm linking up with this weeks WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

Mosaic Tuesday - Blueberry, Teal, and Beige {Quiltspiration 365}

Thanks to some of the lovely ladies over at Late Night Quilters I'm happy to introduce a new series of weekly posts I'm calling Mosaic Tuesdays (for lack of a better name at this point).  It's part of an effort we're calling quiltspiration365‬, intended to fulfill your every need when it comes to quilty inspiration 365 days a year.  You can find more posts about the series on Facebook and instagram using  #quiltspiration365 as well as links to the other posts this week below.  I'll be sharing color mosaics that inspire me, and hopefully you as well.  Feel free to use these to inspire your projects I just ask that you link back to the original color pallet post to give credit.  So without further adu...


Today's palette is inspired by late summer beauty.  Blueberry and dark Teal offset soft, warm beige and tan.  I love how the warm-colored whites play against the cool-colored dark's.  I think this would make an amazing quilt: soft and warm but still strong and commanding!  What do you think?

Be sure to search for #quiltspiration365 for even more inspiration!