I posted about the Quarter Circle Coasters project from 1, 2, 3 Quilt last week. Now you can head over to Craft Foxes and follow the instructions to make your own!
Photo above by Laura Malek.
Etsy Finds Friday
Slippers from Molipop.
Laser Cut Giraffe from Asymetree.
Knotty Pillow from Kumeko Design.
iPad Case from GalaBorn.
Sunburst Cuff Bracelet from Laurel Hill.
Cathrineholm Bowl from Dipper Vintage.
Leo Lion Illustration from Gingiber.
Bandana Bib from Chicken and Charlie.
Mugs from Julia Paul Pottery.
Brave New Quilts
The craft world was shaken when Kathreen Ricketson died tragically in May. Though I never met Kathreen in person, we had worked together on several projects and I was a longtime follower of her blog Whip Up, where she shared craft and sewing projects along with thought-provoking posts about creativity and life in general.
Kathreen was unflinching in her pursuit of creativity and gave her readers an honest depiction of a real life. She was a hard worker, balancing a busy family life with books, blogging, and exciting new projects like her family magazine, Action Pack. I admired her dedication and integrity. Her final book, Brave New Quilts, reflects so much of her personality and it feels like a perfect expression of her warm, yet modern aesthetic.
In Brave New Quilts, Kathreen takes us on a journey through artistic styles of the 20th century, using Pop Art, Bauhaus, Midcentury Modern, and other movements as inspiration for her quilts. She introduces the design principles of space, proportion, pattern and texture, line and shape, balance and symmetry, and color. After all, these same design principles can just as easily be applied to quilt-making as they can to fine art. The book is sprinkled with her charming sketches as you can see below, and filled with ideas for finding inspiration.
The twelve projects in the book can be re-created just as they are seen in the book, but she also encourages you to take a creative leap and make the designs your own. For each quilt, she sketches out other color options so you can see the possibilities. Whether you are a beginning or advanced quilter, there’s something for everyone to take from this book.
Brave New Quilts is a beautiful and poignant book, a fitting tribute to Kathreen’s creative life. Follow along on the Legacy tour:
Tuesday 10/1 Heather Jones
Wedneday 10/2 Kristin Link
Thursday 10/3 Maya Donenfeld
Friday 10/4 Alexandra Smith
Monday 10/7 Sonya Philip
Wedneday 10/9 Andrea Jenkins
Thursday 10/10 Shannon Cook
Friday 10/11 Mimi Kirchner
Monday 10/14 Cheryl Arkison
Matching Diagonal Seams
Photo by Laura Malek from 1, 2, 3 Quilt.
I’m working on making the Native Star Duffel Bag from 1, 2, 3 Quilt and wanted to share a quick technique for matching diagonal seams. This is useful when matching seams cut at a 45 degree angle. Here, I am joining two strips to make the star on this duffel bag. In my book, I talk about various techniques for matching seams with seams pressed open and to the sides. For this project, I recommended using a pin to align the seams, but I wanted to offer more details about how you can do this with precision.
You can see that there are strips of fabric cut on the diagonal that I need to join with matching points. First, with one strip wrong side facing up, use a seam gauge to mark the seam 1/4″ from the raw edge of the fabric. Then mark the seams on the right side of the other strip. Place the two strips with right sides facing, and use a straight pin to precisely align your two marked points. Pin together and sew!
Etsy Finds Friday
Metal Frame Purse from Octopurse.
Wonky Triangles Paper Piecing Pattern from Owen’s Olivia.
Colorful Beaded Necklaces from Nest Pretty Things.
Framed Weaving from A Fiber Circus.
Holiday Ornament Kit from Modern Needleworks.
Wool Felt Coin Purse from Loft Full of Goodies.
Fairy Birds Counted Cross Stitch Pattern from Galaborn Patterns.
Vintage Swiss Alpine Plates from Reclaimer.
Triangle Necklace from Nutak.