Caws for Tuesday's Tile

Quilter's Tile - Crow

8" x 8"

©2013 - Sharon V. Rotz

This week I combined ideas and fabric scraps that I used for one of my challenge pieces. 

Based on a drawing from my sketchbook, this was an inspiration for one of my secret challenge pieces. One crow flew off and was ready for a new landing spot and a new quilt started taking shape.

After piecing a narrow strip of brown into this background fabric, the background was slashed on an angle. 

Really, what can be thrown away? What scrap is too small to work its way into another quilt?

The background is getting more interesting.

Yes, a bit of border that was trimmed from last week's tile popped in there, too. 

This provided the perfect background for my crow.

I wanted to add some writing to the tile and practiced on a scrap of paper. 

Oops, when placed on a light table I could read all of the writing on the opposite side of the paper.

I guess there is a time and place to break out a crisp new sheet of paper.

After tracing the word "crow", I placed the fabric on a piece of sandpaper to keep the fabric in place and filled in the letters with a textile marker.

I added small notes about crows with a Pigma micron pen.

For the binding, a fabric strip was hand-cut and stitched on irregularly to create an uneven binding. I don't know if this worked, or it merely looked like a poorly executed binding.  

What do you think?

Tuesday's Tile - A Time for Trying and Learning

Quilter's Tile - Striped Grass

8" x 8"

©2013 - Sharon V. Rotz

Lately, I have been working on several challenge projects. The fun part of challenges is the big reveal when everyone gets together for a time of show and tell.  Because this time has not yet come, I cannot show you any of my larger recent projects.

With that in mind, today's project is a small one that I have been hand stitching in my spare moments. The base is a gel print which I made last summer when my world wasn't filled with the blasts of another snow storm. Over this background, I have worked lines of chain stitches for my "grass". 

It was an unexpected move to use grey for the seed heads. The color seemed to have no relationship to the rest of the piece but the more I did, the more I liked the combination. Again, my small Quilter's Tile gave me a chance to try something new.

When it came to finishing the project, I wanted to repeat the color combination. What would stripes of grey and green look like?

Without the perfect fabric in my stash, I found two fabrics and cut a strip of each to piece and re-piece to create a striped fabric.

How will this look with my embroidered center?  Too much? But, you don't know it you don't try so I continued on.

With the curving lines of the grass in mind, I curved the borders and stitched them on.

Oh, a bit too wide and pretty powerful!

Trimmed down a bit, maybe not too bad. 

A top and bottom binding added on.

What did I learn?

The color combination worked for me.

I would leave more space around my center, it seems a little squished in.

The border is fun, but still could be narrower.

But the biggest thing that I learned is to try it.  

Have you tried something new this week?

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays

Friday's Tile - Blue and Wooly

Quilters' Tile - Blue and Wooly

8" x 8"

©2013 Sharon V. Rotz

After working on a larger quilt, it was fun to get back to a small project.  This tile had been started a few weeks ago and you can see its beginnings at this earlier post.

Beads were added.

And more beads created a new shape.

Hand stitching emphasized the shape.

It was a delight to see where the stitching took me.

After adding the binding, I rotated the piece in my hands. Which way was up?  Would it matter? Could abstract art be viewed from multiple angles? 

Which way would you choose?

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays

Completed and Ready to Use

I've completed the quilting, added the binding and my quilt is set to go.  

Where will I display handiwork?

On the bed? 

It even looks good placed on point.

On the back of my sofa? 

Looks good there too.

Or over the rail?  

Where is your favorite spot to show off your quilts?

If you were wondering, I did run out of thread with just a small bit to go. I dug into my thread and up popped another spool of the same color quilting thread. I had plenty to complete the project and it looks like I will have another hand-quilting project in my future.

And the Race is On.................

I am finishing the quilting on my star quilt. I am also near the end of my spool of quilting thread. Will I have enough to finish? Will I run out before the stitches are all completed?

Now, I am obsessed. I must stitch as fast as I can before I run out. Logically, I know my speed will have no effect on the outcome. But logic doesn't seem to matter.

The Race is On.

What will I do if, or when, I run out of thread. Will I scurry off to the store to buy another spool of matching hand quilting thread? Or will I complete the project with other thread knowing that I am at the point in my quilting life that I seldom hand quilt and probably will never again need the new spool?

The mind races as do the fingers.  See you at the end of my spool.

Are You Ready to Navigate?

Are you drawn to the Mariner's Compass?  Do you have it on your wish list of quilts to make?

I would love to guide you through the process of making your dream mariner's compass using precision paper-piecing methods.

Join me at Sew Smart in Wausau, WI on March 13, 2013. We will be working on my pattern "G.P.S. -  Geese Phying South" which incorporates mariner's compass blocks with flying geese blocks. The class session is from 9-4 and you can contact Sew Smart to sign up.  I hope to see you there.

Stitched with Love

First, they were nothing but squares of fabric cut from various remnants of excess fabric.

Then these blocks came together into repeated patterns or

scrappy quilt tops stitched with love by warm-hearted quilters.

The pile of partially assembled quilts grew and grew ready to be tied with strings of warm wishes.

 I love the days I spend with my dedicated group of Undercover Quilters, who generously use  a bit of their time and talent to share with others.

Our group works mainly undercover, as the name implies, but I caught a couple of them as they tied their way across a quilt top. It's truly a miracle how the fabric donations multiple and new quilt tops keep appearing.

These quilts have helped both people in the community and have been sent off to other countries. They have found their way to tornado victims, pregnancy shelters, nursing homes, hospitals, women's shelters, Habitat for Humanity homes and other locations.

Quilters are, indeed, generous and loving people. How do you share your time and talents?

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays