Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Quilting Done!

I have spent almost a week quilting  and I finally finished it.   There are still threads to be buried, binding to be put on, and my 3D embellishments to be attached.  But I think the end is in sight.


I always get stuck on what pattern to use where and what colours to use.   Often I try and squeeze in as many FMQ patterns as room allows and use as many colours as the quilt possesses.   This time I didn't.   


I decided to just go with my gut instinct and hope to heck the jury panel agrees=)  I chose 2 colours, red and blue.  Okay, the blue is a gorgeous variegated blue.   

I used feathers in all the blue strips and circles and wandering flowers everywhere else.

The deadline I had given myself is December 1st as there are some other projects with pressing deadlines looming.  I will probably go over by a day or two, but hopefully not much more.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Dyed Batting

I have finished a cute fast little project for Pellon.   I dyed batting with Kool Aid!   It is easy and turned out really cute.  Check out the tutorial here.
Picture of Flower Brooch

I also got a little carried away with the dyed batting....
This is a cute little pouch, used my Baby GO! for the circles. A tutorial will be available soon!

A second brooch, GO! again at work.

Another pouch.


What else could you do with dyed batting?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Good Stuff and What I Am Up To

First let me tell you that I am realizing that you don't have to physically meet a person in order to call them 'friend'.   I have some friends that I consider some of my closest yet I have never met them.  They know who they are and are very near and dear to my heart.   With that lovely introduction, let me show you what came in the mail today.

[IMG_4793%255B3%255D.jpg]
Photo by Linda C. Teufel

This absolutely gorgeous sewing caddy by Linda C. Teufel.  The fabric is Jane Sassaman!   You have heard of Linda C. Teufel, you just don't know it.  She is the force behind Dragon Threads Publishing, and to quote from her blog:
Dragon Threads has strived to bring the most innovative techniques in the quilting and sewing worlds to the market.  She has a knack for recognizing the exceptional talent in our impressive list of authors: Noriko Endo, Judith Baker Montano, Philippa Naylor, Lorna Moffat, M. Joan Lintault, Vikki Pignatelli, and Barbara Olson.


I was thrilled just to be able to converse with such a talented woman.  She always has interesting posts with fabulous quilters and keeps you up to date on what is going on in the quilt world.   A truly remarkable woman.  Thank you Linda!


On another blog related topic, I met Cheryl from Muppin.com about two years ago.   I haven't 'met' her but we have chatted to each other on a regular basis for a long time now.   She is now rocking the quilt art scene with her quilts that light up.   Literally.   So much so, that 'Quilting Arts' magazine has published her work and she is now friends with the infamous Pokey Bolton.   


If you are just now following my blog, you know that I would love to meet Ms. Bolton.  She finds quilt artists and exposes their talents, showcases them and is a genuinely nice person.   
Back to my story, Cheryl,  sent me this in the mail today:



Would I sound like a schmuck if I told you that when I opened it up and read it, my face went so pale and my hand started shaking that my husband rushed over to ask what was wrong!  Heaven forbid I actually meet her someday=)

I have been working on my latest art quilt.  I got it all pinned today.   I really detest that part of quilting.   My back just kills me from taping it to the floor, putting the three layers on and pinning the whole thing together.   I even started quilting it.   Here it is all pinned.



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

E Magazine

Our fearless Design Team leader has put together an e magazine for you to look at featuring her newest line Delighted.

It is all based on Kitchen beauty.  The best part is that there are tutorials on every one of them.   Go to the last page to link up to the tutes.   I loved Jana's table runner so much, that when she gave the team a sneak preview, I had to find out how she made it immediately!




Please check back later this week for some art quilting progress.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Traditional versus Contemporary Quilting

I have mentioned that I write for our Canadian Quilting Association magazine.  On the top of my blog is a tab 'My Articles', and there are more of my articles here.

Traditional versus Contemporary Quilting

If this isn’t the hot topic in quilting these days, I  don’t know what is.

Have you ever overheard members trying to book a guest speaker?  “ I want a trunk show of traditional quilts!   I want a speaker who is knowledgeable on all the new art quilting techniques.”

I figured there had to be at least a few of you who were as confused as I was in determining what is an art quilt, and what is a traditional one.  And furthermore, to distinguish what clarifies a contemporary quilter versus a traditional quilter. 
I made a list of top 10 features to be able to tell each one apart.   Carry this with you and when the topic comes up, whip out your list and you can set everyone straight.

How to pick out a traditional quilter:

1.      Their hair colour, not sure of the proper term these days, but grey, white, and silver should give you the idea.
2.     They only shop in quilt stores, and most only go to the same one they have gone to since they started quilting. 
3.     Their machine is the same one they had when they left home and got married.
4.     They have made at least one whole cloth quilt.
5.     They can talk for hours on thimbles, recipes and grandchildren.
6.     They are experts at putting a quilt in a frame and marking it.  
7.     They may not have the newest tools, but they have the most dependable ones.
8.     They have mastered the techniques they use and don’t feel the need to learn new ones.
9.     They still attend ‘quilting bees’.
10.  They are the greatest group of quilters and need to be remembered as the founders of this amazing activity.

How to pick out a contemporary quilter:

1.     They ‘look’ like they are under the age of 60.
2.     They own a long arm machine and know how to use it. 
3.     They have blogs, websites, Facebook and Twitter, and do most shopping online.
4.     Their sewing machines cost more than their cars, and they have at least two.
5.     They have a stash that makes up 60% of their household contents.
6.     They have gallery showings of their work, and enter into many juried shows.
7.     They have a closet full of embellishments, most of which they have never used.
8.     Their husbands think the freezer downstairs is full of food.  It isn’t.
9.     They are outgoing, friendly and know how to have a good time.
10.   They want to promote quilting as an art and are doggedly determined to do so. 



How to tell a traditional quilt:

1.     Colors are subdued.
2.      There are no prints in the quilt.
3.     It has to be 100% cotton.
4.     It is going to be so large, that you probably have to stand at the other end of the room to see the whole thing.
5.      It is only hand quilted.
6.     The artist’s statement is short and only talks about why the quilter made it. Usually an anniversary, wedding or birth are the reasons.  
7.     There is no fusible or machine appliqué, only the real hand method of this technique.
8.     It takes over a year to make this quilt.
9.     There are well over 1,000 small pieces of fabric in it.
10.   There is usually a red ribbon hanging off of it. 

How to tell an art quilt: 

1.     It has no less than 1,000 pieces of embellishment on it,  that do not necessarily make the quilt look better.
2.     It comes in any size, shape or form.
3.     There are various types of material in it, some may not yet be discovered by man.
4.      Good chance there is something you just threw out in your garbage  attached to the quilt.
5.     It is all machine quilted, you will see NO hand work on this quilt.
6.     The fabric will be ‘altered’ in some way. 
7.     The artist’s statement will have a list of techniques, most of which you probably haven’t heard of.   This includes stencilling, discharging, batiking, waxing, shaving, batching, mod podge, gluing, stamping,  slicing, brewing, firing, bonding, cracking,  chewing, molding, shampooing, and conditioning.
8.     The name of the quilt will in no way have any relation to the sight of it.  It probably has a number behind it, as it is in a ‘series’.
9.     A pattern is never used to make this type of quilt, mostly because no one in their right mind would buy the pattern.
10.  It makes no sense to you, has no flow, no rhythm, no theme, and that is what makes it art.

 This article was published in the Spring 2011 CQA/ACC issue.  Please don't copy without written permission.  Thanks so much!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tutorial


As promised, if you want to learn how to make this cute Christmas wall hanging, click on this spot.

Monday, November 14, 2011

GO! Giveaway Winner

I am sure you are all waiting to hear who won the giveaway.  

Here is your answer:

Mhairi said...
I would love to win one of these Go Baby cutters. The dies I would love are: critters, hexagons and ricrac.
I am a follower of your site too.
Thanks for hosting the giveaway.


I have sent her an email, hopefully she responds soon=)

Thank you all for participating and signing up to follow.  
I made this cute wallhanging for Julie and the tutorial will be up tomorrow, so check back if you want to find out how to make it.  The fabric is Delighted by Amanda Herring at Riley Blake fabrics.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Surprises and Feedback

Let's start off with the frustration first.   I have been working away  on my R & B quilt.   Yesterday, I decided that the blue streaks in  it needed to tie in with something, not just go off the quilt.   I felt the eye was left stranded.   I cut the same wavy pattern on the perimeter and added blue borders.

Now I don't know if I like it or not.

Keep in mind that it is looking quite square, but the outer edges of the blue borders are going to be shaped into the wavy pattern as well, and not so thick.   What do y'all think?

Before Border


 After Border 


On a much happier note, look what arrived in the mail today?  That is all embellishment goodies.   It was a big bag of zipper tape, ribbons, buttons, pompoms, and ric rac.   Totally fantastic.   My dear friends at Riley Blake Fabrics are letting me do something totally wild and crazy.  More on that later.





Do you see the packet of 2" squares?  My BFF Brooke sent these to me!  She knew I was so sad that I didn't get to market with several of the design team  (probably cause I whined about it every day), so she mailed me these scrumptious squares.   Yes that little paper does say Good Fortune by Kate Spain! How super cool is that?  Love that girl!




You only have 2 more days to enter the giveaway for a Baby GO!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Stained Glass Quilt

Remember I gave you a glance of this:


Here is the rest of it:


It is finally up on the Pellon site and my whole tutorial is there.   It is an original design and let me tell you, I had a real tricky time designing this template.   I must have had over 15 different designs on my sketch pad, before I found one that worked and looked good.



I used all my hand dyed fabrics for it, and love how the colours have different shades in them, just like light peaking in behind.   If you want to make one, click here for the tutorial.  It is not a difficult procedure and it is fun picking out the fabrics that will go in each little section.  One could get really carried away and make several, just to see how different they all look.

If you haven't entered the GO! giveaway, click here.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

A Preview

Hi Folks!

If you are a new follower, thanks for joining.   Here are a few things about me you should probably know.  

1.   I love making art quilts.  
2.   I love making my art quilts 3D.
3.   Creating non art quilts is something I do alot of too, and I really like that.   When I make those,
       there is always a tutorial written for you.
4.   If you check out the page at the top titled 'My Articles', you will laugh... if you don't, you should
     seek medical attention.
5.   There is a small touch of sarcastic humour about me that I rarely share=)

I am working on an art quilt and am now at the stage of getting ready to quilt it.   I have done a bit of thread painting prior to the quilting of it.  



Remember it started out looking like this:

I have done a whole lot more with it.   I have used my GO! and added a pile of circles to it,and some lovely swirls in the middle.   Once I get it pinned, I will take another progress picture to show you.  All but the light blue linen in the middle of the bright blue stripes is my own hand dyed fabric.   The pink to red is made up of 6 gradations.   

I don't have a name for it yet.   On most occasions the name of my quilts usually comes at the quilting stage or as I am putting the binding on it.   For now, I refer to it as my R & B quilt.   (Red and Blue)


If by some rare chance you haven't entered my Baby GO! giveaway, click here to enter. 






Friday, November 4, 2011

Baby GO! Giveaway x 2 Now Closed

You heard it here!   I am giving away a Baby GO! and so is my friend Julie over at The Intrepid Thread.
Accuquilt is letting me give away one of their fabulous Baby GO!'s and 3 dies for it!


GO! Baby Fabric Cutter

I will tell you, there are few products out there that do exactly what they say they will do.   Accuquilt GO!  is one of them.   These machines are truly remarkable.   I have used mine way more than I thought I would.   They not only cut fabric, but flannel and felt just like slicing through butter.  I had a guy email me to tell me after seeing my tutorial on Pattern Review, he was getting one to do felt Christmas ornaments.  How cool is that?   

You can also get 22 free patterns when you sign up to get their emails.   

Onto the giveaway, all you have to do is be a follower and tell me which 3 dies you would choose.  To keep you as a follower, I will be holding giveaways on a very regular basis=)

For a second chance to win a Baby GO!, go and see Julie over at her blog to enter.  While you are there, you would be crazy not to check out her etsy store, her prices will make your jaw drop.

I will announce a winner on Monday November 14, 2011.  Good luck!