Seed Mix

Ever make a quilt that just makes you really happy? One with a great mix of eye-catching color combined with a bold yet simple design? Well, that sums up my latest creation, Seed Mix.

The design for this quilt had been floating around in my head since early summer, and it wasn't until the Flip & Fuse Quilts book crossed my path that all the pieces came together to make Seed Mix.

Though it could be made in any color combination, the dark orange paired with green and a splash of black speaks of autumn, my most favorite season thanks to growing up in New England.

And I love the seeds. Or melons, or orange peels, or petals, whichever name you prefer for the same shape. Long and thinner than most, they are a beautiful shape in this modern version.

As  for the design, here and there, seeds are missing, but filled in with quilting. That, combined with a more distant placement between the seeds, creates lots of movement.

For the quilting, rows alternate between horizontal and vertical straight line stitching, meeting only to form phantom crosshatched seeds.

And I tried No- Show Binding on this quilt, 

for which you can view the tutorial by clicking on the pink link above.

And thanks to everyone for their support of no quilting in the seeds - definitely the right decision. All of the those little pieces together has resulted in a fabulous quilt, captivating me each time I see it.

And that is why I quilt.

October 2016 Book of the Month

Last month was spent exploring the fusible interfacing applique technique  

used in the book Flip & Fuse Quilts (affiliate link).

I've only gotten the chance to use it on one quilt,

which is still on the frame, just where I left it on Wednesday. The technique has it's merits and it's drawbacks, which warrents further exploring for a thorough critique. Saving that discussion for another post.

So, for October, the Book of the Month selection will continue to be Flip & Fuse Quilts, (affiliate link) with another applique creation. Stay tuned!

Have a great weekend quilting!

The Road Home to Silicon Valley

Welcome to QuiltFabrication, and Silicon Valley, home to all things tech!

When first approached by Marian at Seams to be Sew about participating in the 2016 Road Home Row-along, I immediately said yes! Such an easy decision because the area I live in, Silicon Valley, is home to all of the great tech companies that we know and love.

My row depicts four large companies that are along major roads, and within close proximity to my humble home. We're talking a 15 mile radius, that's how close. Believe or not, 'tech tourism', the visiting of these companies as if they were tourist attractions, has sprung up. Today, I'll be your tour guide to these four companies.

Let's start at Facebook, where the 'thumbs up' sign greats us at the entrance.

Awesome quilt pattern in the background, huh? The buildings are nice, with lots of open sky and the bay on the backside.

Continuing down the freeway for a few miles sits Google, which in my opinion, has the best location. Perched on a small hill, surrounded by lots of trees and open space,

and, of course, plenty of parking for the famous green, yellow, and red bikes used by employees to get from building to building.

And just a half mile away, is it's friendly neighbor, LinkedIn, another favorite company.

Before hitting the freeway again, we could make a stop at the Computer History Museum, and check out just how far we've come in all things tech.

                           

But let's continue on, past my house, and move on to Apple, another favorite. Below are the current headquarters,

with the Apple Campus 2, (the Spaceship that's under construction) and future headquarters a mile away. 

Can you get a feel for how massive this building is? With the freeway to the south, retail west, residential north, and a hospital on the east, it's a huge campus in the middle of suburbia. 

Of course, the list of tech companies goes on and on. Sorry if I left out other favorites, but there's just so much room in a 12 1/2" x 42" row! 

I hope you've enjoyed a short tour of Silicon Valley, the birthplace of tech, and my home.