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Colleen Kole
contemporary textiles
Quilts 2009


Project Joy #9-FINISHED!
Well, it wasn’t without a bit of a struggle last night. I put the flat binding on and it wouldn’t roll over without bunching up. Too much stitching and beading. So at 9:30 pm the binding came off and I finished it with just an envelope finish which then needed more quilting :). But […]
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Dec 31, 20092 min read


A Few Extra Moments
I think I have known this for a long time but this season has really made me notice this. I am much happier if I can do some form of creating -sewing, knitting or even journaling – on a daily basis. So little snips of time over the past week have led to this. A […]
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Dec 23, 20091 min read


The First Present
Well, because of the blizzard and three cancelled school days, everything is happening in four days instead of two weeks. I repeat everything- concert, 5th grade play, teachers luncheon and class party. Amazing how it can all be compacted into four short school days. Even more amazing that I signed up to help […]
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Dec 16, 20093 min read


bothered by the end result
It’s in small letters because as much as I would like to keep it a secret, I have to tell you the truth. I hated what I showed you yesterday. Hate is a strong word-disliked. And it bothered me so much I had to go work through it again(ok maybe the series thing […]
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Dec 10, 20091 min read


An Early Christmas Present: A Giveaway and a Quilt
Wahoo- I am done with my quilt and it’s Wednesday – the day of my giveaway drawing. Thanks for all of you who have entered and left comments. I am having fun looking at other new sources of inspiration and you are very talented people! We have a snow day today. No blizzard […]
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Dec 9, 20092 min read


Fabric Dyeing
Last February, our quilt guild had the the privilege of hosting Carol Soderlund. She presented a wonderful lecture and then stayed for two days of classes. I attended both days of classes with the first being her Pot-of Gold class. She taught us how to dye layers of cloth stacked three high in […]
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Nov 22, 20092 min read


Almost #4 and #5 for Project Joy
I know, I know that almost doesn’t count but this has been crazy week and I want to show you almost. This blogging thing is a bit crazy and I have to admit to you that I missed it this week when I couldn’t keep up with it. I felt like I was […]
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Nov 20, 20092 min read


Project Joy #3: Perseverance
I can’t believe this one is done. I made it late last February just as a means of using up strip sets and playing around with another neutral color-the tans and khakis. The process of finishing it with all the machine issues just about made me give up on it. But I […]
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Nov 17, 20091 min read


Sweet Peas-UFO #2 Project Joy
I did persevere this weekend and did what I could with my limp-along machine. I feel a bit of desperation sinking in as I did something I have never done before-I put half of a binding on an unfinished quilt. It’s just a flat binding and that side of the quilt was done, […]
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Nov 16, 20092 min read


Always looking for a challenge
I always get distracted when I visit blogs. There is so much fun information out there and sometimes it’s just hard to choose -whether to read or work. But I have found that I enjoying reading at night when my eyes are too tired to sew and my chores are done. Then I […]
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Nov 3, 20092 min read


Erin’s Quilt
I made a quilt for my daughter this spring in celebration of her high school graduation. She picked out the fabrics and I made the quilt. The fabrics tended to give me a headache after awhile as it was very busy. But now that I see it on her bed at college, it […]
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Nov 2, 20091 min read


Working in a series
I am now working on two different series. I am lucky enough to have two design walls so that makes it easier. The first is called Connections and it is simply strip sets cut apart and re-structured into new blocks and strip sets. I absolutely love the new colors, lines and shapes that […]
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Oct 29, 20091 min read


Resolved
Bear with me until my college daughter comes home this weekend. I am technologically challenged and would love to post a picture in the right location. And get my background the right color. I am also taking a 7 week photography class at a local art college which starts next week. So, I have high […]
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Oct 28, 20091 min read


Another day of leftovers…
I have had a group of fabrics on my design wall for way too long. Just can’t seem to move forward with it no matter which way I position the pieces. Now, it started out as one of those lovely compositions that you make at the end of week with Nancy Crow in […]
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Oct 27, 20091 min read


Making the most of leftovers
I finished a quilt top this week and while I was cleaning up I was still thinking about what I didn’t accomplish: simplicity. So, as I was ready to sweep away the mess, I stopped to admire the “leftovers”. The fabrics were just too beautiful to put away. They didn’t deserve to go in the […]
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Oct 24, 20091 min read


It doesn’t need to be square
I purchased a beautiful hand-dyed fabric pack from a blogger (friend -simplyrobinblogspot.com of a friend-gjbquilts.blogspot.com) last week. I have long admired her solids and fell in love with the process she uses at the end of this summer to achieve very solid colors. As I cut into the packet, I dreamed of creating […]
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Oct 22, 20091 min read


What Inspires You?
A friend recently asked me what my inspiration was for a new quilt. I pondered that question for a long time before I responded to her question. It wasn’t one thing but a long list of of things: magazines, books, workshops, quilt shows, nature, architecture, a special teacher, or just daily observation which […]
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Oct 17, 20091 min read
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