Seeing Colors — Thinking About my Next Quilt

I’ve been thinking about my next quilting project. I’ve pulled some fabrics and have ordered a few more pieces. Here’s where I’m starting…

This selection isn’t final. But it’s a basis for where I’m going. They’re all Kaffe Fassett Collective fabrics. I have a big piece of that turquoise zig zag that I’ll use for the backing.

I’ve been playing around with ideas on a pattern. I was even, at one point, completely sold on using this gorgeous soft dahlia fabric as a sashing…

Even got so far as adding… MORE SPOTS!

But I’ve pretty much completely abandoned that idea because I don’t think it lets the fabrics play with each other the way I want them to and it’s just not the effect I was hoping for. And also because I’m a little tired of sashing right now. But I will use that pastel dahlia fabric in the future. It’s really gorgeous! I’m ruminating on some ideas for that fabric.

So my next KFC quilt will likely be sashing free. I’m pretty sure I’ve landed on a pattern. I’ll decide for sure once I get the fabric pieces I’ve ordered and see it all together.

I’m planning on getting a lot of progress made this weekend on the second aboriginal quilt that will look pretty much exactly like the one in this post. 

I had enough blocks left over for an entire quilt so I decided to make one for my nephew/godson for Christmas. The blocks are almost done. They just need the sashing and cornerstones applied to one side of each block and then they can go up on the design wall. I’d like to get this all sewn and the backing pieced before I start working on the new Kaffe Fassett Collective quilt. I should be able to get it done this weekend. I’m planning on taking next week off of work to get some rest and relaxation in before all hell breaks loose later in August. I’d like to be working on a new quilt next week and not finishing up this one.

I had my first salad with my garden tomatoes for dinner tonight. I really love the tomatoes in the summer.

It’s a little difficult to grow tomatoes in Portland. I have much better luck with cherry varieties. I get a pretty good yield… definitely enough to keep my salads really tasty for a few months. But it’s tough to make a BLT with cherry tomatoes.

My plants don’t look terribly healthy. I hope I can keep them producing through August, at least. I’ve never had tomato plants turn yellow like this.

But look at all those little beauties ripening!

it’s been really hot here the last couple of days. It was over 100 today. I didn’t get a walk mid day because it was 90 degrees by 11 am. That’s just too hot to be out in the sun. The pavement can get hot enough to burn the dogs’ feet, so I try to curb our walking when it’s that bad. Luckily, I have central air so the house is comfy. I work with a lot of people who don’t have more than fans. It will be a tough few days for them. I actually had to go outside this afternoon to warm up because I got so cold sitting at my desk.

So the boys and I walked tonight after the sun went down. It was still hot, but much better than earlier in the day. We had to go out because they were driving me crazy! They had so little activity today that they were really rearing to go. We got about 3.5 miles in, which is what we typically do in the evening. Only saw two or three other people. We got home just as it got dark.

I’ve started carrying a mask in my pocket as I walk so I can put it on when I get onto the local trail. There tends to be more foot traffic on the trail and it’s harder to get good distance from other people. So I’m getting into the habit of popping my mask on when I get onto the trail.

This mask is made from the pattern found on this post. I’ve added a larger size pattern to this post as well. I’ve made a few masks for myself on the larger pattern because when it’s really hot or when I’m using one during more activity, I felt like the other one was just a little too snug. This one allows just a little more space and helps the mask stay in place as I’m moving around.

I just love that gecko fabric! Like I’ve said before, if you have to wear a mask, it should at least make you smile.