I'm Over Winter and Thinking About Spring, Pastels and Easter Colors

I am over Winter and it is snowing again even though the weatherman said our area would only get a "dusting" of snow. So I am inspired by the arrival of Spring and the colors associated with the season.

While working at Pine Street Quilts in Marinette WI, I discovered a pattern callled "Oh Sew Charming" in which you use any charm pack and a yard and 1/8 of a background fabric to make a wall hanging 33 1/2" x 33 1/2" with two border options to finish it off. I was not impressed with the photo on the pattern front because it was done up in the Kansas City Troubles type fabrics and I didn't bother looking any further. But the shop did a sample for a quilt kit and I was part of the construction process and I fell in love with the pattern.

I had a Moda Chez Moi Charm Pack in my stash and never used it and thought it would work out nicely for this pattern. I used a turquise blue as my background because it looked like robin eggs and spring.

I wanted to embellish the quilt with buttons but I had limited pastel buttons and I live where there is no Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Walmart didn't have any and I was bummed because I wasn't able to drive out of town because of the wintery roads.

But I try to think outside the box and found these pastel bow barrettes at the Dollar Tree in the second photo! I cut the barette flap thingie off and stitched them to the quilt. Then yesterday Walmart got in the pastel button mixed bag and wa-la the quilt is completed this morning. I am staring outside at snow but thinking Spring!!

I plan to make another wall hanging with this pattern using my Moda Vintage Modern Charms. Can't find the right background fabric though so it is on hold until I can road trip to Green Bay or Appleton.

Pop Art Princess or Fourteen Shades of Gray

This small wall hanging began with the Valentine quilt in photo three using 16 3" squares in a vairety of values of Valentine print fabric and the woman motif raw edged fused applique. Then I chose to donate a piece to the local Taste of the Town for the local free clinic fundraiser. I didn't really have anything on hand to donate so I thought a small piece sized 12" x 12" would be easy enough to make in a short amount of time. I discovered the gray large scale print in photo 2  while I was working on the "value" quilt and the yellow and blue caught my eye. I thought why can't I use a background of grays and have the applique in blue ( eyes, nose neck/chin), yellow (hair) and red (mouth/binding.) I didn't really know what it would look like but I began anyway. I quilted the entire piece using a Madeira rayon variegated gold/blue/red combo and was thrilled with this thread. It is easy to quilt with, I love the sheen the rayon provides and there are many color combos which I am going to have to purchase in the future!! I embellished with chunky red/blue nail polish on the lips, subtle blue glitter nail polish on the eyelids, one amber colored rhinestone on the nose and a combination of two felt flower buttons and a stray blue satin button as a hair accessory. The quilt came together quickly and was so fun I made another one just like it for myself and one in another color combo which I will blog about in my next post. When this piece was photographed it reminded me of a Warhol pop art Marilyn Monroe so I am titling it "Pop Art Princess" but the one I am keeping is called "Fourteen Shades of Gray"

This is the fabric that began the inspiration-you never know what will get my attention since this fabric has been in my stash for awhile and I just noticed it now!!

This is the quilt I made for my quilter friend Suzanne who loves Valentines Day and her birthday is Feb. 13th. I enjoyed making this one and couldn't stop!! Am I making a series of quilts??