Meet Carol Steffensen, owner, and designer of Chickadee Hollow Designs and Chickadee Chatter Blog. She took on the challenge of using "Fresh & Fab" the collection designed by Kim Diehl and her daughter, Molly Diehl.
This is Carol's story:
I am a retired RN, wife of Dale, mother of three grown children, 6 grandchildren and my dog, Pooh! He is my sewing room buddy! I have owned a quilt shop in the past but only for three years as my initial desire in owning a shop was so that I would have time to design patterns which is what I really wanted to do. Little did I know that owning a shop left no time for pattern designing! So, I sold it after 3 years and started designing quilting and stitchery patterns which I have been doing for the past 15 years. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and plan to continue to do it forever if I can. I would like to design some fabric yet too, and I have it on my list for after the New Year. I have been an artist all my life and have dabbled in many different venues, but I really like drawing and color pencil the most. I especially like doing birds, flowers and nature things.
We live on a farm and have all my life out in the country along with horses, cattle, some chickens, dogs and cats. I came from a large family so I am used to lots of activity and we sure have that around here. The area where we live is wooded, with a state park just a couple of miles down the road and there are lots of lakes and wildlife around us.
My project, with the beautiful fabrics designed by Kim Diehl (who I am a big fan of) and her daughter, was a challenge. I looked at the fabrics for a few days before I actually cut into them. Being of modern colors and design were a bit out of the box for me. I tend to work with reproduction fabrics mostly and the warmer darker muted tones. So I did a little research on some modern patterns and trends to kind of get a feel for what I should make. I thought with this modern fabric I have to make something modern looking. Nothing came into my mind, and I almost felt like maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this project. But then I started thinking that maybe the challenge for me was to make something with traditional blocks with modern fabric! So that is what I went with; it has turned out pretty and like I said before, it is what it is! My main project is a wall hanging or table center where I designed a pattern using some churn dash blocks of different sizes and also some 9 patch blocks of different sizes. ( I certainly hope the design is not one the Kim has already done as prolific as she is!!) But, I did it totally on graph paper like I always do and I will share that too if anyone wants.
5 comments:
Carol your projects are beautiful! I think mixing modern fabrics with traditional blocks was a great idea. I like to use graph paper when designing sometimes too. Coloring for quilters.
What neat projects! I really like your color placement and think you stitched a winner. :-)
Carol, your honesty is really refreshing! So often I think we face a quilting project, have the same feelings you do, and feel as if we are the only ones--that inspiration comes immediately to everyone else. I also think your idea was spot on. This really was in keeping with the name of the fabrics, both "fresh and fab", bringing a newish look to a classic block. Maybe it will just cause younger quilters to give one of my favorite blocks a second look. I love your design, especially the clever use of the corners, where you wind the dark blue around.
Beautiful job with beautiful fabrics. I love the traditional blocks also, I like what you did combining traditional and modern. Your projects are lovely.
This is lovely! You have made it into your own style and I think that's what makes quilting so fun and creative.
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