Showing posts with label Sew Along. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sew Along. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Pink Blooms and Turquoise Maidens

It is that time of the year - SPRING!!!

Washington Monument in Washington DC

Cherry blossoms get all the hype.

Cherry Blossoms

But this is my favorite flowering tree this time of the year in this part of the world.  Do you know the name? Please let me know.

My favorite tree/flowers

I love these deep pink, thick and fluffy blooms. 

The tree in full bloom

The color is brighter, the flowers are more substantial and the blooms last days longer than the ephemeral cherry blossoms.

Thick blooms

Imagine these buds at the edge of a sweetheart neckline. You see? 

Gorgeous pink

If I could clothe myself in anything, I'd be wearing a gown and a headdress made out of these pink flowers. But the April ladies are wearing aqua (or turquoise) because Angela said so.

Fabrics and Complexions

Meet my aqua (or turquoise) maidens. If you can tell me who is wearing aqua and who is wearing turquoise, you will be the winner :-D

April Blocks for the RSC 2019

AquaMaiden

Daisy Queen

Flora May

Bold & Beautiful

OK, this may be teal

Flora Nay

If you read the bloopers post, you know that the closed palms was a mistake. I have decided to make it a deliberate decision choice.  Check out Flora May and Flora Nay above :-)



And although most ladies are willing to dance, a few are not. They indicate their choice by keeping their palms open (yes, please) or closed (no, thank you).



Check out all the other lovely aqua (or turquoise) blocks in the RSC here.


In other sew-along update, I have completed all my blocks for the Trinket Sew Along.
Insert happy dance emoji here.

Things Blocks

I wanted to finish my trinket blocks before I left on my trip and this last weekend was the giant push and they are done. I will be posting on Instagram according to the schedule, even if remotely.

My best attempt so far

Of course I am excited about my trip and the main reason for that excitement is my quilty buddy Melanie. My bag is so chock-o-block full of fabric that there is barely room for a change of clothing.  But then who needs clothes when you can drape yourself in fabric :-D

With Melanie, May 2017

I first met Melanie when she was visiting US in 2017.  Now I am going to Germany to meet her. So excited!!!  You can read all about our first meeting here.  And I promise to write about our 2019 adventures after my return.

I will be linking with my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.
As usual, I'd love to hear from you. Your comments are like the pink blossoms on my blog tree.



Sunday, March 24, 2019

Party On

This is what was advertised


And this is what I received


Same ingredients but a vast difference in appearance. It seems that the avocado slices were tortured and squished into submission before they made it to my plate :-D
Fortunately it was just as tasty as advertised.

Party 1
The Alison Glass Trinket Sew-Along is well underway.  All Lines blocks are completed.  As I work on the Shapes blocks I wonder how will my finish compare with the advertised look.






I am sure it will look nothing like the picture-perfect, glamorized version on the pattern booklet.  That look was so captivating that I am sure there are thousands of quilters (new and old) who purchased the pattern and joined in the sew-along.  Love the pictures on IG. Everyone else's work looks so crisp with bright colors and sharp pictures.

Is it still inspiration if it makes you feel inadequate?







There are 40 unique blocks in the pattern, 10 each of Lines, Shapes, Things and Life; each finishing at a small 4" square. To be able to participate in the final giveaway your flimsy must have at least one of each of the 40 blocks. That would require 41 background blocks, arranged 9 by 9 for a small quilt that would finish at 36" square.


IG inspired do-over of Lines#4



The quilt in the pattern shows 97 blocks with 96 plain charcoal blocks.  So if you want to make a quilt the same size as the pattern you would have to make all blocks at least twice and sometimes  thrice. That is why I chose to use freezer paper.  I can use the same FP template to make a block 3-4 times and it is still usable.

39 blocks

I have "huge" travel plans coming up next month and I will be away from my machine. So I want to make sure that I make the blocks in advance so that I don't miss the block posting dates on Instagram.   Paper piecing is neither fast nor mindless. Feeling pressured to keep up, I realized that I was
devoting too much time to this effort.

Blogging has taken a backseat for that reason.  When Rebecca wrote to me gently enquiring about my absence, it was time to take a break.

Is it still fun when you feel overwhelmed?

Party 2
I saw the block first on Pinterest but there wasn't a pattern or tutorial.  After a few iterations I came up with a design that made me happy. I made a few blocks.

Initial sketch

The first blocks

Won't this be perfect for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge? I had seen many quilters/bloggers participate in the RSC over the past years. With this fun and easy pattern, it was time for me to jump on and join the party.

Yes. So many colors, so many dresses.

January's color was red



We all covet flawless skin but that is so unreal. So my next "lady in red" is rocking freckles :-)

Every freckle has a story
February was yellow.  Here are my ladies in yellow.

Flowery dress

Dazzling

And finally March is green and here are my ladies in green.
Prancing like a peacock

Lounging with Llamas
The more outrageously loud (and busy) the fabric, the better. Hullo Angela, I am late to the RSC 2019 party but then you don't mind.
I will be posting my blocks at least once a month (highlighting the color of the month) to show off a new line of dresses and headwear. Check out what others have been up to this month at the linky party here.

No-longer a Party
I miss Sunday Stash linky parties.
No, I do not buy (or acquire) fabric every week but when I do I want to show it off.   Look, look what I got.  The Winter Flurries fabric line which not only caught my attention but held it firm.

Gorgeous Blues

Deep Turquoise

Midnight Blue
Circles and Diamonds

At 30% off, it teased and taunted me from the shopping cart but when Connecting Threads announced an additional 20% sale, it was time to say yes to it all.


The Real Party
There is no party like an Indian wedding and I was fortunate enough to attend one last week.

The ceremony

The lovely couple
As much as I wanted to make them a quilt, I did not. I understand that most couples these days prefer non-boxed gifts. And this was one day when it was not about me. But you can still see my lovely green bangles in the picture below :-)

Wedding Program

We had a great time with mouth-watering food, lively music, and spirited dancing while surrounded in an ocean of colors, perfume, silk and glittering jewelry.

Lisa and I
Lisa chose to go the more traditional route in a saree complete with matching blouse, jewelry and a bindi (forehead dot).  I chose the easy way out in a salwar kameez outfit.

Selfie before Reception

I am still recovering from all the merriment as I pick out tiny bits of sequins from my underwear. I have no idea how it got there.

What would you want - Single minded devotion to a single party (or project) or balance?
I choose single minded devotion to multiple projects - but one at a time.
For now I must make some chili for hubby dearest. And you can be sure I will give it my undivided attention.

How is your weekend progressing? Do let me know.
I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.