I haven’t shared an updated tour of my quilting/crafting studio in quite a while. I thought I’d share a current studio tour and share how I’ve decorated and equipped it with many thrifted items bought second hand from charity thrift shops (local and found during my travels).

My studio is located in the former Primary Bedroom of the house. A couple years ago my husband John and I decided we didn’t need that much room for our main bedroom and moved to a smaller bedroom. Originally it was a carpeted room but in summer 2024 John put in a floor.

Here is the current view of the studio when you walk in the double doors:

The cutting table is comprised of two adjustable desks from World Market set at their highest position. John built a shelf that connects the two desks to provide additional storage.

Underneath I store the bulk of my yarn collection which includes a lot of thrifted yarn (last year I came across cheap collection of gorgeous and usually pricey fingerling weight sock yarn in brand new condition at a thrift store that I couldn’t leave the shop without for the imaginary day I start knitting socks…):

I use wine crates from liquor stores (which I either got for free or for a couple dollars) to store my fat quarter fabric collection (which I admit is a bit obscene…). And no I did not drink the wine formerly in the crates in order to obtain empty crates, ha!

John built the shelving unit below the wine crates in the first image above where I store some of my cotton fabric yardage; as well as the ironing station in the second photo.

Most of the art in my studio is thrifted including these two pieces that I love:

If you aren’t familiar with my story I am a widow who moved from my awesome life in Oregon to Colorado in 2019 to begin anew and reinvent my life (which included meeting John, a widower, and starting a new journey). Early on I had doubts about my big life move but signs like this remind me that I am where I need to be; and to “embrace new beginnings”.

I have a thing for fabric scraps (though I’ve culled my ridiculous collection of fabric scraps over the years and donated many bags of scraps to charity thrift shops) and I store my fabric scraps by theme in thrifted baskets in a shelving unit that John built me a couple years ago.

I have most of the baskets labeled with wooden tags and thrifted adhesive letters. In addition to fabric scraps I have some specialty fat quarters and my collection of fabric panels. The two baskets on the second to last shelf are gifts from an Oregon based friend who had her friend crochet me these baskets/bags from recycled plastic shopping bags!

Here is another shelf unit that John made using plumbing pipes and wood. It houses more of my cotton fabric yardage as well as thrifted various thrifted fabrics to include silks, wools and synthetic home decorating fabrics. On the bottom shelf are containers filled with projects waiting to be made.

The shelving unit contains a very important item in my studio: the candy bowl which I found at a thrift store:

Occasionally you need a sweet treat while you are creating!

My sewing table was a free table I got from neighborhood online forum offering used items for free or for sale. John made a topper for it to expand the surface area and put openings in the table to run cords through.

Above the table is the sign: “Happiness is homemade” that I found at a thrift store a couple years ago. It always makes me smile.

In addition to several of my sewing machines, I have various supplies, goodies, a radio and a bluetooth speaker for crafting music, on my sewing table;

All the jars and containers on the desk as well as the decorative plates holding pincushions, etc. are thrifted. Many of the buttons in the jar of buttons and the little spools of ribbon in a jar are thrifted. The wooden sewing box that says “Clarks…Making Cotton” is from John’s beloved grandmother. I am honored to have it my sewing space and I store larger buttons in it.

John built a little extension table for my sewing table and under that table I store MORE containers with projects waiting to be made; and projects in a thrifted basket.

I love the view out my studio windows next to the sewing table. I am surrounded by Aspen trees and it feels like I am in a treehouse.

The little art flags that hang on the window were discovered for $1 all bunched up at a thrift shop. They appear to be images painted on colored kraft paper and using a low heat iron I was able to smooth all the little flags out and hang them at the window.

Above the windows on each side of the sewing table are shelves that John built filled with more thrifted baskets and various decorative boxes storing supplies and fabric scraps:

The area rug in the studio is a Ruggable washable rug that I found for $5 at a thrift store. These rugs retail for over $300! I laundered the rug and purchased the special rug pad for the rug from Ruggable so it would lay properly.

Do you see the exercise ball and thrifted basket to the left of the rug? In addition to a sewing studio, I also use this space as my morning stretching/yoga studio, layout out a yoga mat.

John gave me his old bar mini fridge (which I’ve liberally covered with stickers from my travels) and I added in a tea station to the top of it which includes thrifted containers and baskets for tea and biscuits; and thrifted mugs for tea:

Must have tea and biscuits while crafting!

Maybe I need more tea and biscuits as here is the design wall in my studio that John built which is EMPTY right now as I finish up sewing the binding down on the Pieces of Colorado quilt (see the post Quilt in Progress: “Pieces of Colorado” Update #2):

And finally, the tierneycreates Beastie (made by Helen @ Crawcraft Beasties) hangs out in my studio in her “apartment” box made by John.

The antique sewing machine music box in the “apartment” below was a thrift store find gifted to me by my stepson and his wife a couple years ago.

Thanks for stopping by for an updated studio tour and to see what I’ve collected from thrift shops for my studio!

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy, Studio

ScrapHappy November 2024: Update on Denim Quilt

November 15, 2024November 16, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my monthly “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong run by Kate and Gun. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

Update on the Denim Quilt

For this month’s ScrapHappy post, I am updating you on my post Now Quilting the Denim Quilt! on beginning the quilting the denim quilt I pieced from denim scraps (recycled old jeans) and home decorating/upholstery fabric samples scraps.

I finished quilting the quilt using an “organic matchstick” pattern and two different threads.

I decided to put a “facing” on/”face” the quilt instead of adding a binding on the edges. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of “facing” a quilt, here is the handy YouTube video I used to remind myself on how to do a facing as it seems like years since I added one!

Here is the newly faced quilt on the ironing table in my studio getting a good press:

Here is the back of the quilt showing the thrifted cotton tablecloth I used as the backing:

And finally, here is the quilt (still needing the facing edges sewn down) nearly completed:

Thanks to my friend Rick G. on photographing this quilt using his equipment.

So what name did I finally decide on for the quilt and what is my Artist Statement? The answer is below:

What Direction Do I Go?

54 inches by 53 inches

In my early 50s the direction of my life radically changed with the sudden passing of my husband who’d been part of my life since I was 20 years old. Part of my identity and all the direction of my life evaporated and I was left with the following life question: What Direction Do I Go? Made entirely with recycled fabrics including the batting, this quilt reflects my struggle to find a new direction.

I decided to stick with my original concept for the quilt that I discussed in an earlier post when I was piecing this quilt.

Here are the other bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Alissa , Tierney, Hannah and Maggie

Fabric Scraps Obsession, From the Woodshop, Studio

From Journal Cover to Pillow

November 7, 2024November 16, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Pausing my series of posts about my September trip to the California Coast to share my conversion of a journal cover to a pillow.

I made this journal cover from fabric scraps in the first Journey to Art Quilting class I took with Jean Wells at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon, likely around 2013 or 2014.

We were working on improvisational quilting exercises; and I remember I added the turquoise in because Jean said your piece needs a “surprise”, something unexpected, and she called it “a poison”.

For some reason I just just feeling tired of this journal cover and no longer wanted to use the journal it covered, I wanted to fresh start for creative journaling. However I didn’t want to get rid of the piece.

So I decided to make it into a pillow!

The class with Jean was very memorable, it was actually a workshop series where we met monthly (or it might have been bi-weekly). The piece which eventually because Abandoned Water Structure and was sold to the City of Seattle’s Portable Works Collection was started in this workshop:

Long arm machine quilted by Guadalupe Designs

For more on this piece see the post “Your Body of Water” Exhibit, Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery (in this post you will find the original image that inspired this piece – an actual abandoned water structure outside of Maupin, Oregon)

Oh and back to the pillow – for now I am keeping the pillow in the basket in the entry to our home in a basket under a table John built (see post From the Woodshop: Floating Top Hall Table).

Postscript

We had a chair at the top of the top floor stairs landing that I like to sit in and stitch. The other day John the Woodworker made me a little table to hang over on of the chair arms so I would have a table there.

It’s a cozy place to hang out and quietly stitch.

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy October 2024: Recycled Hope

October 15, 2024October 16, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

The 15th of the month came around quicker than anticipated and I already blogged about the 22nd block I made for the very scrappy Farm Girl Vintage quilt I am working on September 26 (see post I Sewed Something! ) so I couldn’t use that for my October ScrapHappy post, sigh.

So instead I will discuss my series of art quilts made from scraps of recycled denim, clothing and home decorating fabrics – Recycled Hope; and update on you that latest quilt I am working on in that series.

The Recycled Hope Series

Recycled Hope an ongoing series of improvisational art quilts using recycled materials to include denim as the primary fabric on many of the pieces, combined with other recycled materials.

“Hope” and the interpretation of the word “hope” is the primary theme of infused into these pieces. Most of the fabrics were not reusable as clothing or home decor and were destined to end up in a landfill. Reimagining recycled clothing and other materials into art quilts satisfies my hopeful desire to honor the environment and make art that is eco-conscious. Ending up in an art quilt is a better outcome than ending up in a landfill.

My first quilt in the series, Recycled Road, was made for annual art quilt show for the local SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) group I belonged while living in Central Oregon:

This quilt was made using my late husband’s clothing that he no longer wanted, several recycled jeans, a little recycled scrap home decor fabric and this awful pair of orange corduroy pants someone gave me to use in an art quilt. The pants were too hideous to donate to be work as clothing but worked in a quilt! The quilt measures 18 inches by 40 inches which was the required dimensions for the art show which was titled “Pathways”.

I no longer own this quilt, it was purchased by a friend who wanted to support my art.

The second quilt I made in the series was also for an annual art quilt show for the local SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) group I belonged while living in Central Oregon and titled Recycled Door:

This quilt is composed of recycled denim, recycled home decor fabric, and a little of those awful orange corduroy pants (I got a lot of use out of those pants, fabric wise). It also measures 18 inches by 40 inches which was the required dimensions for the art show which was titled “Doors”. This quilt was purchased by a private collector.

The third quilt in the series was also for an annual art quilt show for the local SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) group I belonged while living in Central Oregon and titled Recycled Love:

Made from recycled jeans and home decor fabric, the Artist Statement for this quilt is as follows:

The first law of thermodynamics states that the total amount of energy in a system cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.A quilt is made from changing the existing “love energy” from the quilt maker’s heart into a pieced textile; ultimately recycling that love energy into the quilt’s recipient heart.

It also measures 18 inches by 40 inches which was the required dimensions for the art show which was titled “The Threads That Bind”.

I have this quilt hung in my hallway next to my studio to remind me that “Quilts are Love”.

Here are the rest of the quilts in this series which were not created for a specific show.

Recycled Windows of Conversation:

This quilt measures 55” W x 59” L; and is made from recycled jeans, various recycled clothing, and recycled home decor fabric. It was the largest recycled denim quilt i’d made to date.

It was purchased by an art dealer on behalf of their client, and it now sits in the common area of an upscale apartment complex in downtown Seattle, Washington (see post Oh So That’s What Happened to It!).

Recycled Windows:

This quilt measures 18” W x 39″ L, and is made from recycled clothing, recycled denim, and recycled home decorating fabric. It was juried into the New Mexico Arts Art in Public Places Program but was not selected by any of their public buildings for purchase. So it hangs in my bedroom and I enjoy looking at it everyday!

Recycled Business Casual:

Somewhere in this series of quilts I made this quilt from recycled jeans, recycled wool blankets and menswear wool suiting scraps (this is where I got the name “Recycled Business Casual“. It was more of an experiment than an actual art quilt but it did show along with many of the other quilts shown above in my first solo show: The Wardrobe Meets the Wall in April 2019 at the Seattle Municipal Tower in Downtown Seattle, Washington.

Current Project Update

And finally let’s get to my current project in progress to add to the Recycled Hope series – a denim quilt made with lots of recycled jeans and recycled home decor fabric scraps:

The tentative name for this quilt is “What Direction Do I Go?” but I am rethinking the name as my head is in a different space now than when I first started the quilt in October 2023 (What’s on the Design Wall: An “Upcycled” Work).

I have it back up on the design wall and it is set up for quilting with the backing and batting attached.

I am working out what quilting design I want to use. I created a sample square of scrap denim, backing and batting to try out some designs:

I am really looking forward to completing this quilt and I have a place on my living room to upstairs stairway reserved to hang this approximately 55 inches by 55 inches quilt.

After I finish this quilt, there will likely be more recycled denim quilts in the future as I have a nice stash of recycled jeans in my studio:

Earlier this year a local charity thrift shop had an “All Jeans $2” sale and I stocked up!

Here are the other bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy July 2024

July 15, 2024July 17, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

It’s the 15th of the month (ok it’s really the 17th but I have back dated this post, ha!) and time for my monthly “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong run by Kate and Gun. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

I’ve had a very busy summer so far and I recently returned from a trip to the Philadelphia area to visit my brother (and I spent time with one of my long time blogging buddies that some of you know…but that is a separate post coming later this week). Currently we are hosting three different sets of out of town visitors over the next 2 months. So crafting is sort of on the back burner, but I didn’t want to miss out on the monthly ScrapHappy post.

I’m in my 11th year of blogging with lots of posts in my archives. I looked through my blog category Fabric Scraps Obsession and found a couple of posts from early 2018 to share about a “Scrap Party” I had with a quilting friend, to celebrate the love of fabric scraps!

From the Archives:

Scrap Party! (03/30/2018)

It’s no secret, especially if you’ve followed my blog for a while, that I am obsessed with fabric scraps. I won’t try to link any of my numerous previous posts on fabric scraps. If you are new to my blog, you will have to just trust me 🙂

Well one of my quilting friends, actually the one who got me into appreciating the value and opportunity for unlimited creativity provided by using fabric scraps, is coming over tomorrow for a SCRAP PARTY!

She had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and we are going to do a belated celebration by going to out to lunch and then coming back to my house and spending the afternoon playing in my fabric scrap pile:

I did not post about it (as those of you who’ve followed me for a while may have grown weary of my constantly talking about fabric scraps) but last weekend I thinned out my scrap pile. I pulled out any remaining old lower quality fabric and donated more to a local charity thrift shop.

During a previous donation, a volunteer at one of our local charity thrift shops (for our local Humane Society shelter), told me that fabric scraps sell very well at the thrift shop. They cannot keep fabric scrap bags in stock, they sell out immediately! (See there are more weird obsessed people like myself in Central Oregon).

So what are we going to do at a so called “Scrap Party”? Well I am going to dump the whole box onto a plastic tarp on the floor of my master bedroom (as not to take up precious space in my tiny studio space that we will be sharing) and let my friend go wild playing with my fabric scrap collection. She is really into improvisational piecing (she is the one who helped me move from traditional quilting to art/improvisational quilting) so fabric scraps are one of her favorite textile mediums!

I’ve set up my travel sewing machine for her in my studio so we can sew together. I have two design walls (a small one on the closet door in my studio and then the big one in the hall way) so we won’t have to battle for design wall space!

I’m not sure what she is going to work on, but I plan to work on some paper piecing. I’m trying to spend more time with my extensive (ridiculous) craft book collection and rediscovered in my craft book collection – 50 Little Paper-Pieced Blocks by Carol Doak. Playing with fabric scraps seems like a great time to work on my paper-piecing skills.

My friend is bringing over her miniature schnauzer so Mike will have a furry friend visiting.

Terry the Quilting Husband (TTQH) made us chocolate chip cookies (to keep our sugar fueled energy level high for crafting!!!):

Of course I will share the outcomes of our Scrap Party!

Two Quilters and a Bed Full of Fabric Scraps (04/03/2018)

I know you’ve been waiting…and here is the follow up to my 03/30/18 post Scrap Party! , where I had a special birthday celebration play-date with my fabric-scrap-loving quilting friend.

It started with this plastic bin of my fabric scraps:

Dumped onto my bed (the bed has a plastic sheet from packaging material covering it):

A king size bed filled with fabric scraps (awesome or terrifying?)

Before we dove into this delicious (or suspicious) pile of fabrics, first we needed to fortify ourselves:

I might have a small studio but I can always make room for tea and cookies (made by TTQH!).

After a few minutes of frolicking in the fabric scraps, my quilting friend pulled her initial stack and got to work on making improvisational blocks. As a challenge, in addition to access to my crazy fabric scrap collection, I assigned my friend these pieced block discards/trimmings to try and incorporate into her improvisational blocks:

During our fabric scrappy play day I thought I would also take the opportunity to practice paper-piecing (Not the fun “English Paper Piecing” type but the “flip and stitch” type of paper-piecing that I suspect is what you have to do all day in the “Underworld” if you are bad in life and go there after you die…um, I would like to choose the “fire & brimstone” instead please…).

I signed up to participate in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show’s 2018 Wish Upon A Card Fundraiser & Fabric Challenge sponsored by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I needed to make a 4′” x 6″ fabric postcard to donate to the fundraiser, incorporating the two feature fabrics provided by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

In general I love Robert Kaufman fabrics, but I was completely underwhelmed by the fabric pieces they sent me to make the postcard:

Thank goodness my friend helped me pick out some coordinating fabric scraps for my postcard.

Here was my first (actually second, as the first was a legendary-paper-piecing-screw-up disaster) attempt at paper piecing a little house for the postcard:

Hated it!

Here is my second (okay actually third) attempt and the final version with my embellishments:

“Visitor Arrives” by tierneycreates 2018 (note the back of the postcard is fused blank muslin covering the stitching so that it can be used as a postcard)

I mailed it off yesterday to Wish Upon a Card and I will not be offended if they say they “never got it in the mail” or they accidentally let it slip into the trash can – ha!

Now I bet you are curious: Did we make a dent in the pile of fabric scraps? Not really. Here is the tub of fabric scraps cleaned up from the bed and put back into the closet after my friend left:

It appears I have enough for another Fabric Scrap Party (or 200+ Scrap Parties)!

Here are the other bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Studio, What's on the Design Wall

What’s Going on in the Studio

February 8, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This is sort of a follow up to this post – Update on Some W.I.P.s.

I thought I’d do a quick share of what is currently going on in my studio…

1) Sewing Machine Cleaning – it was time for a deep clean after I finished quilting SuperSymmetry Table Runner (see post SuperSymmetry Table Runner is Finished! ):

2) Expanding Go Boldly – I decided to make Go Boldly bigger as I had more pieced blocks. Originally I was going to make two quilts with the block but now I think I will make one big one and then use any left over blocks for a pieced quilt back. I now have it up on the design wall to work on enlarging it:

Right now the quilt is 56 inches by 56 inches (142 x 142 cm) which is wallhanging or small lap size, but I should be able to bring it to large lap size or perhaps a bed size (perhaps…) with the expansion.

3) Strings Attached – I decided to go ahead and get it ready for machine quilting. I made the quilt sandwich with batting and backing fabric and I plan to just go ahead and machine quilt it with coordinating red thread and just get it done!

4) What Direction Do I Go – just waiting to start hand quilting in the evening in front of the TV. First I have to finish the gray granny square blanket I am working on in the evenings in front of the TV (see posts Guest Blog Post: Progress on “My Blanket” and Update on Some W.I.P.s on the crochet project). I received some awesome hand quilting advice from one of my blogging buddies and I cannot wait to start on it, I even put together my little hand quilting bag of supplies which is lying on top of the quilt in the image below:

I feel like I am really moving forward on my projects (because there are new ones I want to start but not allowing myself to until I finish these!) 🙂

Studio, tierneycreates

Update on Some W.I.P.s

February 2, 2024February 8, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Here’s an update on some works in progress (aka WIPs) that I’ve discussed in previous posts…

Gray Granny Square Blanket

Previous post on this project: Guest Blog Post: Progress on “My Blanket”

I am plugging along with this great-to-work-on-while-watching-TV in the evening project. I’m working on attaching the 7th row of blocks. It will be an 8 by 10 blanket when done as I made 80 granny squares. I will add an extra border or two of the same yarn I am using as the lattice (to attach the granny squares).

SuperSymmetry Table Runner

Previous post on this project: ScrapHappy January 2024 – Update on Table Runner and More

As I mentioned in that previous post, I decided to use a collection of traditionally pieced “orphan blocks” that my friend Wendy gave me as the backing for this table runner.

I figured that if I got a stain on the front of the runner while entertaining, I could flip it over and use the other side!

I’ve completed the machine quilting of the table runner and just need to sew the binding strips together, sew on the binding, and sew down the binding.

For the quilting I just went with a simple double crosshatch pattern (no that is not a real pattern name, I just made it up on the spot), following the lines of the pieced blocks.

I plan to press it, ha! It just came off the machine and I just finished trimming off the excess batting and backing so it is pretty wrinkly!

What Direction Do I Go? (Denim Quilt)

Previous post on this project: Denim Quilt Top Done and a Visit to a Fun Brewery

I am so looking forward to hand quilting this quilt (yes I decided to hand quilt it)!

I got the batting and backing put together with the quilt top to make the “quilt sandwich”. I’ve also auditioned some threads (I plan to use multiple and to use pearl cotton weight) for the hand quilting.

Other WIPs Growing Inpatient As They Sit in Queue…

I have two more quilt tops awaiting quilting by me:

Strings Attached

Previous post on this project: Scrap Happy September 2023 – Strings Attached

I am going to machine quilt this small wallhanging.

Go Boldly

Previous post on this project: What’s on the Design Wall: Go Boldly

I haven’t decided on machine vs. hand quilting but if I do hand quilt it I have some cool threads I collected many years ago I want to use.

I will get to these two quilt tops eventually – ha!

I’ve been trying not to start any additional MAJOR projects before finishing my existing WIPs…but then some small projects might sneak in…you know how us crafters are!

Oh Mike wants me to tell you that he’s happy he doesn’t have to fill in for me with blogging since I seem to be back at it again (see his recent post Guest Blog Post: Humans Traveling and Dog Camp).

This leaves him more time for napping in the sun, on fleece blankets, in the upstairs bedroom (with the occasional waking up to intensely bark at people walking by and delivery trucks coming into the neighborhood).

A Crafter Needs to Eat, Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy January 2024 – Update on Table Runner and More

January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my monthly “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

UPDATE ON SUPERSYMMETRY TABLE RUNNER

For this month’s ScrapHappy blog post, I am sharing an update on the table runner I’ve been working on that is made from my friend Wendy’s fabric scraps and orphan blocks from a quilt she made SuperSymmetry (see blog posts Update on SuperSymmetry Table Runner and the Library Book Borrowing Bonanza, A Table Runner for the New Table, and Quilter Distractions: Good Mail filled with “Taupe” ).

I completed piecing the table runner per the piecing instructions from her pattern SuperSymmetry, and discovered I needed to make more blocks in order to make it long enough for the table as well as finish each end (more on that later). Unfortunately Y seams were involved in the piecing (shudder) but I made it through.

I ended up making 14 additional blocks.

I floated the pieced SuperSymmetry blocks in taupe-brown Peppered Cotton (a heavy duty linen like shot cotton). Here is a little photoshoot I did of the completed table runner top on the new dining room/library table:

In the last two photos you can see the new rug that arrived that I mentioned in a previous post. It is one of those Ruggable rugs that can be laundered in the washing machine (in case there is “The Great Spaghetti Sauce Spill” during a meal someday).

And in case you are curious here is how I finished the ends of the table runner with all those triangle blocks in the piece:

Thank goodness for a good steamy iron as there was a lot of pressing involved to get it looking like I hadn’t been on mind altering substances while piecing…

In addition to the SuperSymmetry orphan blocks and fabric scraps, Wendy also sent me 7 traditional quilt blocks orphan blocks for a taupe quilt she was working on. I’ve decided to use these blocks as part of the back for the table runner.

I am going to float each of them in the taupe Peppered Cotton and then add in enough length in side borders as well as a bottom and top to meet the length. I am getting ready to start working on floating each block by doing some “log cabin” style piece around each block:

AND MORE

We’ve had a run of sub-zero Fahrenheit (colder than -17 Celsius) temperatures in the Denver metropolitan area and we’ve been spending a lot of time inside. John got addicted to watching cooking/culinary themed videos on YouTube and this weekend decided to try and make a copy of the famous Chick-fil-A (very popular fast food eatery in the US) chicken sandwich and the accompanying sauce after watching a video on how to do it.

He made enough for his father, sister, son and son’s family (who all live nearby) and then delivered them to their homes! You might have heard of the popular food delivery service DoorDash – well we named John – “DadDash”!

The sandwiches were a hit and included the famous pickle like the original. Here is a little photo spread from yesterday to close out this post.

Oh and if you’d like to try and make them yourself, here is the video John used:

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy December 2023: A Legendary Scrap Quilt and Honoring its Maker

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

For this month’s ScrapHappy post I thought I would honor a legendary scrap quilt and it’s maker.

Harriet Powers is recognized in the African American quilting community as one of the “Mothers of African American Quilting” and is known for her famous Bible Quilt (which is a scrap quilt) first exhibited in 1886.

Image from the Smithsonian Museum website

According to the Smithsonian Museum, “Harriet Powers, an African American farm woman of Clarke County, Georgia, made this quilt in about 1886. She exhibited it at the Athens Cotton Fair of 1886”.

Two of her bible themed quilts which are considered icons of American quilt making are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Here is her Bible Quilt from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston:

Image from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website

Last year Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, founder of the Women of Color Quilting Network (WCQN) to which I belong, sent out a request to WCQN members to contribute to purchasing a headstone for the gravesite of Harriet Powers.

Harriet Powers passed away in 1910 and the small cut stone marker, inscribed by one of her sons (she had 9 children with her husband Armstead Powers) originally marked the grave for her and her husband who passed in 1909. In 2008 this fragile marker was broken and removed.

Members of the WCQN, including myself, contributed to purchasing a beautiful headstone for Harriet and Armstead Powers gravesite and on December 2, 2023 there was a “Recommittal and Dedication Ceremony” at Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.

I was invited but could not attend. Dr. Mazloomi kindly sent me the pamphlet from the ceremony.

When I lived in Central Oregon in 2016 I took an appliqué quilting workshop at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon with the amazing teacher Janet Storton (who runs the Sisters of the Heart Foundation helping women in Uganda empower themselves through craft making).

In this appliqué workshop you could work on making a Bible Quilt inspired by the one made by Harriet Powers or another project. Janet brought in a bag of her scraps, which included African themed fabrics, to share with the class.

I ended making my wallhanging sized quilt Tree of No Hurry based on the Lao Tzu quote: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” with the new appliqué techniques I learned in the class.

Here are my blog posts from 2016 – 2017 related to the process of making this piece:

Adventures in Appliqué

The Backstitch and the End of Tangled Floss

Everything is Accomplished (What’s On the Design Wall)

“Tree of No Hurry” at QuiltWorks Gallery

Here is one of the Bible Quilts made by Ugandan women that Janet works with as part of her foundation that was exhibited at the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (Janet shared the quilt top before it was quilted during our workshop):

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats

Another Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat (Sort of)

October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

In honor of the 10th anniversary month of my blog, I am going to attempt blog everyday for the month of October. I’ll be catching up on adventures I’ve not yet shared. Perhaps eventually I’ll share my latest textile project(s) when I get back to working on them…

ANOTHER QUILT RETREAT IN MY HOME (SORT OF)

Back in May I had a “Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat” at my home for my friends D and K, who are both quilters – see series of posts in this blog category Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat, if you’d like to read about our “fabric-scrap-wrangling adventures.

My friends MJ and J got interested in “retreating” at my house – J is a quilter and MJ is not. I met J through MJ and MJ is a long time very dear friend of mine that I met when I lived in Bend, Oregon 2005 – 2018. We planned the retreat for late August 2023.

I thought it would work – MJ and J would come for 5 days and J and I would working on scrappy freeform log cabin quilts while MJ did some other craft and just hang out with us. MJ joked that we were going to give her macaroni, non-toxic glue, popsicle sticks and fingers paints (like in Kindergarten) to work with – ha!

I’ll share what MJ actually ended up doing later in this post (she creatively made her own retreat!) when our retreat in August happened.

But first I will share the huge fabric scrap pile J and I had to work with during the 5 days in August we had the retreat: it was a combination of my scrap pile and scraps that J brought:

I helped J find some type of inspiration fabric scrap in the pile that had a color palette (as how else to you start sifting through that “hot mess” to design a scrap quilt?). Once she found an inspirational scrap, she started pulling from the scrap pile fabric scraps that coordinated with the scrap to create a palette.

J took off and ran with the concept and before I knew it she was covering my design wall with her improvisational combinations:

Which evolved into these blocks:

I’ll share her pieced quilt top someday in a follow up post when she completes it (if she doesn’t mind me sharing the photo).

What did I work on? I started a new freeform scrappy log cabin but I didn’t like the direction it was going; and after a couple days working on it I recycled it into the scrap pile (and didn’t take any photos of it).

So what did MJ work on? Well not any crafts, ha! She abandoned us in my studio and ended up having a cooking retreat with my husband John.

Like the retreat I had in May with my friends D and K, John did all the cooking. MJ helped John do all the cooking and got cooking lessons from him on some of his specialities. Here they are in a lesson:

She also enjoyed hanging out with Mike our dog (MJ is a “dog person”) and binge watching Netflix shows. Here life is very busy back in Central Oregon and she enjoyed just relaxing and helping cook as her “retreat”, while J and I were upstairs in the “quilters sweatshop” working on our scrappy projects!

MJ also ran errands to the home improvement store with John and Mike, and she got trained on how to push Mike around in his box in the shopping cart as John does!

We had a “make/top your own pizza night” for dinner one night, it was so fun. John and MJ pre-baked the pizza crusts and we got to add our own toppings and hang around the oven waiting for our delicious combinations!

We got out of the house and spent a couple hours or a 1/2 day on various adventures.

One day we went to Castle Rock, CO and visited The Barn, a consignment/antique venue (sort of like a nicely curated flea market), that I love and is so fun to wander.

Here are some boots at The Barn I just could not live without (just kidding, definitely not my style):

It is such a fun wander to meandering around The Barn; and as mentioned on their website: “When you walk into The Barn you may feel many things. Among these feelings could be a sense of comfort…..like you have come home. Many customers express these sentiments…it has come to be known as ‘Barn Therapy’.”

After The Barn we had cocktails and delicious appetizers at the Ecclasia Market across the street, sitting in the Sinners & Saints/Gluttony & Graze area of the market on the comfy sofas.

We also stopped at my favorite indie bookstore in Castle Rock – Sudden Fiction Books.

All of us brought books and J bought so many books we wondered how she’d get them all in her suitcase (she did ship them home), especially some amazing Children’s books for her grandkids. This little bookshop has an amazing curated collection.

They also had this adorable little miniature room display (that lit up) inside one of their bookcases!

One day I did take J to a quilt shop – we visited Holly’s Cabin quilt shop and J was amazing by their extensive collection of curated Kaffe Fassett fabrics on display:

We had beautiful weather (though a little warm in the afternoons) while MJ and J visited. Every morning MJ (who loves to walk like I do) and I took Mike on a couple mile stroll around my neighborhood. John introduced me to what we call “the nature hike” near our house – miles and miles of wooded trails surrounding and connecting different neighborhoods. I’ll share photos from my new favorite daily walk/hike someday.

Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

Made Some Progress on “Strings Attached”

August 20, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I’ve been busy preparing to restock by Textiles & Smiles Etsy shop and getting ready for another scrappy fabric quilting retreat at my house, I am having with a different set of friends. Below is the basket of scraps they can work from:

In between that, some road trip adventure with John, and the completion of a home renovation project (well John did most the work), I’ve managed to make a little progress on the scrappy solid color medallion wallhanging I’ve been working on – Strings Attached.

Since my previous post What’s on the Design Wall: Strings Attached, I’ve sewn all the section of the center medallion string pieced star together and done the first border:

There were so many Y-seams! It seamed like every seam (smile) was Y-seam – yikes! I got a little more proficient on Y-seams after doing so many in a row but I don’t have any great insight, tips or wisdom to impart, sorry.

Here is a reminder of what the completed quilt will sort of look like:

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy August 2023 – All the Trimmings

August 15, 2023September 10, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

On August 15th, ScrapHappy Day, I’d hope to share the completed quilt top for the VERY SCRAPPY wallhanging quilt I am currently working on – “Strings Attached” from August 2021 issue of AmericanQuilter Magazine, pattern by Lori DeJarnatt (see post What’s on the Design Wall: Strings Attached), but alas, I’ve gotten no further than what I shared on August 9th when I last posted about it.

So instead for ScrapHappy August I am going to share the story behind this VERY SCRAPPY quilt – Recycled Hope VII: All the Trimmings

I made this quilt during the COVID pandemic and it holds a lot of meaning, and I will share the “Artist Statement” on this quilt in a moment for the full background. First I want to tell you about my “Recycled Hope” series of quilts:

From my Portfolio page:

The Recycled Hope an ongoing series of improvisational art quilts using recycled materials to include denim as the primary fabric on many of the pieces, combined with other recycled materials. “Hope” and the interpretation of the word “hope” is the primary theme of infused into these pieces. Most of the fabrics were not reusable as clothing or home decor and were destined to end up in a landfill. Reimagining recycled clothing and other materials into art quilts satisfies my hopeful desire to honor the environment and make art that is eco-conscious. Ending up in an art quilt is a better outcome than ending up in a landfill.

Okay now that you know the background on this series of quilts (if you want to see the rest of the quilts in the series, check out my Portfolio page) here is the story behind this SUPER SCRAPPY quilt which measures 72.5″ L x 57.5″ W:

Missing my Quilting Community during the 2020 Coronavirus Quarantine and inspired by Amanda Jean Nyberg’s pattern “All Sizes”, I created a quilt from 15 years of scrap triangles collected from my quilting friends at quilt retreats and “sew dates”. Most of the scraps in this quilt are from the trimmings of blocks by many quilters as they made their quilts. Instead of going into the trash, nearly 600 scrap triangles from the trimming of quilt blocks compose this cozy quilt. This piece gave me hope that someday I can return to attending quilt retreats.

Hopefully for next month’s ScrapHappy Day post I can share newly completed work (smile).

HAPPY SCRAPPING!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy July 2023 – “Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White” is Done

July 15, 2023July 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I finished the freeform scrappy log cabin quilt I first wrote about in this post – What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin. I pieced the blocks as a sample for the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat I had in May. I got it back the other week from the longarm quilter, put on a binding, and earlier this week I finished sewing down the binding.

It is now hung in the wall of the upstairs guest bedroom where I have a B&W theme going on with some framed Ansel Adams posters, Black & White wall art, and B&W photos I’ve taken (on the walls not shown in the images below).

This quilt is very “scrap happy” as the quilt top was pieced entirely from my collection of black, white and gray scraps!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

A Crafter Needs to Eat, A Crafter's Life, Agriculture Report, Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

Bunch of Random Updates

June 27, 2023October 25, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I had a couple brief updates and I thought I would spread them out into a bunch of brief blog posts but I am lumping them all together.

GO BOLDLY

An update on the quilt (which might end up more wallhanging size) that I mentioned in the post What I’ve Been Up To and What’s on the Design Wall, which I named “Go Boldly“:
I am now sewing the blocks together. There are 64 blocks and each need to be sewing into blocks of 4 to make them into 16 blocks to then sew together.

I am currently debating whether to make the quilt larger (I have enough leftover blocks to make 1 – 2 additional quilts or wallhangings) or leave as it is. I think I am going to just sew the 16 blocks (4 mini sections to make a block) together and then decide.

OH SCRAP – IT’S NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE

A little update on the freeform (or wonky as some say) log cabin quilt I discussed in this post – ScrapHappy June 2023: “Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White!” :

The longarm machine quilter (Sew Colorado Quilting) has finished quilting it and sent me some photos, here is one of them.

I actually picked up the quilt today from her and will do a post on it with more photos once I get the extra backing and binding trimmed (I like to do my own trimming) and decide on a binding. I am thinking about doing a “facing” on it (like you would do with an art quilt) as I plan to hang it on the wall.

COLOUR WHEEL

A quick follow up on this post The Colour Wheel Quilt is Done, about the color wheel quilt I made to use as a teaching aid when I give a workshop next year (September 2024).

By the way I will share more information about that workshop including the venue once that venue gets ready to publish its online catalogue listing the workshop. If that doesn’t happen before October 2023, then I’ll go ahead and share as I’ve shared it with the Quiltfolk article writer for Issue 28 that comes out in October so it will be publicly revealed then anyway!

I had put the quilt away until next year for the workshop but then I decided to find a place for it in my studio so I could enjoy it before then – here it is now on a wall in my studio that I rearranged to make room for it:

VARIOUS RANDOM INFORMATION

John who loves to cook, tried making Ramen for the first time the other night and it came out pretty good!

My yellow rose bush in my front garden is finally taking off and here is one of its lovely roses:

And finally, here is Mike and his “cousin” Goose both trying to via for John’s laps (Goose won) when John was visiting his Dad the other day.

Hmm, I just realized that technically Goose is Mike’s “uncle” not his cousin – ha!

Fabric Scraps Obsession

Scrappy Autumnal Splendor Back from Professional Quilting

June 18, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

A follow up to the post What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Autumnal Splendor.

I picked up Scrappy Autumnal Splendor from the longarm quilter on Thursday, I’ve sewn on the binding and I am working on sewing down the binding and then the quilt will be finished!

I got a preview sent to me by Cara @sew_colorado_quilting (IG page) who did the longarm quilting. Here are the photos she sent me before I picked up the quilt:

I was beyond excited to pick up the quilt and had to take some photos on Thursday when I first got it from her (yes I was sitting in my car, opened up the package the quilted quilt was in, and posted photos to IG, ha!)

Here is the quilted quilt on my design wall and the back of the quilt draped over the chair in my studio:

After I finished fondling the quilted quilt (ha!), it was time to finalize my decision for the binding. I decided to go with a gold fabric that had also appeared as fabric scrap pieces in the freeform log cabin blocks, but I also had some yardage of the fabric.

Then the tedious task of sewing the binding onto the quilt:

And now I am sitting around sewing down the binding to the back of the quilt. Mike the Miniature Schnauzer is keeping me company:

And moved to nest in the quilt when I took a break and left the quilt on the sofa!

Yes, Mike does need a haircut, he gets one on Tuesday; and yes his paws are green as he was playing ball today in the freshly mown backyard and “naturally dyed” his fur green!

Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Autumnal Splendor

June 7, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Follow up to the post What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Gold/Brown Log Cabin – Update.

Ok one more post about this quilt before it heads today to the long-arm quilter (I decided to “quilt by check” instead of do it myself!). I decided to name the free-form scrappy log cabin quilt I started during the Scrap Happy Retreat I had in June – “Scrappy Autumnal Splendor” as it reeks of Autumn in it’s color palette!

Here is what it looks like all pieced together:

The border (and lattice) is taupe Peppered Cotton which is a version of a “shot cotton” and there was potential for fraying so I stitched around the entire quilt top 1/8th inch.

After finishing the quilt top it was time to head to my yardage stash and see what kind of backing I could piece together (I was tempted to buy yardage of a single fabric for the back but darn it I am going to use up my stash, ha!):

And here are a couple of the fabrics I found:

Here’s a little peek of the crazy pieced backing I made with bold Autumnal colored fabrics with metallic highlights!

You’ll have to wait until I get it back from the long-arm quilter to see how the back came out (anticipation…smile).

Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Gold/Brown Log Cabin – Update

May 29, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Here is a quick update on the post What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Gold and Brown Freeform Log Cabin.

Yesterday I made some major progress on the freeform scrap fabric log cabin quilt I am making in browns and golds.

I got the blocks framed with the taupe fabric – I used 2 inch strips to frame each block. I also cut a couple 5 inch border strips to mock up the border.

Here are a couple photos (I could’t decide which one I liked better):

And here is a close up showing how the blocks will float with a 5 inch border all the way around of the taupe:

I can’t wait to get it sewn together!

Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Gold and Brown Freeform Log Cabin

May 27, 2023May 27, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This is a follow up to my May 25th post More on the Blocks I Made at the Retreat and a Brief Tutorial.

As I mentioned in that post, when making freeform (I think this is what I am going to call them from now on) log cabin blocks, you might want to mock up (or actually sew) one completed block to verify that you like where you are going with you design.

I did this with one of the 42 (well actually 43 – I made a spare one) freeform log cabin blocks I made from my pile of brown, gold and orange scraps:

I decided that I needed something to break up the gold, I did not want to place all the gold framed squares side by side, so I decided to try floating the blocks in a taupe Peppered Cotton.

I’d originally trimmed the freeform log cabin block trimmed in gold Peppered Cotton and trimmed the block to 9.5 x 9.5 inches with my 9.5 x 9.5 inch square ruler. Then I tried framing it in the taupe and trimming it to 12.5 x 12.5 inches using my ruler of that size (the next size up ruler I own after 9.5 x 9.5 inch).

(By the way, I highly recommend some type of rotating cutting surface if you are trimming your freeform log cabin blocks to a uniform size with a square ruler – I have the Martelli Round Cutting Mat).

I realized a problem after I made the demo block: I have 42 blocks and my plan was to make a quilt for my home library for snuggling under while reading that is 6 blocks by 7 blocks.

At 12.5 x 12.5 inches each (12 x 12 inches finished) it would become a bed size quilt…oh no – let me try some fake math – the quilt would end up around 72 inches by 84 inches…actually larger if I added a little border around the quilt to make the blocks “float”.

I did revisit just sewing the gold framed blocks together and it does not make a large enough snuggle quilt. You might be thinking: what about just adding more of the gold fabric on the edges of the quilt as a border to “float” the blocks? Well I’ve run out of the gold fabric! I have less than a 1/4 yard left.

I was pondering my quandary when John asked about latticing instead of floating each block in the taupe – to use the taupe as a “lattice” instead. So I tried it out:

I like it! The taupe quiets the gold and it will all go nicely with the colors in my home library.

(The quilt currently on the loveseat and two little matching pillows, from orphan blocks, I plan to sell on my Etsy shop someday as they are not really my style and I want someone else to enjoy them.)

So that is where I am at in my design process.

Here are the 42 completed 9.5 x 9.5 inch blocks awaiting their lattice:

Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat

More on the Blocks I Made at the Retreat and a Brief Tutorial

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I realized didn’t share very many photos or details about the scrappy improvisational log cabin blocks I made at the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat (link to all the posts related to this 5 day retreat) last week.

During the retreat I “shopped” from my collection of brown, cream, yellow and gold scraps and selected this collection of scraps to which I also added a couple orange-brown scraps and some scraps D brought to the retreat:

I ended up piecing 46 blocks, which I narrowed down to 42 blocks plus one spare (I recycled into the scrap pile 3 blocks that were pieced too wonky).

At first I decided to float the blocks (but framing them) in some coppery-gold-ish Peppered Cotton fabric I had in my stash:

Yes it looks cool and the framing fabric really compliments the fabrics in the blocks, but I decided it would just be too much as an entire quilt.

So I pulled out this brown-taupe-ish Peppered Cotton fabric I had in my stash:

And I decided I would first frame each block in the coppery-gold-ish fabric and then set that block in the taupe-ish fabric:

It might be difficult to visualize as I have it laid out in the images above but I will share more images after I try out some sample final blocks. Creating some sample final blocks will also let me confirm that this combination actually works.

We used this method during the retreat – I suggested (and they listened) to K and D that they actually sew a sample final/completed block to decide if they really like a framing/border/lattice color for their block. Just laying the block on the fabric doesn’t already give you the true feeling of the final version. You can always rip it out the framing and reuse the core block if you don’t like the sample.

Here is an example below of what D did during the retreat with her two finalists – the khaki colored fabric vs. the gray fabric – to help herself make the final decision:

A friend who read the posts related to the retreat ask for some overall instructions on making scrappy improvisational log cabin blocks (which I also call “log jamming” or “free form” log cabin blocks).

Here is a quick overview of how I do it, there are several different approaches and in the post ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat! I shared links to YouTube videos from the Stitchin’ Post where I first learned how to do it.

IMPROVATIONAL/FREE FORM SCRAPPY LOG CABIN BLOCKS

First you need to understand the concept of Log Cabin Block piecing where you start with a center square and build around it. Below is a screen shot from Generations Quilt Patterns on How to Make a Log Cabin Block that illustrates the Log Cabin Block piecing concept:

It really helps to have pieced traditional log cabin blocks before you go improvisational.
Next you need to decide what size you want your final block to be. I decide my final size based on existing square rulers I have as the easiest way to trim the block is using a square ruler on a rotating cutting mat. I have the following square rulers in my collection – 6 inch, 6.5 inch, 9.5 inch, and 12.5 inch, so I make my final blocks one of those sizes. D & K used my 9.5 inch square ruler for the final size on their blocks. I plan to use my 12.5 inch ruler for the final size on my blocks.
Then it is time to go shopping in your fabric scraps. You need to decide on a color palette (though you could do all random colors but your piece will not look cohesive if that is what you want, but it will look colorful!) for your quilt blocks. As you can see from the pictures from our retreat – K went with pinks and blues, while D went for autumnal colors. You are going to need more scraps that you think so at least initially put together a large pile of scraps.
Audition your scraps and see how well they work together by laying out a demo block (no need to sew together yet but try and simulate a log cabin block).
To start you can either 1) sew two strips together, one of the strips being your center fabric; or 2) sew different little pieces of centers to a long strip.
Cut them apart using scissors to create your first two pieces – if you look at the graphic above this would be Center + 1a.
From there you can create using log cabin piecing techniques a sample block to see how you like it, or just jump into chain piecing blocks starting with your fabric for 1b.
Don’t worry about 1/4 inch seams, just do what seam allowance works to piece the fabric to the next fabric – for example if you are using thin scraps you can use 1/8 seam allowances, especially when you are working on rows towards the center, it will end up stable when the entire block is sewn together.
Using log cabin piecing techniques (working from a center around and around) keep adding scrap strips until you get your block a little larger than the final size you want to achieve.
Trim your blocks using the square ruler of your choosing to their final size.

I might write an actual pattern of how I do it with lots of images/photos and detailed instructions and sell it as a digital download on my Etsy shop someday. Then I can add in all the tricks I’ve learned over the years of making these blocks. My process does differ from the one I originally learned from Jackie at the Stitchin’ Post.

The Stitchin’ Post does sell a pattern for making these blocks called Modern Log Jam Quilt in case you want to try their pattern. It was written by the person (Jackie) who originally taught me (before I created my own process) – I’ve linked it here – Modern Log Jam Quilt.

There are so many options of what you can do with these types of blocks made from scraps. You could do something straightforward like what D made:

Or you could play with using different framing colors and create additional patterns like this one I made out of Stonehenge fabric scraps:

Or you can skip the “framing” of the blocks in a solid color and just sew the blocks directly together like I did for these two pillows I made out of batik scraps:

I’ve made numerous free form log cabin quilts this way.

Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat

Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat Days 4 and 5

May 24, 2023May 22, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I decided not to drag out the rest of the story of the 5 day quilt retreat I held at my house last week with two long time friends who are quilters, so I am combining days 4 and 5 into one post.

If you are just joining us the other three blog posts on days 1 – 3 are under the blog category Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat.

We continued working on our improvisational log cabin quilt blocks or “log jamming” which I was originally introduced to during a class I took at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon (I also remember that I’ve previously referred to this type of piecing as making “free form” log cabin blocks).

Here are a couple photos of my studio while the retreat was in progress from Days 4 and 5:

And here are the photos of the evolution of D, K, and my blocks:

The photo above is of one of the blocks I pieced with the collection of brown, gold, orange, and copper scraps I put together, set in the coppery color Peppered Cotton I selected.

D was a bit of an overachiever, ha, and actually finished her quilt top (but I think she is also going to add a 3.5 inch border of the gray around it to make the blocks “float” even more and she took some extra fabric home with her) and plans to hand quilt it.

John continued to make us yummy meals and our evening meal on Day 4 was a Mexican Food Feast like the one I shared in the post A Mexican Feast.

On Day 5 D and K surprised John and I with some fantastic hosting gifts. They gave John a gift certificate to his favorite woodworking shop Woodcraft; and they gave me a fat quarter set of the fabric I was drooling over at Holly’s Quilt Cabin during our shop hop on Wednesday May 17th – Celestial by Moda Fabrics:

I just need some yardage of solids (I will probably use the Peppered Cottons that coordinate with the fat quarter set) and I will likely have enough fabric to make the quilt I fell in love with at the quilt shop:

John and I were very pleased with our hosting gifts!

Friday we returned quilters to “Human Storage” (also know as the Denver International Airport, see post “Human Storage” and Airport Lore if you are just joining us); and an exhausted John and Mike the Miniature Schnauzer passed out on the sofa when we got back home.

While cleaning up my studio from the retreat I realized it was a pretty awesome and successful retreat.

And there was a lot of Scrap Happy Happiness over the 5 days (smile)!

Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat

Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat Day 2

May 22, 2023May 22, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

See yesterday’s post Scrap Happy Retreat Day 1 for background and scenes from Day 1.

By Day 2 of the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat at my house, Mike the Miniature Schnauzer was getting plenty of pets from visiting quilters (who are lounging about in their pajamas before breakfast):

John made us his famous (and amazing) biscuits & gravy breakfast to start our day:

The breakfast includes his sausage patties with caramelized brown sugar (not vegan, ha!) and flaky scratch made biscuits.

After breakfast it was back to work in the studio. I worked on my log cabin blocks – I decided to use brown, brownish-orange, copper and gold fabrics for my blocks:

K and D worked on their blocks and began trying out solid fabric settings for their sample blocks:

K decided to set her blocks in the blue Peppered Cotton and D (after trying out 4 different options) went with the gray Peppered Cotton.

My whole studio looked like there had been a fabric scrap explosion – scraps everywhere!

Before you knew it, it was afternoon cocktail time again and John stopped by the studio with Mojitos and Moscow Mules.

I enjoyed putting my trimming scraps in the amazing handmade custom scrap basket that D made me (her own design, no pattern used!) with Marcia Derse fabric (my favorite):

The tierneycreates Beastie helped me piece some blocks using her Beastnina:

After a long day of piecing, we enjoyed a “Make Your Own Pizza Night” provided by John who had pre-baked small pizza crusts for us.

We took our baked pizzas to the basement for another movie night to end Day 2 of the retreat!

Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat

Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat Day 1

May 21, 2023May 23, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Monday May 15th was Day One of the 5 day long Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat I had at my house with two quilting friends (D and K) that I mentioned in the posts ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat! and What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin.

Mike the Miniature Schnauzer had to go to pick up quilting friends from the airport as he does better when he goes to pick up visitors from “Human Storage”, see blog post “Human Storage” and Airport Lore, instead of them just suddenly arriving to the house through the garage while he has been home alone!

Mike sitting between the house guests (for the next 5 days) on the way back from the airport.

We decided not to try out the scrap piecing using adding tape that I discussed in the post ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat! and just focusing on making scrappy improvisational log cabin blocks (“log jamming”) like the the 35 blocks I recently completed as the “class sample”:

After John and I provided our guest with a tasty late lunch (fried chicken strips, orzo pasta salad, and chocolate chip cookies), the retreat started out with the three of us pouring through my scrap collection and scraps that D and K brought with them to map out colorways/themes for our improvisational log cabin blocks.

I did a demo of how to piece the log jam blocks, well at least how I like to do it as there are several different methods and strategies. Then everyone got to work:

At one point John came by the studio to visit and to bring us our late afternoon cocktails (lemon drops) as our reward for all that hard work selecting scraps and beginning to work on our blocks!

Only one cocktail per person so we did not end up sewing our fingers into the blocks or something disastrous like that!

After everyone made a couple of sample blocks with the fabric scrap groupings we selected, we decided we wanted to set the blocks in a solid color fabric. I pulled out my collection of Peppered Cottons, and we tested out blocks on the different color options (photo below is D’s blocks).

(I used to sell Peppered Cottons in my Etsy shop so I still have a bit of yardage left over.)

That was the end of the first day in the studio.

We did end Day 1 of the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat with homemade popcorn and movie night in the basement where we have the largest TV in the house.

Fabric Scraps Obsession, What's on the Design Wall

What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin

May 14, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I am getting ready for a “Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat“, which I share more about in tomorrow’s “ScrapHappy May” post, by starting a scrappy log cabin using my ridiculous collection of fabric scraps.

I decided to limit myself to black, white, and gray fabric scraps. First I dug into the bag I have of “fabric strings” which are thinner fabric scraps that I’ve been saving (yes for year, ha!) to make a “String Quilt” someday.

I dug through this scary mess to find the black, white and gray strings and then ironed them (as they were wrinkled/crumped beyond easy use…):

I thought I might have enough to get started but I ended up having to dig into my wine crate box of black, white and gray scraps:

I ended up piecing 35 blocks, which I trimmed to 9.5 inches x 9.5 inches each using my 9.5″ by 9.5″ square ruler:

I started this quilt as an example as the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat will be at my house starting Monday and I am going to teach my friends how to do improvisational scrappy log cabin blocks (also know as “Log Jamming”) and we are going to use my scraps! (A great way to use up your scraps – dump them onto your quilting friends under the guise of showing them “scrappy quilt making options”…evil laugh!)

More on that tomorrow on the 15th which is ScrapHappy May posting day!

Oh by the way, when I got done piecing 35 – 9.5″ x 9.5″ blocks I did actually (sort of) make a dent in my black, white and gray scrap fabric collection. Here’s what the wine crate looks like now:

(If you can’t tell the difference from the previous photo, just know before it was overflowing and now everything fit nicely in the wine crate with no overflow…)

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy April 2023

April 15, 2023July 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Kate @talltalesfromchiconia hosts a monthly celebration of reusing scraps and “scrap-happy challenges” called ScrapHappy Day on the 15th of each month and thanks to Alys @gardeningnirvana I found out about this monthly event and Kate let me participate!

Here is my latest scrap-happy project, which is currently in progress awaiting my machine quilting – the Colour Wheel Quilt wallhanging which I will be using as a teaching tool.

I’ve already appliquéd down the letters and the quilt sandwich is ready to go. If you’d like some background on this piece please see these posts: Update on the “Colour Wheel” Quilt, “Colour Wheel” Quilt in Progress, and Color Sorting.

Here is a scrap-happy project I recently completed – a table runner made from my ridiculous collection of batik fabric scraps.

For more about this piece please see my posts A Year of Finishes: 32nd Finish – the Batik Table Runner and Update on Batik Scrappy Table Runner.

To close this ScrapHappy post I thought I would share a little gallery of some previous quilts I made entirely from fabric scraps.

A Year of Finishes - 2023, Fabric Scraps Obsession

A Year of Finishes: 32nd Finish – the Batik Table Runner

April 4, 2023April 3, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I continue to work on the Colour Wheel quilt/wallhanging that I most recently blogged about in the post “Colour Wheel” Quilt in Progress, but I am not ready to share my further progress (and I did come up with a plan on how to use the trimmed sections of the color wheel and incorporate them into the quilt!), so instead I will share an update on the batik table runner I made for a friend.

This post is a follow up to the post – Update on Batik Scrappy Table Runner. It is also part of my documentation of the backlog of projects I am finishing in 2023 – A Year of Finishes – 2023.

Back when I lived in Bend, Oregon (now over 4 years ago), I promised to make my friend L a table runner for her long dining room table which I had enjoyed several wonderful meals at over the years.

Finally back in December 2022 I started the table runner and made it from batik fabric scraps using the pattern Bamboo Shade by Aardvark Quilts. Here is where I was at in December 2022 – I had pieced it and prepared it for quilting: