Saturday, April 7, 2012

Blue and White for Two's Company


I really loved making this block!  While I was working on it, I kept thinking, "Man this is a satisfying block!"  I like the bear claws block, love blue and white, and really love the fun blue snakeskin fabric I found while making the aqua confetti quilt!!!

I think all the variety of blues in everyone's bee blocks are going to look great together.  (Check them out here.)  Hooray for the first blue and white quilt in our bee!  Hope you like it, Mary.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Quilt Top Finished

I finished this quilt top in just the nick of time to show at our NYC Metro Mod Guild meeting last Saturday.  Hooray for a "deadline" to give me the extra push I needed to get it finished!


In making this quilt, I hung a temporary design wall for the first time.  The only space big enough was my entryway.


It created a little chaos to have it there, but it was so helpful to be able to see the whole thing at once from a distance.  Now I love seeing the finished quilt top hanging there every time I walk down my hallway.

Do you use a design wall?  Where does it hang?  Any great temp design wall suggestions?

Friday, March 30, 2012

Baby Quilt for Margarets Hope Chest

The first quilt I ever finished found its home with Margarets Hope Chest this month.


It had been waiting in my hope chest for the arrival of a sweet child for, well, years.  When we adopted a little girl this past November, she was quickly inundated with more quilts and blankets than I ever imagined.  When I saw MHC's recent project gathering quilts to be given to mothers who participate in a prenatal class, I knew this quilt was supposed to go there.  As I lovingly wrap my wee babe in one of the blankets made by someone who loves her, it makes me happy to think of a quilt I made being lovingly wrapped around another baby far away by her mother.  And if the project encourages mothers to take a prenatal class too?  All the better!  Here's to happy and healthy babies!

Margarets Hope Chest has many fantastic projects going on this year.  If you'd like to help, check out their blog.  For March and April, their requested project is string blocks for three quilts.  How easy breezy is that?  You can get all the info here.

What's your favorite place to donate a quilt?

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A few bee blocks

I haven't been posting my bee blocks for the past few months here, but thought they'd be fun to share.  

Here are the last few for Two's Company....

...blue and brown for Jessica's boy...


...scrappy snowballs for Helen...


...and a circle of geese for Mary.


And the last blocks for One Block Over....

...framed birds for Carla.




I loved playing with the colors in the bird blocks and finding fun details to add, like the accenting the splash of red in the blue block of using my black and white city print.  I delighted in making them!

Are you sewing anything for someone else right now?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

A Quilt for Basics


Victoria over at Bumblebeans, Inc. is doing an amazing quilt drive for Basics, a non-profit organization here in NYC that helps homeless families.  Her initial interest in finding a good home for a few of her extra quilts ultimately grew into an effort to gather a total of 700 quilts, one for each of the families in Basics' transitional housing program.

Over 300 quilts have been distributed already and I've been lucky enough to be there for two different quilt distribution days.  It is amazing to see how touched families and individuals are to receive their very own quilt, lovingly handmade by someone they don't know.


Finally, I'm adding one of my quilts to the effort!  This little Irish Chain quilt was sent on its way to Basics last week. 


Here's the pieced back.  I loved that fun cherry print!


It's a quilt I started years ago when I first started quilting but only recently finished quilting it.  I loved having an excuse to play with new quilting ideas and to practice some of the old stand-bys.  Certainly learned a few things, like how much I appreciate my open toe free-motion foot!



Do you have a quilt you could finish up and send?  One more family could be cheered by your creativity and warmed by your quilt.  Check out the donation details here.  Hope to see a quilt from you at the next donation day too! 

Monday, October 3, 2011

September Bee Blocks

I love once my bee blocks are finished for the month and sitting out where I get to admire them for a little bit before they go in the mail. 

It's so fun to see how something dreamed up by another quilter turns out!

Here's the block for Linda for One Block Over...


And a better pic of the block for Bonnie for Two's Company....

 
Are you part of an online bee?  What's your favorite bee to follow? 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Flow of Inspiration

The flow of inspiration in a creative project interests me as much as the finished product.  
For example..
 These fabrics came home with me from the scrap bins at Victoria's retreat this spring. 


Inspired by LeeAnn's beautiful zig-zag quilt, I started my own variation on the theme. 

 

But the next time I got out the fabric, this little piece just screamed to be fussy cut...

 

...and I found myself tired of the red/brown/gold color scheme.  

I remembered all the unique color combinations I saw at the retreat (like the red, cheddar and PINK in Karen's quilt or the light blue HST's in Victoria's WIP).  

I thought of the combination of old and new colors in these quilts from the Empire Quilters April meeting with Roberta Horton and Mary Mushuta.  (Dusty paisley with a light lime green anyone?  Why not add some deep indigo and Kaffe reds?)
  
(Photo courtesy of Helen.)

So, I dug out my scraps to see what possible new directions I might be able to go.  

Maybe some black and white striped fabric (which I bet were scraps from Karen!)?  Sure!  Love it.   

How about fuschia and turquoise too?  Why not?


 Don't know where she'll go next...but I love the way a little inspiration from somewhere else can send something I'm working on in a whole new direction.  

Any surprise inspirations in your creative process lately?

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Welcome to Radiant Honey Quilts!

I'm delighted you have found Radiant Honey Quilts, the home of one of a kind, artist-designed quilts.  Making custom quilts thrills me!  If you are interested in information on commissioning a quilt, please contact me at:  

RadiantHoneyQuilts [at] gmail [dot] com 

If you would like to be added to Radiant Honey Quilts' mailing list to be notified of special events (such as the shop opening, giveaways, shows, etc.), please send an e-mail to the above address with "mailing list" in the subject line.   

While this site and my shop are still under development, below you can find examples of my work.  
Enjoy and thank you for stopping by!

 
Bed of Roses
70"x80"
(2011)

 Garden Madonna
Approx. 14"x20"
(2010)
Gardín de Amor
Approx. 70" x 80" 
(2010)

Gardín de Amor
(detail)

 
Peek-A-Boo Trick or Treaters
Approx. 14"x 40"
(2009)

 1865 Trip Around the World
40" x 40"
(2011)

 1865 Trip Around the World
(Back)

 Morning Inspiration
Approx. 6" x 12"
(2011)

 Start With Color
Approx 40" x 50"
(2007)