Gehring Road

summer voile

Some new fabrics and some sweet new scissors arrived today. I have a date with that stack and some geese this weekend. Summer is so close I can taste it and I'm so looking forward to having my days back to sew and create. Delicious. I've been hoarding collecting voiles for a bit now. I picked some up at Alewives during our Maine trip in April, and I picked up a few more at Franklin Mill Store on my birthday with a sweet gift card from my favorite guy. I wanted to add one or two more prints so I bought a very, very small bit of a few from Hawthorne Threads this week and am so glad I did. They really brighten up that stack. This will be a simple but eclectic patchwork quilt, that hopefully will be a quick little project. I'm going to back this one with voile as well and tie it at the corners. I'm needing something quick and (hopefully) easy. Perfect for a long weekend and a taste of summer... so, so close! Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope you are similarly finding the light at the end of the tunnel. 

the start of something new

Two things I'm loving this week. First, I can't stop snapping shots of those beautiful rannoculous flowers (more here!). See, told you. I've taken some on every window sill, in every corner of the house. Which usually leads me to believe every room should have its own little rannoculous in it. I've also lost a little steam when it comes to ironing my flying geese quilt. When I head up into the loft to iron it, I end up folding fabric and cleaning so you know it's pretty dire. I found that my make up bag project provided just the perfect distratction from those never ending geese, and I think those quick little projects are so important moving forward with a mammoth bigger one. So I bought Tula Pink's City Sampler book. I love a sampler project and can't wait to get stuck in. Six inch blocks, no templates or scary curves. Quick and simple seems like just the thing right now. I'm thinking mine will be in Anna Maria Horner... a little Field Study, some Good Folks mixed in. I'm going to follow the rainbow effect on this one. Really lovely. Speaking of rainbows... look what greeted us last week on my way to work (very unusual for that hour!) 

Happy Thursday everyone! 

many geese, all with one wing

Oh my, the geese, the geese I tell you! I spent most of Friday and part of Saturday working on my Flying Geese quilt. Chain piecing these is satisfying work, but it is taking some time to put this together. I have to remind myself that the original quilt is made for a full to queen size bed and this is going to take a while. Most of my geese have acquired a wing and I have a load of ironing to do. My pile of triangles dwindles by the day and I'm so looking forward to putting this together. I'm thinking it will probably be sent out to be quilted. I can't imagine finishing this myself. It is, however, very nice to be thinking about the finishing. The end is in sight... I think! 

on the couch

I really should title this post "the one where I try to photograph the (finished!) quilt without getting the dog in the shot". I try, and I fail. She loves this quilt... as do we. I love how warm it is and the pop of color (finally) on the couch is just really lovely. This quilt is a long, long time in the making, years really. I need to bottle this feeling and remember I love finished quilts! On to the next one! Happy Wednesday (that feels like a Monday, sigh)! 

snow days

(Ignore those threads in that shot, I love to take care of those at the end!) I spent the day quilting, it was quite nice actually. This quilt is one of the biggest I've made yet and I'm taking this a little at a time. Episodes of Pride and Prejudice are keeping me company but also marking the hours (yes, hours) it is taking to quilt this baby. My internal clock says I just started quilting but my Pride and Prejudice clock says, Mrs. Bennet's "Oh, Mister Collins!" cry is a good two hours into the film... oy. It's then that I take a break. 

I just started Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette, after finishing Gone Girl in record time. Gone Girl was so great, I mean, so, so good. Total blindside that book, just couldn't put it down. And, I'm already loving Where'd You Go... Amazing what one can accomplish when work is not in the picture! And not a single paper has been graded during this "break". I'm quite sure I'll regret that when we finally do go back to school (rumor has it Wednesday). Until then, I'm enjoying these few moments, relishing the time that is my own and feeling good about what has been accomplished. Happy Monday everyone! 

today... so far.

The snow is piling up outside, but inside, it's been a day of sewing and resting. So, so good. I decided to spend a bit of time basting (finally!) my Strips and Bricks quilt. I cut fabric for this quilt in 2010, yes 2010. When I laid it out on the floor in the living Rob walked by and said, "When did you make that?" Ha ha. I really wanted to back this quilt in Kona Ash, but I recently used some of the yardage I bought for it in my Semiology Quilt and was just shy of what I needed. I went with Kona Coal because I had it on hand and didn't want to lose momentum. Probably for the best as Kona Ash is almost the same color as our couch. Change is good. It will be quilted tomorrow if the power stays on. Cross your fingers. I also had some time to work on some Anna Karenina blocks. All in all, I've loved this snow day turned sewing day. Rob would like you to know I didn't bake or get out of my pajamas. Just how snow days should be, don't you think? 

color

 Fabric images from Hawthorne Threads, SewFreshFabrics on Etsy and Pink Chalk Fabrics 

Yes, this color combination continues to occupy more space than they should in my thoughts. I have some beautfiul solids on the way to compliment some of the fabrics I pulled. I think it should be really beautiful...eventually. I'm thinking of hexagons for this color combination. I have no idea why. Someone posted this really fantastic tutorial from Tallgrass Prarie Studio on pinterest, which of course is a sign that I should go with it. Speaking of reading the signs, have you seen Silver Linings Playbook yet? We saw it last night and loved it. So great. See it if you haven't, really lovely story beautifully acted. I'm off to see some of our students in a production of The Crucible today at the town's children's theater with some friends today. I'm so excited for them! Lovely way to start this long weekend... I hope you are enjoying yours! 

anna progress

I've made some progress on my Anna Karenina log cabin quilt, here and there. I have fourteen of twenty blocks made, my sashing fabric chosen and my backing fabric (bought on sale!) ready to go. Though I'm anxious for this top to come together, I think I'll miss the making of this quilt. I know I've said it many times, but the method I'm using to make those log cabins makes the process of pulling these blocks together so much easier, and truly enjoyable. How about that new bookcase as a design wall? Some washi tape and I'm set! It is very nice to peer over and see which combinations I've used and which prints I've over used (Anna Maria Horner feathers in orange, ahem). I need to find a space for a design wall in the future. We're expecting a bit of snow tomorrow. Not much, but the timing (just before dawn) of its arrival makes things interesting for school tomorrow. You know where to find me if the snow gods smile on us, though you might just know where to find me if they don't. Keep your fingers crossed! Happy Tuesday! 

new

I have a new quilt in the works. I know, resolutions (made just yesterday, oy!) were to finish WIPs this year, but... I'm justifying my new project by telling myself I really have to test drive my AccuQuilt... which should make it a quick little project. I hope! This beautiful Semiologie quilt, first available on Anthropologie, has long been on my list of quilts to make. I love the pattern, the colors... really everything. I've pinned it, oogled it, favorited it, and now, I'm just going to make it. The half square triangle cutting didn't have me excited. My AccuQuilt came with the most amazing half square triangle dyes. These and these combined make perfect half square triangles for people who hate cutting them. I know someone like that. Thank goodness Santa reads my blog. 

I've also had to avert my eyes and sit on my hands when checking Flickr, Instagram, and Twitter in the past few days. Have you seen the amazing blocks being made for the Scrappy Trip Along? Be still my heart. It's contagious. I hear that they are addictive... must show restraint! Anyway, in keeping with my photography resolution (a whole nine hours in, ahem) I've begun my 365 project here if you're following, please let me know if you are doing the same this year! Happy New Year everyone, I'm so looking forward to this coming year in this space, thanks for stopping by! 

weekend work

This weekend was lovely... two days given (almost) totally to working on my Anna Karenina Quilt blocks. I love all six (six!) of them and really owe my speediness and excitement to this method of making log cabins. So fast, so enjoyable, just what a weekend spent sewing should be. To the right of my machine, I created a little seam steaming and trimming station, which was just perfect for this project. To the left of my machine, I have my trusty clementine box filled with fabrics. Each block has a bit of fabric uniquely (in my mind at least!) connected with this beautiful novel... scripted french writing, city block Liberty lawn, woodland scenes, bits of "lace", bold colors, beautiful geometric prints, even a moustache (Vronsky!) and some small mushrooms (Kitty!) will be hidden within these blocks. I began a board on Pinterest to gather some inspiration and have been using some of those color combinations in the images to create the blocks as I go. I love how it is coming together and am delighted with this quilt in the making. Very Russia, very Anna...so far. Happy Tuesday to you!