Celestial Voyager ... my modern batik challenge

This month the Island Batik Ambassadors were challenged to make a Modern Quilt.  What is a modern quilt?  For me it has a lot of negative space and uses a traditional block in a less traditional setting.  Looking at the definition from the modern quilt guild, I looked at my quilt to see if it fits.

• Minimalism and negative space-yes
• High contrast-yes
• Graphic areas of solid color- batiks can read solid in my opinion
• Use of bold colors and prints-Not so much
• Improvisational piecing-nope
• Modern traditionalism - yes.  The block I used is a Classic Priscilla block called Hummingbird.  
• Alternate grid work-yes

What do you think?

It is easy to paper piece with two different sized blocks. I went through my lovely Island Batik fabrics and put together this colorway of blues, aqua, teal, and purple.  The background is Island Batik Frost, a beautiful fabric that worked so well with the colorway I chose.
After I finished piecing the blocks, I discovered the Tucker Corner Beam ruler and decided I could easily cut and sew this block with this cool ruler! Then it was time to quilt it on my Janome 7700, which I LOVE! I did ruler quilting in the blocks then a free motion filler in the background. I think this would make a darling baby quilt with fewer blocks to make it smaller....actually I have one started!

Thank you for stopping by today!  Hope you are finding time to stitch today, even if it is just for 30 minutes.

grace and peace....Sharon

p.s.  be sure to visit the other Island Batik Ambassadors for some wonderful modern quilts!

Nan from Purrfect Spots Designs

Turid from Den Syende Himmel

Stephanie from Quilt’n Party

Pamela from Pamela Quilts

Anna from Ark Angel Creations

Kathy from Kathy’s Kwilts and More

Jessica from Desert Bloom Quilting

Connie from Freemotion by the River

Kate from Seams Like a Dream

Sharon from Yellow Cat Quilt Designs

Tina from Quilting Affection Designs

Jennifer from The Inquiring Quilter

Barb from Bejeweled Quilts

Sally from Sally’s Quilting Corner

Jeanette from Inch Worm Fabrics

Connie from Kauffman Designs

Joan from Moosestash Quilting

Bernadine from Needle and Foot

Bea from Beaquilter

Cheryl from Cheryl Lynch Quilts

Maryellen from Mary Mack’s Blog

Joyce from Hearts Creations

Marlene from Kissed Quilts

Karen from The Quilt Rambler

Marian from Seam to be Sew

Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts

Linda from Inspired Layers

Vicki from Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Nancy from Masterpiece Quilting

Carol from FunThreads Designs

Terri from Meanderings Along Lizard Creek

Alison from Little Bunny Quilts

Suzy from Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Jean-Sophie from Sophie Junction

Janet from Whispers of Yore

Memorial Day Sale!

In honor of the Memorial Day weekend coming up, all of my patterns in my Craftsy shop are on sale for $5 until Monday.  Hope you see something you want to sew up this weekend!

Gypsy Solstice

Island Hopping

Last Saturday, my husband helped me award Quilts of Valor to six World War II veterans.  It was a wonderful ceremony complete with the Honor Guard from Lees Summit West Air Force ROTC.  The quilts were much appreciated, and it such an honor to be able to present the quilts that have been made by our quilt guild QOV quilting bee.  Our group is part of the Greater Kansas City Area QOV.

I wanted to share this link to Quilt Inspirations blog, she has provided links to lots of wonderful patriotic quilt patterns that are free.   It's a wonderful resource and I found a few I want to make!

Wishing all of you a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend with friends and family, as we remember those who have served our country as well as those who have passed on in our lives.  I remember taking mason canning jars and picking iris and peonies with my grandma so that we could visit the cemetery.  Do you have a special memory?

grace and peace....Sharon

I think I can guess what Bella plans on doing all weekend!

Linking up to:  Lets BEE Social     Needle and Thread Thursday  Can I get a Whoop Whoop

Let's go Island Hopping at Market

This is my second reveal for this week...my new pattern Island Hopping is now available.  I am proud to say that my quilt is in St. Louis with Island Batik.  The fabric line is Seas the Day...coming soon to a store near you!  The pattern is available in my Craftsy shop now...it is easy piecing with a modern setting.

Island Hopping

51 x 51

This is a quick and easy throw to make this summer!  I hope you enjoy making one for yourself and you will share it with me on Instagram, #IslandHopping  or by email.  

Thanks for stopping by today!  Come back soon for a Sew Along that I have in the works.  When you participate in a Sew Along, do you like the directions monthly or every other week?   I am leaning towards every other week to keep everyone interested and to complete the top by the end of summer.  What do you think?

Linking to: 

This little piggie went to market.....

Well, not ME actually, but two of my quilts are hanging at Spring Quilt Market in St. Louis.  Yes, TWO!  I am so excited!  Island Batik will have my Gypsy Solstice hanging with the Solstice by Fourth and Sixth Designs fabric line that will be available this fall. 

Gypsy Solstice

This design is a neat combination of paper-piecing, a bit of applique and traditional piecing.  I hope you will want to make one....and of course share it with me with the hashtag #GypsySolstice on Instagram.  

The digital download for this pattern can be found on my Craftsy page.  

Thanks for stopping by, and I will show you the other quilt that is at market later this week!

grace and peace....Sharon

ART with Fabric Blog Hop

Art quilts...I cannot say that I have ever made one!  So I took the plunge and decided to participate in the Art with Fabric Blog Hop, hosted by Alida at Tweety Loves Quilting.  She challenged us to make a quilt using the theme Women, and to pick one of our favorite female artists and use her art as inspiration for our quilt.

My favorite female artist is Robin Mead.  I love her whimsical style and bold, bright colors. Robin's art is full of joy! She offers online art classes, and I have been fortunate to take a couple of her classes.  I also own one of her handmade journals, and have filled it with my own art.  We traded art as well, so I do own a lovely piece of artwork made by Robin.  It was hard to narrow down a favorite piece of art...they are all my favorites.  But I finally decided on Jubilant.  If you would like to see more of Robin's artwork, follow this link and check her out.  Robin Mead's Art Blog.

First I made a drawing using my computer.  I took this image to photo shop and changed it to pencil drawing.  I decided to first make a small wall hanging. 

I also drew a larger version to make one that is 24" x 24".  I drew a one inch grid on a large sheet of paper, making it much easier to get the size and placement correct.  After making this small version, I am itching to make a larger one!

This was made with fusible applique using a hand buttonhole stitch, French knots and a running stitch.  Embroidery is not my thing, but this was fun to do.  And my first attempt at a piping in the binding! This is made with mostly Island Batiks...dug through my scraps and this is what I came up with for colors.  

Hope you will visit the other art quilts on the following blogs....the blog hop lasts all week long!

Thanks for stopping by! 

grace and peace....Sharon

Spring 2017 schedule

Monday, May 15th, 2017

Andrée: http://quiltinglearningcombo.blogspot.com 

LeeAnna: http://lapaylor.blogspot.com/ 

Luke: http://www.lukehaynes.com/

Joan: http://www.moosestashquilting.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017 

Marian: http://www.seamstobesew.com

Sharon: http://www.yellowcatquiltdesigns.com

Adele: http://adelemogavero.com/

Judy: http://judywarner.com/

Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 

Abigail: http://www.cutandalter.blogspot.co.uk

Bea: http://www.beaquilter.com/ 

Janeen: http://quiltartdesigns.blogspot.com/
Alida: http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/  

Thursday, May 18th, 2017 

Renee: http://www.quiltsofafeather.com/

Kat: http://www.katknapcrafts.blogspot.com

Jennifer: http://www.inquiringquilter.com/  

Carol: http://www.quiltedfabricart.com

Friday, May 19th, 2017 

Alida: http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/ 

Shannon: http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

Chris: http://chrissquiltinguniverse.blogspot.com/
Anita: http://quiltlovefordomesticfelicity.blogspot.com 

2017 New Bloggers Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my blog!  I hope that you have been visiting all the blogs that are in this wonderful event.  This is my second year, and I am happy to be here meeting new friends and old friends, and learning from all the wonderful quilters in blog land. We are fortunate to have three wonderful hosts, each who are responsible for a group of us.  The leader of my group is Leeane at She Can Quilt.  The other hosts are Beth at Cooking up Quilts and Yvonne at QuiltingJetGirl.  Be sure to visit all of the hosts and visit all the new bloggers for a chance to win some great prizes!

Isn't this logo cute?  This is the group of bloggers I am in and it has been great to get to know everyone.  Please be sure to go visit them this week!

• Becca at Pretty Piney
• Gwen at Tillalili
• Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• Also check out the other bloggers this week:
• Raylee @Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting
• Danette @Lucky Quilts
• Olivia @Pumpkin Hollow Quilting
• Debbie @Quilt Knowlogy
• Sue of Sevenoaks Street Quilts
  Jennifer of Dizzy Quilter
  Tara of Quiltersstash
  Paige of Quilted Blooms

A little about me...married to my best friend, grandmother to 7 grandchildren, and momma to Mary and Matt, and wicked step momma to three daughters.  Quilting and art are my first loves, and then comes gardening and baking.  My grandsons live nearby, so they are happy to be the recipients of baked goods!  I have been quilting for over 30 years, and am an aspiring quilt designer.  It is something I have always wanted to do....so why not now?  Three of my quilt patterns will be at Spring Quilt Market with Island Batik....very excited!  

For many years I have been a traditional quilter, using reproduction fabrics which I still love.  Kim Diehl is my favorite fabric and pattern designer in this genre.  But lately, I have wanted to do something different, and have been drawn to the idea of changing up the tradition quilt blocks and settings a bit.  I don't consider myself a modern quilter...but I do love experimenting with the concept.  The newest lines of fabrics such as Cotton and Steele, Art Gallery Fabrics, etc are pulling at me and I have been working a bit with those.  Also...batiks!  Loving the quality of the fabrics and the colors to work with!  So needless to say, I was thrilled when Island Batik accepted me as one of their ambassadors and are taking some of my designs to market.  

First I am going to show you a few of my older quilts, then I will show you where I am now....I feel like I am constantly evolving and enjoying the journey.

Here are a few of my favorite recent quilts....

A bit different, right?  Don't get me wrong...I still love to play with my reproduction prints at times!

What else?  Oh!  I am part of our quilt guild's Quilts of Valor group, which I started a couple of years ago.  We really enjoy making the quilts and awarding them to local veterans.  We are part of the Greater Kansas City QOV.  

Also, I started a Project Linus group in our church. I must say, we are a small group, but prolific!  It was started with the thought of ministering to children facing illness.  But I have learned that it provides a ministry to the ladies that are sewing these quilts.  This week, one of our ladies died.  Iris fought an 8 year battle with cancer, yet continued to come to the sewing bees, to learn new skills, and provide blankets for the children.  Her family told me how much she enjoyed being able to do something like this.  I truly believe that when we give of ourselves, we receive so much more back.

Hopefully you will come back and visit my blog often.  I try to post once a week, but sometimes life gets in the way.  I am learning so much from other bloggers on this New Quilt Blogger adventure and trying to improve my blog as much as possible.  My patterns are available on Craftsy in digital form for now.  Marketing myself is the hardest part of all of this....any suggestions are very welcome! 

Thank you for stopping by....wishing you lots of time to follow your love of quilting or whatever inspires you to be creative!

grace and peace....Sharon

p.s.  Oh!  and this is Bella...my faithful companion, the yellow cat!

Yes...most of the time she is sleeping on the job!