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Tuesday 17 May 2016

I'm feeling inspired......

I'm feeling inspired today, and there is a quilt inside me just bursting to get out, we all know that feeling, yes?  I thought it would be fun to make a record of it and share my thoughts behind the inspiration, and the method of making it, from start, to finish.  I haven't done that before but for some reason I feel it is important for me to do that.  I'd better start at the beginning.


I am a May kitten, and Sunday was my birthday.  I received several gifts including quilting related ones, two of which are important to the process. Three were books, and what books, Creative Quilt Challenges by Pat Pease and Wendy Hill, Minimal Quiltmaking by Gwen Marston (which I have only skimmed through so far and will let you know about later), and The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, by Sherri Lynn Wood.  On so many levels this is a wonderful book.  (My children have cleaned out my Amazon wish list already this year and I have acquired six new books, Oh Joy!)   The Improv book is the first gift which started the process.


The other gifts were a beautiful wooden box from my friend, handmade by a man in Northumberland, so lovely with little compartments to keep all the tiny things which are easy to loose, I absolutely love it.


The last gift I want to share is a set of four cake tins from my husband.  Now stop laughing, he put a lot of thought into it, he knows I like tins and he thought if I was doing out the new quilting room a set of tins make lovely decorative storage.  This is the second thing which started the process.  No, it's not a cake quilt!

The improv book gives challenges, she called them 'scores', and reading the first one it is about squares and gives guidelines including a timeframe so it becomes more inspirational than planned.  I like the sound of that, and decided there and then to work my way through the book, challenge by challenge.


I started thinking about colours, using my stash, after all it could end up total rubbish, I don't want to go out and buy fabric and waste it, I could use all the old stuff I keep meaning to clear out.  Looking out onto the garden a patch of bluebells caught my eye, and I remembered a birthday when we went out for the day and came across a meadow of bluebells, and wondered where the photos were now.


Then I noticed one of the tins was Bluebell Wood.

Then it struck me I had some fabric given to me by the friend who gave me the box, although not true bluebell colours they were ion a similar level.  I began to get excited and pulled out fabric, leaving a trail of devastation in my wake (that's my normal when I get a quilt idea in my head, really annoys my husband, but he's mellowed about it now, one of my not so endearing traits - hehe!).


This is my fabric pull so far.  I'm thinking bluebell colours, and shrubbery, and skies? I may have to add a very pale blue.

Following the rules, which can be broken,  I must set limits of two fabrics of set amounts, and a filler fabric (the finished quilt in the book had three colours per section), no limits on amount as you don't know how much you will need.  No rulers are to be used for the cutting, you can use scissors or rotary cutter.

I haven't gone any further yet due to time constraints this week but I will post the first pics of my progress as soon as I have any.

Just to let you know, the quilting is finished on City Lights (big sigh of relief), I had a little trouble, two tiny folds in the back, I ended up taking out five rows of quilting altogether but it as they disappeared with the restitch.  No I'm not showing you yet,  did you see the taster I posted at the weekend?


Here it is if you missed it, yes it is the back, but that's all your'e getting today.


The binding is made though, scrappy and colourful.

If you want to know more about the scores, Luna, from Luna Lovequilts is up to the fourth score now, here is the first finished quilt she blogged about, there are links to the earlier posts too.  Steph form Dawn Chorus Studio has also done score one, and Cheryl, from Meadowmist Designs made a baby quilt using another of the scores.

I am so excited about the bluebell quilt, I only wish I didn't have to work this week, and I have some other commitments too.  I should really do a proper review of the book, it is so much more than a quilting book, but I will have to leave that for another day.

Linking up with Freemotion by the River,  Let's Bee Social,  My Quilt InfatuationTGIFF,  Confessions of a Fabric Addict , Crazy Mom Quilts

With smiles, from
Kate


21 comments:

  1. Got my curiosity up with your bluebell quilt :-) Happy late Birthday!

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  2. The Improv Handbook is one of my very favorite books! It's fun to get so inspired and dream up such wonderful plans, isn't it?
    A belated happy birthday to you Kate! It looks like it was a wonderful one.

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  3. Belated Happy Birthday Kate, it looks like you have a busy time ahead :)

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  4. First of all, happy belated birthday! You received some lovely and very thoughtful gifts! Secondly, the book sounds like a real winner and your bluebells quilt is going to be gorgeous! It's fun to challenge ourselves to learn new things and to grow in our craft. I'm looking forward to reading about your process every step of the way. And last but not least, I'm so glad you joined the blogging bandwagon! You are a natural. Your posts are wonderful! XO

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  5. Looks like you had a wonderful birthday, Kate. And have some wonderful new additions to your quilting library. The fabric pull for your bluebell quilt is sure promising. I can't wait to watch your progress!

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  6. Happy belated birthday, Kate! I too love a pretty tin ;) I've been eyeing Sherri's book and your excitement is making me want it that much more!! Looking forward to seeing where your bluebell inspiration leads to. Oh and that scrappy binding is just the cutest!

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  7. Happy Birthday, Kate! Looks like it was great! What workmanship in the wooden box. Beautiful fabrics you've pulled for the quilt! Which score are you planning to 'follow'?

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  8. Hi hive member. I'm following you on Bloglovin. I'm GRANNYcanQUILT.wordpress.com and I look forward to getting to know you.

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  9. I own two of your three books, the Gwen Marston and the Improv Handbook. I love your fabric pull. I am very slowly working on a mini quilt using score one and specific fabric assigned by my guild for a challenge. I'd like to try it again with my own fabric pull. Thanks for sharing your inspiration. Happy Birthday Kate. Aren't you lucky to have friends and family who know you so well and pick out such awesome presents for you.

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  10. I love reading about your process! It's fun to look into the minds of quilters planning out their next project. I'm excited to see where you go with it.

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  11. Ooh those bluebell fabrics are wonderful together. I must look at those books too. I await a full review of each.

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  12. Happy Birthday Kate! Great stack of new books, sewing room treasures and loads of inspiration. The bluebell project is headed in a glorious direction with those fabrics. I'm looking forward to watching your progress.

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  13. Happy belated birthday, what a fabulous collection of gifts :) I have been reading about the imrov handbook. . . I think your views have pushed me over the edge, I'm heading over to Amazon to make it appear at my doorstep soon :)

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  14. Happy birthday and congratulations on a great stack of presents. I love when people post their process, so look forward to following the progress of your bluebell quilt.

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  15. I'm glad you're joining in Sherri Lynn Wood Scores ! In case you're interested in you can share your progress on the facebook group. I own Gwen Marston book too ;-) I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and your City Lights quilt !

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  16. Oh what a pretty fabric pull! I think a pale blue would just round it off nicely and I can't wait to see what you do with it all :)

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  17. Happy belated birthday! I'm looking forward to seeing your bluebell quilt. I love how inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time.

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  18. Happy belated Birthday....I too had a birthday last Sun, 05/15! Sounds like you had a great day. Heide

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  19. That binding is going to be perfect for that quilt! Awesome books you've acquired!

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  20. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you! I just love the pretty bluebell colours, so natural! Clever hubby buying those very useful tins, and what a wonderful box! Such lovely birthday presents. It sounds like you had a great birthday! Looking forward to seeing the bluebell quilt.

    Barbara xx

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  21. Hi Kate! I am going to try commenting another way and hopefully I don't come up as no-reply again. Gwen Marsten's book looks wonderfully inspiring, I will have to check it out.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave a comment, it helps me grow as a quilter and as a blogger. It also makes me very happy :)
I try to respond to all comments by email, but if I don't reply within a few days it may be because you are a no reply blogger

With smiles from,
Kate