A Neutral Palette Challenge & My Top 25 Notions

What’s on my design wall? 

A neutral color challenge!  Take 8 neutral fabrics in greys and taupe and see where it I can take it.

✔️ First up simple flying geese 

      

Simple? 

 

Perhaps,.... but I still have to take notice of light medium and dark and their placement.  A neutral color palette makes relative color even more important.

 I’m working through the different fabrics, piecing the blocks as leaders and enders. 

Not enough contrast and you have a "muddy" block.  The block at right is after a couple of interruptions and the removal of a "muddy" section.  Take a look at my slides from Show and Tell to see the difference.

November 17, 2021 Show & Tell Slides

✔️ Making blocks from the house exercises from @cindygrisdela new book, Adventures in Improv Quilts and change up the color palette to neutrals,…..

Not exactly how Cindy Grisdela had imagined the exercises in her new book.  But, since when did I follow exercises as they were originally intended.

✔️ Adding a few techniques/blocks from other projects

I figure I need another 10 or more blocks, larger ones and then the puzzling begins.  

Every time I walk by my design wall I move a few blocks, take a picture and stare at it a bit more.  

From the wee hours last night, see the shadows in my photo.  I'm still making changes and taking even more pictures.

With any luck, I'll have something by the end of next week, just in time to go home.

Yes home, I'm working in our vacation home for yet another 2 weeks.  Whilst I have always quilted when I have come down to our vacation home, I haven't done as many technical projects.

Did I have a surprise!  I didn't have all my go to quilting supplies here.  I did bring my projects, some special rulers and my Acorn Products, I was still missing a few things.  I had a separate suitcase will all my projects and select notions but it still wasn't enough.  

Most notably I was missing, a design wall, a wool pressing mat, my small and large Karen Kay Buckley scissors, my Corner Pop tool.

Thankfully my son and daughter-in-law, thank you Alex, did bring a couple of items when they came down to visit.

So, as always, my missing items became my "Top 25 Notions" list.  Take a look at my list, is there some items that should be on your Christmas list?  Download a copy of my list below.  Sometimes, it is the simplest of things that can make our projects more successful.  

Next trip, I'm destined to have another full suitcase of my go to tools so I can play!  

My Top 25 Notions

Simple little handmade gifts, they just make me smile!

As I write this post from my comfy chair, I'm looking about my great room and my eyes drift to all the handmade items in the room.  The quilts, pillow, wool table toppers and stitched pictures....it just makes me smile.  

Those hand made items warm up the room and make me think back to when they were made or received with a smile.  Now more than ever, a simple project can spread those smiles and let someone know you were thinking of them.  It's like a virtual hug!

Over the years I have taught, I shared some simple little projects.  Not all projects shared were mine, so with credit was provided to the designer.  

Today I thought I would re-share some of these simple projects so you too could make someone smile this year.  

And when you deliver them, be safe and don't forget to "Ding and Dash"!  (Thanks to Michelle Peters of Watergirl Quilt Company for this catchy delivery method!)

From December 2017 - A simple Circle Mug Rug

Whilst I had seen this design on Pinterest, the link was missing so, giving full credit to the original designer, I drafted the instructions.

Download your copy of the instructions here:

Circle Mug Rug

From June 2016 - Raccoon Case

One of the easiest zippers to insert into a practical eyeglass case, pencil case or a case for small scissors.  You'll never want to sew in a two sided zipper into a small case!

http://blogg.pinkponydesign.com/2015/10/keep-your-sunglasses-safe-raccoon-case.html

From April 2016 - Quilt Block Design Board

We all have done it, laid out a block on our cutting mat and in the process of carrying it to our sewing machine, we flipped a piece, sewed a seam on the wrong side or....

Lori Holt had a solution for this in her Quilt Block Design Board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO-fosn6Yfs

Scrap Basket Destash Complementary Quilt Along

Are your scraps over flowing their containers and taking over your studio space?  If yes, join me for my Scrap Basket Destash Quilt Along.

On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month I will be posting the instructions for one step of this project on my blog.

Follow me @modernblendedquilts on Instagram and my Facebook page, Modern Blended Quilts to receive notifications of the posting new step for this project.  If you would prefer an email notification for the post, enter your email address on this blog.

There is no pattern to purchase, all instructions are complementary can be downloaded from this blog in the link below.

With the exception of your choice for a Solid fabric, the goal for this project is to be a scrap basket destash project.  You will need 1.25 meters of Solid fabric for the quilt top and binding.  You might even have the perfect Solid fabric in your stash!

The construction of this quilt is ideal for a "longer length" leaders and enders project.  Cut out the project and construct it as you chain piece your current quilt project - thus eliminating threat waste on a fabric "pig" or "bunny tail.

As you are working through the steps, be sure to tag your posts on Instagram and Facebook #scrapbasketquiltalong.

Join the journey and download the cutting instructions for this project.

Scrap Basket Quilt Along Introduction

Here is a subset of my fabric choices, my solid is Kona Wasabi.