RED SKY AT NIGHT, SAILOR'S DELIGHT

 Whenever I see a red sky in the evening, it reminds me of an old mariner saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning." The saying is based on Matthew 16: 2&3 in the bible.  It has special meaning for me now that my grandson is in the U.S. Navy submarine fleet.  I've had this quilt in mind for awhile to honor him and his fellow mariners.

THE STATS:  SAILOR'S DELIGHT, 2022, 32"X32", Machine pieced, machine quilted.

For this quilt I have used the "star sashing" concept that adds another design element to a quilt. I always like the look of those little stars in a quilt, but I now need a break from star points after doing these 200, 3/4" points!  

Here are three of my other quilts with "star sashing"; just different choices of color, fabric placement, and size.

KEEPSAKE STAR, 2001

"SPANGLED STARS", 2015-2022

"KEEPSAKE STAR RELIVED", 2021

SPANGLED STARS

Finished in time for the summer patriotic holidays.

I'm on my mission to finish up some old quilt tops that never made it to the quilting stage. This top is "Spangled Stars" from 2015.  My original design was in my book about signature quilts and called "Keepsake Star" and was made in 2001.  In 2021, I also used the design to make "Keepsake Star Relived". 

THE STATS:  Spangled Stars, 2015-2022, 30"x30", Machine pieced, Machine quilted.

I'm still fond of this design based on an old traditional star block.

KEEPSAKE STAR, 2001

KEEPSAKE STAR RELIVED, 2021

DEAR JEANNE UPDATE #1

I'm still working on the drafting of patterns to use in my Dear Jeanne quilt -- that part is easy.  But, I keep anguishing over a possible color story for the quilt.

Below, are three versions of the 'Sawtooth Star' (or Keepsake Star) that I've tried.  The yukky first one is already in the trash.  The second one is better, but I'm just not feeling the purple.  The third one I like.  Guess I'm just a red person and may break my self-imposed rule of no red in this quilt.  My Grandmother was always right -- she said every quilt needs some red in it.

I made two of the 'Court House Steps' block.  In my eyes, the red one wins (of course).

Here is the 'Calling Card' block in the two colorways.  In the purple version, I used one side of a blue dotty fabric; in the red one, I used the reverse side.

I also intend to include twelve 5" applique blocks.  So I experimented with this one (no red).  I've framed these pictures with a black border to kind of get the effect of the narrow black sashing I'm considering.

That's it for now.  I'm anxious to get going on this quilt.  Don't be surprised to see some more red in the future!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Quilt Shop Gal for Creative Goodness Party Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday

DEAR JEANNE

On my bucket list of quilts has always been a 'Dear Jane' quilt.  But, I'm going to call mine 'Dear Jeanne'.  In my line of women of my family there are four of us with the middle name of Jeanne; and hopefully, some day (but not too soon) there will be a fifth generation named Jeanne.  She can then have this quilt made by her Great Grandmother, Sally Jeanne.

So, I'm in the planning stages.  It will be in the format of a 'Dear Jane' -- a sampler of small blocks.  The original quilt contains 169 blocks (13 blocks by 13 blocks plus the border); I'll be doing well to make 49 blocks (7x7).  The designs were drafted 4 1/2" in size originally; mine will be 5 inches.  I'm in the design and drafting phase right now using designs of blocks I have used in quilts over the last 30 or so years rather than the designs from the original quilt.

I'm also pulling fabrics from my 30-year scrap stash to establish a color story.  I'm thinking purple, pink, blue, black, gray, and white.

I made a couple of blocks to sample the size and color.

Yuk!  Don't like this one at all.

I'll refine the color choices as I progress.  For instance, I'm throwing out that pink in the corners of the star block above.  Actually, I think I'll throw the whole block away!

So, here is the same block with different fabrics.

I'm liking the idea of the blues with the gray/white/inky black -- the purple not so much. 

 I'm dying to exchange the purple for red; but I promised myself no red or brown this time.  I feel it is so important to get the color story right for a sampler with scraps quilt to control the busyness.
It must be time to step back a couple of days; let the colors percolate; and the quilt might tell me what to do.  Maybe a teal instead of purple; or possibly break my rule of no red this time.

 Currently, I'm hand quilting a couple of tops; so there won't be any finish action on this blog for awhile.  I plan to take it slow on the 'Dear Jeanne' blocks, too -- maybe two or three a week.   You can expect some in-progress reports on those in the future.

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday

A NEW WEEK, A NEW PROJECT

The urge to start something new did not pass.

Back in THE day when I was very busy writing a couple of books which required lots of designing and making of quilts, I was always pressed for time.  Consequently, I was unable to explore further the possibilities of some of my favorite designs.

This is one of the quilts from my book, "Keepsake Signature Quilts", that I had wanted to try with different colors, fabrics, and without signatures.

KEEPSAKE STAR

Now is the time!!!

I have been wanting to make a small table topper to use for both patriotic and Christmas holidays.  So I went to my stash of scraps.  Pulled out the boxes with blues and teals shaded to green.  I found enough scraps to make each of the 25 stars in a different fabric.

 Added some red and some background beiges.

And got started.

Boy!  Was I in for a surprise?  This quilt looks so different from my original 'Keepsake Star' even though it is the same pattern.  

It's always amazing to me how different a quilt can look by using different fabrics and shifting the lights and darks.

Where have my stars gone?  The emphasis is now on an "X-factor" in the center instead of the stars. 

I was a little disappointed as I do love those stars.  Even after all my years of making quilts, I still can be surprised -- guess that's what keeps me at it.

The top is finished, and now ready for basting and some hand quilting.  It's growing on me even without its galaxy of stars!

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

A WEEK OF RANDOMNESS

I've had another week of busyness, but not much accomplished.

1.  I did manage to get my 'bright' quilt basted for quilting.  I worked on it last night for a little while, but couldn't get into a rhythm -- that happens to me sometimes when I haven't hand-quilted for a couple of months.  I'll try again tonight.

It has been suggested that I name this quilt 'Fireworks' or 'Fireworks through a Window'.  I like the idea.

2.  Lists and more lists -- I will hang my quilt show in three weeks.  So there are piles of quilts, etc. all over the house.  I'm NOT a procrastinator, which can be a detriment sometimes.  I'm always ready toooooooo early, so we live with piles and lists!

 3.  I can't help myself -- I'm thinking about a new project.  Starting to pull out fabrics from the scrap stash to determine a color plan.

Hopefully, this urge to start something new will pass.

Is anybody else spinning their wheels, too?

I'm joining the following:

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday