Category Archives: family

It’s a Wrap: Wonderful World

by Dawn Posted on January 1, 2025


Happy New Year, friends! The year 2024 is a wrap and so is my final finish of the year, Wonderful World, so named because the text print in the quilt contains the lyrics to “What a Wonderful World,” first recorded and made famous by Louis Armstrong:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundTruth be told, I didn’t finish hand-stitching the label to the back until today but I hope you will indulge me and let me count it as a finish for 2024.

The photo above and the following ones were taken late this afternoon as the weak winter light was waning but I think you can get a good idea of how my third version of the free Ribbon Box quilt pattern turned out.

Here’s a flat shot of the front . . .

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background. . . and of the back:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

It measures 51″ x 64½†and contains six prints from the “Gingham Foundry” line of fabrics by Riley Blake that came out in 2021.

Even though I was in a hurry to finish this quilt, I took the extra step of adding a contrasting ring to my trademark round quilt label:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

And where is Coco, my photobombing cat who can usually be found lounging on a newly finished quilt? She has spent a good part of the afternoon on the Dear Husband’s lap while he watched college football games on TV.

I’ve already decided that Wonderful World is going to be my new go-to lap quilt so you can expect to see a photo in the near future of Her Majesty — Coco’s full name is Princess Cordelia — in slumber and/or repose.

Thank you all for continuing to follow me at First Light Designs! It cheers me so much to see your kind comments and spurs me to keep creating with fabric and posting about it.

All the best to you in 2025!

 

 

 

Posted in cats, family, update | 7 Comments

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”

by Dawn Posted on December 31, 2024


Do you know that lovely song written in 1947 by Frank Loesser? If not, you owe it to yourself to listen to the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald’s lush rendition. You can do that right here. This New Year’s Eve I’ll be putting the finishing touches on my final quilt finish of the year, Wonderful World. It will be the subject of my first post of 2025.

In the meantime, here are a few images of our decorating at the Portland White House to keep the holiday vibe going. I love seeing the elaborate decorations some of my fellow quilters have posted on their blogs and Instagram pages, especially because my decorating seems to get more minimal every year. We do keep our decorations up until Twelfth Night (January 5 in 2025) so we have a few more days to enjoy them.

I bought this lovely wreath at Trader Joe’s in early December and added the clusters of red bells:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundWe had the exterior of our house painted this year. The door and mailbox were painted a lovely shade of green. The lights you see reflected in the door and windows are icicle lights on the curved arch on the front porch. From the sidewalk you can see our tiny tree and my little round quilt, Holliberry Circle:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundHere’s a closer look:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

From her perch a very relaxed Coco has a view out the front door:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundMy other Christmas quilt, ‘Tis the Season, is currently on rotation on the sofa:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundThe Dear Husband and I wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. I’ll be back in 2025!

 

 

 

 

Posted in cats, family, home dec, Quatrefoil, Ribbon Box quilt, update, wall hanging, wonky Dresden neighborhood | 5 Comments

‘Tis the Season . . .

by Dawn Posted on December 29, 2024


. . . to be crafty. Yes, the holidays are winding down but crafting useful and beautiful items is never out of season, right? These cheerful hot pads in the traditional Christmas colors of red and green are right in style all year round:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background
Pair of Hot Pads, Finishing at 8″ Square

When my twin Diane was visiting over Thanksgiving, we went through project bins in my sewing room, deciding which projects I should finish and which I should recycle or donate. In one bin I was surprised to find a pair of hot pads that were almost completely finished. All that was missing was the final step of stitching through the layers to hold them in place.

Based on my notes found in the bin, I probably made these back in 2011 when I was teaching a class at the Pine Needle Quilt Shop, now home to the Lake Oswego branch of Montavilla Sewing Center. I didn’t want them anymore but Diane sure did so I promised to finish them before she went home. Both of us forgot all about them until well after she returned home to Georgia in early December.

Each hot pad is made from six 9″ squares of cotton fabric and a 9″ square of InsulBright, an insulating thermal batting. Here’s a close-up of one before the final step of stitching through the layers:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundThe stitching is optional but I always recommend it because it helps keep the shape of the hot pad if it’s machine washed and dried. And I like the way it looks from the back:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundOff they went in the mail to Diane last week. They arrived yesterday so now I can show them to you.

 

 

 

Posted in family, home dec, hot pads, update | 6 Comments

It’s a Wrap: Beribboned

by Dawn Posted on October 27, 2024


Beribboned is complete — and I am so happy with it!

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundI finished tacking down the binding yesterday and added a label to the simply pieced back:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundA close-up of the label:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background(I took a lot of photos while making the label so I can show you in a future post how I made my trademark round label and added a ring around it.)

When I make a label with an outer ring, I sometimes stitch in the ditch around the seam if the quilting motif suggests it might not be too obvious on the front. In the next photo you can see the circle on the front . . .

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background. . . but I know it will totally blend into the overall quilting when the quilt is laundered.

You can probably tell all of the above shots were taken indoors. It’s rainy in Portland today but there was a break in the clouds and even a spot of sun so my visiting twin sister Diane and I quickly headed to the back yard for a photo op in good light:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

If you look in the lower left corner of the quilt you can probably see the circle where I stitched the label on the back — but I’m guessing you wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t pointed it out.

Beribboned is based on a free pattern called Ribbon Box from Cloud 9 Fabrics. I knew it was the perfect pattern to display three fabrics from Mo Bedell’s “Party Dress” line for Blue Hill, fabrics that have been in my stash for close to 15 years. The other five fabrics in the ribbons were also from my stash, as was the background and binding fabric.

Right now Beribboned measures 51″ x 65″ but it will shrink a bit after going through the washer and dryer, which is where it’s headed shortly.

Did I mention that Beribboned was inspected by Coco, who also likes it very much?

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in cats, family, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 6 Comments

August Anticipation

by Dawn Posted on August 3, 2024


Once I finish a quilt top, I am always eager to piece a backing so I can get both top and backing off to be quilted by a professional longarmer. In the case of the Picnic Quilt top, based on the free pattern Ribbon Box and completed at the end of June, making a backing got put on the back burner while I bound and labeled At the Corner of Cheddar and Indigo. Because of gardening and other household duties, that took up most of July.

And now here it is August already! What do I have to show for it thus far? Nada. Zippo. Ah, but I do have plans . . . not for a backing for the Picnic Quilt but for another brand new version of Ribbon Box, this one featuring my precious horde of fabrics from Mo Bedell’s debut fabric line “Party Dress,” which came out in 2010.

I bought several pieces from the line when it first came out but these three fabrics are the ones that will appear in my newest Work-in-Progress (WIP):

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundThe center fabric is obviously the main focus fabric. Isn’t it gorgeous? And the aqua fabric on the right has appeared in more than one of my quilts.

The pattern calls for eight prints. Here are the remaining five, all pulled from my stash:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

Astute readers will recognize the navy and white print from my recently completed cheddar and indigo quilt. It was the only navy print in my stash that matched the navy of the focus fabric. It’s a vintage print and I will be very sorry when I’ve used the last of it.

Here are the eight prints all together:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundDid you notice the green on white polkadot fabric the prints are  resting on? That’s my background fabric, one of Lori Holt’s “Seasonal Basics” for Moda. It’s one of my all-time favorites for quilt backgrounds. I have it in at least three colorways and love it for its versatility; it looks great in both traditional and modern quilts.

August is shaping up to be a very busy month. The Dear Husband and I have a couple of road trips planned, my twin sister Diane is arriving in one week for an extended visit, and the garden continues to demand attention daily (not just weeding and watering but harvesting!). I have also been working on a PowerPoint presentation for an upcoming quilt guild meeting that I’m excited about. All this to say that I may not get much sewing done this month — but it’s all good. If the best I can do is duck into my sewing room from time to time to pet these fabrics, I will be a happy quilter.

P.S. For those of you interested in making your own version of Ribbon Box, I haven’t forgotten my pledge to pass on what I learned while making my first version. Quoting from an earlier post:

“In my previous post I mentioned making changes to the way the quilt is constructed. It has to do with sewing the quilt together in sections rather than in strictly horizontal rows. It enabled me to eliminate 17 seams! I’ll tell you all about it in my next post along with some important considerations regarding fabric choices, cutting instructions, and arranging the ribbons. If I ever make the pattern again — and I just might! — I will surely be keeping these considerations in mind.”

 

 

 

Posted in cheddar and indigo, economy block, family, floating squares, picnic quilt, Ribbon Box quilt, square-in-a-square, update | 4 Comments

It’s a Wrap: At the Corner of Cheddar and Indigo

by Dawn Posted on July 24, 2024


Gosh, it feels good to report a quilt finish! I hope to be more productive when the weather turns cold and wet but for now I must be content spending time with the Dear Husband in the garden, which is benefiting from the TLC we are both bestowing on it. The tomatoes are abundant (though not yet turning red), the herb garden is glorious, and just this morning I harvested three zucchini that the squirrels have mystifyingly ignored.

But let’s get back to the quilt! First the front . . .

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

. . . and now the back:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

The back was pieced very simply, containing only two small pieces from the “Cheddar and Indigo” line of Riley Blake fabric that makes up most of the front. That’s because I boxed up all of my remaining fabric from the line and sent it to my new quilting friend in Virginia who has been looking for that same fabric since she saw Scattered Stars, my first cheddar and indigo quilt begun in 2019 and completed in 2020. She couldn’t find much of the fabric then — most likely because I had scoured the internet and bought up every single piece I could find. Now my friend has more than enough of the fabric to make her own quilt, which makes us both very happy.

I made single-fold binding measuring ½†finished, referring to my March 23, 2021 post In Praise of Single-Fold Binding: A Tutorial of Sorts. That tutorial has been attracting a lot of visitors to my website recently so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Instead of making my signature round label, I opted to create a label echoing the square-in-a-square block design:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

Here’s a close-up:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

In case you can’t read the label, the quilt is based on the free pattern “Floating Squares” by Carried Away Quilting. I added sashing and cornerstones to my version. It was beautifully quilted by Karlee Sandell using the traditional Baptist Fan design.

After taking these photos, I sent At the Corner of Cheddar and Indigo on its maiden voyage through the washer and dryer. Here’s another shot of the quilt in its post-washing soft crinkly goodness:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundAfter laundering it measures 60½†x 70½†— a perfect size for a throw.

Edit added August 3, 2024: After my twin sister Diane wrote a comment demanding to know why I hadn’t included a photo in this post of Princess Cordelia (aka Coco), who is well known for photobombing my quilts, I laid At the Corner of Cheddar and Calico out on the carpet and waited for her to notice. It didn’t take long:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundSuch a regal pose!

 

 

 

 

Posted in cheddar and indigo, economy block, family, floating squares, single-fold binding, square-in-a-square, update | 11 Comments

Floating Squares, Floating Cornerstones

by Dawn Posted on May 12, 2024


The weather in Portland has been so lovely the last week that I’ve spent very little time in my sewing room. Instead I’ve been outdoors helping the Dear Husband in the garden. We’re still clearing weeds but the good news is we’re gaining ground. And the vegetables, flowers, and shrubs planted so far are all doing nicely.

All I have to show you for my sewing time over the last few days are the sashing strips and cornerstones sewn to three of the six rows in my current project based on the free pattern Floating Squares by Taunja of Carried Away Quilting:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

I had forgotten just how fiddly cornerstones can be! Sashing strips without cornerstones would’ve been a breeze — no seams to match between each block. These cornerstones finish at 1″ and that means there’s no room for error in attaching them. If you’re off by even a couple of threads, the seams won’t line up properly — and it will be very obvious.

After attaching the first sashing strip, I had to take part of the stitching out, make my cornerstones just a wee bit smaller, and resew the seam:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

With subsequent sashing strips, I made the adjustments before sewing the strip on. There were at least a couple of cornerstones on each row that had to be tweaked like this.

Think about the math. There are four cornerstones in each row. Each sashing strip goes between two rows of blocks (except the top and bottom ones) so that means there are 16 seams to match per row. Each intersection has to be pinned very carefully to make sure the seams nest properly. When I’m done with the horizontal strips, I’ll have two more to add to the sides.

The beauty of Taunja’s Floating Squares pattern is that the points in each block float inside the block rather than go all the way to the seamline so matching the points where the blocks and rows are sewn together is not needed. By deciding to add cornerstones to my sashing, I’m adding many hours of additional work. The irony is not lost on me. But I’m not sorry I made this choice because I think my finished quilt will be the better for it.

 

 

 

Posted in cheddar and indigo, economy block, family, square-in-a-square, update | 4 Comments

Next Batch of Blocks

by Dawn Posted on April 18, 2024


I’m popping in to show you blocks 15-20 in my current WIP (Work-in-Progress) based on the pattern Floating Squares and my stash of cheddar and indigo fabrics:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundHere are all 20 blocks, arranged to spread the cheddar, indigo, and cream fabrics more or less evenly across the surface of the quilt:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundI’ve decided to make 10 more blocks for a 5 x 6 layout. I’ll have to be very careful in selecting the remaining fabric combos. Four blocks will have cheddar in the outer triangles and the remaining six blocks will be divided between indigo and cream outer triangles. My goal is to get a mix of prints in such a way that neighboring blocks will not share fabrics. My problem is that I have a plethora of cheddar prints and several indigos but only two cream prints remaining from the 2015 “Cheddar and Indigo” line by Penny Rose Studio for  Riley Blake Designs.

While I haven’t decided on a final layout yet — blocks as laid out in the pattern? blocks on point? blocks separated with lattice? — I’m definitely leaning in one direction. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind when I have 10 more blocks.

Block production has slowed as the weather has improved. The Dear Husband and I are in full weeding/planting mode at the moment. Is it okay to hope for rain?

 

 

 

Posted in cheddar and indigo, economy block, family, floating squares, square-in-a-square, update | 4 Comments

Jacks, Anyone?

by Dawn Posted on April 3, 2024


Making their appearance are three more cheddar and indigo blocks made from the *free* Floating Squares pattern by CarriedAwayQuilting:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

As I showed you in my last post, two sets of squares of three different fabrics yield six blocks, none of them the same. I only had enough of the light background fabric to make one set of squares so my yield is only three. No matter; I have plenty of other fabrics to keep me going.

The design in that light fabric reminds me so much of the game of jacks. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re probably not a Baby Boomer like me (born between 1946 and 1964). The game of jacks was a favorite of mine as a kid; my twin Diane and I would play for hours.

As I was happily sewing these blocks today, I wondered if anyone born in subsequent generations would even knows about jacks. Out of curiosity, I googled “game of jacks” just now and — wonder of wonders — you can actually buy new sets. This is what jacks look like:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundThe object of the game is to bounce the ball and pick up a jack before the ball bounces again. I’m tempted to buy a set to have on hand when Diane comes to visit next.

But I digress. I have one more block to show you:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white background

This one was made with a fussycut center. The blossoms are oriented so that they’ll still look good if I wind up putting the blocks on point:

A pattern of green and yellow colors with white backgroundI’m having so much fun playing with these cheddar and indigo fabrics! Several sets of squares have already been cut and are just waiting to be transformed into quilt blocks. Although Floating Squares is a simple pattern, there’s a bit of a challenge in finding just the right balance of small, medium, and large-scale prints in each block.

More anon!

 

 

 

Posted in cheddar and indigo, economy block, family, floating squares, square-in-a-square, update | 7 Comments