Shades of Grey

I have been wanting to create a quilt for my son for quite some time. He is 30 yrs young and will always be my baby!  When I asked what he would like, Nathan came back with something in grey!  Wow, I wasn't expect just grey.  But the more I thought about it, more I thought it would look ok.  I first thought it was just kinda plain.  Now I am searching for a pattern, So anyone out there reading this with ideas of quilt patterns, please share!     I told him to look at this quilt back I had done and see what he thought.

   Here is the comment he left me on facebook.  Maybe this will help you be confused just like me!

White & grey is okay, but black would be more contrast than I would like

So if there is more of a defined pattern, then go minimalist with the contrast, sorta like:

Not so much that pattern, I just like that shade of grey. So with the quilt on your blog I would change the darkest squares to white or off white, and the dark square "ring" to something relatively lighter.

Now, if you go with more contrast , than I would prefer a more patchwork look, kinda like:

In this case I wouldn't mind the little bit of color. I also like the textures in this one.

So hopefully that made some sense. If all else fails, do whatever :)

Nathan went to school for graphic design. He is easy going and fun loving! Loves old t-shirts with any kind of sayings on them. Always have loved, cartoons, legos, star wars, and Dr Suess.  For some reason grey just seemed so simple and plain.  But when I think about it, that is how he does live his life!  I love my baby boy!

So please post any helpful comments or ideas!

To Wash or Not to Wash!

Here is a great posting at Prairie Primrose.  She was curious about washing or not washing her fat quarters before using them in a project.  And if you do wash them, how is the best way.  I think everyone has their own opinion of this.  Well at Prairie Primrose, she decided to do her own experiment.  I found it quite interesting and thought you might too!  Please check it out and decide for yourself....

http://prairieprimrose.blogspot.com/2010/07/fat-quarter-prewash-experiment.html

Underground Railroad

Now that the baby quilt is done, it is time to start on something else.  Ever since I first started reading the Elm Creek Series books, I really became more interested in the history of the Underground Railroad and how quilts were used. If they really were used as maps.   I purchased the book from Quilt in a Day that has many of the different blocks that were thought to be used.

I purchased some fat quarters in Civil War fabrics online and decided to make the smaller version with 6" blocks. ( great price 15 FQ for $12)
Here are the first three I have done so far.  This is also the first time I have ever attempted these blocks in any quilt.

If you look close enough you can see my mess up!  But I'll wait until I finish the other blocks before redoing this one!   I am slowly but surely learning after 50 years, why things say READ DIRECTIONS FIRST!

Baby Quilt

A friend of my daughter's was expecting his first child in July.  They knew it was to be a little girl, so Lauren decided that she would need a Pink John Deere baby quilt!  (Lauren is great a picking out fabric for her mom to sew together!)  Here is what a picture of what it ended up looking like.

She picked out most of the fabric at Hancock's and I had to order the striped JD from Ebay.

The backing was a texture fabric that we both felt would be better than flannel.  I tried using some of the many stitches my new Janome has but I need lots of practice to get that perfected! 

Well Miss Emma Grace entered the world yesterday weighing in at 8lbs 0 oz.  

Aloha Quilt

I just finished reading The Aloha Quilt, most recent book in the Elm Creek Quilts series.
It was about two best friends starting a quilt camp in Maui. One was going through a life changing divorce and needing to start her life over, while the other was happily married and the owner of a quilt shop and a Bed & Breakfast inn.  Throughout the book there was a great deal of the history of
Hawaiian culture as well as Hawaiian quilting.  Surprisingly, there was good instruction on making a traditional Hawaiian quilt.  I an ready to create my own.

As I was enjoying reading the book, I could almost visualize the beauty of the Islands, it makes me ready to take a trip.  Not going to happen anytime soon, but that's ok.  My sister Barbara has a love for Hawaii and after reading this story I have decided that Barbara should make a trip to the islands. 

Barbara has reconnected with old friends still living on the islands. She seems to find pictures and stories with a touch of the islands.  She has always like bright colors in everything.  Barbara says she is afraid of flying but I don't think that is enough of a reason NOT to visit a place she holds so dear to her heart.  Life is to short not to live it to the fullest even if that means you might be a bit scared!

I really have enjoyed reading quilting stories from the Elm Creek Series as they take me to different times and places in history.  Right now I am reading The Lost Quilter about a runaway slave and the underground railroad. 

I purchased the Eleanor Burns quilting book The Underground Railroad Patterns.  I hope to make a small wall quilt using the civil war historic blocks.  I am looking forward to finding the right book on Hawaiian quilting techniques.