Friday, July 26, 2013

Finding Inspiration in Yellow

I recently saw a picture of an Italian lemon stand submitted by Mark Lipinski on Facebook.This photo inspires me on many levels...to make a monochramitc lemon/yellow/dusty pale orange quilt. And also inspired to travel to Italy and find a lemon stand of my own.


I have a fondness for yellow myself. My mom always called me her Golden Girl, perhaps because I wear yellow so well, or she held out hope that I would perform well in an Olympic sport (sorry to dissappoint on that front).

There would be a challenge in making a yellow quilt, as some self-appointed quilt police, say that yellow should be used very sparingly in a quilt.  I loved making the yellow slab blocks for our Alberta June Monsoon Relief Quilt. and the yellow sprouts also found in the same post.

The more I mull this over, the more I want to get into my studio and pull out every piece of yellow I have and rev up the Bernina and see where it takes me.

love and hugs
Kathy

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Rainy Days and Mondays

Well I shall not let this Rainy Day Monday get me down. Today it is the birthday of my oldest daughter Cynthia and also her neice and my granddaughter Odessa (who is now 5!!).

What a treasure they both are in my life.

Another thing I treasure is my time in my studio. Alternating slab blocks with my leaders and ender rainbow scrappy sprout.

I have been pleasantly surprised and delighted with the interest in the Quilting in the Lazy Bear Lounge retreat that will take place at Pine Bungalows in Jasper, dates are September 27 -29.

Wishing you all well.
Love and hugs
Kathy

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Annual Lily Show and a few more sprouts

July is the busiest of months for lily shows. The Martagons and Species lilies are finished (almost) blooming,  and so we were surprised to find such a nice selection at the Alberta Regional Lily Society Annual show this weekend. As Show chair and then Student Judge, I get to see it all from the ground up.  The lilies presented were the best stems and designs put forth by lily lovers from the region. Bob Yaremko from Bruderheim had the best of show with a stunning species L Michiganensii.



I was thrilled that my hastily put together "Bowl" arrangement won first place. It was fun to use the sprigs of chokecherries to create a bit more interest. Big thanks to my friend Leo Krupka for the 11th hour garden raid to gather up more lilies.

Meanwhile back at the Bernina, I did add a few more blue-green sprounts,


As well as two more yellow sprouts.

Head on over to SoScrappy to see what other aqua loveliness is going on.

hugs
Kathy

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Of Sprouts and Slabs

I have been creating using blue green scraps and bits to create these beautiful Sprouts. There will be another month to use pale blues. I need more neutral backgrounds to fall in the bin.


I will definitely need to make more yellow ones.




I have been on a mission and building slab blocks (design shared by Cheryl Arkison) that are being used in a "Quilting for Calgary" quilt that my U of A work place bee group (MM's stands for Material Management) have all contributed to.  So this explains where some of my yellow and blue-green scraps have gone.




Speaking of the very generous, Matt and Bradie of Sparrow Studioz, have opened their studio for the next two Sundays (already had 3) to anyone able to help with finishing the dozens and dozens of flimsies that are arriving daily at the Studioz (for quilting & binding). I got my very first try on a LA at Kim Caskey's machine helping with the pile. What a great deal of fun that was and could become quite addicting.  Thanks to Kim for guiding me through the process and advancing the machine at the end of each row. This quilt will be donated to the "Quilting for Calgary" and given to a victim of the horrific Alberta June Monsoons.



Our quilt in now quilted and ready for binding. AND yes, now that I see it hanging there I see I should have moved those two orange blocks so they were adjoining.