The Summer of Color Wrap-Up

Here it is...the final week of The Summer of Color challenge that is being hosted by Kristen at Twinkle Like a Star. This has been such a wonderful project, and helped motivate me to:

- do some projects that I've wanted to do for a long time,
- create new window star patterns,
- try existing window star patterns in different colors, and
- make a quilt.

Projects I've Wanted to Do

I did several embroidery projects during the weeks when the featured color was pink and green.

Pink hand-embroidered greeting cards.

Green hand-embroidered Dala horse and tree.

They can be used as ornaments or tags.

For the Blue Week, I did some sewing projects - a bunting and tablecloth.

Blue bunting.

Tablecloth that I made by tracing puzzle pieces

onto pieces of fabric. Each are hand-cut and then ironed onto

the white fabric using an iron-on adhesive.

Create New Window Star Patterns as well as Use Existing Patterns to Make Window Stars in New Colors

For many of the weeks, I enjoyed making window stars in a variety of colors. It was fun to create new patterns and see what the new window star would turn out like.

Trio of purple window stars.

The pattern on the bottom is one I created.

Equally exciting for me was to see what window stars look like in different colors using patterns that I normally use.

Trio of brown window stars.

Two orange window stars.

I've made these patterns before, but never in orange.

The pattern on the left is one I've used before, and

the pattern on the right is a new one I created.

Two yellow window stars. The pattern on the left is one I created

and the one on the right is one I've made in different colors

but never in yellow until The Summer of Color challenge.

Creating a Quilt

My on-going project during the summer was a quilt. Each week, after the color was assigned, I created two quilt blocks that were about 11 1/2" square. Each square included seven different patterns of fabric - to represent the seven days of the week.

My goal was to use only fabric, thread, and batting that I had on hand.  This wasn't a challenge when I was doing the squares - it seemed like I had plenty of fabric to choose from.

Five weeks' worth of quilt squares.

However, once I got to the backing and batting, it became a bit more difficult. I didn't have either the fabric or batting in the size I needed for the quilt. So, I had to piece both elements together to create the quilt.

The batting needed to be hand-sewn in order to attach each piece to one another (there were three pieces of batting used). For the quilt back, I used one of Sophia's floral-print sheets and cut about a six-inch section off the end.

By cutting that in length-wise and sewing the pieces together, I was able to create enough fabric to sew to the other piece...thereby creating a quilt backing.

Quilt squares bordered by 3" white fabric strips.

The white fabric strips are from

bed linens that were discarded from a hotel.

I washed the sheets and was able

to use the fabric to make the quilt.

What I like about the quilt is that it is made entirely from fabric, thread, and batting that I had on hand. I didn't have to purchase anything to make it!

The Summer of Color quilt that I made

during June-August 2011.

Lots of color will be welcome during the middle of winter

when the landscape is all white and

the temperature is well below zero.

Sophia, Olivia, and I will use this

soft, colorful quilt when

we homeschool and read together.