Other People's Work-Scanning the Webs

We joke here in Pennsylvania that we sometimes, well more often than not, have more than one "Season" in a day. This last two weeks have been pure evidence of that. Last week I was on my porch, in my rocking chair drinking my morning coffee, one week later and I am by the fire, in my family room scanning blogs, Facebook and Pinterest for inspiration. Silly me, if you can't find something new and different on the internet, quite frankly you are not looking in the right places. For example, I have a bit of a passion for string quilts. First they have that marvelous geometric quality that combines new and traditional patterns, second, they help us use up scraps and cuttings from former projects and third, they are relatively quick to make. No tricky pieces, no fitting seams and fussing about corners!

It's about the colors of course but the lay out as well. Just look at this one. Using black for half the block gives it a totally different esthetic. Using a chevron lay out makes it very modern and fresh.
From a show at the LaConner Quilt Museum in originally posted by Lori at Humble Quilts.

When I first started making string quilts a couple years ago I read everything I could about foundation papers. Some people used muslin as a base but most used some sort of paper. I just happened to be cruising the aisles at a restaurant supply store and found boxes of different sizes of deli paper. Picked up a few. They were really cheap and now I have enough to make about 1000 quilts.

Not up for a big project? How about this one from Quilters Digest, a simple rail fence design in Batiks. Pattern Here! Not hard to calculate. They used 2 1/2 inch strips, finished at 23 x 41 inches. 3 blocks across, 5 blocks in length. Cut strips 6 1/2 inches long, join three for each block. 

And just look at these sweet little 3 D flowers on this baby quilt~ From Rhianon Taylor


My scrap collection is rather thin right now having been put to use so I am looking at a collection of Jelly Roll's that have no particular future and I think I will use some of those to make a happy little Summer weight quilt for the motor home. Last season and before I have used my beautiful woven coverlets that I picked up at Family Heirloom Weavers in Red Lion, Pa. They are in dark colors and seem to make the interior of the motor home too dark. Our wood paneling in the bedroom and living area needs a punch. In addition the furniture is dark leather/pleather and until I can find what I want to replace it I need to do something. I am thinking of making pillows in a string pattern. A second home on wheels is a decorating challenge. Right now it is under cover but I measured everything so that I could work during the Winter. That will help. Husband just rolls his eyes with my decorating. I think he is hoping I forget about removing the dinette in there and buying a new couch. Silly man. 

A Biinding Tutorial that might be of interest: Canoe Ridge Creations shares a nice little video!