Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Laboring on Labor Day

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Happy September everyone!  How can it be nearing the end of summer already?  I loved my summer, and the many days I got to be home sewing.  I have three or four of my quilts at the quilters, but haven't been able to pick them up and pay for them yet.  I hope to get them next Saturday and will post lots of pictures of the lovely job my friends at Prairiequeens always do for me.

The blocks above are from Miss Rosie's Quilt Company pattern "Raise the Roof".  The block on the left is working for me, and the one on the right is not.  I got a long chatty email from Carrie Nelson (the designer of the pattern {!}) and she had several tips for me on how I could fix the issue I was having with the lack of contrast that the addition of the pink fabric was causing me.  She mentioned to me that the fabric I was using, "In the Pink" by Buggy Barn for Henry Glass had recently come out with a similar fabric group called "In the Pink II".  She told me that while the colors were not exactly true to the first collection, that they would coordinate very nicely.  She recommended making all the flying geese and half square triangle units with the browns and lights.  She did say I could leave the center hour glass unit a combination of pink and brown and lights and it would not detract from the overall design.

I ordered the brown fabrics from "In the Pink II" and also happily discovered a zip lock bag of leftover browns and lights from my cutting of the original "In the Pink".  I LOVE it when that happens.  I am in despair that I have no fabric left and can't get any for love or money, and then discover that I have some tucked away somewhere.  As my friend Lisa always does, I now make sure that I tend to have more fabric than I need for a project just in case of such an emergency as this.

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In with the browns, out with the pinks.

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I sat with my ripper for an hour yesterday trying to salvage some of the brown and light flying geese and half square triangles that I had already sewn into blocks.  I soon decided that life is short, friends, and I do not want to spend it ripping seams.

Today I puttered happily in my sewing room for the first time in weeks and completed nine of the split star blocks.  I have combined them below with the pink, brown and light log cabin blocks, and you know what?  I think Carrie was dead to rights with her suggestion, and I am now very pleased with the results! Thanks Carrie!  If you hadn't commented, I would probably have put this fabric up on the top shelf of my stash closet where it would have stayed forever.

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52 responses to “Laboring on Labor Day”

  1. I get it now. You were trying to use both the pink and the brown as your dark. The way it is turning out after your chat with Carrie is just beautiful. I love brown and pink quilts! This is what I love about the quilt industry. The designers are so approachable and helpful. They really want us to succeed. I can’t wait to see this finished. Good job!

  2. I get it now. You were trying to use both the pink and the brown as your dark. The way it is turning out after your chat with Carrie is just beautiful. I love brown and pink quilts! This is what I love about the quilt industry. The designers are so approachable and helpful. They really want us to succeed. I can’t wait to see this finished. Good job!

  5. Hi Nicole,
    I agree, the block on the left is great but the pinks just don’t work as a dark.
    How cool is that, to get advice from the designer herself!! And I love that you found the surprise leftovers.
    Glad you had the whole day to quilt.
    Happy September!

  6. Hi Nicole,
    I agree, the block on the left is great but the pinks just don’t work as a dark.
    How cool is that, to get advice from the designer herself!! And I love that you found the surprise leftovers.
    Glad you had the whole day to quilt.
    Happy September!

  7. Love your project! I also have some “In the Pink” and have been waiting for just the right project. I saw “In the Pink II” in the LQS and was tempted to get some but since the other stuff is still sitting there, I managed to hold back. It was a struggle.

  8. Love your project! I also have some “In the Pink” and have been waiting for just the right project. I saw “In the Pink II” in the LQS and was tempted to get some but since the other stuff is still sitting there, I managed to hold back. It was a struggle.

  9. I have a stash of brown and pink fabric that I am now inspired to do something with. I really like her patterns and have used several. Great job!

  10. I have a stash of brown and pink fabric that I am now inspired to do something with. I really like her patterns and have used several. Great job!

  17. Your quilt is stunning! Once again, you have inspired me. (I have missed you not being in your sewing room very much, but I also understand the need to “work for fabric” (along with other extravagances like food, shelter, utilities, and other such mundane things!)
    I hope you’re beginning to enjoy your new job. Happy September…

  18. Your quilt is stunning! Once again, you have inspired me. (I have missed you not being in your sewing room very much, but I also understand the need to “work for fabric” (along with other extravagances like food, shelter, utilities, and other such mundane things!)
    I hope you’re beginning to enjoy your new job. Happy September…

  23. I love the look of the quilt. I’m another one who has lots of pinks and browns in a stash that I’ve set aside for a future quilt but have no plans yet for how I will make it. Eventually I would like to have it for one of our beds though.

  24. I love the look of the quilt. I’m another one who has lots of pinks and browns in a stash that I’ve set aside for a future quilt but have no plans yet for how I will make it. Eventually I would like to have it for one of our beds though.

  27. I LOVE it and I ditto the others – you have a gift with color. Have a great week and give Ozzie and Sophie a hug.
    Hugs – karen

  28. I LOVE it and I ditto the others – you have a gift with color. Have a great week and give Ozzie and Sophie a hug.
    Hugs – karen

  33. Oh Wow, Nicole, you got it. I never knew this one was going to be so difficult. But boy is it worth it. I LOVE THIS. Talk about “eye-catching.”
    Appeals to the Eye Love, *karendianne.

  34. Oh Wow, Nicole, you got it. I never knew this one was going to be so difficult. But boy is it worth it. I LOVE THIS. Talk about “eye-catching.”
    Appeals to the Eye Love, *karendianne.

  35. Mom, that is comming along very nicely! Carrie suggestion was dead on! I go tmy embroidery kti in the mail today and will spend a happy lunch hour practicing my stitching so I can whip up baby Yamamoto’s bibs.

  36. Mom, that is comming along very nicely! Carrie suggestion was dead on! I go tmy embroidery kti in the mail today and will spend a happy lunch hour practicing my stitching so I can whip up baby Yamamoto’s bibs.

  37. Hey it turned out great! I love those pinks and browns, they seem to be really popular right now too. My Dad use to tell me he loved that color combo in ladies clothes! The pattern, as all Miss Rosies patterns are, is a great one.
    Diane

  38. Hey it turned out great! I love those pinks and browns, they seem to be really popular right now too. My Dad use to tell me he loved that color combo in ladies clothes! The pattern, as all Miss Rosies patterns are, is a great one.
    Diane

  39. Hi Nicole, your quilt worked out perfect! A little extra work, hammering out the color combo problem but all worth it. As they say: All’s well that ends well. I think you have inspired me to do this one as a class. Would that be all right with you?

  40. Hi Nicole, your quilt worked out perfect! A little extra work, hammering out the color combo problem but all worth it. As they say: All’s well that ends well. I think you have inspired me to do this one as a class. Would that be all right with you?