Friday, October 17, 2014

Watercolour Steps

Here's the flimsy finish!

This is Star Steps, a pattern designed by Joanne, of Canuck Quilter.  It will soon be available in her Craftsy shop, and it is one sweet pattern.  A few months ago, I told her I'd be willing to test one of her patterns, if she ever needed someone.  Well, my turn came about a month ago.  She was really generous with her deadline, which was good for me, seeing as I had such a crazy-busy September!

I don't know how many of you read American Patchwork & Quilting, but I have been a subscriber for about 16-17 years.  Laura Boehnke has the job of sewing up alternate colourways for pretty much each pattern.  I have always thought this would be a dream job.  Well, I channelled my Laura, and decided to do an adult rendition of Joanne's baby quilt.  Joanne's instructions and diagrams are clear, and the quilt goes together in a snap.  I love the surprise star that kind of floats on the quilt top!
Pre-final borders (yep, those are my two Snowalong snowflakes!)

It's another quilt that is all (yep, it's quite the stash I have) from my stash.  Two of the fabrics are no more (yippee, love that gone, gone, gone feeling), and those two just happen to both be Watercolour Inspirations, by Pat Magaret and Donna Slusser, colourwash queens.  Who knew they'd be in this quilt?  I sure didn't when I decided to do a softer palette.

I sure seem to be on a floral quilts kick this year.  That, as well as a scrap quilts kick!

One week ago today, we went over to Detroit for a Haunted History Walk around downtown.  Although we each had dousing rods (which did do some bizarre things for me at one location in particular), it was more of a history walk.  That did not disappoint me, nor my husband, as we both love history, especially local.

His favourite building is the Penobscot Building.  Mine is the Guardian Building.  I could wax poetic about the history of Detroit.  Like my beloved Pibble (Pitbull) Rocco, it is mistakenly maligned, often by ignorant (I mean that in the lacking in knowledge sense) people who believe it is only the ghetto, the crime, the racism, as the pitbull hatred wrongly focuses on the fighting rings, the crime, their power used for bad, human purposes.  But before this goes totally off the rails (ha, get the connection??!! Love it when I do that without intent until the words come out of my brain and off my fingertips) here is my all-time favourite building (trumping the Tour Eiffel, oui oui, mon dieu):

The main area, closed to the public at night
See the one above, and these next three, through quilting eyes.  I was almost audibly singing, "AHHWWWWW!!!" à la choir sound.  Also note that these were taken with my little iPhone 4 camera, and it was just about 11 pm.  Ghost walk, remember?

Those are, indeed, 3-D steps high up above the leaded glass windows!

Inlaid marble; the red was imported from a closed for 30 years, and specially reopened mine in Africa specifically for its colour

The design carved into some of the walls makes me think of angels.  I could (and did) stick my fingers through the carvings.  The stone panels here are about 1" thick.  I loved the graphics.  There is that red marble again.  I wanted to lick it, LOL.  Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe it.

I am amazed at the beauty and vision and care (I could go on and on and on) in this building.  It is stunning.  And oh yes, a tribute quilt is stirring in my mind.  As are quilting motifs based on some of the graphics.

Be sure to check out Canuck Quilter for news on the Star Steps pattern, as well as to jump into the snowbank with her Snowalong!

I am linking up (it's been some time!) with Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

4 comments:

  1. Oooo, that's gorgeous, that quilt!

    I would love that haunted walk you did!! I did one in Strathcona about ten years ago, loved it.

    Hey, maybe after your demise - consider your advanced age even as of this moment - you too can be part of the haunted scene in all the quilt shops you currently 'haunt' in the flesh LOL

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  2. That is one sweet quilt!! Love the star on the rail fence - a nice surprise! Whoop whoop!!

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  3. Sandra, you did Joanne's Baby Steps pattern proud! It turned out beautiful!
    Detroit sounds like Buffalo - lots of hidden architectural marvels. You can see quilt designs like crazy in the buildings you've pictured!
    Pitbulls used to be thought of as "The Nanny Dog" and the dog in the Little Rascals, Pete, was a pibble. You probably already know that. They are great dogs!

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  4. Oh how beautiful!! The quilt as well as the Guardian building. I imagine I'd be hard-pressed to leave that place for a very long time. Gorgeous inspiration!

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