gray colorweave pb textiles

A few weeks ago I started sewing HST’s with a stack of charm squares that have been on the shelf for several years and lots of solid scraps. When I started this, I had absolutely no plan for the. It was just something to do in the sewing room. I limited the solids to shades of gray and blue.

Time passed (as it does) and I decided it was time to put them together. I looked through my computer files at patterns I have bought and never used. A copy of Pike’s Peak by Meadow Mist Designs caught my eye.

I bought this pattern long ago – you know back in the day when we were free to come and go as we pleased. We could gather in groups, hold quilt guild meetings and quilt shows. No one was wearing goofy looking masks and dousing their hands with gallons of hand sanitizer every time they were in public. Ah, those were the days. But back to the pattern…. I bought this and never made it. The pattern has a baby quilt size as well as a throw size.

However, the HST’s I had already made were smaller than those required by the pattern. To keep things in proportion, I sized the background pieces down. For the background, I chose a textured solid I had in the shop. (Sadly, it is now gone and I can’t get this line any longer.) I like the texture it adds though.

I love the various shades of gray and blue. From a cornflower blue to dark navy and from the palest silvery gray to dark charcoal – there is a nice range here.

I am unsure exactly how I will use this. It finishes at 42″ square which is small for a lap quilt. It doesn’t feel like a baby quilt to me so I don’t think I want to donate it. I might quilt it and hang it in my sewing room. The walls in that room are pale gray and this would look pretty hanging in there. Decisions, decisions.

Next is basting and quilting this up. Not sure when that will happen though. I am working on a quilt for a blog hop that happens next week so I want to finish that up.

I have been remiss in posting and reading blogs over the past couple of weeks. During the quarantine there are lots of people sewing (and especially making masks) which has created a spike in orders for my shop. Thus lots of time has been spent packing and shipping orders, which is great. I am happy to help people choose the fabric they need for their projects. Lately I have met (online of course) some really kind new customers and I have really enjoyed this.

I hope everyone is coping as well as possible with the ramifications of this quarantine. It affects everyone in different ways, some much more than others. Hang in there, stay safe and try to support the people who need it.

I am loving having all of these gorgeous bolts of fabric downstairs. I like to look at them, rearrange them, sell pieces to my wonderful customers and best of all, make stuff with them. I know, it probably isn’t the path to becoming rich – using up my own inventory – but it’s all just sitting there, taunting me, calling out to me. My willpower only goes so far. I am human after all.

When I was in the process of selecting this first round of fabric purchases, I tried very hard to make sure that the lines I bought were able to intermingle. I like offering choices and having pieces that work well together. This pink paisley print is actually from the Modern Tykes line (from Henry Glass). The line is a set of adorable juvenile prints. But this paisley holds its own. It is a deep pink with gray and taupe accents. Pink isn’t usually my color but I like this one. I also carry a selection of Color Weaves – a textured solid made by PB Textiles. The gray piece works perfectly with this paisley print.

I love both of these fabrics together and thought they were a good choice for a springtime tote bag. I used (for the second time) the tutorial, Summer Madras Tote by Anna Graham (Noodlehead.com). (Here is the first one I made, in case you want to check it out.) It is a very simple bag that takes maybe an hour to put together. The tutorial is very easy to follow. I like the outer pockets finished with a bit of trim.

This bag is roomy and will be perfect for shopping or filling with fresh produce at the farmer’s market. I have a feeling I will get plenty of use out of it!

I have a second bag in the making as well. This one is based on a tutorial by Beth at Cooking Up Quilts. For this, I will use a piece of fabric from Maker Maker, by Sarah Golden. I have been wanting to try a recessed zipper and her tutorial makes it look simple. That remains to be seen!

I also finished the baby’s quilt this week. I sent it off to my kids and will share a post on that next week. The baby is due any day now. We are all so excited to meet her.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I am experiencing QuiltCon vicariously through all of the posts on Instagram. So many amazing quilts!!

Today is the last day for the sale on Maker Maker fabrics. I have each piece marked down by 15% – no coupon code needed.

Linking to my usuals – check them out at the top of the page, under Link Ups.