GRADATION PILLOW

My favorite part of quiltmaking is playing with fabrics.  I love to check out how different fabrics interact with their neighbors.  Do they meld together or clash?  Is there color contrast or not?  Does a blue have undertones of green or maybe red?  Are the textures similar or contrasting?  Does an ugly fabric make its neighbor look better or worse?  And, on and on ----

One of my favorite exercises is a gradation of one color using many shades.  In this pillow, I chose 10 different fabrics for each of three colorways.

Shading from dark to light and back to dark again; and checking for texture.

  The fun part for me is to limit myself to only those fabrics in my scrap/stash bins.  It's always a learning experience for me to see what type/color fabric would make a gradation better.  Then, when shopping I try to remember what my stash is needing!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
What a Hoot Quilts for BOMS Away Monday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

WILD SIDE

I must have suppressed my wild side in the 1960s, because occasionally my bohemian side surfaces.  Consequently, I made this pillow this week.

Actually, I wanted to practice my curved piecing.

I found the curves to be easy.  It must have been from setting in all of those sleeves during years of clothing construction.

For the most part, I even like my machine quilting on this project.

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

PERILS OF PAULINE or is it just a PITIFUL PEARL pillow?

I'm still at it ---- trying to transition from a machine piecing, hand quilting, hand appliqueing quilter to an all machine quilter.  Due to failing eyesight and arthritic fingers, I can't just give up the quilting that has been a part of my life since I was 11 years old.

I decided I needed to practice on some machine applique, so I've been working on a pillow.  I chose an applique technique that uses interfacing to finish the seams then is zigzagged on the background squares.  

I'm okay with my choice of fabrics and the design; but, frankly, my workmanship sucks!  I found this technique tedious and difficult turning all those small leaves.  However, I slogged through all 42 pieces.

My points are not very good, the zigzag is uneven, and the applique placement is sometimes wonky.  By the time, I got to the machine quilting, I was so over this project.  Therefore, I wasn't as careful as I should have been with the stitching.

I have a feeling that this pillow will soon be demoted from a house pillow to a porch pillow.

In the meantime, I need to find another method to machine applique and then practice, practice, practice.

I'm joining the following:
Sew Fresh Quilts for Lets Bee Social Wednesday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday