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Bryan House Quilts

WIP Wednesday {Retreat!}

Uncategorized

7 May

This past weekend, my husband gifted me a weekend away with my guild to sew my heart out. And I did!

IMG_8493

The retreat center was a bit in the country, just a short drive from Houston and far enough to drive down a few gravel roads. Two horses and a donkey lived on the property and you can see them right when you drive up. They were so cute. Apparently, the donkey plays with one of the horses, but I missed it.

It was nice to get away from the noises of the city. I spent about 15 minutes enjoying nature. Then I spent the rest of the time with friends – sewing, eating, fabric shopping. All the essentials.

I packed my favorite WIPs and left my to-do lists behind. I finished up my pickle dish quilt (official “finished quilt top” post along with my tips for putting it together coming soon!). For now here’s a few teaser pics I shared on the Instagram.

Last seam. Woot!

(Does it count as a tease if you can see the finished quilt in my Instagram feed?)

Then I put a few more rounds on my courthouse stairs quilt. I just love these colors. It seems that my favorite colors become more beloved when they are mixed, happily with other colors. I think that must be part of the appeal of quilt making.

Current favorite colors.

But of course, time flew by and I didn’t get to many of the projects I had packed as back up projects. (What if I run out of things to do?!)

It was time well spent. Thank you love!

—
I’m linking up with Lee’s Work in Progress Wednesday. 

Previous Post: « Gold Polka Dots {A Tutorial}
Next Post: Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day {Spring 2014} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen @ Pieces of Contentment says

    May 7, 2014 at 5:55 am

    What a wonderful weekend! I love the colours you are using in your courthouse stairs quilt – beautiful colours.

  2. Catherine says

    May 7, 2014 at 8:12 am

    Lucky you! I'm so looking forward to seeing courthouse stairs finished – it's going to be beautiful.

  3. Kelly @ Blue Bird Sews says

    May 7, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    how lovely! I'm planning a pickle dish quilt and now I have to head to IG to see yours! 🙂

  4. Kristy says

    May 7, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    I really, really, really love your Pickle Dish, and the Courthouse Steps is pretty cool too.

  5. nightquilter.com says

    May 7, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Oooh both lovely quilts! I really love the Courthouse Stairs colors, too. your curves are inspiring me to do a curvy quilt. I've made one small Double Wedding Ring wall hanging quilt for my sister-in-law for her wedding a year and a half ago, and haven't done anything with curves since. It may be time!

    Thank you for your kind comment on my lupine post! I'm excited to see the finished sewn block. 🙂 Fabric always looks richer than the paint pattern design.

  6. safieh says

    May 7, 2014 at 9:01 pm

    Love! It was so wonderful watching these go together and spending the weekend with you!

  7. Elsa says

    May 8, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    Loving your Pickle Dish! looking forward to seeing it finished!
    I've got one I've been working on for a while now ~ don't know what to do about the surrounding fabric ~ thanks for the inspiration!

  8. Ben says

    May 27, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    I'm looking forward to your tips for sewing the pickle dish — I've just started purchasing fabrics for one myself.

Trackbacks

  1. Another round on the Courthouse Stairs {WIP Wednesday} – Bryan House Quilts says:
    April 12, 2016 at 9:57 am

    […] week I’m sharing my progress on my Courthouse stairs quilt. You can see past posts here, here, and […]

  2. Pickle Dish Tips and Resources {Possibly it’s a tutorial?} – Bryan House Quilts says:
    June 14, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    […] finally at my quilt retreat a few weeks ago I laid out my blocks again. And after reading Aneela’s Pickle Dish quilt […]

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Hey there! I’m Rebecca, an author and teacher and freezer paper piecing evangelist. I’m also the founder of the Make Modern Triangles Quilt Club.

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Just so you know, my site includes affiliate links from which I (it’s me! Rebecca!) receive payment or compensation. Something to consider as you peruse my website. Thanks!

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I was ready to give up on foundation paper piecing I was ready to give up on foundation paper piecing altogether, and then I was introduced to freezer paper piecing, and it changed my whole world forever.

Let’s talk about Freezer Paper Piecing versus traditional Paper Foundation Piecing. 👇

The techniques are similar, both methods focus on precision and ease of assembly, but with Freezer Paper Piecing, you get to reuse your templates without turning them into confetti! 🎉 MAJOR WIN!

All you have to do is trace a few copies onto freezer paper or use printable sheets for your printer. It’s versatile, efficient, and saves you tons and tons of time.

🌟 The key benefits of freezer paper piecing: 🌟

👏 Reuse & Recycle: No more wasteful piles of ripped paper templates.
👏 Easy Removal: Templates peel off effortlessly, leaving your masterpiece intact.
👏 Versatility: From intricate designs to straightforward patterns, freezer paper can be used for any foundation.

WAY MORE TIME TO QUILT! 🙌

In all of my programs, we use the Freezer Paper Piecing method, and anyone can learn this, even first-time quilters! I’ve got a NEW block-of-the-month quilt design coming soon, so follow along if you’re looking for a faster and easier way to paper-piece! ✨

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with me? 🧙‍♀️🧵

I’m teaching a FREE class, and we’re getting a little spooky with this one! 🤓

I’ll show you my favorite way to make Modern Triangles using my no-waste, no picking method, and then we’re turning our triangle into a WITCH HAT. ✨

And yes, beginners are absolutely welcome!

I’ll walk you through it step by step, show you how these simple little triangles can be arranged into much more complex-looking designs, and we’ll spend some time actually PLAYING with what we make.

PLUS, if you show up live, you’ll get my exclusive Spooky Witch Hat Modern Triangle pattern FREE so you can keep sewing after class. 🎁

Come hang out, learn something new, make a witch hat, and have some fun with me!

Comment WITCHY, and I’ll send you the link to save your free spot! 🧙‍♀️

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Tell me you’re a quilter without telling me you’re Tell me you’re a quilter without telling me you’re a quilter. 😂🧵

I’ll go first: I can find quilt inspiration in approximately ANYTHING. I own fabric that is apparently too special to actually use, and “one more seam” has never once meant one more seam.

Your turn. 🤓 Finish the sentence in the comments 👇 

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
A couple of weeks ago, I picked my colors for next A couple of weeks ago, I picked my colors for next year’s “Starburst” Block of the Moth, and I had to laugh at myself because even though I started with a few pretty pinks and yellows as my inspiration...

I devolved back to rainbows for my final selection. I do love a rainbow gradient! So glorious, so delicious!

Honestly, sometimes it takes me several, several, several rounds to get the colors just how I want them. 😭  But the good news is, I do have the rainbow fabric on hand!

Now I can Netflix and sew... as I work on my Starburst sample! Hooray!

Who else just can’t resist a rainbow palette??? Follow along @bryanhousequilts to be the first to see my latest “Starburst” design! 💫

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
SWIPE to see the big finish, my completed Peppermi SWIPE to see the big finish, my completed Peppermint Twist Dutch Summer! 🤍

The joy really is in the journey with my Block of the Month programs, where every single month you make one block, sew your whole batch, and, month by month, start to see the design come together with each new block.

And that’s why ANYONE can make this quilt! Yes, even a first-timer! 

You don’t have to sit down and make an entire quilt all at once. You make one batch of blocks, then another, and another... You learn as you go, watch your skills develop, and slowly start seeing the whole quilt come together.

And then one day, all those individual triangles you’ve been making come together and you’ve made THIS. 🥹

I absolutely love how this Peppermint Twist version of Dutch Summer turned out, and seeing all of the blocks together makes me want to do the whole thing all over again in another color palette! 😂

If you want to make your own version of the Dutch Summer, comment ‘DUTCH’ and I’ll send you the details! 💌

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
We’re deep into the ‘ber months, which means cozy We’re deep into the ‘ber months, which means cozy sewing season is in FULL swing! 🙌

👉 We’re chugging along with the Alchemy block of the month, five months in! 
👉 We’re celebrating SO MANY big finishes of our Dutch Summer block of the month quilt tops
👉 I’ve been planning our next block of the month... 

There’s SO much good stuff going on over here, and I can’t wait to reveal my latest design to you so soon, along with all of the projects I’ve been sewing!!! 

Follow along to see my next block-of-the-month design reveal in November! ✨

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I was ready to give up on foundation paper piecing I was ready to give up on foundation paper piecing altogether, and then I was introduced to freezer paper piecing, and it changed my whole world forever.

Let’s talk about Freezer Paper Piecing versus traditional Paper Foundation Piecing. 👇

The techniques are similar, both methods focus on precision and ease of assembly, but with Freezer Paper Piecing, you get to reuse your templates without turning them into confetti! 🎉 MAJOR WIN!

All you have to do is trace a few copies onto freezer paper or use printable sheets for your printer. It’s versatile, efficient, and saves you tons and tons of time.

🌟 The key benefits of freezer paper piecing: 🌟

👏 Reuse & Recycle: No more wasteful piles of ripped paper templates.
👏 Easy Removal: Templates peel off effortlessly, leaving your masterpiece intact.
👏 Versatility: From intricate designs to straightforward patterns, freezer paper can be used for any foundation.

WAY MORE TIME TO QUILT! 🙌

In all of my programs, we use the Freezer Paper Piecing method, and anyone can learn this, even first-time quilters! I’ve got a NEW block-of-the-month quilt design coming soon, so follow along if you’re looking for a faster and easier way to paper-piece! ✨

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with Want to make a witchy little Modern Triangle with me? 🧙‍♀️🧵

I’m teaching a FREE class, and we’re getting a little spooky with this one! 🤓

I’ll show you my favorite way to make Modern Triangles using my no-waste, no picking method, and then we’re turning our triangle into a WITCH HAT. ✨

And yes, beginners are absolutely welcome!

I’ll walk you through it step by step, show you how these simple little triangles can be arranged into much more complex-looking designs, and we’ll spend some time actually PLAYING with what we make.

PLUS, if you show up live, you’ll get my exclusive Spooky Witch Hat Modern Triangle pattern FREE so you can keep sewing after class. 🎁

Come hang out, learn something new, make a witch hat, and have some fun with me!

Comment WITCHY, and I’ll send you the link to save your free spot! 🧙‍♀️

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
Tell me you’re a quilter without telling me you’re Tell me you’re a quilter without telling me you’re a quilter. 😂🧵

I’ll go first: I can find quilt inspiration in approximately ANYTHING. I own fabric that is apparently too special to actually use, and “one more seam” has never once meant one more seam.

Your turn. 🤓 Finish the sentence in the comments 👇 

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
A couple of weeks ago, I picked my colors for next A couple of weeks ago, I picked my colors for next year’s “Starburst” Block of the Moth, and I had to laugh at myself because even though I started with a few pretty pinks and yellows as my inspiration...

I devolved back to rainbows for my final selection. I do love a rainbow gradient! So glorious, so delicious!

Honestly, sometimes it takes me several, several, several rounds to get the colors just how I want them. 😭  But the good news is, I do have the rainbow fabric on hand!

Now I can Netflix and sew... as I work on my Starburst sample! Hooray!

Who else just can’t resist a rainbow palette??? Follow along @bryanhousequilts to be the first to see my latest “Starburst” design! 💫

#modernquilting #paperpiecing #foundationpaperpiecing #quiltingtechnique #quiltteacher
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