Monthly Archives: May 2013

Memorial Day Weekend

Did you have a fun holiday weekend? I sure did. I spent it in Idaho with my sister Reigh, my twin sister Diane, and my niece Kristi. Reigh and her husband just moved into their brand new home in Meridian, a suburb of Boise. At 1500 square feet, with two bedrooms and two baths, the house is the perfect size for a retired couple. (Diane and I were so eager to see their new home that we essentially invited ourselves for the weekend.)

Here’s a picture of the pillowcases I made for Reigh as a hostess/housewarming gift:

2013-5, Reigh's pcases

I knew she would love the fabric. Everything but the gold band is from Violet Craft’s Madrona Road line for Michael Miller. The gold fabric is one of the Mini Mikes blenders, also from Michael Miller.

I wasn’t planning to do any sewing over the weekend but there was a problem with the guest room shower curtain, brought from the old house. It was too short, and there wasn’t a good way to add to the length. So off we went to HomeFabrics and Rugs, a home decorating fabric store in Boise where we have found many a piece of fabric for other home dec projects in Reigh’s former home.

HomeFabrics has an amazing selection of fabrics, and the prices are just as amazing. The fabric we found for Reigh’s new shower curtain was a mere $5 a yard, and the trim was $2 a yard. You can’t beat that at JoAnn, even with a 40% off coupon. Here’s a picture of the new shower curtain in situ:

2013-5, Reigh's shower curtain

The photo above doesn’t do justice to the fabric. Here’s a closer look:

2013-5, closeup of shower curtain fabric

The solid green fabric used in the inset has a sheen to it and a crinkly texture that looks good against the smooth finish of the cotton print. Notice how well the fabrics go with the tile trim on the half-wall just to the right of the sink?

All of the windows in Reigh’s new home feature beautiful wood millwork so she opted for plantation shutters to show it off. That means that the panels I made in several rooms in Reigh’s old house couldn’t be used. One pair is going home with Diane, to be “repurposed” into valances when I visit her at Thanksgiving. Half of another pair came home with me, to be refashioned into a valance for Reigh’s master bath. I certainly have enough quilt and home dec projects to keep me going for a while!

 

 

 

Posted in family, shower curtain, update | 2 Comments

Bathroom Reno, Week 9

It’s all coming together. The first thing I want to show you is how good the floor tile looks now that it’s been grouted:

Week 9, tile floor with grout

 

Here’s a slightly different view with more of the wall tile showing:

Week 9, floor tile grouted

You  may have caught a glimpse of the wall in the upper right side of the photo above but it’s a little hard to see exactly what color the wall paint is. Here’s a look across the room:

Week 9, view across the bathroom
Yes, I chose a pale dove grey for the walls. Are you surprised? I confess I surprised myself. I’m a quilter, and quilters love color. I actually auditioned quite a few bright colors, ones I thought would look especially good against all that white subway tile and the beige and gray tones of the floor tile.

My color inspiration was this watercolor print, St Germain Near Tunis (Inland), 1914, by the German-Swiss painter Paul Klee (1879-1940):

paul klee st germain near tunis 1914

There’s a shade in Klee’s painting that’s not quite pink, not quite coral — more like the inside of a watermelon. I found myself drawn to that color but also to the cornflower blue and the teal. I had paint chips in several of those colors that I taped to the wall. One by one they came down as my choices narrowed.

In the end I decided on grey, a soothing neutral, knowing that just about any color or combination of colors would look good against it. It’s actually a warm grey, with a bit of a beige undertone that picks up the beige in the floor tiles. The grey on the walls changes depending on the angle (and the time of day).

I really like the crispness of the white wood trim against the grey walls. Here’s the pocket door, painted:

Week 9, pocket door painted

 

The vanity is in — and it’s beautiful! — but I’m waiting till the countertop has been installed before showing it to you. In the meantime, here is a preview of coming attractions on the other side of the room:

Week 9, clawfoot tub

Yes, a clawfoot tub! It’s not in its proper position yet (closer to the corner) but it was important to get it moved into the bathroom before the glass walls of the shower were brought in.

I think the shower glass is coming this week. In fact, the bathroom may well be completed by the end of the week. I hope you’ll come back to check it out.

 

 

 

Posted in bathroom remodel, update | 4 Comments

My First Quilt Market

Today was the final day of the three-day International Quilt Market, held right here in Portland, Oregon. It was open to the trade only, and as the owner and sole proprietor of First Light Designs I qualified for entrance as a “cottage industry.” So yesterday I spent the better part of the day at the Oregon Convention Center.

As much as I enjoyed roaming the aisles, admiring quilts on display, looking at new fabric lines and publications and notions and patterns and threads and all of the other accoutrements of the quilting and crafting world, the highlight for me was meeting some of the quilt and fabric designers I admire whose blogs I have been following.

Heather Peterson of Ankas Treasures

Here I am with Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka’s Treasures. Her blog, Trends and Traditions, is one of my favorites. Heather is so talented: she sews, quilts, designs patterns, designs fabric for Henry Glass, publishes books — and she knits the most beautiful sweathers you’ve ever seen. All of the quilts you see in the background are from her latest book, Angles with Ease, and were made with her new tool, the Triangler, which makes all kinds of shapes including two of my favorites, kaleidoscopes and hexagons.

Here is Emily Herrick, showing her latest fabric collection, Technicolor, for Michael Miller Fabrics:

Emily Herrick with new quilt design

I don’t remember how I discovered her blog, Crazy Old Ladies, but it’s lively and fun, just like Emily and her quilts. I’m crazy about the quilt on the right, made from Emily’s newest pattern, Boomerang.

I was delighted to see fellow Portlander Mo Bedell, who designs fabric for Andover. One look at the fabric samples on the wall behind Mo will show you why I like her designs and fabric lines so much:

Mo Bedell

Both Emily and Mo won Best Booth awards, given for excellence in design and the over-all look of their booths. Congratulations, Emily and Mo!

Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts was kind enough to pose for a photo with me:

Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts

Joanna’s blog, Fresh Figs, is always full of gorgeous photos of quilts and other crafted items made from her patterns and her fabric lines for Moda. We had a nice conversation about the new Moda Honeycombs — packs of 6″ hexagons. On the table behind me are a few mini-purses made from her new pattern, Hexies, and a pack of Honeycombs. Yep. Those are on my list now, too.

And what a delight to meet Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs, who blogs at Bunny Tales:

Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill

Anne is well known in the industry for her quilt designs featuring appliqué, and she also designs fabric for Moda. When I introduced myself and told her that my friend Colleen and I are huge fans, she gave me a big hug.

Starstruck? Oh, yes. But you know what? These superstars of the quilting world are real people, just like you and me. And the ones I had the good fortune to meet yesterday were incredibly gracious and kind.

 

 

 

Posted in hexagons, kaleidoscope quilts, Quilt Market, update | 1 Comment

Bathroom Reno, Week 8

I was dazzled last week by the subway tile wainscoting and shower tile. The tilework is even more beautiful now that the grouting has been added. Take a look:

Week 8, shower tile grouted

 

Here’s a close-up of the product niche:

Week 8, shower tile with grout

The photo above really shows off the skill of Erik, the “tile guy,” in particular the way he aligned the tile at the back of the niche with the tile on the outer wall.

Here’s a shot of the tile wainscoting:

Week 8, tile wainscoting, grouted

In this photo you can see the “droplet” trim above the top row of subway tile. I was going for a classic look that will stand the test of time.

Erik actually grouted the floor tiles first but I neglected to take a photo when it was done. The next morning he covered every inch of the floor with paper to protect it while he grouted the walls, so I don’t have a photo to show you how wonderful it looks. All in good time.

Next came the painters, who covered all of the tilework as well as the windows and every other surface that is not going to be painted. An enormous amount of time goes into preparation for painting, and it looks like it will be midweek before all of the painting is done. I’m having the linen closet painted, too, and that required a lot of prep.

If you’ve been following the remodel, you can see how far we’ve come by clicking on the links below to the early weeks. New readers can start from the beginning if they wish:

March 16: Happy Birthday, House!
March 27: The Bathroom Remodel Begins
March 31: Bathroom Reno, Week 1
April 8: Bathroom Reno, Week 2
April 15: Bathroom Reno, Week 3
April 21: Bathroom Reno, Week 4
April 28: Bathroom Reno, Week 5
May 5: Bathroom Reno, Week 6
May 12: Bathroom Reno, Week 7

All of the wood trim will be white. To find out what color I chose for the walls, please stop by next week!

 

 

 

Posted in bathroom remodel, update | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Dear Viv!

My quilt group, the Quisters, got together yesterday to celebrate Vivienne’s birthday. Her birthday is not until next month, but finding a day when all six Quisters are free can be a bit of a challenge. Happily, we found a day and yesterday was it. I made Viv an iron caddy:

2013-5, Viv's iron caddy

The pattern is “Caddy Pad” from Sisters’ Common Thread. The caddy doubles as an ironing pad when opened up because the inside is covered with a heat-resistant lining.

The floral and dot print and the striped fabric on the inside of the handles are made from Mo Bedell’s Party Dress line for Blue Hill Fabrics. I’ve been saving this fabric for three years, waiting for just the right project. Here’s a close-up of the button and loop closure:

2013-5, detail of Viv's iron caddy

I found the vintage buttons (there’s one on the other side of the caddy, too) at the Button Emporium in downtown Portland. Oh my, what a lovely shop for button lovers!

The fabric for the bias binding was also from my stash. It’s from the Serendipity Sunflowers line by Debbie Beaves for RJR Fabrics. The date on the selvage is 2007, so I guess I’ve had it a while.

I made this pattern for the first time in March, when I was on a retreat with the Quisters. I made a few modifications to the pattern which you can read about here.

The Quisters had a wonderful time, all the more so because Deborah brought homemade strawberry shortcake and lots of whipped cream.

 

 

 

Posted in iron caddy, Quisters (Quilt Sisters), update | 1 Comment

Bathroom Reno, Week 7

What a difference a week makes! The shower tiling is 99% done. Take a look:

Week 7, shower tiled

Here’s a close-up of the product niche:

Week 7, shower niche

I asked for a shelf inside the niche so that I could put soap on the bottom ledge and shampoo bottles on the shelf.

I’m sure you noticed the beautifully mitered corners. It’s enough to make a quilter’s heart sing! Did you also notice that the tiles on point at the back of the niche match the ones on the outer wall? Erik, the tile man, is a real craftsman.

Here’s a close-up of the bench, nice and symmetrical:

Week 7, shower bench

Notice how the tile wraps around the corner? You can also get a good look at the “droplet” tile accent and the dust cap, which go all the way around this side of the bathroom. A row of subway tile, the droplet accent, and the dust cap will also form the backsplash of the vanity, which will help tie the two sides of the bathroom together.

The half-wall that forms an alcove where the toilet goes will have the same quartz surface as the vanity top. Here’s the half-wall with its wood trim prep:

Week 7, looking toward ne

Here’s a look at the south wall, where the vanity, mirror, and sconces will go:

Week 7, south wall

Next up: grout and paint. I think the vanity may be installed in the coming week, too. As good as the bathroom looks now, it will look even better at the end of Week 8!

 

 

 

Posted in bathroom remodel, update | 4 Comments

Bathroom Reno, Week 6

Updates on several fronts this week. First, a look at the shower curb underway:

Week 6, shower curb and base tile
Notice the base row of white wall tiles to the right of the shower.

Base row of tiles: done. Now the subway tile starts up the wall:

Week 6, tile in corner
Tile work had to stop so that the window on the north wall could be removed . . .

Week 6, old window removed

. . . and replaced with a new double-hung window:

Week 6, new window in and both windows trimmed

Both windows were trimmed to match the two double-hung windows on the other side of the bathroom.

With the new window in, the tile work could continue:

Week 6, tile going up the wall

Week 6, tile in shower
On the other side of the bathroom, the pocket door was framed:

Week 6, pocket door framed

As you can see, we were able to use the original five-panel door. (It will be painted white.)

We were also able to use the original trim on the other side of the door. Here it is back in place:

Week 6, outside door frame replaced
That door you see on the right goes to the linen closet.

I’ll have a lot more to show you next week so please stop by!

 

 

 

Posted in bathroom remodel, update | 2 Comments