What I finished before breakfast ~

 

Because my sewing room fabric shelves are almost to the breaking point -  I've been selling fabric. Except that  some just don't move fast enough and between the sales post and an actual sale,

 I came up with a quilt idea for these fabrics.....starting with a yard of Jay McCarroll's  "Center City - Philadelphia".  Combined with Michael Miller's Glitz bars and Alison Glass, Deb Strain and Marcia Derse and even some of my hand dyes, they made up into a cluster of half square triangles

 

which finished a one-of-a-kind improvisational half-square triangle quilt top measuring 55" x 44".....not yet quilted.  I'll use the remaining yardage to piece together the backing.  

Until next time, I remain a happy quilter.  

Marty 

'Tis The Season ~

 Any season is good for making a quilt, but especially when the air is cool outside.

I only have a few batik scraps left so decided to reduce them a little bit more by making an Ohio Star quilt...AKA Sawtooth Star by some.  It's a 4 block by 4 block construction simply because that's all the lighter batik background fabric there was in my stash.  It's a good community service size - 48" x 48".  Those stars made big are so easy and finished in no time by making the 2-at-a-time flying geese blocks for the star points.   It took another day to patchwork the backing for this star quilt, but now it's ready to be quilted to donate.

And....while dibbling around in batik, I found even smaller scraps and decided to make just one more bucket hat using the free download by Merchant and Mills.  I've really taken advantage of this free pattern....see my other bucket hats HERE.   So easy, so fun and ready to protect my head in cold weather or hot sun.  

'Tis the season to stay inside, relax and sew.

Even more 16-patch quilts

 There was just no good place to stop, once I got started.....making those patchwork 16-patch blocks.  And then there was three quilt tops, each different layout and sizes.   The first one blogged about  at Marty's Fiber Musings

Patchwork 16-patch #2:

I decided the on-point orientation deserved one of my favorite Malka Dubrawsky fabrics to finish.

Then, just this morning I finished the third 16-patch.  It's even more spontaneous and whimsical  with added filler blocks cut from my vintage linen table napkins.  No, I had no fear....either they worked, or they didn't!

This may satisfy my urge to 16-patch for awhile.....at least until I can accumulate more scraps.  So until next time, I remain.....

A happy quilter.  

A 16-Patch ~

 The temperature has cooled this week and has me energized.  A 16-patch quilt has been on my to-do list and now I can strike that one off.  It was a good time pulling from my left over fabric scraps to get 35 16-patches completed in just about no time.  That's when it seemed a need to be a bit larger and since there was plenty of fabric, I made more blocks to get a 48" x 64" quilt top.  Without any ado or over-thinking I lined  up all the blocks on the design wall and stitched in rows.  

The beauty is that there were a few blocks that perhaps the purest quiltmaker would have re-placed but I'm loving that green block against green block and the blocks without high contrast. While it was my goal to line up dark corner to light corner, that wasn't always accomplished as in 6th row, blocks 5 and 6.  But who's complaining.  Certainly not I.   My heart is jumping with pure joy at this little 16-patch quilt top.

 Marty 

.....there's always a story ~

 Yes, a story is always in the making and now it's time to share this one.  Those of you who follow my slow down-sizing path know that I've been doing this for more than a year.  THIS being selling books and patterns and quilts and quilt tops and more.  I've tried selling locally and on FB, Instagram, Etsy and Ebay  and with hard work and tenacity have had goodly success. There's still a lot to be done!  

Anyway, I'm making this story longer than it perhaps should be.  There's one book I've tried to sell several times without success....probably because of the high cost of postage and this being heavy with glossy pages and cover.  I've even tried giving it away to our local library, but with the pandemic, they aren't taking books now for their annual fund-raising book sale.  "Quilts From The Indiana Amish" is an 88 page picture book with a story and it is a delight to gaze upon the quilt collection dating 1875-1940.  

....and the story continues.  While doing some research for another hand quilting project, I pulled out the Indiana Amish book and lo and behold, look what I found.  My eyes locked onto this quilt...."Railroad Crossing"  pictured on the left.    The more I looked, the more I liked and in a frenzy began pulling and sewing strings - forgetting about my original project which I'll come back to later.  

Yes, the  book "Quilts from the Indiana Amish" is still for sale as is the quilt top inspired from page 67.  My quilt top was finished yesterday and it measures 55" x 90" -  a generous twin size.  

If the book doesn't sell, I won't worry.  That just  means I'll have a chance to be inspired by another quilt made somewhere in Amish country by a dedicated quilt maker.  I'll also not despair it the quilt top doesn't sell.  I'll just pick it up one day and get it quilted. Oh, yes, there's always a story and my stories are usually inspired by a quilt.

Have a happy ~

Delighted: Thank You ~

 I'm delighted to tell you that some of them are selling!   I'm a prolific quilt maker and have absolutely, overwhelmingly, without a doubt, in tears and screaming out loud run out of space to store them.  Yes, it hurts to be able to never see one again, but what's hurting more right now is that until some are out of the house, there can be no more.

This one sold quickly ~   The one called "Improv Triangles" was so fun to make so I do hope it gives the recipient as much pleasure as it did me.  

It's hard work at best to get pictures, measure, describe, price then  find a place to market finished quilts.   Once a buyer is found, the paperwork has to be done, then transfer of money, then wholly Toledo, the packing and shipping.  I'm exhausted but must persevere.

I donated 13 quilts to CASA for children who may be hurting and sold 4 this week.  Now, doesn't that deserve a pat on my back?

But I can't stop now and have several more that I would love to see gone this week.  Here's one - patchwork blocks surrounded by calming neutrals in white, cream, gray ~

and another patchwork with dominant indigo.

Moving on, moving forward....moving quilts.  Find me and more at Marty Mason Facebook.

Improv Houses ~

 Houses - improv - what a hoot?  I've been in the Freddy Moran quilters' fan club for many a year and seem never to tire of her spontaneity.  What fascinates me most is her unlikely fabric selection for each of her house quilts, yet each house lives beautifully in its neighborhood.  

So, having a bit of time and a lot of scraps, I set about emulating a neighborhood in an improvisational style.  House by house and tree by tree, until construction was complete. It's perfectly sized at 50" x 60" or so. 

Houses surrounded by trees.....how refreshing is that?

Boro Inspired ~

 What fun!  Started in February, 2021, in the virtual QuiltCon workshop presented by Blair Stocker of Wise Craft Handmade - Boro Inspired! A patchwork quilt with lots of hand stitching.  

Derived from the Japanese boroboro, meaning something tattered or repaired, boro refers to the practice of reworking and repairing textiles (often clothes or bedding) through piecing, patching and stitching, in order to extend their use.

I cut into a thrift shop linen blouse.....a slither of a t-shirt.....a feed sack....an aqua linen skirt plus one of my cut apart acid green floral silk skirts to add just the right patches stitched down, adorned and quilted using multiple stitches to maintain stability for continued use of this quilt.  

This is a must-do-again way to design and finish a quilt:  inspired by Japanese patchwork.

How Brave Are You?

 The poll question I was asked to respond to read "How brave are you feeling?"  At the time, I was feeling so wimpish that I couldn't respond to the question.  You see,  I want to be brave and strong and be in the present....but at that present time, I was feeling bored and not sure where to go with my newest floating squares work-in-progress!   

After having a second cup of coffee (too early for wine) and muddling around the possibilities, I decided this is it, this quilt is done! 

 But it still needed to be squared (she said) as she remembered that fabulous Alexander Henry "Afternoon Delight" recently purchased.  The colors were right, the theme was right, it relieved the boredom and truthfully, it made me feel happy.  

Bravely, I added the Alexander Henry to the left and bottom giving me wiggle room to trim up square. Yes, the borders are not symmetrical.   

Feeling pretty darn brave - enough to go back and absolutely, positively respond to the poll ~ Whoopeeee.  

Not Alone ~

 I wasn't alone yesterday......not with 81 other participants!  Being in a workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood, whether live or virtual,  is always a joy.  She quietly pushes without bruising body or ego.  In her very joyful way, Sherri Lynn  encourages and inspires by example.  

No, how could I be alone while interacting with the group.  We listened, we learned, we cheered each other along as we cut and sewed, each of us working separately, yet together on our personal vision of  an improv floating squares patchwork.  

I did so enjoy using a few of my vintage flower sack street finds in this improv patchwork

Progress after a full day of expanding my horizons ~ It measures 30" ish x 30" ish.....give or take a few ish'es!  

My floating square improv patchwork from a few years ago continues to entice me to look a little bit closer and imagine "What If?"  

Is it squared?

Is it squared?  No....but it's finished!  My molehill fans are stripped, pieced and quilted....finished.

Was it back in 2016? that several of us from way down here in Louisiana flew up to Ann Arbor to joyfully participate in a Glamp Stitchalot workshop hosted by Pink Castle Fabrics.  Oh how we did love the improv lineup of  teachers:  Latifah Saafir, Sherri Lynn Wood, Daniel Rouse, Luke Haynes, Nydia Kehnle and Nick Ball, each with an enlightening improv technique for us.  I talked about it here in a December, 2016 blog post.

It's taking me a while, but progress continues.

Latifah Saafir inspired - @latifahsaaafirstudios - Improv Molehills ~  This one was a challenge stripping 4 whole molehills and two half ones each one 24" across. So, have empathy for me and know that's why there are so many solid molehills pieced in.

Luke Haynes @entropies ~  I was  inspired by his take on deconstructed shirts and finished this one in 2017 shortly after returning from Glamp. Every now and then I'll make quilts with borders.....but, you have to look for them.  I usually get bored with obvious symmetrical borders on my quilts (and yours).

Two deconstructed thrift store shirts..........a quilt with borders
inspired by Luke Haynes

Sherri Lynn Wood  @sherrilynnwood -  Her Glamp workshop was all about ruler free strip piecing with emphasis on use of color.
Pictured is my first improv quilt inspired by Sherri Lynn - Floating Squares - from her book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.  

Nydia Kehnle -  Improv applique

A little bit of the work in progress....slowly progressing with needle and thread in hand.  A few finished 2 1/2" improv applique blocks.

I know I've already finished my projects inspired by Nicholas Ball and Daniel Rouse.....but wouldn't you know, I can't find either picture and have probably donated both quilts to community service long ago.   Speaking of Nick Ball...did you by chance participate in his (Quilts From The Attic) Improv Triangle Sewalong?

I think I got my monies' worth out of Glamp, 2016!   For now, its almost a square deal and I'm finished.

Eyes Wide Open ~

It was still very dark outside but my eyes popped wide open:  it was only 5:45 a.m.!!!!!  While I am a very early morning person, the get-up time has been inching closer and closer to 7 ish.  Sometimes when my eyes pop open, I'll force them (and my what's-in-store-for-me-today brain) closed for a little longer nap.  But this morning, I didn't push those eyelids closed and am super enjoying my early morning time alone.

What I've been doing with my eyes wide open in the past several days:

Sewing  more wide mouth zippered pouches , a Noodleheads' design.  Here's one with my painted and waxed fabric ~

and just finished twelve pillowcases for community service:  perhaps for the children in the CASA program or for those in the safety of the women's shelter or dear ones in a nursing home.  The need for our sewing and giving is endless.

With eyes wide open, I've been hand quilting my  "The Avenue" quilt:  a Louise Papas design for the Jen Kingwell collection.    Slowing getting there and loving the peace while sitting and stitching with no cares in my self-contained life.

I've been watching with great envy the projects of those participating in the Bernina Sugaridoo Quilt-along.  When it began in November, I didn't join in because of lack of time.  Now, there's plenty of it!   The  various quilt blocks set in columns has inspired me.  With homespun in hand, I've cut and pieced a number of triangles.  Doesn't fabric change once it's cut!

Not sure yet what the next block might be but I'm leaning toward my favorite quilt block, the churn dash.

Nuts and Bolts ~

It's still on the improv design wall, but already this little gem is dubbed "Nuts and Bolts".  The nuts and bolts of it is because while happily practicing my curved piecing,  I'm loving the improvisational-ness of this piece with no rhyme nor reason to its progression.  Accepting each add-on that's fitting together like a nut to the bolt. 

January ~

2020 - a new year, a new decade -  has arrived and January is well in progress.  Some snapshots just to prove the sewing  machine has been humming.

The joyous new year began with the completion of two quilt tops ready for quilting and donated to a child in need.  Just last week I heard a comment made that made my heart hurt.  A lovely quilter, she is, said that she was just about community serviced out.   But for the grace of God, that hurting child could have been me and so it is for that reason that I hope never to tire of giving away my quilting time and talent.

Simply sewed, an improv 4 patch using donated fabric....and the abundant joy in giving back continues.

Another improv 4-patch ready to be quilted and donated.

Improv 4-patch closeup....just filling in the gaps.














And what a year-ending treat it was to being an active participant in the Sherri Lynn Wood Patchwork Doodle workshop last month.   This project began by making several size rectangles in several colorways, then attaching one to the other.  When that began to bore me, I switched over to making triangles of any size  putting it all together to the improv finish line.  My goal of making with larger blocks was not a total failure.  I'll continue to think big when thinking of improv. 

And another improv top finished just yesterday.....improv to the log cabin constructed in a minimal number of fabrics and colorways.  

Happiness is sewing in the new year.