(scrappily) painted feathers {fat quarterly issue 16}

Guess what?  One of my quilt patterns is in the latest issue of Fat Quarterly!

I call it "Painted Feathers."  Mostly because it was inspired by a palette of these pretty awesome painted feathers:

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Pretty original, huh? :)  Sidebar:  does anyone else dutifully follow @freepeople on IG?  ...I'm a bit overzealous with the "like" button myself.

And if you follow yours truly on IG, you've likely seen the paper-pieced painted sections underway...

...And the inspiration for the quilting:

@nohatsquilts

Clearly I have an easier time with pencil and paper, but I'm happy to report that the needle, thread and I are working through it...

As you can see from the illustration below, the rectangular "feather motif" blocks are entirely interchangeable, so you can mix and match blank and painted blocks as your heart desires:

P.S.  Our do. Good Believe Circle is sewing up some neutral-fuchsia-gray wispiness this month, so stay tuned! :)

And the unpainted block doubles as a "blank canvas," so you can adorn it with any design of your choosing.  (Just like having your own paintbrush in hand!)  Or you can choose from one of the motifs I've sketched out for you:

If you like what you see or want to see more, be sure to pick up Fat Quarterly Issue 16 {scraps}, on (virtual) newsstands now!

Sarah

hard at work on the farm.

The city farm, that is :o)

So far I've either cut and/or pieced (…mostly the former) blocks 1-70.  A few favorites in this leaning tower of paper plates?

I'm pretty smitten with the oversized {utilitarian} text on these things!  And those red+white flowers?  Très AMH, n'est-ce pas? ;)
Another plus to these feedsacks? Uncovering lots of potential #economyblockalong fussy cuts!

Sara of Sew Sweetness's sew-along finale link-up is open until the 31st, so here's to crossing all fingers and toes for a finish by that time next week.  If you haven't seen the completed tops over there, you definitely need to change that.  Those blanketfuls of color are certainly cause for a teensy bit of envy from this rustic, feedsack-clad concept.  But I'm hopeful that I'll be pleased with my design choice once the rest all of it, er, comes together :o)

And in that spirit, let the cutting continue and the sowing begin!

Linking up with Lee, because, y'know, it's Wednesday :)

jumping on the #economyblockalong bandwagon

Minus the gorgeous-but-not-so-much-my-style uber-scrappiness.
Plus my coveted collection of grays.

But my friends, insofar as I have a plan—a spectrum of gray squares encasing colorful fussy cuts, all arranged in roygbiv—consider me on board!

Looks like the rest of the week will be full of cutting.  Much of it fussy :o)

Linking up this wip with the talented, newly-minted author Lee!

P.S. Congrats to Amanda (A) of Everyday Fray, who won my first year blogiversary giveaway!  In addition to cutting into my extensive assortment of grayscale prints for these greconomy blocks, I'll also be digging into some liberty tana lawns, oakshott cottons, and who knows what else as I put together a nice little surprise parcel over the coming week :)

P.P.S.  Thank you so much to everyone else who took the time to comment on the giveaway post!  I so enjoyed reading your responses and learning more about each and everyone of you.  Turns out we all have quite a bit in common, which might explain why this (geographically) vast community feels wonderfully home-y all the same :)

365 days well spent? {giveaway: year I}

Giveaway is now closed.  

Congratulations to AMANDA of Everyday Fray!  Happy to call you my friend, A :)  Now, off to assemble some goodies (more on that to follow).

I'd say so.  But then again, I'm a bit biased :o)

A year of doing what, exactly?  Well.... there's been:

a lot of trial and error.
new techniques.
a welcome bounty of new friendships forged (all but one long distance).
too many (or not enough?) new fabric purchases (which is why I've committed to holding off on all future stashing until my selvage quilt is completed (insert tear of sorrow)).
my first link-up.
my first pattern.
my first giveaway (and then a second, and a third).
my first tutorial.
my first (official) forray in do(.)ing Good.
my second attempt to do some good, one by one.
my first honorable mention.
my first first place.
my first teaching opportunity (as fate would have it, sign ups for the February 14-15 class start TONIGHT, of all days!  There's that karma again.)

But I doubt you're here for long-winded lists.  So why don't I show you a sampling of what I've been up to since burrowing out this little corner of the blogosphere on January 9, 2013:

So, as a little gesture of appreciation for the role you've played in making this {house} feel more like a home, I'm going to cull a few favorites from a year's worth of projects and put them up for adoption (disclaimer:  loveless abodes need not apply).

What might that look like?  Well there's Liberty.  And Oakshott.  And low volume.  And Aurifil.  And grays.  And feedsacks.  And the rainbow.  (Speaking of, maybe I'll just give away all those pre-cut, 2" selvage strips so I can get back to my previous fabric-hoarding habits. (...Juuuusssst kidding!))

Let's just say the winner should prepare to be surprised, shall we? :o)  Unless of course you follow me on IG (@nohatsquilts), in which case you should keep your eyes peeled for a sneak preview post in the next few days.  Along with other goings-on, of course :)

So, how to enter?
1.  All you have to do is leave a short comment with whatever word or phrase best describes you.  I'll start:  Crazy thoughtful and generally free-spirited.  But mostly crazy.
2.  Followers get a second entry. (Honor system here:  @nohatsquilts on IG, bloglovin, feedly, or email?)

Edited to add:  I'll keep it open for four days, and will draw a winner sometime on January 14, 2014.

Cheers to the next year's installment of optional hatlessness.  I hope you'll stick around for whatever's to come!

Sarah

linking up to crazy mom quilts

karma à la clematis {and an announcement!}

It's funny how life falls into place sometimes.  (Or, how my over-analytical mind sorts separate life happenings into single story lines.)  Either way, after reading the following events, I hope the inspiration for this four-ring DWR—pieced from clematis-colored Oakshotts and coordinating leftover liberty arcs—will be clear.

About a month ago, on December 5—four days after posting my equality-inspired DWR on December 1—I received an email from a past guild president in California; she was wondering whether I spoke or taught at guilds.  I was honest, letting her know that I'd only been "seriously" quilting and blogging about a year, that I was still finding my footing in our lovely community, and that it was something I'd love to do.  I was cautiously optimistic, but didn't expect to hear much—if anything—for a while.

The semiannual SMS giveaway week quickly followed four days after that note (it rolled out on December 9).  As many of you know, I offered some oceanic Oakshotts (and Aurifil) as part of the fun.  Four days later, Mr. Oakshott generously shared some holiday cheer via a few fabrics he knew I had my eye on (I'd inquired about shipping rates for the Clematis color wrap, which I'd regrettably excluded from an earlier order).

The title of his December 13 email announcing the incoming parcel?  "Karma."

So imagine my surprise when—you guessed it, four days after "Karma" hit my inbox—an email with the subject line, "READY TO COME TO CALIFORNIA?" showed up on December 17.

In reply, I wanted to say "Where do I sign?!" but, being the over-analytical attorney that I am (it's true!), I decided to get some details first.  Two paths, same result :o)

And so I give you karma à la clematis,

the class sample I just shipped off to the Beach Cities Quilters Guild, where I'll be speaking on February 13 and teaching a two-day workshop for my double (diamond) wedding ring design on February 14 and 15.

Thank you, Michael and Jean, for setting the wheels in motion for a host of independent interactions, separated by four-day increments yet inextricably interlinked, both in my mind, and (now) in this design.

One ring pays homage to the liberty+oakshott creation that arguably triggered it all.

I know California's massive (or so Anne tells me), and that many of you think I'm nuts anyway, but I'd love to see/meet/work with you if you're local to southern Orange County* :) I'm stepping in last-minute for a very talented quilter who had to reschedule for personal reasons, so sign-ups haven't even started (I'm under the impression they open on Thursday, January 9 at the guild's regular meeting, but see their newsletter for more details).

*I only wish I were local:  Sarah Fielke, Cheryl Arkison, Kathy Doughty, and Jacquie Gering are all on this guild's upcoming speaker list(!)  One day, Indiana.  One day :)  In the meantime, we'll just enjoy our snow days...

Cheers to an adventuresome 2014.  Perhaps I'll be seeing you soon!

Sarah

linking up to crazy mom quilts

starting off 2014 on the right foot...

With another palette inspired by imagery from 10x10 as part of my 1x1 colorstory collection.

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Looking forward to a year full of learning, giving, love, and adventure.

What about you?