Serendipity Mini

I'm proud to introduce my latest project, Serendipity Mini!

Measuring in at 24" x 24", this is a perfect size to participate in the Small, Smaller, Smallest Blog Hop, sponsored by Carol at Just Let Me Quilt. 

First, a little background on this quilt. I started 2017 with good intentions of following along with RSC17. I got as far as red in March, then too many other projects demanded my attention, and RSC17 fell by the wayside.

But I did make at least nine RSC17 quilts during those three months, which is pretty productive. This purple scrap quilt got started, then sidelined because of a fabric shortage. 

So when I saw the Small, Smaller, Smallest hop, I knew Serendipity Mini would be perfect, and I finally had a reason to finish it as it was. 

Before I jump to closeups, I want to talk a bit about the quilting design. Using a vinyl overlay, I started to draw,

Notice in the picture the three different line directions inside the stars - each one follows a different side of the triangle. The top left was the first, and is a natural starting choice. The top right was next, and was ok. But the center bottom was the one that made me say Oh! I like that! - what a difference the direction makes. So when you have a directional choice to make in your quilting, try all angles and see what makes you say Oh!

Now on to Serendipity Mini closeups!
First, a corner, full of 1/4" 45 degree lines.

Next, the stippling in the center.

A closeup of one of the stars, with their directional centers, and seed arcs on the purple triangles.

Put them all together...

and that's one pretty wall hanging!

And not to be left out, the back, complete with hanging sleeve!

Not only did the scraps, colors, and quilting come together for this quilt, but the opportunity to finish it. Truly a happy chance, or serendipity!

Happy Quilting!

Raspberry Cheesecake

Who doesn't like cheesecake??? How about a piece with raspberry ribbons running through it?

Yes, Raspberry Cheesecake - this quilt was sooo easy to name!!

These older fuchsia prints just sing next to the Kona Banana - such a beautiful color combo! A special thanks goes out to the 3 in 1 Color Tool (affiliate link) for helping out in that department. (See, I'm exploring color relationships!)

How about some closeups? There just had to be straight line quilting in this one,

which I had originally meant to be 1/4" all the way through. 

But, I started with a 1/2" mistake, then quilted 10" worth of 1/4" spaced lines, and thought, ugh, I have to do this all the way? Oh-so-time consuming, and possibly with a stiff result, so maybe not such a great idea.

That one 1/2" mistake then turned into a design element! I quilted a few inches of 1/2" lines, then a  few of 1/4", and so on. In the end, it was a great choice, because it certainly adds a ton of quilting interest to this quilt.

Simple loops are in the raspberry ribbons, because I wanted something curvy, and not dense. The curves and low density contrast nicely with all those close lines.

This quilt will be going to it's forever home next month, as a coworker is decorating their baby's room in pink and yellow, and this is perfect, especially with a flannel backing.

Hubby is sad to see it go. For me, I'm ok with it, cause I know I have enough fabric to make another!

For more on how this quilt was made, check out these posts:
Improv Project #4
Improv Freehand Cut Striped Fabric

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Quilting!

March 2018 Book of the Month

March 1st, and time for a new Book of the Month selection. This one goes to Becky Goldsmith's The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color (affiliate link).

Yes, it's time to move on, though I certainly enjoyed Improv Patchwork (affiliate link) over the last two months as verified by Hippo Blue, Love Match, Zee Quilt, and a fourth creation revealed tomorrow. It certainly was fun to just cut fabric and sew,without a lot of seams to match. 

Maria did a pretty good job discussing choosing a color palette, and I wish I had explored color schemes a bit more, but was hesitant to cut into my solids. To get over that, I want to explore color a bit more, as choosing color schemes is something we deal with every time we make a quilt. I hope to  share some of Becky's insights of color relationships, and make us all a bit more confident. 

Happy Quilting!