Thursday, May 26, 2016

Color Play Friday - Late Summer in My Garden

Hello all and welcome to Color Play Friday!

Color Play Friday (CPF) is a fun weekly challenge hosted by Trina from In an Otter Life and Lorinda from Laurel, Poppy and Pine where they provide one of their photographs as inspiration and then all the participants create a color palette and fabric bundle based on the photo.

This week's photo is called "Late Summer in My Garden."



I have to laugh because I told Lorinda that I really struggle with the color orange and she joked that we may be seeing more orange-y photos in the coming CPF challenges. I guess she was serious! 

Here is what I came up with this week.



So yeah, I struggled with this one. A lot! Hey Orange, it's not personal, we just don't work well together. It's not you, it's me. Because this was a challenging photo for me to work from, I stuck to what I know and like. Is anyone surprised that my bundle is full of blenders and even includes some Painters Canvas? I'm not! I am, however, extremely pleased that I managed to get that Chicopee print in there. Chicopee is one of favorite fabric collections and I'm hoarding it like no one's business.

Do you have a collection that you just love? A collection that you can't bear to cut into?

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I "shopped" at Hawthorne Threads this week.






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Be sure to check out the other participants this week.

Hosts:
Trina @ In an Otter Life
Lorinda @ Laurel, Poppy and Pine

Participants:
Sarah G. @ Sarah Goer Quilts
Jennifer on Flickr
And ME!


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As always, if you are interested in playing along, please check out the hosts' pages for more info. You can click either of the CPF buttons on my sidebar.

See my past CPF entries by clicking the Color Play Friday tab at the top of my blog.

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Until next time!
- Sarah

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Color Play Friday - Zen in Seattle

Welcome to Color Play Friday!

Color Play Friday (CPF) is a fun weekly challenge hosted by Trina from In an Otter Life and Lorinda from Laurel, Poppy and Pine where they provide one of their photographs as inspiration and then all the participants create a color palette and fabric bundle based on the photo.

This week's photo is called Zen in Seattle.


I love everything about this photo. The beautiful, blue water, the balancing rocks, the distant horizon... It's all so peaceful, serene, and harmonious. It's all so... zen! 

Here is my palette/bundle for the week.


This is a palette that I don't usually go for. I like deep, saturated, tertiary colors. Despite that, I think there is something so intriguing about this palette. I really stretched my creative self this week. That's why I love CPF. It's like yoga for the brain. In the end, I really like how all these fabrics came together. 

(Mr. 123quilt picked out the Entomology print. He liked that it looked like the rocks in the inspiration photo. I love when he "helps.")

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I shopped at Hawthorne Threads this week.







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Be sure to check out the other participants this week.

Trina @ In an Otter Life
Lorinda @ Laurel, Poppy and Pine


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As always, if you are interested in playing along, please check out the hosts' pages for more info. You can click either of the CPF buttons on my sidebar.

See my past CPF entries by clicking the Color Play Friday tab at the top of my blog.

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Until next time!
- Sarah

Coming Soon! Opposites Attract Blog Hop!

Mark your calendars! The Opposites Attract Blog Hop hosted by Marian from Seams to Be Sew begins on June 1st!

Coming Soon
 photo stbs-Opposites_Attract_zpseh9w2xaz.jpg
Sponsored By The Fat Quarter Shop

If you've never followed one of Marian's hops you are missing out. She hosts several hops throughout the year and they all offer free project ideas and tutorials. Also, the hops are a great way to "meet" new-to-you bloggers (I've certainly discovered a lot of blogs this way.) And, of course, there are giveaways! Who doesn't love a giveaway?!

This is my first time actually participating in one of Marian's hops and I am so excited! I have my project all worked out in my head and I can't wait to see it come to life in fabric. Better get crackin' on that!

Be sure to check out Seams to Be Sew on June 1st for the beginning of the hop and the full list of participants!

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Until next time!
-Sarah


Thursday, May 12, 2016

Color Play Friday - Salmon Creek

Hello and welcome to Color Play Friday!

Color Play Friday (CPF) is a fun weekly challenge hosted by Trina from In an Otter Life and Lorinda from Laurel, Poppy and Pine where they provide one of their photographs as inspiration and then all the participants create a color palette and fabric bundle based on the photo.

This week's photo is called Salmon Creek.


Well... everything about this photo is foreign to me. I grew up in the desert where creeks are non-existent and fresh fish is hard to come by. So yeah, Salmon Creek. Look! It's water, how novel!

I imagine that this little creek is running through a forest where the air is cool and smells of organic, leafy freshness. I can also picture a bear just waiting for a yummy, unsuspecting salmon to swim on by.

Here is my palette/bundle for the week.


I love that this is another earthy bundle. I used the Lizzy House butterflies again this week because they were just too perfect not to use. They hint at the wildlife that you'd find in the area; as does the Mendocino print. I always struggle with orange prints but I think I managed to pull all these fabrics together without them looking to Halloween-y.

NOTE: These fabrics are not to scale. I believe that Mendocino print is very large compared to the others.

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I shopped at Hawthorne Threads again this week.






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Be sure to check out the other participants this week.

Hosts:
Trina @ In an Otter Life
Lorinda @ Laurel, Poppy and Pine

Participants:
Steph @ Shimmy and More
Jennifer on Flickr


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As always, if you are interested in playing along, please check out the hosts' pages for more info. You can click either of the CPF buttons on my sidebar.

See my past CPF entries by clicking the Color Play Friday tab at the top of my blog.

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Until next time!
- Sarah

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Throwback Thursday - (I know it's Saturday!)

Welcome to Throwback Thursday! Yes, I know it's Saturday. I'm a little behind this week. Oops!

Throwback Thursday is a fun linky party hosted by Jenn from Quarter Inch From the Edge. Every first Thursday of the month she hosts a linky party where you can link up a past finish. You know, one of the projects you made before you started blogging or documenting your quilting journey; back when all your photos were grainy and shadowy... maybe those are just my photos. ;)

This is my first time linking up and I'm sharing this quilt I made for my mom back in 2013.


My mom, who is not a quilter, was with me browsing around a quilt store's clearance section and she picked out a fat quarter of the print in the setting triangles. After a little more digging we found a matching FQ but that was it. She looks at me and says,"You can make a quilt out of that, right?" Ummm... just two long lost, lonely fat quarters. Sure... maybe. I mean, she really liked the fabric and how could I say no to my mom. 

I did some research and I was able to find some matching and coordinating fabric. Hooray!!! Those two lonely fat quarters turned out to be from a collection called Royal Garden by Maywood Studios.


I think the final dimensions were something like 52" x 72". My mom didn't want a lot of quilting so I did some stitch-in-the-ditch. Nothing fancy, but she loves it. I'm happy to say that she still raves about how much she loves her quilt and she keeps it in her den/office all year round. 


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Linking up with:
Throwback Thursday @ Quarter Inch From the Edge


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Until next time!
- Sarah


Thursday, May 5, 2016

Color Play Friday - S'more Cookie Goodness

It's Color Play Friday again! I love how it comes around every week. ;)

Color Play Friday is a weekly challenge hosted by Trina from In an Otter Life and Lorinda from Laurel, Poppy and Pine. Every week they offer up one of their photographs and then all the participants create a color palette and fabric bundle based off the photo. 

This week's photo is near and dear to my heart. It's some sort of wild chocolate chip cookie and s'more concoction! Plus, rumor has it that it's calorie free!!! 


Lately I've had a serious love affair with chocolate. And I do mean S.E.R.I.O.U.S! Melt in your mouth, luxurious, soothing chocolate. I can taste it now. Unfortunately I had to break into my emergency stash of chocolate last night which means I need to go to store for more. I do have some control though. I only eat three pieces a day, whether it's three kisses or three pips of a chocolate bar. That cookie though, that would blow through all three of my daily chocolate allowances... but it would be so worth it!

Here is the color palette/fabric bundle I came up with this week.


I love how earthy this bundle turned out. I know I say this every week but I think this might be my favorite CPF bundle so far. Lol! 

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I "shopped" at Hawthorne Threads again this week. 


Woodgrain in Dill by Joel Dewberry






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Be sure to check out the other Color Play Friday participants this week.

Hosts:

Participants:
Bethany @ Sew Not Perfect
Jennifer on Flickr



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As always, if you are interested in playing along please check out the hosts' pages for more info. You can click either of the CPF buttons on my sidebar. 

See my past CPF entries by clicking the Color Play Friday page tab at the top of my blog.

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Until next time!
- Sarah


Cool Melon - Mosaic Contest Entry 2

My second mosaic is all about the prints. I chose a focus fabric then pulled some blenders that went well with it. For more info on the contest check out my first entry post.

Here is my second mosaic: Cool Melon - Prints


Fabrics are (left to right, top to bottom):


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I really do enjoy coming up with color palettes and fabric bundles. I could have easily come up with two more mosaics for this contest. 

There's still time for you to create your own mosaic! Rachel over at Stitched in Color is accepting mosaics until midnight on May 8th. Just click on the Cool Melon mosaic page for more information and to check out all the other mosaic entries. I have to say, they all look pretty awesome!

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Until next time!
-Sarah

Cool Melon - Mosaic Contest Entry

I've have been having so much making color palettes with Color Play Friday hosted by Trina of In an Otter Life and Lorinda of Laurel, Poppy and Pine that I couldn't resist entering the Cool Melon mosaic contest hosted by Rachel of Stitched in Color and sponsored by Gotham Quilts.

Every once in a while Rachel will hold these mosaic contests and this is my first time joining in the fun. Rachel provides the theme and offers up some gorgeous photos for inspiration. This time around the theme is Cool Melon. You can make up to 2 mosaics, each must be made up of 9 fabrics, and the mosaic should be evocative of melons.

I love melons. Watermelon, cantaloupe, casaba, crenshaw, honeydew, and so many more! I think my absolute favorite is orange-fleshed honeydew. Have you ever had it? It's so yummy! I can't find it where I live though. Maybe it's just a West Coast thing. Another funky one is yellow-fleshed watermelon. Say what? I had never heard of it until a visit to the Midwest last summer.


Naturally I had to take a photo to document my wild find. Lol. Honestly, it didn't taste any different to me than a regular watermelon.

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Here is my first mosaic: Cool Melon - Solids


Fabrics are (left to right, top to bottom):


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Check out my next post for my second entry!

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Until next time!
- Sarah 

Monday, May 2, 2016

Hello May! - Studio Check In

Hello May!

from the farmer's market last weekend

It feels like May came out of nowhere! My mind and body are still stuck back in March or something. Where did April go? I don't know. I think I always feel a little short-changed by the shorter months. Give me 31 days! I need that extra day!

If you could have one extra, free day, a day with no obligations, what would you do with it?

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Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to have a little "studio" check in to sort of get my bearings straight. (I have to laugh when I say "studio" check in. My "studio" is a small space off the living room; but hey, it works for me for right now.) 

Currently working on:

  • Curved Piecing - I've been working on this one on and off for quite a while. I have a bunch of blocks made but I can't decide on a layout. 

  • Some secret sewing - I can't show you too much of this one yet but here's a pretty photo of some of the chain piecing I did last week.


May goals:
  • Obviously I really want to finish those two tops.
  • I want to make a library book bag for me and Mr.123quilt, like this one I made for friend a few years ago.
  • I need to make a mini mini for my first ever swap!
  • I have some more secret sewing to do, this time for the Opposites Attract blog hop.
  • I have about 9 fabric pulls set aside for new quilts and I'd like to start on one of those.
  • Maybe I'll come up with a plan to use this lovely bunch of fat quarters that my mom sent me as a surprise. Thanks, Mom!


I think that should keep me busy enough this month! What are you working on this May?

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Linking up with:

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Until next time!
- Sarah