Focus Freeway

So I probably should have waited on making my last post because I had that project finished within an hour of posting it. I took a few extra minutes of getting the binding prepared and finding binding fabric.

I couldn't find the remnant of the grey I used for the camera body but I did find a scrap of grey fabric I did have. The binding is not perfect and there are a few non-pretty sections but I'm not worried. I plan to make at least 3 more as presents for some of my friends who are into photography. I stopped at my cousin's house and got a nice final photo for it by her tulips.

I do have an Instagram that I put my finished photos on plus whatever else I feel like putting on there. I've got a link here if you want to check it out.

Focus Freeway Mini Project

You would think a project the size of this pattern would be done in a few hours. Let me tell you when you sprinkle it between two other projects it takes a lot longer. I picked this pattern up at Quiltcon in Feb and decided I had the perfect scraps for it to put together one.

I was still working on the Halloween hanging when I cut out the applique pieces for the camera and set them aside. I used the leftovers from a charm pack of Palm Canyon by Violet Craft. I even managed to take a break and assemble everything while I was working on the baby quilt.

Now I was going to go straight to quilting this one, and even got it pinned when I finished the baby quilt. But I had a dream that could not be ignored and quickly assembled a top that I now plan on writing a pattern for. Before I start pattern writing though I am going to finish this little project. I've got the quilting started and now it's a matter of choosing the binding.

Tea today is a choice from my collection. I went with Duchess Delight. It's a caramel warm vanilla flavored tea. Funny I was looking at this photo and noticed three of these teas can be described with those same words.

Shop Hop- Fiberology Lab

Picture taken from Fiberology's Facebook

So as full as my weekend was at the end of March I managed to squeeze a lot into my Saturday. I started my day working on the quilt pattern for the dream quilt and managed to get out of the house in time to stop at the grand opening of a new shop in Oak Ridge.

Called Fiberology Lab, it's a good size shop that has both fabric and quilting supplies as well as yarn and lots of crafting space for classes and more. I had been meaning to stop by for the limited hours the weeks before but I hadn't a chance. They have a regular sit and stitch for knitters and yarn enthusiasts and have already got a line up of classes going on. They've been building up their social media presence already in anticipation of the grand opening which was fun!

I did not get any photos of the shop sadly but if you go by Jackson Square they are in the corner across from the playhouse. They were having a short bolt sale and I did buy a 5 yard bolt of some cute snail fabric.

I didn't get to stay long because after that I had a baby shower to attend, and a quilt to give away. My cousin loved it and her friend is trying to figure out how much I charge to do a quilt for her. She did jump when my cousin mentioned me selling my Harry Potter quilt. Since it is still for sale she said she would contact me later about that.

I don't have tea for this post but I am going to share an adorable centerpiece my aunt had made for the baby shower, It's a stork on top of pacifiers. I was surprised at how little the woman charged her for it.

What dreams may come

In Progress

Sketches and figures

I had planned on going back to finish Focus Freeway once I got the backing done for mom's charity quilt, but I had a few stagnant days of nothing then got struck by inspiration for a new project. On the morning of my cousin's baby shower, I had woke from a dream of a quilt.

In the dream, someone had unfurled a folded quilt showing me the pattern. I remember awing over some of the piecings that used a fussy cutting a gradient fabric to bend an illusion within the block. The moment I woke up I declared I did not have any fabrics in the colors on that quilt but rushed to draw as much of the design as I could. I was not fast enough to get all of it but I got the core components of the pattern down before I forgot almost all my dream. Even now the only thing I remember is the center of the design and marveling over the fabrics. I don't even remember who held the quilt. My sketch was the best reminder of what I had seen.

I spent this week making the quilt top and working out the fine details of measurements. It took two and a half hours to get the measurements right for one of the major blocks. I do plan on writing this pattern out for others. I need someone else to test my figures to make sure I've gotten all the details right.

I was in a dilemma of fabric selection. I decided to go with something springy I purchased not long ago. I grabbed the layer cake I bought from Tuesday Mornings and some fabric from my Asheville haul. I wish had some more of the jewel-toned fabrics but I think I filled in with bits from the layer cake okay.

The whole design is made to go with a jelly roll and a layer cake. I ended up with a twin size using a remnant from Joann's for the background.  The main essence was the white diamonds down the center with the latticework coming off it. I think I will always second guess choices I made but overall it is very pretty. I may redo it in the future if I ever find the exact fabrics that matched my dream but this still brings the pink and green essence that I remember.

Tea for the day is a blend I picked up at Dragoncon last year. It's a Dr. Who inspired tea called Tardis Eleven- Geronimo by Tea and Absinthe. They have 5 blends for the doctors and other fandoms. The smell of this one caused me to fall in love with it. It smells like your eating a big bowl of vanilla custard. It is so good with shortbread cookies. I do suggest checking their flavors out.