aztec gold ~ courtesy of vicki welsh hand dyed fabrics

hello everyone ~ 

here is a finished project; the third in the series of what i can only describe as dream fabrics made by vicki welsh.  this piece is the gradient, "sundance!"  {love that name}.  of course, you will find more gorgeous combos on her etsy shop! {if you haven't already picked out a couple?!}

i let the good times roll and stamped this awesome fabric using the plethora of hand-carved stamps i've made, and a glowing, luminescent, lumiere paint by jacquard: 

this type of stamp is what i call a 'corner' stamp, which means i can rotate it to make a 'complete' design, {or not}:

and another version:

i also cut some strips form this same piece of gradient fabric  so i could add more creativeness putting it all together.   these strips will come in handy. 

and some perfect-sized, smaller stamps i will use on those strips:

i mixed up the paint colors... creating a custom color, using navy, purple, and a bit of aqua toned color to my stamping. 

i also chose a very geometric commercial print for a splash of pattern as well as color for a very 'aztec' look, too!

for quilting, i didn't want to 'overdo' on the main motif of this quilted runner ~  just a bit of an accent with the yellow thread, and lightly following the overall stamping  design with a purple thread in the other areas.

this is part of the beauty of hand-dyed fabrics, lovely eye candy they are, but once you cut them apart, and piece them back together... {different} beautiful things happen.  in this piece {seen above and below} i spot a luscious peachy-pink color popping out. it has a special glow {i'm tickled peachy about that}!  i didn't plan it at all...  that is such a great part of the fun of playing with vicki's gradients

 i also added a commercial batik in the outside border:

 a little bit wonky... and a whole lotta color!

did you know {or remember} you get free shipping in vicki's etsy store using the code LESLIESHIP.  Have you made sure you've left a comment on my initial post {here} for a chance to win some of vicki's versatile, gorgeous and creative gradients? {and a project made with her fabrics, from me?}  you have until this saturday, june 22nd.  winner will be drawn and announced sunday, june 23rd.

thanks for stopping by!
xo
leslie

tropical hibiscus ~ vicki welsh

hi there folks ~ 

yes... i'm afraid i may be a tad addicted to these fabrics!  sad, but true!  actually - not sad at all.  i love it!!!  this piece is the last of the curved, pieced 'long and skinny' tops i did using vicki's gradient, key west from  vicki's fabrics, and a gorgeous commercial batik.  i've had a fine run with them!  but ~ time to move on, and show {at least} one more hand-dyed gradient i played with that vicki sent me.  but it will wait til later in the week.

i was excited to put this bobbin play on the batik, to see how it would look.  i was not disappointed.

and around and around with a lime green center, using the razzle dazzle threads.  i love these flowers!  you may notice i chose a turquoise thread in the bottom.  little bits and peeks of it show on the threadplay... again, i love that combo, and it brings a little continuity to it all.

i'd say i'm dancing 'the rhumba" with this beauty... but that wouldn't be pretty, so we won't go there!  lol

and i call it done with feather-work, a curvy outside edge finished with bias binding.  what a good time with this so-very-unbelievable gorgeous gradient fabric.  i'm sad to use it up.  {but i know where i can get more?!!!}  lol

i'm moving from tropical to more native/aztec-feel in the next round, and i can't wait to show you some ideas i've put together using the sundance gradient!

cheers ~ here's to some margarita days ahead!!
have a great one!
xo

my kind of checkers ~ with vicki welsh

hi there ~ happy weekend to you all ~

i'm having just a little bit of curvy fun... courtesy of vicki welsh gradients {gradient key west}.  i decided to make  cross-cuts of my long curvy strip piecing.  and then sew them up for what i like to call  'checkerboards.' actually, this is named after a little town in montana, called 'checkerboard' and the road there is curvy, hilly, and very pretty mountainous landscape...

and then some fun time free motion quilting for these little darlings:

warning... curves ahead!  {the quilting kind that is}

and.... that is how you have fun in the sun, while you're inside!!

enjoy a little bit of sunshine wherever you are ~  and have you registered for the free fabric from vicki yet? if not, then go leave a comment by clicking here!
xo
leslie

hawaiian waterfall ~

hey friends ~  

part two with gradients made by vicki welsh!  this delicioso, gorgeous, hand-dyed fabric is called 'key west.'  and like the long-ago {1970's?} calgon commercial ~ all i can say is: "key west... take me away" ~ please!

okay, so i'm not going to key west!  but i do {still} get carried away by the beautiful fabrics this talented lady creates... and here is a piece i designed from it:

simple curve piecing, feathers, and straight-line quilting.

and this one is next in the line-up:

i was able to cut enough curvy sections, with the additional batik fabric, to make three of these.  i hope you'll come back to see what becomes of the other two!  they are so pretty... have you fallen in love with hand-dyed's yet?  and have you commented for a chance to win some of vicki's fabric, yet?  if not, you better go here... and do just that!  i'm selecting a winner june 23rd!

hint:  if you like this colorway/combo... then stay tuned for all the details...  i'm going to finish the quilting, and give away one of these new summerlicious curvy pieces to a lucky commenter! 


it's almost summer... let's celebrate!
have a great weekend!
xo
leslie

summertime bliss with vicki welsh ~ giveaway!

hi there everyone ~

have you ever had the pleasure of touching, creating, and quilting with hand-dyed fabrics?  i have ~ and it's pure bliss! it was an easy "yes!" when vicki welsh asked if was interested in playing with her fabrics!  they are simply one of the must-haves in my fabric stash ~ no matter whether you want to do piecing, quilting, landscape, whole-cloth, stamping or painting on them!  having hand-dyeds in my collection makes me giddy! but it really means i can create something special, unique, and entirely original.  they just inspire me in ways i never can fully plan, and i like that kind of adventure!  i also truly enjoy reading vicki's blog: field trips in fiber.  i've learned facts about her dyeing processes, to how she takes extra effort to wash them out so they don't bleed, to color theory, and cool quilt designs and pattern work using her fabrics.  vicki also writes a  monthly newsletter, offers special prices on her fabrics, and has a flicker group where you can share projects and win a 25% discount, too.   this girl's "got it going on!" i hope you'll check it out, as well as her etsy shop where she sells these beauties!  {and don't forget she offers custom colors, too!}

today's project features vicki's geranium gradient with a design taken from a favorite book of mine, "flowering quilts" written by author and quilter Kim Schaefer of the Little Quilt Company. while it's an 'older' book nowadays, it can't be beat for inspiration and sweet flower designs ~  perfect for this beautiful bright green and pinky-red mottled fabric.  

 i hadn't made this particular design before, and i thought it was the perfect style for the geranium gradient. {get it here}

 i enjoyed some quiet time, choosing, fusing, and cutting my fabric choices for the fun, whimsical elements of these cute flowers and flower pots that would complement the gradient fabric.

i thought the pots would be a little more interesting with just an extra touch of a simple design accent, so i added a heart in a beautiful turquoise thread. love how it contrasts with the brown fabric.  i decided not to put it on every one, {cuz that would be too predictable} so i only did a few. 

 and of course, i had to add free motion couching with my bernina #43 foot. i used a hand-dyed yarn, too.  it does double duty, for sure. i was able to make it look like two separate colorways;  one pinky, one turquoise blue toned, and then combine them, too.  {you have the same kind of versatility in hand dyed fabrics, too} very fun! i really do love  the basket of beautiful yarns i've collected in the past years . a valuable design tool as far as i'm concerned, and wonderful for embellishment. this was an expensive one, but it has been soooo worth it! i've got alot of bang for my buck, and i love having it on hand.  

i decided to quilt the center blocks in a graceful free motion serpentine style, using a yli variations green polyester thread. not only is it really easy to do, it accents the lovely gradient fabric blocks, adds to the soft, poofy texture of the quilt, and lets the flowers 'pop' in their bright colors and styles, too.

 i chose a  kaffe fasset print for the inner border, as it just ties everything together in my opinion, from the hand-dyed gradient fabric, to the flowers, and the beautiful hand-dyed yarn.

 for quilting the border, i kept it simple with just a graceful, swirly pattern, lightly done.

 and below, a little bit of a snafu, apparently i accidentally cut into it, which i didn't realize when i was cutting other fabric.  oops.  change of plans... but no worries... ! 

bound and finished!

just a few close-ups of the flower darlings!

 and i changed the free motion details on each of the flowers... giving them each their own little personality.

 you can see where i had to substitute a stronger red block, {below} for what i had hoped to be the lighter pinky red block?  but i like it really just fine.

this little quilt was an unexpected delight... not what i had planned at all when i first picked it out from the fabulous variety vicki has in her store. just another lesson in expecting the unexpected!  i do love how it turned out! i hope you'll take a few minutes to check out vicki's wonderful offerings.  


and now for the give-away!  vicki is giving away to my blog readers,  two half-yard gradients or one yard of one gradient design. just leave a comment on this post.  i'll choose a winner on sunday, june 28th... oops i mean the 23rd!

and if you prefer not to wait, or take your chances... just enter a free shipping coupon for anyone: LESLIESHIP. vicki is offering free shipping on US orders over $40. international customers can add the code to the comment box on their order and she will refund $5 of their shipping cost.
thanks so much vicki!

thank you for taking a few precious summer minutes to stop by.  {i'll have more gradient projects to show, too, and hopefully a little give-away of my own to add}  
xoxo
leslie