A Colorful Thread: August 2024

Weaving together my life as a maker and other spheres of life.



On My Mind

Experimenting:: with paint colors for our new home. At the end of this year I will be moving in with my boyfriend, Aart. He lives in a modern, typically compact Dutch home, just large enough for Elora, Liam and I to join him. Aart only moved in last year. In fact, I met him when helping with the move-in effort. I actually painted the baseboards in his/my future living room. Funny! Anyways, the home is very plain and simply furnished. Aart and I both want to see a lot of character, color and style added to the space. I am at the stage of ordering test paints: a burgundy for our bedroom, a pale pink for Elora’s room, a peach for the living room, a green for the entry. So exciting!

Reading:: JAN Living magazine. I have been traveling most of August, first to the United States for family and later to French Corsica for recharging. My reading has been light and pretty! I was attracted like a fly to honey when I saw that this issue focuses on bringing color in house. Bonus: it’s a Dutch magazine, to help me maintain the language during these months away.

Celebrating:: Time for a throwback! When I came across this beautiful finish by @PieceandJoyQuiltingCo from our sew-along a few years back, I just had to share it with you. I am contemplating sewing another Honeycomb Stars quilt, this time as a wall hanging. I still adore this machine-sewn patchwork and the lovely change in value across its surface.

Anticipating::  moving and decorating. Moving house is never fun, but the process of creating a new home certainly is. We have so many projects we want to do at Aart’s house, like hanging those rugs, painting rooms and collecting art for a gallery wall. It is truly difficult to stay focused on any one idea. This September I plan to begin with Elora’s room. I am looking forward to sewing her rainbow quilt, and then perhaps a wall-hanging and some other handmade touches. More soon!


Featured Freebie

Color Inspiration

Stitched in Color includes a library of free tutorials, more than 10 years in the making. Each month I’ll feature one to spread the good news.

What is your color mood? Take a scroll through my color prompt posts. A library of diverse, well-developed color palettes awaits. Each post includes inspiring words and images to jumpstart your next fabric pull. The image collage right is from Dreaming at Dusk. I haven’t yet created a quilt inspired by this prompt, but I surely will!


As you know, I was in the States this month for Aria’s wedding. I haven’t shared much about it here because it was not for me the happy event that one would hope. Of course the bride was beautiful and the flower girl too. This photo captures Aart, Elora and I on the morning of the wedding.

My firstborn child became Aria Gray on August 2nd. She will make her new life in South Carolina where she and her husband both have family. Here’s wishing her so much joy and love and happiness from mama and the readers of Stitched in Color!

xoxo,

Rachel