Fall doesn’t have to be the end of summer

Every year I try to bring a little summer into the house. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. But it is always fun to try.

This year I brought in a whole pot of Marigolds. My indoor thumb is green, but my outdoor thumb is not. So, these flowers didn’t do all that much this summer, but they did perk up toward the end when it finally rained a bit. So, rather than write them off, I decided to try to keep them alive.

At the very least, even if they don’t make it until spring, now only 121 days from this writing, I can always save the seeds from the spent flowers to plant outside. I also have Zinnias and Geraniums and Petunias.

It is always nice to add a little color into my sun porch to add to my houseplants. I rather like the look.

Color is motivating; my personal story of color choice

Color makes me happy. I love surrounding myself with my favorite colors, except that lately, it is getting more difficult to decide just which color is now my favorite. I lean toward the pinks and purples, but lately, I'm drawn to yellows and greens. And even more recently, I'm taken with blue tones.

When my husband and I decided to rejuvenate our sun porch, I had just figured we would paint the walls pink. That room has been pink since we moved here. It is based on a pink flamingos theme, which we both love. We had a couple strings of pink flamingo lights we bought years ago. They added warmth at night, with a festive touch. We also had several candle holders and other little items that we have collected over the years. I always loved the color, so pink in that room was a no-brainer. Or so I thought. 

Initially we were just going to paint just the walls. But my husband's sister decided to replace the flooring in her new house. The laminate flooring she was replacing was in like new condition, so we took it for our back room. 

We had never done a floor before. Suffice it to say, it was a little more challenging with so many of the pieces cut. We had to sort through them to determine what went where. We were a little worried there would be enough uncut pieces to finish. As it turned out, there was one full piece left over. And the most astounding thing to me, was that on the last course, the fit was perfect, including the last piece. No cutting necessary. 

Once we ripped out the carpeting, I sat in the room and looked around. I noticed some of the paintings John and I had done when we took a painting class a few years ago. His girl with the pearl earring just happened to have an aqua scarf. The water in my girl on the beach was so turquoise. Then I noticed the base of my pink flamingo candle holders--were aqua and white. It became clear that I could keep my pink flamingo theme but with the walls turquoise, it would work out great. 


I am learning more about color through my experience with quilting. I opened up my monochromatic preference in color with a two-color quilt-- turquoise and yellow.-- (Now I wish I would have made it turquoise and pink.) I googled the color combination and loved the examples I saw. 

So hubby and I took our little pet flamingo to Home Depot and picked out a color paint to match the base of the flamingo. We also got a nice white tone for the accent wall and door. 

I started thinking about this color. I've never painted a room this color before, and I have painted many, many rooms in my life. Still, turquoise is no stranger to me. It was the color of the dress I wore to both my eight grade and high school graduations. One of my favorite spring jackets, made of looped mohair, was turquoise. A sweater I knitted for my mother-in-law was turquoise. I'm sure there are lots more examples of how my entire life has had this color in it. I never would have thought of pairing it with pink. But now, I love the colors of this room. Apparently, so do its occupants.

 

Latest quilt pushes my color comfort zone

Not only is my quilting obsession satisfied by a project I've been working on since January, which takes me out of my color comfort zone, but my "order thing" is getting a workout too.

At the beginning of the year, I laid out some ideas for projects I'd like to complete in 2013. It dawns on me that my record is about 1 and 5. As I mused last January about a very ambitious quilting goal, I've fallen far short. I don't feel too badly about that though. I have always preferred spontaneity to being tied to a specific plan, so whatever I chose to do to fill my time was probably the right decision at the time. Since I haven't been bored in more than 50 years, I'm sure I enjoyed whatever it was. And isn't that what it is all about?

I did finish one project, Periwinkle Blue, in March. I am working on the second project, one that may be completed by the end of the year--the Quiltingboard.com Block of the Month, (BOM) project.

Not only have I kept up with it, but I've really enjoyed it. I get really excited when a new month rolls around. I like having this one scheduled activity since I try not to live with any rigorous routine. I rarely construct the new block on the first day of each month, but I nearly always check to see what it looks like and generally print out the pattern as soon as possible.

All of my quilt blocks will originate from this box

This project was important to me because I decided to use it to play with colors for the first time. Most of the quilts I have completed so far have been monochromatic. I just like a variety of values from the same color family.

With this latest quilt though, I decided to use two colors--yellow and aqua.

When I started, I picked out all the yellow and aqua fabrics that looked like they might go together. They were fabrics I had already collected in my stash. I have since bought a half yard here and a fat quarter there to add to it, but it is pretty much limited to the original box of fabric pieces I selected. The pieces vary in size. Some are leftover from other projects.

In continuity with my "order thing," the name I've given to a subtle but random need for organization in my life, I decided to install a makeshift design wall in my very limited sewing space. I placed a small three-fold paper cutting board covered with quilt batting against a wall next to my sewing machine. It only holds two 12.5-inch squares across and three squares down, but it is enough to give me an idea about what I'm working on. It isn't ideal, but it is definitely adequate.

I can also use my computer to view the finished blocks, and even to arrange them. This may be the best method for me.

I'm anxious to see what the final three blocks will look like. Until I see the finished pieces, I will have no idea how to finish this quilt, but there is certainly time to think about that.

These are the nine blocks I've completed so far, and they are in no particular arrangement.

While I wasn't certain about the color combination at first, the more I work with them, the more I am beginning to like the two colors together.

The blocks chosen for this project were supposed to be a challenge. Indeed, they have been. But that makes it all the more fun. I've decided that I really love matching seams and points, but triangles seem to give me fits. More than one of these seams has been ripped out and redone.

I think, at first glance, that some kind of sashing between the blocks would be in order, as well as perhaps some kind of border that can tie the colors together. Right now I have no idea what kind or what color, pattern or solid.

I still have to decide on the backing fabric as well as the type of quilting--hand or machine. Lots to think about yet, so I'm glad there is still time to decide.

If anybody has any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.