orange scraps turn into stars

Thought I would share my car work with you.
As you might know, I am doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge again this year. I learn so much by exploring one color each month.
This month is orange.

We were in Colorado when the color was announced. I asked what it would be so I could take those scraps but never found out, so luckily my friend Mary opened her orange scrap bin to me so I could do leaves and stars.

There is a large mix of tone and pattern. I may do a few more now that I'm home again.

It's coming on to Fall and Orange is the natural color of Fall.










I also worked a lot, while listening to another digital book, which was engaging, while traveling thru the heartland of the USA.

 Each star takes a long time. Each segment is basted to paper patterns, then whip stitched together long tiny points protected. I had plenty of time to sew the ones already in progress, as well as make two orange ones from Mary's scraps.

More on stars next week.

linking to among others
http://www.sewcanshe
oh Scrap Sundays 
 slow stitching Sundays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Main Crush Monday
the mop link party mondays
 

We can't all be stars...consider the bit players

Doing the Rainbow Scrap challenge at SoScrappy is always stimulating. Many people choose a few blocks to make in each color/month. They choose some backgrounds that show off their color and pattern.

Nature is my inspiration.

 Note this palm in Columbia...how large, and graceful.
What a study in leaves...

Angela threw me a bit by choosing neutrals at the focus color this month.
But, neutrals are the background not main color! Right?

Then I began to think about them more, and had a very interesting discussion with my scientist husband who sees color in terms of wavelength. A neutral blends with, and supports a more saturated color. It's the bit player allowing another color to star.

It's not the same as low contrast although using neutrals to be background and star requires a bit of contrast.

Some designers don't even use neutral backgrounds, Kaffe Fasset comes to mind... Or Laura Ashley who obtains contrast through pattern change instead of color or saturation change.

I wanted to do some leaves, but didn't want pale leaves, and had to consider how neutral leaves would blend in the end with the brighter ones, and whatever setting I choose. If they are to go together in a tree of life, then these lighter neutral leaves can be the ones sunlight hit. One needs light, medium and dark to really pop.

Note the middle leaf is from Egyptian print fabric... little feet?

One could do a tree in only pale neutrals and it would still be interesting.

Notice, I pieced the bottom leaf before basting it. The one behind it has intense gold metallic paint.
The batik is a Washington DC special edition from Ginny Beyer.

Look again at the botanical prints. 

Look again at the sun-washed leaf at the start of the post... still awesome right? Even if it's pale?


So even if a color isn't your favorite, and beige is my least favorite color, there is much to be learned and enjoyed by exploring colors each month. Thank you to Angela for providing prompts, and a place to gather each week.

Linking to among others:
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Main Crush Monday
 scrap happy Saturdays
sewcanshe Saturdays

Blue leaves and ALL the leaves!

 On our recent trip to Connecticut, (read about it here) I had a chance to hand baste some of my blue scraps to leaf papers.

I look through my scraps about the right size, and choose the ones with the most impact to me.

It's the first project, one done with the RSC which is a challenge to use a certain color each month, where I have hand basted applique like this.

I have enjoyed the process, and seeing a random scrap polished off into a nice shape like this, really showcases the fabrics. It's like shining a light on each design! link to order them https://www.paperpieces.com/



Now for some layouts...

I am in love with this batik behind the layouts. I only bought two yards so I am using it in many projects but wish I had a bolt!

So... I pulled out the leaf pile...

and was amazed at all the leaves I've basted! Leaves, or petals, or feathers, or geometric shapes.
The possibilities are endless and we're not finished with the challenge yet!

linking to
http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/
sew stitch snap share
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays   
off the wall Fridays  
quiltingreadersgarden friday applique  
 scrap happy Saturdays
sewcanshe Saturdays
http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 
 

Leaves of Gold...

 The color challenge at rainbow scrap challenge  this month is Yellow! Appropriate for summer.

While at a hotel recently, while a certain poodle puppy had a power nap, I watched some shows on Netflix

and hand basted some golden yellows to paper leaves. These are fairly large at 6".
(I also basted, then sewed some more hexie star blocks I had prepared)

Of course I had to play with the leaves a bit... I am raking in a lot of leaves now!

 It really is fun to sort thru the scraps to find tones, textures and prints that would be fun on a leaf shape.

The hotel had a carved gold leafed mirror that I looked at... and wondered how I would paint it. I decided to paint the carved parts I would need dark almost black paint, and light gold almost white paint to give the impression of carving.

 It came to me that we need that in each block too, to give the block interest and depth, so that it doesn't look flat.

This is exactly why I love sewing from the scrap bin. All the tones and shades together remind me to try one next to another. I like this arrangement and I didn't fuss with it, just laid them out on white fabric.

I've been told by other quilters, that one shouldn't use much yellow.
Huh?  Crazy. Yellow, and orange, make a quilt sing. They bring warmth and glow.
Proportion comes into play here... one might not enjoy dark gray, but a strip of dark gray might shadow and bring to life another shape. Same with yellow highlights.

I'm still making some yellow hexie stars as well as other colors. There is a suggested color of the month but I am still enjoying all colors on the stars.  While sewing the star points to the hexies, I loved mixing the green with the turquoise, and the dark gray points were amazingly lively in this flower print.

Two more yellow stars were made. I cut out a few white stars with a yellow background too, like the red one in the foreground.
They are so stinkin' cute lying there aren't they?

What a decadent afternoon it was, peacefully piecing while my dervish of a puppy slept, and comedies played on Netflix in a very cool room. Our house is never that chilled in the summer.
What a gift the afternoon was to me.

Those of you who visit only on Saturday might be interested to know I do an "I Like" post every Thursday where I list the positive things that made me smile during the week. I have been joined in doing these posts by about 12 other bloggers. Please come look at those posts and join us! I'll add in your link! 
the link to all the posts is: Click here!

Linking to a few parties on my links page, including:
http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/
http://www.quiltfabrication.com/
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
sewcanshe Saturdays
oh Scrap Sundays 
 slow stitching Sundays
sew can do mondays
Inspire me mondays 

Leaves of green

Continuing on with the Rainbow Scrap challenge this year at http://superscrappy
the color of the month is green.
My scrap bin of green is so full of all shades and tones and variations of greens...

 When I want to do this month's block, EPP applique leaves I have many choices. Every fabric I choose for a leaf takes it out of the mix for future projects so I have to decide if that fabric will look best in a leaf shape or saved for another time.

I made 16 this time, stitching while the baby napped at my feet.

I tried them on different backgrounds and in different arrangements... compare the impact of them here...

 Background tone makes a difference doesn't it? These are both saturated browns

three different brown backgrounds... and you can note the difference when photographed more than with the eye.
(That brightly colored one may transition to another group when it's all said and done)

Note all the patterns and tones in the leaves. It's my belief more is better, excess is never enough, use it all, all tones can mix together like it does in nature. 
These look like a scientist's study of leaves to me...

 I really like the three-d aspect to these, and because they are on paper and have "body" I can play with them...

And isn't that what it's all about??
linking to among others
http://www.sewcanshe.com/
oh Scrap Sundays 
 slow stitching Sundays

Red leaves, or flowers?

Voila! 
 the color is RED at the RSC this month, and my red leaves are done!

Isn't this a joyful setting??? I would not have discovered this but for the challenge to use red scraps, so I thank you Angela!

I love to work with components. I make a lot of something.... shapes, or blocks like hexies, then arrange them. I pulled the interesting scraps from my red bin, (click on the image to see details) thread baste them to paper shapes, then PLAY!
To see the other colors Click HERE !

 I bought some paper shapes, now just cut out my own from cardstock so I have plenty of components.

My initial thought was to do a tree of all colors but now I am open to any and all settings. I LOVE the one above. Then again, tulips are nice too...

and just seeing Red shapes on the turquoise batik was stimulating as I moved them around and around...

The first month was purple, then turquoise and now red so I've got lots of leaves as building blocks now.

My goal this year is to play more with color. Not fuss over an intricate block, but to explore relationships between color and line.  

See what others are making with their scraps at http://superscrappy

Aqua Leaves... or Petals???

The color of the month at So Scrappy changed to Aqua.  Something that evokes the sea... fresh, between green and blue, and a bit lighter than turquoise or teal... isn't it grand!?!

I LOVE this color. I love this color with Red, and Coral, and it's warmer compliments. My camera doesn't give you the full depth of colors here but they are lovely, textural, and varied. For instance the bottom right one is grunge so it has other colors mixed in.

All from the scrap box. I began to run out of room in green and blue scrap boxes so I made a new one of turquoise. It might be my favorite box now... these are the large leaves from "paper pieces" but I have already begun to cut my own by tracing around their leaf. I used a heavier weight paper, and took my time to baste through paper and fabric, slowly enjoying each stitch.

I sewed while my husband drove us to an ice sculpture festival in Frederick yesterday. We were listening to one of my favorite Serious XM radio stations, "the Bridge" which is music from my high school and college years.

I grew up in Florida, going to the beach a lot. I wore a bikini, I was tanned with blond streaks in my brown hair, legs strong from dance classes. I had no idea I was fit... I felt fat always. I compared myself to others. Can you relate? I wrote down my memories of many trips to the beaches:

Beach time
The beach, that smell... a mix of saltwater, coppertone and fresh air. 

The sand soft and white as it filters through  fingers, sifting like sugar, over and over... allowing her mind to take a rest. 
Idle thoughts drift and sift like the sand. 

Sounds of gulls, swoosh of tide, crinkle of cochina shells as they tumble over each other with the foam of the wet shoreline, a softer swish of palm fronds brushing against each other. 

Deeper go feet into the sand, sift another handfull, thoughts play like monkeys.

Swish, sighs the tide. 

Catching a bit of a tune from a passing radio. 
A gull calls. 

Sift more soft sand.

Consider a long walk through wet sand along the edge of the world. Yes.  Feel cool water and cochinas tickle toes... foam  at the water's edge is so white... and soft...

Walk for miles to only turn around and walk back. 
(wonder what hotel is the low beach chair in front of...)

The walk is slow and sensual, graceful movement of long tanned dancer's legs in no hurry, no rush to be anywhere but here, now. Wet sand massaging away tension. 

Gulls call out. Breezes blow wisps of hair. The sun feels so warm on heated skin. It contrasts with cool water lapping at feet. 

The low chair calls out.
Sift. The sand flows through her fingers, over and over. 

Soft. 
As she looks at the horizon... the world is so. Very. Big. 
And so very small. 
In her hands

Link in case it doesn't play       youtube.com

linking to cool parties listed on my links page including these
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays  
Midweek makers wednesdays

Purple leaves

I took out previous Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks the other day.

Boy time flies! I have a lot of blocks to turn into something. I realized it's the one block a month I like, even with as many as four series going a year.

The fun is in doing one cow in a color for instance, one flamingo or guitar a month. Seeing them accumulate.

I made this little book with a list of ideas for just rainbow scrap challenge blocks this year as well as lists of previous year's blocks.
I like the idea of this bear's paw block too, and printed it out to use for my little folding book.

Things like this homemade book make me happy. Less likely to lose the list.
two sheets of paper folded in half, then stapled along the side (spine) and then write in it

I'm not sharing the list of possible's for this year as I might get to a few. For now, I like hand work so I tried basting curves through the paper. I usually baste through just the fabric on the back of hexies and diamonds, or glue baste. I like basting thru the paper, slowly pulling the fabric over an edge for a stitch, then the next little part, stitch.

Who knows what the colorful leaves will become. Something bold and graphic, representing growth.

I hope you look around while you're visiting my blog... hit that home button to see what else is new. I am doing a series on Thursdays called " I Like" of items that made me glad that week.

linking to RSC http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/ 
http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/
among other link parties on my links page