Sneak Peak at a New Quilt Design

I've been busy this week polishing up my next quilt design in the AMERICAN QUILT COLLECTION.  This one is a rather large design (12.5" x 12.5") done on my usual 18 ct. canvas.  I'm calling this new design CALICO STARS, which seems appropriate, as you can see below:

It's been fun working on snippets of patterns that replicate calico fabric
 (all done in #5 pearl cottons),

then adding the background colors in DMC floss.  I stitched the model shown above 

with a PINK palette using Caron Watercolours 048 - Far Horizons as the foundation,

 but the Materials List also includes a thread list for  a luscious BLUE palette

 that features Watercolours 236 - Appalachia as well! 

IN any event, I'm sending out the patterns to my distributors this week, 

and you'll be able to view the whole CALICO STARS piece and purchase it next week 

on my website. 

 So stay tuned, Stitchers, for more quilty fun for 2016!!

My Affair With Stars, continued...

As I was saying the other day.... I think it's time to tinker around with some of those traditional quilt star blocks, and make a few new comtemporary "art quilt" designs. I've already started in that vein with my favorite STARRY NIGHT design from a few years ago. Here it is in all its complex and colorful glory:


More recently, I came up with the wildly colorful RED HOT PEPPERS quilt design that makes me smile every time I look at it:


Well, I've been staring at that design on my wall for a few months now, and after watching the amazing pictures of snowy weather all over the country this winter, I thought it'd be appropriate to create a new "art quilt" that updates the old LONE STAR motif, but adds a bit more pizazz to the mix.

So this month's new design offering is a WINTER SKY quilt pattern in tealy blues and orchidy purples that is, I've gotta say, WAY COOL:


It's a larger size than my first little lone stars: 10" x 10" on french blue 18 ct. canvas. It also uses two different Watercolours: 192, "Elderberry Wine" for the multi-color bits, and 160, "Night Sky" for the subtle variegated blue border area. I've also sneaked in a bit of glitz with a touch of purple Ribbon Floss amongst the rest of the #5 pearl cotton colors. Here's a close-up of the star block (and the actual colors are a bit darker than my scanner is showing in the photos):


When I start stitching on a new one of these quilt designs, I always amaze myself again and again with how much FUN they are to stitch. They really do make great "no-brainer" projects in-between more complex stitching projects (and I really don't mind stitchers saying that they're "no-brainers" 'cuz that's exactly what I've designed them to be - grin!)

So, if you're interested in whipping up a few artsy-type stars to while a way a cold winter's night -- check out my new WINTER SKY pattern on my website (listed on the list at the right in bold letters.) It's a fun one!

Silver Stars

A while ago I shared with you the information about NATURE'S PALETTE, a home-based business out of Houston, Texas that hand-paints canvases for stitchers. (FYI: You can email them at GIMMIES@comcast.net for canvas info.) Well, they send me some yummy canvases to play with and this is the first thing I've stitched up:


I've quickly stitched up one of my new HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS on a 10" x 10" piece of 18 ct. "Silver Flash" canvas.

The canvas is medium blue with splashes of silver, so it has the loveliest of shimmers throughout the design. It was really fun to stitch up my little Shining Star in blues and silvers, and not have to worry about the background. Then, just to show off more of the canvas, I added a simple star border (in silver Ribbon Floss) around the edge, and VOILA! Project completed!

And while we're talking about stars, here's another small Shining Star canvas I stitched up many years ago (before the HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS pattern was born) using pastel blues and pinks and silvers:


So, if you're a star fan like me, get out some of those shiny, shimmery star designs and get stitching -- it will definitely put you in the holiday spirit!

Yet More Old WIPs...

Well, what can I say except: I'm a Gemini, and I need a LOT of different projects around me to feel happy and creative.

So here's another W.I.P. I pulled out of my stash. It's Tony Minieri's STARS OF THE MILLENIUM.

I've got it mounted on stretcher bars, and couldn't fit the whole width of it on my scanner, so I can only show you a portion of it. But it's a beauty - even with only a part of it stitched up. It's done on 18 ct mono canvas (I chose to work on light pink canvas, just for fun.) And again, I'm using my favorite pink and green palette. (I just have a big bag filled with lots of different pink and green threads, and I figure out which threads to use, block by block, so it's an additional challenge to pick the threads as I need them.)

But block by block, this design is absolutely fascinating to look at - as well as stitch it! Each block by itself is a creative masterpiece, and overall, I'm sure this will be something I'll stare at for years....(of course I don't expect to get it finished for years...I'm just happy to get one block completed at each retreat weekend)

Here's a close-up of one of my completed blocks:

The layering of stitches in this piece makes it a real stitcher's challenge. And yet, the compulsion to finish one more block continually leads you on...to me, it feels a bit like climbing a strenuous mountain.

Step by step, stitch by stitch, the project is scaled. All it requires is a needle and thread, a good bit of patience, a thimbleful of optimism, and a whole lot of perserverance.

ONWARD AND UPWARD, FELLOW STITCHERS!!