Nude is Not a Color

The Henry Ford museum has the newly acquired Nude is Not a Color quilt on display until mid April, and Phoebe and I went yesterday to meet Hillary Goodwin (@entropyalwayswins) and see it.
It is beautifully displayed just inside the entrance to the museum. The case is out from the wall so that you can see the front and back of the quilt. The signage with photos and stories from some of the contributors really bring people over to look more closely and read the background information.

Here is my story that is included in the display material:

“My daughter, Phoebe, who was 10 at the time, often spent time in my sewing room with me and loved to help choose fabrics for my projects. I had Phoebe help choose a fabric that matched my skin tone. She noticed that HER skin matched a different color and wanted to contribute a block too. I loved that teachable moment we had in the sewing room. I think that my family looks very similar but even my daughter and I have different color skin. This moment contributed to her journey of looking at how people are the same, how people are different, representation, and fighting for social justice as she is now doing in her teens.”

The blocks we contributed are shown below. I found it interesting to choose fabrics that best matched our skin. The fabrics that matched have much more color to them than I would have guessed. Both of the blocks we contributed can be found in the photo above.

I am honored to be a contributor to this quilt and have it displayed at it’s new home, The Henry Ford museum.

Please read more about the quilt here.

Licorice Allsorts in Black and White

I’ve been making black and white versions of the blocks I am teaching in my Licorice Allsorts class. They are all variations on a theme. I’m having a great time trying out different layout options. This piece has a completely different feel to it than the colorful first version I made.

If you are interested in learning how to make these blocks, there are still some spots in my class next week.

Old School Sewing Studio Time

This is what sewing at the studio in town looks like these days.

After taking the photo I noticed that the “Old School Sewing” sign on my window made the SEW shadow on the red chair. Serendipity.

String Quilt Times Two

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think too much about finding the perfect solution to a problem or the “right” way to finish a quilt. There really can be many good solutions. When I couldn’t decide which layout I liked best for these string pieced blocks, I made two different quilts. And you know what, I like BOTH of them. It is easy to get bogged down in finding the best path forward and forget that any path will keep us moving and making new discoveries. .

I have successfully used up the bright, colorful solid scraps! Whoop! I am looking at what’s left and I can tell you that pile is not my favorite. It’s mostly browns, greys, and some dusty rose. They do, however, all fit in my mom’s old train case so that’s progress.

My home sewing room is next to the kitchen and does not have a door that closes. Sometimes I like that I feel a part of what’s going on in the rest of the house, sometimes I want uninterrupted concentration time. I guess this is why I have sound canceling head phones.

Design wall Doings Part 2

There are endless possibilities for these string pieced blocks.

String Piecing and March Workshops

I've really gotten into the sewing groove the last few weeks and I’m deep into string piecing a couple of different projects. Technically they are very similar, but I have different guidelines that I think about when working on each of them. This one is now at the studio in town because it outgrew my home design wall. I’m aiming for a queen size quilt with this one.

I am trying to create a “minimal” look by making blocks with few strings, and setting them with alternate blocks of a single fabric. The alternate blocks are grouped together to create color clumps in the final quilt. I’m sure it will change a bit as I progress but those are the main ideas guiding my process.

If you are interested in my learning my string piecing process, you can take my String Theory class next month. I also have another workshop for Licorice Allsorts on the calendar. You can sign up for classes through my shop.

Winter Wonderland

We are enjoying quite the winter wonderland this year. I love all the snow even if I don’t get out in it much.

The photos above and below were taken from our front porch. The top photo was taken in the afternoon, the bottom photo was taken in the morning. I love how the changing light changes the look.

Little Mittens

These cute little mittens for my two year old grandson are knit from leftover balls of two different handspun yarns from a few years back. OK a LOT of years back. The yarn predates my blog, and Ravelry. I’m pretty sure they predate my daughter! I have no record of it but I KNOW I spun it. Hahaha.

The mittens are project number 50 in my LynnStash100 project. I’m halfway to my goal of 100 items knit from stash or leftover yarn!

What's on Your Design Wall

I love the look of these blocks when they are placed right next to each other with the strips all lined up the same way. I also like the look of them with a plain setting block between them as you can see at the bottom of the photo. Sometimes the decisions are really hard.

Red and White Strippy Quilt

Valentines weekend seems like a good time to share this red and white quilt I finished last spring. I love the spikey strips. The jagged edges of the strips, combined with the intense contrast in color, create an effect that is very high energy.

This was one of my few finishes of 2020. As soon as I finished this I dove in to making stacks of string pieced units, and have finished a couple of tops as well as piles of blocks to sew together.

Finished size 40” by 50”