and then fade to black

I have a confession to make right now.

I am a Carolyn Friedlander fan girl. If she touches it, I will probably like it.

She is super sweet and awesome (I met her this fall). I sort of wish we were friends. I even got her to sign a block for the back of my Botanics quilt.

When buzz about her new line Botanics started making its way around the inter webs I knew I would like it. Some people call this a line of "blenders" but I sort of hate that term. I see this as a line of dynamic prints with great hue saturation (probably not saying that right).

This is the kind of fabric line that makes my life easy. I like to work with colors, I am not necessarily attracted to prints in my quilting. I tend to buy fancy multi-colored prints and then never use them. These single color prints are the types of fabrics I will use.

Also there are metallics and I like shiny things. This is metallics done right y'all.

I bought a charm pack of Botanics from someone on Instagram (check me out @stitchingandbaon) right after quilt market. As soon as I spread out the charms I saw the saturation spectrum and my orderly instincts felt the need to sort! Sort all of the things!

So I went from there, working with what I had…. which happened to include a couple of charm packs of Bella bleached white.

Then I added the negative space and here we are.

I heart you Carolyn Friedlander. Keep doing what you are doing. That is all.

I stamped my label onto the back of this quilt before quilting. This means I did not have to hand stitch a label anywhere. What do you think of this? Keep it going? Crazy sauce? Ambivalence?

Love you friends! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and are ready for an epic New Year.

Quilt Stats:
Name: Fade to Black
Size: 58" x 68"
Fabrics: All of the Botanics line, made by Robert Kaufman and designed by Carolyn Friendlander, Moda Solids Bleached White, and some Kate Spain (couldn't tell you the line name)
Pattern: My own (using the stitch and flip triangle technique)
Finished: December 2013
Quilting: Spiral from the center using Aurifil thread

Bacon is Sewing in Between the Traveling.

Good evening my friends!

I am typing this post from my lovely Atlanta hotel room. It has been a little nuts in bacon-ville recently.

I have been traveling a bunch for work. As in I have worked in three states in the past three weeks, next week I am going to make it an even four (in case you were curious, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.

In the past three days I have walked 19 miles. Probably more. Maybe that does not sound like a lot, but I was carrying an instrument and wearing wellies (my fault for forgetting the other pair of acceptable shoes).

But who cares about all that? I sure don't.

I have been sewing.

I turned these:

Into this. 

Then I did this:

and this happened.

But I recovered and got some of this nonsense into one piece. 

That may be as close as we get to a play-by-play without a tutorial. Phew.

I met Carolyn Friedlander. Then I tried not to be too annoying/act starstruck. She was amazingly sweet and such a treat to talk with.

She showed us stuff she made. It sort of blew my mind. I wanted all of the patterns and I wanted to make all of the things. Actually, I just wanted her things. Just perfect.

She signed a quilt block for my new botanics quilt (see above).

I am failing at keeping myself from overcommitting. I will share the results from this failure soon. They are sort of epic and amazing. There are some awesome things going around the internet (okay, that wins the general statement of the year award).

Love you all. Love your work. Keep it up.

See you soon.

The Migration Quilt [Planes, Trains, and Automobiles]

I decided to start tonight's blog post with a list.

Fun facts to catch you up with me:

1.) In the past three weeks I have been in eight states. I only slept in three of them.

2.) I am leaving again tomorrow.

3.) I have achieved diamond status with my hotel reward program. That means I have spent over 40 nights in Choice Hotels this year. This would be less sad if I only stayed in that brand of hotels, but that is not true. The actual number of nights in a hotel room is much higher.

4.) Some of my dearest sewing friends and I hung out this weekend. We drank milkshakes, ate pizza, and bought a lot of fabric.

5.) I learned about life mistakes and then I bought more Collage. This entire visit deserves its own blog post.

6.) Today I ate a chocolate croissant and took a pilates class. I think those two events neutralize each other.

There you go, caught up with me. Don't you just feel like we had a cup of coffee together? Except if we had coffee together, you could have added your things too. Then we could have talked about how good your hair looks and I could have asked you where you got those shoes.

I finished another quilt on the plane to in Denver. Then I gave it away the next day.

I improvised a photo shoot, 'cause I wanted to show this awesome finish with you.

I made this quilt for Derek's grandparents, we call them Gammie and Grandad. They are amazing people.

Gammie is a quilter and a former high school math teacher. Grandad is a retired engineer. So, I new this quilt had to have some math. I also knew it had to be good. So, I used some of my precious architextures and I worked super hard.

I think they really liked it. Little know fact, quilters are the best people to gift quilts. They appreciate them tons and they know how to use those quilts. They were both totally surprised and excited. This is technically a birthday present for them both. Gammie just turned 82 a few weeks ago and Grandad is turning 83 in January. I hope they don't mind me sharing this on the internet...

Gammie and Grandad assured me they would snuggle under this one all winter.

That sort of makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Thanks for tolerating me friends. Love you bundles.

Sarah

Quilt Stats:
Quilt Name: Migration
Quilt pattern: Mine, though, I know this block has a name. Shall we just call it *%&$%^ bias seams?
Fabric: Caroline Friedlander's Architextures, Simply Style by V and Co, and a great deal of Essex linen from Robert Kaufman.
Quilting: My lazy infinity quilting, quilted and pieced with Aurifil thread
Size: Ha! Like I remembered to measure before I gave this away.

PS - All photos on this page were taken with my iPhone. I apologize for this, I just did not have room to pack the dslr. We will be back to regularly scheduled photos next time I finish a quilt.

Bacon Seen in the Wild

If you have been hanging about here for awhile you may know that there have been tons of baby quilts in my life recently.

I thought I would take a second to show you some of my quilts with their BABIES!

Here is Hunter with my Confetti Baby quilt.

Work it Hunter. Look at that smizing.

This is Samantha with the Untitled Baby Edition.

Apparently she was fascinated with the hedgehogs and the bright colored rectangles. They draw my eye in too Samantha.

Finally Baby DJ with the Ducks in a Row quilt.

DJ does not get out of bed for such minor things. Clearly. 

It is super fun to see my quilts getting play on and loved (drooled on probably too). Cue satisfied sigh. 

Hope you had a fantastic weekend.

Love and Kisses from good old North Carolina,

Sarah

PS - These photos were passed on by some of my favorite people to share with you all. Thanks Kathie, Tracey, and Lisa! Photo credit deserved, plus your babies are pretty. 

Back with Something Minor to Report

When I started blogging I read a couple tips for bloggers. One of the things I learned is that a blogger should never apologize for an absence. Apparently, people don't like reading other people's apologies.

I am sorry I have been MIA

I have always been a bit of a rebel (this statement is not really that true).

I think I was busy, but I can't remember what I doing.

Meanwhile back in the sewing room, I had a super productive sewing weekend. I finished the binding on a quilt, but I have not managed to work up the energy for a photo shoot.

I finished a rocking border for one of the medallion traveling quilt groups I am in (seriously, I am in two medallion alongs right now). This is a secret quilt, so I can only show a peek. You will have to trust me, it is boss.

This is Paige's quilt and I do not think I am going out on a limb when I say, we are heading exactly in the direction she pointed us.

Then I made the center/starter for my SURMA medallion traveling quilt group I am doing. This one is with my mountain sewing ladies, although we prefer to think of ourselves as members of Sigma Sigma Upsilon. It is not secret, so I can show you my work every month (for you savvy instagram people #surmasewing).

My medallion theme is "I love color." I am going for a color block/low volume theme, where each border is a scrappy version of a different color (chosen by the maker that month). I decided to make the center my favorite color, BLUE!

The block was made using the Ice Star pattern, which is free from Sew What Sherlock. Full disclosure on this buddy, it was a great pattern, very easy to follow and gorgeous, but it took FOREVER.

I am showing you this picture to give you an idea about how many pieces it took.

My center is now out in the wild, I will not get to see it in person for about a year... But I will get to see pictures.  Yay!

I have some neat projects in the works. I promise I will come back soon.

Tonight I am in a hotel room and I am exhausted. I think I might even be too tired for reality TV... bizarre...

My next post will be cuteness overload, so prepare yourself (I feel I should mention it will not be my cat, although he is cute).

A Happy Interlude with a Fuzzy Cat

Max can not resist a good quilt. In fact, he is the worst photo bomber. 

When I heard about Lily Pad Quilting's Pets on Quilts Show (direct link here), I knew I would have tons of entry options. This is my pick for the Cats on Quilts category.

Obviously, I had to choose the one where he managed to lay on the MOST quilts! Extra points for that?

There are at least three quilts in this photo. 

So cozy and cute. I could not resist adding more. 

True confession. Derek bribed me to get me to move across the country to live with him in North Carolina. He told me we could get a cat (we also got engaged).

It worked.

I had kitten Max picked out via shady internet connections while I was working in Belize and Ecuador the summer before I moved (if you know South American internet cafes, you understand what a commitment this was). We picked Max up 5 days after pulling my Penske truck up to our North Carolina apartment.

I have not regretted it once. Not the move or the Fuzz (as he is affectionately known).

Even when he wakes me up at 6 am by jumping on my face. I don't even regret him then.

I have never regretted Derek (and he has never jumped on my face at 6 am).

Thanks for visiting to see the cat love! I can't wait to check out all of the cuteness.

P.S. - I am going to have a super exciting announcement on Monday. Come back, bring your friends. Do not miss it! I wish I could tell you more. The excitement is figuratively killing me!

Untitled Baby Edition

I had trouble naming this quilt. My husband and I tossed around a couple of ideas.... Down by the Sea, Vintage Flower, Blue...

I think I am going to just call it untitled. That sounds artsy, right?

That name sort of goes with my process for this one. I just started pulling fabrics from my scrap bins and cutting them into 6 inch long rectangles of varying widths. I intentionally did not let myself pick favorites or cull the stack. If it was long enough, I cut it.

The quilt is mostly blue because I started in my blue bin. I started in my blue bin because it was too full to close. At some point I decided this was going to be a baby quilt and stopped cutting (side note: so many baby quilts this year!). Then I decided it was going to be for girl, so I dived into the pink bin. Then I threw in some grays to give it some fun.

Ta Da!

I love it. Somehow the craziness works. Is that a metaphor for life? Maybe, sometimes the little bits of ugly will make something pretty.

Too sentimental. Probably.

This quilt is heading off to a baby in Canada soon, eh.

xoxo,
Sarah

Quilt Stats:
Size: 40" x 44"
Pattern: Scrappy Coin Quilt. Idea has been floating around the world for awhile, no pattern needed.
Fabrics: So many. The solids are probably all Kona cottons and Essex Linens.
Quilting: Free motion infinity, pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread.
Finished: July 2013

P.S. - Photos were taken in front of my neighborhood fish monger. Yeah, I have a fish monger within walking distance of my house.

And I Will Use All of the Colors [now in technicolor]

The inspiration for this quilt came to me suddenly. I was trying to think of a block to assign for my month of the Simply Solids Bee (Gamboge group, woot!) and this just HAD to happen. Prepare yourself for some serious photos.

I wanted to use all of the colors. I wanted to not care about complementary or contrasting, to just let it go. It is unbelievably freeing to just improv the color selection.

I wrote a tutorial on how to make this block, which I call the wonky diamond. The finished blocks all came back beautiful, like little rainbow envelopes from my bee mates.

Then I made a quilt top (posted about here). There is not a whole lot else to say, except I love it. Incidentally, my husband informed me from the start that this is his least favorite quilt I have ever made.   He is not being mean, but the colors are just not his speed (honestly, not everyone has to like everything right?).

The back is pieced from more bright strips, an extra block, and one little Umbrella print heart. 'Cause I heart this quilt.

Happy Rainbow friends (I have to add a photo of myself, quilters have to get in front of the camera sometime).

These photos were taken in an alleyway near my house. This little gopher (?) is known as Saxapahaw Sam and he is a favorite of some unknown (to me at least) graffiti artist. The photos were taken by me or my loving husband.

This wall happens to have a bar on the other side. Therefore, we adjourned to the bar for some refreshments following the shoot. Boom.

I have a lot of projects wrapping up right now, so I am hoping to show off some more finished quilts soon. Stay tuned!

Quilt Stats:
Size: 50" x 60"
Fabrics: Assorted Kona Solids (I did not actually use all of the colors, just some of them) on a Kona Snow background. I think the solid diamond and binding are Steel. Back is from Ikea. There is one tiny little umbrella print on the back too.
Pieced: with help from the Gamboge group of the Simply Solids bee
Quilting: Infinity symbol quilted by me on my home machine with my trusty Aurifil thread.
Finished: July 6, 2013

PS - Be sure to come back for my Christmas in July post on Wednesday!