Working on My Mojo

My quilting and blogging mojo needs to be worked on, as if you didn't already know.

I could sit here and write you reasons as to why I haven't had much time to quilt or blog.  Nothing bad happened.  Life just got busy, and I felt I didn't have anything to write about.  However,  when I look back at pictures and events that have happened, I had plenty to write about!  Oh well.  I will write about them as I go along, inserting information here and there as I move forward.

If you have been a follower of mine for the past several years, you know that I love to make graduation quilts for the kids in my neighborhood that were friends with my kids.  Last week we received a graduation invitation in the mail for my next door neighbors daughter, and I had forgotten she was graduating.  It was easy to forget.  Although she and my daughter are best friends, both of them don't see each other much with Julia working and being in college now.  They have a different set of friends, and their paths don't cross that often anymore, but when they see each other they pick up where they left off.

Tonight I went to Joann Fabrics to pick out some fabrics.  I have chosen to use the pattern  Take 5 by Teacher's Pet because it's something I can put together in a day.  The pattern says you can take 5 fabrics and in 5 hours (which in my world means 10), and make a quilt top.  I have made several and they do sew together fast.

 I thought that I would share with you my process of selecting fabrics when you don't have a fabric collection from which you can choose.   Natalies favorite color is blue, and she loves bright colors. With that information, I went to the blues and chose the brightest blue they had with other bright colors.

I shot a picture of it with my camera, sent it to Julia, and she approved.  In looking at the fabrics, I can see bright pinks, yellows, greens, light pink, and turquoise.  Another way I can determine the colors in the fabric is to look at the little dots of color in the selvage.

What pops out at me the most is the hot pink, so I went to the hot pink section and picked up this:

I love the pink with white polka dot because its young and fresh looking.  Since pink was the first color I saw in the fabric (other than the blue) I decided that a pink would be great for the inner border, so I chose one that was a little darker value than the pink with the white polka dot.  If they just so happen to be touching each other in the quilt, they won't clash with each other, and they won't blend into each other causing it to look like one fabric.

The next fabric I chose was the green. 

Greens are hard to find because there are so many different shades of green.  It had to be a brighter green, but not one that was a lime green or too olive.  This is where the little dots in the selvage are handy so you can put your fabric selection up next to the green dot and check to make sure it is the same shade.  I like the texture in the fabric.

The next fabric I chose was yellow.

Just like greens, yellows have so many different shades from dull mustard tones, to yellow-orange, and so bright it hurts your eyes.  This one (this comes from my Color Me Beautiful consultant when I was trying to decide what "season" I was.  By the way, I'm a Winter.) looks like white paint with a dot of yellow dropped in.  I like the flowers, and it gives another texture to the quilt.

I had a hard time finding the next fabric.  I really love the light turquoise that is in the focus fabric, but the fabrics I was looking at were either too light or too grayish blue. It was when I saw this polka dot that I knew it was the one.

It is a little lighter than the blue in the focus fabric, but not that much lighter.  Although I have a pink polka dot already, I think this one will work because of the white  background.  I needed something with a white background to sort of break things up a bit.    I love how it brings everything together.  I did buy another print, just in case...

and, even though it is a white background that includes all the colors of the quilt,  

I love the blue polka dot better. 

I plan to cut the quilt out today, and start sewing this week.  Hopefully, it will be done for Sew and Tell Friday.  It will be fun to have a quilt top completed!

Also, Monday, Sew Mama Sew is hosting May Giveaway Day.  In the past it has been for one day, but they are extending it for a week.  I will be posting Monday morning what it is that I'm giving away.   Be sure to enter my giveaway,  as well as all the other generous bloggers out there that are participating, as well. 

Until next time....

Amanda, aka Busy Little Quilter