Author Archives: Dawn

Happy Mail

by Dawn Posted on June 13, 2022

Last month I had the pleasure of giving a presentation in Newport, Oregon to the Oregon Coastal Quilters Guild, which serves quilters up and down the coast. I also taught a workshop on Kim Lapacek’s Dresden Neighborhood quilt pattern. When I complimented one of my students on her denim shirt, which was adorned with this image . . .

. . . she told me the guild had shirts for sale. Of course I ordered one! When the Dear Husband and I returned home Sunday from a minor league baseball road trip to Central and Southeast Washington, my shirt was waiting for me. Happy Mail!!

Years ago I had a denim shirt jacket that I embellished with cuffs and pockets made with leftover fabric from a home dec project. I literally wore that shirt out. Now I have a replacement. I promptly put it on and — even before unpacking — asked the DH to take a photo in our back yard. Notice the continuation of the pink and green color theme? That’s mountain laurel on my right, in my neighbors’ backyard. On my left is spirea japonica, which burst into bloom while we were gone. How I love this time of year!

About that logo on my denim shirt:  “Quilts by the Sea” is the name of the quilt show that the guild puts on every year — or did, until Covid came along. After a two-year hiatus, the quilt show returns on Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5. It’s the guild’s 30th show! Of course it’s on my calendar. If you’re going to be anywhere near Newport, Oregon in early August, you should put it on your calendar, too. Click here for more information.

The guild members who took my “Wonky Dresden Neighborhood” workshop were scheduled to show their finished mini quilts at the last guild meeting. I’m hoping someone took some good photos. If so, I’ll be sure to share them on my blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

Posted in update, wall hanging, wonky Dresden neighborhood | 3 Comments

In Praise of Pink and Green

by Dawn Posted on May 30, 2022

If you’ve ever wondered about the timeless appeal of pink and green quilts, you have only to look to Mother Nature:

I snapped this photo on May 24, the day the first peony on our three bushes opened up. Since then all three bushes have exploded with blossoms.

This peony is from the darkest of the three bushes:

It’s the Dear Husband’s favorite but it’s the lighter shade I’m swooning over:


The dogwood trees this spring were the loveliest in recent memory. Everyone I’ve spoken to agrees. This shot was taken from our front porch one recent morning when the sun lit up the dogwood belonging to our neighbors two doors down:


Even the lilacs in our backyard, which are actually light purple, looked pink the morning in late April when this photo was taken:

Then there is this unusual succulent — update: identified by a reader as Lewisia — growing in a pot in our backyard:

I’m reminded of the most recent pink and green quilt I finished, the one for Baby Isabella . . .

. . . and this kaleidoscope quilt, made for a great niece in 2013 from a fabulous hydrangea print:

This is the back of the quilt, so you can see what the focus fabric looked like before I turned it into kaleidoscope blocks:

And this is my first pink and green quilt, completed 10 years ago, made from my pattern Four-Patch Wonder:

I named the quilt Framboise, the French word for raspberry. You can read more about the making of it here. Here’s another shot of Framboise au naturel, surrounded by even more green:

Speaking of raspberries, the vines in our backyard will be producing those small deep pink edible jewels in a month’s time, adding to my continuing enjoyment of pink and green.

Do you find the combination of pink and green as irresistible as I do? In nature as well as in quilts?

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, baby quilt, faux-kaleido quilts, kaleidoscope quilts, update | 12 Comments

Another Churning Star Block

by Dawn Posted on May 29, 2022

My Sea Sampler quilt begun last year is slowly taking shape. I recently finished this block:

The simple Churn Dash block nestled inside a Sawtooth Star has become one of my all-time favorite star blocks. I first saw this particular combo in a book by Jenifer Gaston. She called her quilt Churning Stars so that’s what I call this block.

It joins these six other blocks, all of which finish at 12″ square:

The blocks will be combined with some others that finish at 6″ and 18″ square. Eventually I will get a top put together but for now this project is on the back burner.

All three winners of my recent 10th Blogiversary Giveaway requested pillowcases — they had their choice of three handmade gifts — so I have been putting together fabric combinations for their review. Once their choices have been finalized, I’ll get the pillowcases made and mailed. As I’ve told the winners, it’s been fun getting reacquainted with my stash. But it’s been hard narrowing down the choices because there are so many possibilities. What does that tell you about the size of my stash??

 

 

 

Posted in Churning Stars quilt block, Giveaway, roll-it-up pillowcases, sampler quilt, update | 5 Comments

Announcing the Giveaway Winners

by Dawn Posted on May 16, 2022

I’m popping in to announce the three winners of the giveaway connected to my 10th Blogging Anniversary aka 10th Blogiversary. I asked people entering the giveaway to tell me about their favorite color combination. Using a Random Number Generator found online, I was able to identify the the three winners very quickly. And here they are . . .

Linda B., who wrote, “What a lovely and generous way to celebrate your blog’s anniversary! So hard to pick a favorite color combo, but pretty much any combination of blues and greens is hard to beat.”

C. Cullen, who commented, “I love blue and white. Congratulations on 10 years!”

Bridget, who said, “Ten years and I have loved so many of your posts! Congrats! I am not sure how this happened, I hate orange but right now I am liking orange and cream combos or maybe orange and yellow…um 😉 Oh, hey, maybe it is a lack of sunshine this spring! lol”

Ladies, I will email you to find out which giveaway item you would like me to make for you — a pair of standard or kingsize pillowcases, a rotary cutter coat, or a pair of quilted oven mitts. I’ll also ask you to give me an idea of your color preferences for your item of choice so I can send you photos of some fabric combinations to consider.

My thanks to each and every person who left a comment on my blog. It was fun to read about your favorite color combos. And many of you wrote such nice things about my blog! I am so very grateful for your interest and support. You all are the reason I reached my 10th blogiversary.

In my post announcing the giveaway, I noted that family members could leave comments but would be ineligible to win. My sister Reigh left this comment: “I wanted to win oven mitts in blue and yellow! First time it’s ever been a disadvantage to be your sister! Oh well, I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you!” Dearest Reigh, your wish is my command. You couldn’t win the giveaway but you’ll still get your oven mitts. Love you, too!

 

 

 

Posted in family, Giveaway, home dec, oven mitts, roll-it-up pillowcases, rotary cutter case, tutorial, update | 6 Comments

Giveaway Extended!

by Dawn Posted on May 10, 2022

I’ve decided to extend the giveaway celebrating my 10th blogging anniversary (aka my 10th Blogiversary) through Saturday. I’ll be out of town for a few days so it makes sense to wrap things up after my return. If you meant to register for my giveaway (announced on my blog on May 1) and let it slide, you have a second chance.

I’m in Portland, Oregon so you can enter up until midnight Saturday, May 14, Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Winners will be announced on Sunday. The giveaway is open to both domestic and international visitors to my blog.

I’m giving away three prizes made by me – a rotary cutter coat (pictured above), a pair of oven mitts . . .

. . . and a pair of standard or king size pillowcases:

 

But wait – there’s more! The winners get to pick the item they prefer — and the fabrics. I’ll find out what colors they like and give them some choices. If the handmade items I’m offering don’t appeal to you, think about them as gifts for friends or family members. Oven mitts, in particular, make great gifts. There’s even a hashtag for that: #ovenmittsmakegreatgifts.

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is go to this post and respond in the comment section to the question: “What is your favorite color combo?” It’s been fun to see the responses so far, many of which mirror the color combos near and dear to my heart.

I’m sorry to say I’ve spent precious little time in my sewing room of late. What could possibly take me away from My Happy Place? The answer: the White House Garden. I have been helping the Dear Husband get our front and back yard ready for planting. I have to be honest: spending time in the garden is at the very bottom of my list of things I want to do. But we’ve had such a cold and soggy spring in Portland that I feel I have to help the DH take advantage of the (fairly) dry and (partly) sunny days to make up for lost time.

My DH moves a bit slower than he used to so I’m stealing time away from my sewing room to help him do the thing that makes his heart sing. I will always be a reluctant gardener but . . . I must confess:  there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from getting a few feet of land freed of weeds, an overgrown bush trimmed back, a lawn and leaf bag filled and hauled to the curb. I just don’t want to make a habit of it!

I’ll be back on Sunday with the names of the winners. Good luck!

P.S. Instructions for all three prizes are included in the Tutorials page on my website, which you can find at this link.

 

 

 

Posted in family, Giveaway, home dec, oven mitts, roll-it-up pillowcases, rotary cutter case, tutorial, update | 3 Comments

Presenting . . . Baby Isabella’s Quilt

by Dawn Posted on May 5, 2022
Isabella’s Quilt, 40″ x 44″ (2020)

Not only is Baby Isabella’s quilt finished, Isabella herself has arrived! She was due around May 8 but was born on April 27, weighing in at a robust 9 pounds, 3 ounces. Mama and baby are doing fine; Papa and brothers are over the moon. I was able to deliver Isabella’s quilt this afternoon so now I can show you the entire quilt rather than the sneak peeks of the last few weeks.

See the big shooting star on the front of the quilt? I love that effect! Isn’t it amazing how a few strategically placed half-square triangles can convey an image?

Here’s a look at the simple pieced back:Isabella’s Quilt was adapted from the Star Stream Quilt pattern by Sally Davies of Chasing Tigers:

I saw a different version online that had been kitted by a quilt shop, with the quilt called Shooting Stars Quilt. It took a little sleuthing to identify the original designer. I wound up buying the pattern from the quilt shop as well as from Chasing Tigers since the latter contained additional information.

I knew right away I would make only a portion of the original design, using just two stars and enlarging them for maximum graphic effect. My fabric selection didn’t occur until I found out my granddaughter Bethany was expecting a girl this spring. The two pieces of cherry-themed fabric from an older line by Holly Holderman for Lakehouse Dry Goods were the perfect choice.

My original plan was to use a white-on white print for the background but as I pulled light and medium light greens from my stash to audition for the two star blocks . . .

. . . I was inspired  to incorporate several of the prints to create a low volume background for a subtle patchwork-y effect. I think it makes the quilt much more interesting — and probably more practical in the long run.

I find the color combo of pink and green so fresh and appealing. It speaks to me of spring, my favorite season of the year. Right now our Portland, Oregon neighborhood is alive with pink and white dogwood trees and azalea bushes in every shade from palest pink to deepest rose. This was the view from my front porch a couple of days ago:

The sunlight on the dogwood blossoms surrounded by the lush greenery reminds me so much of the colors in Isabella’s Quilt.

Here’s a close-up of the quilting:

Karlee Sandell of SewInspired2Day did a beautiful job on the quilting, using a pale green thread and an edge-to-edge design called “Sashay” by Anne Bright Designs. This is the third quilt I’ve chosen to have quilted with this design; the loops and swirls are such a pleasing counterpoint to all of the straight and diagonal stitching lines.

I had a bit of good fortune when it came to the bias striped binding. I had no idea if the pattern would match when it came time to join the two ends of the binding. Alas! It did not. However, with a bit of gentle but very persistent tugging on the two bias strips, I was able to stretch them to the point I could join the seams in the center of the pale pink section. If you look at the binding on the bottom of the quilt . . .

. . . you will see that the center pink section in the very middle is a bit longer than the others. But it’s almost undetectable. Serendipity!

Now for a look at the label:

As usual, I made a label using a compact disc as my pattern.

The last thing I do before delivering a baby quilt is throw it in the washer and dryer. There’s nothing like the puckery goodness of a freshly laundered quilt:

Welcome to the world, Baby Isabella!

 

 

 

Posted in baby quilt, family, update | 9 Comments

A Blogiversary — and a Giveaway!!

by Dawn Posted on May 1, 2022

Tomorrow is a big day for First Light Designs. Ten years ago — on May 2, 2012 — my very first blog post was published. (You can read it here.) What better way to celebrate my 10th blogging anniversary than by having a giveaway?

I’m going to pick three winners at random and offer each winner her (or his) choice of three prizes:  a rotary cutter coat, a pair of standard or king pillowcases, or a pair of oven mitts — all made to order by moi. Examples are shown above but they are not the giveaway items. I’ll find out fabric preferences and give each winner a choice of combinations curated from my (ahem) rather extensive stash.

To be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is write a comment at the bottom of this post responding to the question, “What is your favorite color combo?” No need for you to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Instagram (though I would be delighted if you chose to do either. To subscribe, enter your email address above the SUBSCRIBE button on the top right side of the First Light Designs home page. To find me on Instagram, click here.)

One entry per person. I will mail anywhere in the world so international readers are welcome to enter.

Family members are invited to leave comments but are not eligible to win.

The giveaway will remain open through Wednesday, May 11. On Thursday, May 12, I’ll use a random number generator to pick three winners who will be notified via email.

Good luck, everyone! And thank you for keeping me on my blogging toes for the last 10 years. Seven hundred posts later, I’m still going strong.

P.S. If you are not one of the lucky winners, you can make your own version of these items. All are available as free tutorials on my website:

8. Perfect Pillowcases (Oct. 23, 2013)

11. Rotary Cutter Coat (Oct. 10, 2014)

21, Oven Mitts that Fit: Prequel to the Tutorial (April 13, 2021)
21, Oven Mitt Tutorial from First Light Designs, Part 1 (April 18, 2021)
21, Oven Mitt Tutorial from First Light Designs, Part 2 (April 19, 2021)

 

 

Posted in Giveaway, oven mitts, roll-it-up pillowcases, rotary cutter case, tutorial, update | 45 Comments

Another Sneak Peek

by Dawn Posted on April 26, 2022

I can’t help myself! I’m giving you another sneak peek of Baby Isabella’s quilt. I attached the binding last night and I have to pose this question:  Is the binding fabric not a match made in Quilt Heaven with the other fabrics in the quilt? You be the judge:

The striped fabric from my stash has the very same colors as Baby Isabella’s quilt but it’s from a completely different line. I cut my binding strips on the diagonal because I love the look of diagonal stripes on quilt binding. On this quilt the binding will finish at 1/2” wide (rather than my usual 1/4”) because I really want to call attention to it. In my view it frames and finishes the quilt beautifully.

You’ll be able to see what I mean at the final reveal. Soon, I hope!

 

 

 

 

Posted in baby quilt, family, update | 9 Comments

I Cannot Resist . . .

by Dawn Posted on April 22, 2022

. . . giving you a sneak peek at the quilting on Baby Isabella’s quilt:

It’s just back from the longarmer and I can’t take my eyes off it.

In the foreground you see one of two star blocks I previewed a couple of posts ago. The final reveal will be saved until after the quilt has been delivered to the expectant parents, my granddaughter Bethany and her husband. Baby Isabella is scheduled to make her appearance in the next few weeks.

If I weren’t doing my final prep for a quilt workshop tomorrow, I’d be up in my sewing room this very minute trimming the quilt and getting the binding ready. All in good time!

 

 

 

Posted in baby quilt, family | 5 Comments

Four for Four

by Dawn Posted on April 16, 2022

In baseball parlance, I’m batting a thousand! These are four products featuring artwork from “Capri,” Katarina Roccella’s new line of fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics. I recently ordered these items from redbubble.com, a global online marketplace for print-on-demand products based on artwork submitted by independent artists.

The socks arrived first, followed by the coffee mug and hot/cold travel mug. These three items feature Katarina Roccella’s lemons-on-stripes design while the mouse pad, which arrived today, features her rendering of hilltop houses on the Amalfi Coast. I love lemons and I love Italy; what more can I say? These two prints (and eight others) from the “Capri” line shown here . . .

. . . are in my fabric stash now. Someday (soon, I hope) they will make their way into a quilt. In the meantime, I can enjoy their loveliness by using the everyday items I purchased online.

I can’t speak to the quality of every print-on-demand product available at redbubble.com but I am very pleased indeed by the quality of the four products I bought. If you’re curious to see what kind of products are available featuring Katarina Roccella’s artwork — ranging from laptop sleeves to shower curtains — you can click here for her lemons-on-stripes design and here for her Amalfi Coast design. If you’re looking for a gift for a quilter, this is one place to explore.

Now I’m wondering how many other quilt fabric designers I admire have some of their designs available on things like t-shirts, backpacks, duvet covers, and smartphone cases. Could I be heading down a rabbit hole??

 

 

 

Posted in home dec, shower curtain, update | 4 Comments