Bella's House & Turning 60

Bella's House 32" x 46" - Eye Candy from Windham Fabrics
She needs a chimney and door knob, coming soon!

The Bella Collection by Lotta Jansdotter

 One of my generous fabric partners is Windham Fabrics. I have been sewing for them since 2006 and I've never met a fabric I didn't like! This new Bella Collection (in stores NOW, as in August 2012) is very exciting with clean open spaces, clear colors and nature motifs: tiny birds, flowers and trees. They were designed by Lotta Jansdotter. I showed this pile of 1/2 yard cuts to my daughter Audrey (32 years old) and I wasn't surprised at her enthusiastic response: "Mom! I want these. I want to make curtains for my kitchen and some other things for my new apartment." I told her my plan for building a house with them and that's how Bella's House came to be.

Don't you just love the trees and flowers?!!

I began by cutting windows and doors. But the two sets of windows I first had were TOO big and I had to start from scratch. I am not a planner who meticulously writes up numbers and sizes before I begin to sew. I just start cutting and write my patterns later. This is a true improvisational quilt, but most of the strips and units are normal cutting sizes. (I have no intention of patterning this one-of-a-kind quilt; she's just for viewing and eventually will be quilted and gifted to someone who likes a lot of color.) Visit Windham's Facebook page and tell them you like this collection.

Bird Window Block 1  - 11" finished

Bird Window Block 2 - 11" finished

So, here are the original Birdie Window blocks that I made way too large for Bella's House. What to do with them? Well, they are part of my new series, Turning 60. What's that? you ask. Well, I was born in 1952, so do the math. This is a year of playing with the 60 degree angle in quilts to celebrate "still being vertical and on the ride side of the grass!" I have discovered that is my absolute favorite shape and have done a lot of teaching this past year using that: Half-Hexagons, Spiderwebs, and others. Here are two of my Turning 60 blocks made with my Turning 60 acrylic, multi-size ruler. You can get the same results with any 60 degree ruler. Next week I will reveal an 8 block table runner made with four Turning 60 blocks and four Bird Window blocks.

Turning 60 Block (Traditional Spiderweb) - 11"

Turning 60 Block (Traditional Spiderweb) - 11"