I’ve been busy sewing over here… I’ll share more soon! The third photo is a project I just completed and can’t show you more of quite yet. And the last photo is a beloved fabric that I just used the last strip of.
If you’ve been around for any length of time, you know I’ve used a lot of Denyse Schmidt’s fabric line, Hope Valley. It’s long out of print, but I bought and rebought yards of it back in the day because I found that it was exactly my taste in color and pattern. And now I’ve used almost all of it up and there really is nothing to replace it! Many new fabrics being printed, and many old ones I dig around for, but nothing is quite in these lovely rich but muted colors…
And then just a couple links from places that inspire me…
The Perfect is Completely Uninteresting to Me (I read her blog regularly, it’s written in Swedish but at the top of her page you can switch to English. Absolutely love her home and her way of thinking.)
Quilter on Fire Podcast Interview with Denyse Schmidt. It’s Episode 36 wherever you listen to podcasts. I really enjoyed listening to her story… I related to a few things she said. At one point, talking about the Modern Quilt Guild, she said “I’ve never joined it, I’m not really a joiner”. And also when talking about designing fabric, and her favorite parts of quilting, she said she enjoyed the curating and making a color story the most. The interview made me feel a little sad too. Not sure why, but I guess maybe I was hearing snippets of my own struggle to belong to a community and connect, but also being a bit of a loner and feeling overwhelmed by too much of it. Anyways, I’m just making an assumption since I don’t know her, but I’m so grateful she designed these vintage inspired fabrics that have brought me so much enjoyment through my years of quilting!
It’s definitely Autumn in my part of the world, my favorite time of year, and my dreams and time in the sewing room is ramping up! I’m starting and working on so many things that I hope to show you soon! I hope you’re feeling the quilty inspiration as well!
I don’t know where you live, a prairie grassland area I am guessing, but it sure is a beautiful place on this earth. I so enjoy your blog, Jolene, it makes me feel connected to a creative spirit!
I live in central Alberta, Canada. It truly is a prairie grassland! Thanks for being here!
Can not wait to hear more about that quilt pictured! Lovely.
hi, I waned to share a story about one of your quilts I made in 2020-2021. A Covid Quilt. i wanted to make a new quilt but needed a pattern. My local library would check out books for you if you gave the name of the book you needed, so I asked for 5 quilting books. One of the books was “Modern Quilts from a blogging Universe”.
I made your Tree Quilt for my grandson, done in shades of autumn leaves from my stash.
The trees were set wonky to imitate hills. It was challenging but a lot of fun and turned out great.
But here’s the end of the story. Last week, at my guild’s quilt show, the quilt won a people’s choice Blue Ribbon in New Quilter category.
Thank you so much for participating in the book and designing that quilt! Jules M
This is just so lovely to hear!! Thanks for sharing, and I’d really love to see the quilt you made!
I also love Hope Valley fabric! It’s my favorite of all of her fabric lines. Sadly, I can’t find anything similar either.
The “Autumnal Walk” photo is so beautiful. The colors are an inspiration
, as is your talent. Your hand sewn quilt is beautiful. I love those little brown stitches peeking out of the seams. Maybe someday we will see more of Denyse Schmidt’s colors and prints in her fabric collections.
I live in the small rural town of Yucaipa California. Lots of apple orchards, horses, and there are even some Scottish Highland cattle.
There are many of us who enjoy your work and reading your blog. You are not alone, you have all of us!
Your town sounds wonderful! And also, I’m glad you’re here😊
I enjoy your content. I’m part of a guild, but being not really a joiner either I often wonder what I’m doing there! I continue to attend, learn a few things, contribute a little, but still I wonder . . . Thanks for your thoughts which spoke to me.
I found 9 fat quarters of Hope Valley on eBay for $49. You might want to check there because one of those fat quarters is in your lovely cranberry fabric.
Thank you, I will check that out!
What lovely photos, every one! I’m not a “joiner” either, although I love being around creative people in a non-competitive way.
Somehow I missed the fact you have published a quilt book, will look further into that. Seeing your quilt photos just make my heart happy for some reason. Being still involved in farm life and grandkids means my creative time is limited this part of the year, and right now am dreaming of the slower pace of winter.
Thanks for sharing your creativity with your readers, I enjoy being one.
No, I haven’t published a book… sorry if I gave that impression! Although it’s on my list😊. I’m with you on looking forward to the slower months of winter!
Oh my gosh Jolene, your thoughts and insights are just what has been creeping into my consciousness for awhile now along with Denyse. I currently belong to a group and trying to decide to stay or leave. It’s definitely not the group, it just seems like I have strayed from the tenants which have guided my life for many decades. I have a simple embroidered framed saying done in black floss; Live the Simple Life. Just love it.
Reading your post caused me to stop and ask myself this question. Am I now marching to my own drumbeat or the drumbeat of the group. I share this as Blue Elephant is the only blog I subscribe to and have been a long-time follower of your work. I have learned so much about following intuition by immersing myself in absorbing your works. I just love your intuitive style. The same goes for Denyse Schmidt.
I have a quilt ready to machine quilt using my domestic machine. One hundred percent inspired by one of your quilts that I just couldn’t get out of my mind. It was a low volume one and it really spoke to me. It was a bit of a challenge for me along with a wonderful learning experience and brought me complete joy the entire time I worked on it. I even pieced the backing using mostly leftover fabrics from the front though in a little larger pieces.
One day while sewing as I was almost finished I was thinking ‘who will I gift this one to?’, Most of my quilts are gifts to family and friends. (We have four boys and are now blessed with not only many grandchildren but on to 7 great grandchildren.)
No one came to my mind as I was pondering this question. Actually by then I knew that it would be difficult to part with this quilt. So, a random thought came to me as I thought of my maternal Grammie Knowles, a quilter, So having fun, I imagined gifting the quilt to her. Me: Would you like this quilt Grammie? Grammie Knowles: ‘Why Carla, I’d be tickled pink” which was one of her favorite sayings from way back when. I immediately knew that this quilt would be called Tickled Pink and that I officially belonged to me. And I plan to quilt it using the Baptist Fan…. which I haven’t used so far.
Also love the landscape photo. We live in Maine and I have 2 horses and love the outdoors which is mostly flat and well wooded. Its beautiful too though would love wider more open scenes as I ride.
Keeping things simple and staying true to oneself should be so simple, but sometimes it’s not! Thanks for sharing the story about the quilt you named for your grandma! Those are the things that bring meaning to a quilt and make it more than just fabric.
Love that raspberry print fabric in photo 3 – such pretty colors.
Oh yes, isn’t it cute? It’s from a shirt I cut up!
Well, I think I just found my community here! Jolene, I too have followed your blog for years and find your creativity inspiring. I’m not a “joiner” either. For me, quilting is often meditative and definitely therapeutic.
Please check your messages. I have some of that Hope Valley I would be pleased to share with you. And thank you for your blog and the time you take to share your work, and to teach.
I, too, love deep, rich colors, therefore I collect Kim Diehl fabric. It is beautiful and goes very well with 1800s reproduction fabric, which is another favorite.