Category Archives: Design Projects

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Spring is Here with Chirp, Chirp, Chirp!

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With warm weather, I’ve been in the yard daily getting fresh air and sunshine. The noise can be quite chirpy with all the birds flying around! And I’ve watched all the baby birds, from blue birds, cardinals to sparrows, hopping and flying about as they learn to test their wings. As I sit or stand still, they get a little closer allowing me to watch a little better. With birds on my mind, I thought I would show you the quilts I’ve designed that focus on birds. With these, you can bring birds inside to enjoy. These patterns are all available in my Etsy Whimsycolor shop.

This first quilt pattern, Bird on a Limb, uses pieced quilt blocks. This quilt can use your scraps for a scrap quilt. This quilt is made with 20 blocks and is 64″ wide x 76″ high. It is easy to adjust the size if you want a larger or smaller quilt. You can also use the blocks to make a table runner or pillows.

This pattern, Spring Arrival, uses applique blocks and is made with 2 different blocks. One block has 2 baby birds in a nest and the other block is the mama bird holding a worm for her babies. You can also use your scraps for the applique pieces. The size is 58″ x 70 1/2″. You can also easily adjust the size to make it smaller or larger as well as creating other items with the blocks.

I also have a hummingbird block pattern for applique. I’m showing this block in 2 color combinations. The finished size of this block is 9″ x 9″. Use it alone to create your quilt or other project, or combine it with other blocks.

I would love to see your quilt project if you use one of these patterns!

I hope you take the time to listen to all the chirps!

Phyllis

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Making a “Crazy” Mask with Scraps

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I save all my fabric scraps! Don’t you? There is so much you can use them for. They are beautiful pieces of fabric I just can’t throw away unless they’re really tiny.

My friend, Kim Green, has been making masks for over a month for those who are working with the public during this shutdown. She showed a beautiful heart that she made with her scraps. That gave me the idea to use some of my scraps to make a mask in a “crazy quilt” style.

The first step is to gather scraps and sew them together with random fabrics such as above. I chose fabrics in a turquoise and purplish color range. I made 2, one each for each mask side so I could position each side of the pattern when cutting.

Then I cut the pieces out using this pattern. I sewed the pieces and lining to make my mask. You may want to make your “crazy quilt” mask for yourself or a gift. If you are bulk mask making, I don’t recommend this “crazy quilt” method as it’s much more time consuming and cuts down on production. I also didn’t add embroidery stitches as I figured that the added texture may hold any virus, plus they will be washed a lot. I turned the ends of the ribbon under and stitched back and forth so they would not ravel when washed.

And while in the stitching-scraps-together mode, I decided to make another one in a different color combination. I chose pink, orange and green for this one.

I have always loved crazy quilting and love applying it to more modern type products. It works great for masks. I have many other crazy quilt projects that I have been working on the past several months – I just need to add the finishing touches.

I hope you are finding ways to stay productive and creative during the shut down. At first, it was hard to focus and saw that this was the case for just about everybody. Then, my need to stay busy with my hands and mind kicked in. So the result has been sewing masks, embroidery, creating new art, creating content for ArtBizJam Abundance (with Lori Siebert) and taking some creative online classes, mostly with Procreate. But I really, really miss being with family and friends.

I hope you are all staying safe and well. It has been a struggle with all of us as life goes on and we feel that aren’t fully participating like we have always done. Maybe we will be getting back to that soon.

Phyllis

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Seasons of Fall – Falling Leaves Quilt Pattern

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I love the colors of fall leaves and it’s that time of year again. I can’t believe leaves are already falling heavily as everything, including the trees, is still so green. But a daily sweep of leaves from my deck is required to keep them from accumulating. Watching the gradual color change inspired me to create this quilt pattern “Seasons of Fall”.

Seasons of Fall Falling Leaves

The quilt is created with both piecing and appliquéing.  The size is 56″ x 68″ but you can easily adjust it to make it larger or smaller so that you can use it as a lap quilt, wall hanging or bed quilt.  With the appliqué, you can use your scraps or precut fabrics.  The pattern is available in my Etsy online shop for easy immediate download.

I’m headed to the International Quilt Market in Houston next week.  While the leaves are still green, I know they will change drastically while I’m gone. When I leave for a few days in both the spring and fall, I always return to a different landscape.

I hope you are enjoying a colorful change and spend cooler days inside quilting!

Phyllis

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How Many UFO’s (Unfinished Object Projects) do you have hiding away?

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I love needlework! But somehow this little piece ended up unfinished, a small UFO, sitting in my closet with more UFO’s.

Unfinished Ribbon Embroidery Project

During the years that I was a member of the Embroider’s Guild of America, EGA, I took every class offered and attended regional retreats. As a result, I ended up with a lot of UFO’s in addition to the finished projects. But, all was not lost with UFO’s!  I enjoyed every stitch that I did complete and learned so much about embroidery and other forms of needlework and canvas work.  In addition, I loved spending time with  friends and the conversations we had while sitting and stitching.

The stitching of this little project is finished. I started tearing away the paper but something distracted me and I didn’t finish the project. I will most likely turn it into a small sachet pillow or frame it, so I hope to post the finished piece shortly!  I’m also feeling guilty about my other UFO’s so will pull them out and work on them while being a couch potato at night. That will also limit my couch potato guilt!

I hope you pull out your UFO’s and give them a little love!

Phyllis

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Its a Dog’s Life Teal Tea Towel

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Its a Dog’s Life!  My last post was about cats (along with some embroidery).  I’m equal with cats and dogs in my love of them and have always had one or the other for a pet. For my Spoonflower shop, I chose dogs to give equal time with cats to create this tea towel to celebrate dogs!

Is A Dogs Life Tea Towel

These whimsy dogs are in various stages of a “human” life – gardening, shopping, walking, wrapped in a quilt, playing at the beach, cooking, being a sheriff, and just being an angel. The background is turquoise teal green with a darker teal border. I designed this tea towel based on my fabric collection “Its a Dog’s Life”.

The tea towels are available from Roostery for purchase, while I have coordinating fabrics available from Spoonflower and direct from Phyllis.

Woof!

Phyllis

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Embroidery Design with my Cat’s Help!

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I have been giving embroidery needles a workout and have been creating some embroidery for new designs to combine with quilting. As you can see, I have help – my cat Bandit has to inspect what I am doing. He quickly lost interest and settled down for a nap, which is a good thing with needles flying back and forth.

Embroidery for quilt

Embroidery has been my first love for needlework. I started needlework at a very young elementary school age by my aunt as an excellent teacher. All the women in my family, my mother, aunts and grandmother, all spent a lot of time with needles with various mediums – quilting, crochet, knitting, sewing and needlework. I’ve continued with each medium except for knitting (I love knitting but keep forgetting how to knit between projects).

I am delighted to see young and fresh embroidery designs being created and love that embroidery continues with its “nine lives”!

Check back as I will be showing the finished design!

I hope you pick up your needles, no matter the medium!

Phyllis

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Support Your Bees with a Whimsy Honey Bee Quilt!

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I love bees! And while not a beekeeper, I had my own personal honey bee hive. Unfortunately, it was in the eave of my house. It took a while to find a beekeeper who will relocate it safely due to the hive being in the eaves plus the distance from the ground. I will miss them in my flowers but they have  a new home in an actual hive.Whimsy Honey Bee Quilt Phyllis Dobbs

I had created a whimsy fabric collection “Bee Yourself” to celebrate bees that included fabrics plus a panel of 12 bee blocks – honey bee, spelling bee, busy bee, fashion bee, beach bee, worker bee, quilting bee, sewing bee, queen bee, bee yourself and others.  This is a whole cloth “cheater quilt” I designed based on my fabric collection “Bee Yourself”.

This quilt is in my Spoonflower fabric shop and is made from the same art. The size is 36″ x 42″ and is available as a yard of fabric. It’s ready to sew into a quilt. You can also use it as a quilt panel to create a focal point in a larger quilt by adding borders. I know you will be able to come up with other uses as well.

Coordinating bee fabrics are available in my Spoonflower shop and I also have the bee panel and other fabrics available direct from my studio.

Love your bees and protect them!

Phyllis

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Embroidery – Its so timeless!

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I am using my embroidery needles, along with my water soluble pens, and have been creating embroidery designs. Embroidery was my first creative love! Years ago, as a pre-teen, I began my interest in the creative world by picking up a needle. Needles have never been far from my hand, whether creating needlepoint, cross stitch, canvas work, sewing or quilting. It all begins with a needle, after a great design, of course!

Crewel Embroidery Phyllis Dobbs

This design is from my past and is part of a design I created for an ad the DMC Corporation. Its more crewel in nature with the pattern.  I love creating a variety of stitches and really enjoyed stitching this.

The patterns that I am creating now are more contemporary but based on the past. How can you not design embroidery without recognizing the past influences! The stitches are timeless!

Check back for more embroidery designs as well as my continuing fabric and quilt designs! Embroidery with project patterns will soon be in both my Craftsy and Etsy stores.

Pick up your needles!

Phyllis

 

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New Quilt Patterns – Whimsy and Modern

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I have returned from the International Quilt Market held in Houston. Eye candy everywhere! Such a fusion of colors with all the quilts and fabrics throughout the show! So much to see and treasure!

With quilts on my mind, I want to show you some of the quilts I have designed recently. These patterns are all available in my Etsy store.

I love the influence of modern quilting and the effects created with negative space. No matter how complex the design, you still have a feeling of simplicity and space.

This quilt pattern, Bohemian Travels, features some traditional blocks in varying sizes and in an asymmetrical arrangement. The overall size is 68″ W x 76″ H.

Bohemian Modern quilt pattern

There is still plenty of time to sew a quilt for fall or Thanksgiving with this Pumpkin Time quilt pattern.  This pattern features appliqué pumpkins, stems, vines and leaves.  Use an assortment of fabrics or precuts for more texture. This pattern is 50 1/2″ X x 60 1/2″ H.

Pumpkin Time Quilt Pattern

Windmill is an on point design with a pinwheel center block. The size is great for a wall hanging or lap quilt at 42 1/2″ W x 50 1/2″ H.

Windmill Quilt Pattern

I hope that you will visit one of these stores – you will find a lot more quilt patterns in addition to apron and other sewing pattern and maybe something you can sew as a Christmas gift.

I plan to show some of my photos from Quilt Market shortly so please check back!

Phyllis

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Bird on Limb For a Scrap Quilt

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I love how the bird population increases with the warmer weather of spring. The birds chirping outside inspired this new pieced scrap quilt pattern “Bird on a Limb”.

Bird on a Limb Quilt Pattern

The pattern is designed to use your scraps or precut fabrics and fat quarters for the blocks to give it a scrappy look. You can customize to make it all one color if you prefer. The birds have just landed on a limb with these pieced blocks. The size as shown is 64″ w x 76″ h. It’s easy to adjust your quilt to make a larger or smaller by adding or decreasing the blocks or rows. It’s also easy to customize for a table runner, placemat, table topper or wallhanging to give you lots of uses.

Embellish by adding buttons or beads for eyes, or a mix of both for additional scrappiness.

This pattern is available from Etsy WhimsiColor for instant download.

I hope this spring finds you outside listening to the bird chirping with a beautiful day and with plenty of time to quilt.

Phyllis