Thursday, September 27, 2012

A Failed Attempt




There is one drawback when designing a quilt.   What you have in your mind and on paper, does not always work out when you actually take the fabric and spin out the design.   I have the perfect example to show you.  Remember how I was trying to figure out this outer border.

You guys really got me thinking and gave me some excellent suggestions.   I went and looked through this book 'The Border Workbook' by Janet Kime, and found what I wanted.   This book is a thumbs up, but you have to do math to get around some of those corners, so I am a little nervous.  Hope the fabric has a lot of stretch, because guaranteed, I will need it=)

Product Details

I picked out my fabric, one was a new piece I just received by Caryl Bryer Fallert (one of my all time favourite quilters) and got to work.   I choose the zigzag border due to all the ricrac in this piece.  Thought it was a good fit.  

These are all my little sections ready to be sewn together.

Here is where things took a downward spin, or as I like to say, sunk like the Titanic.   When I put it on my design wall, this is what unfolded:

Do you see the problem?   The lovely zigzag fabric is too fragmented due to all the colours in it to actually look like the pattern it should.   A very good lesson learned.   I have now picked out different fabric, one with a small repeat pattern and will see how that goes.  I will use my discarded border somehow, there is no way Ms. Fallert's fabric won't end up in one of my quilts.      

Stay tuned for the outcome of the border!




Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Using My Scraps


One quilt done and one quilt top completed.   The first is one I have shown you progress pics on.   I got it quilted and bound late last week.   Very easy to do using 1 1/2" strips and some larger scraps.   To make it a little bit three dimensional, I used jumbo ric rac in the centre of the flower.  



This next one also uses 1 1/2' strips and HST's.   I never knew how much fun HST's were.  



Both of these quilts will go to the hospital to be given to kids with cancer.   I hope they like them.





Thursday, September 20, 2012

2 WIP's

I am working on 2 new art quilts.   That makes me sound really ambitious and organized doesn't it?  Truth is I have a mental block on this one.
See that bright pink outer border?  Do I leave it blank and fill it with quilting or do I put something in it?   I have pinned some leaves up to try and help me decide.

In the meantime I decided this would be a good opportunity to sew up the background for another art quilt.

If that looks like a map to you, then you are right.   I have printed a map onto fabric and have a very wild 3D embellishment to put on.   I usually quilt my art quilts first before adding the embellishments as they are often too bulky to try and quilt around.   I enjoy that process, as when the embellishments are added, the quilt is already bound and quilted!   Makes me feel like I have skipped a step.   

Opinions?





Tuesday, September 18, 2012

A great idea


I just had to share this super fantastic idea I found over at The Crafty Cupboard.  Do you ever attend workshops where an iron is needed and they say, 'will provide 4 ironing boards to share'?  I love my fellow workshop quilters, but I do detest waiting in line to use the iron.  I do have one of those mini ironing boards, but I swear mine is only 3" wide.   

My problem is now solved, thanks to this fantastic tutorial.  It uses a tv tray!   How brilliant is that?



I used a heavy canvas fabric from Ikea to cover it.   Then I really got thinking.... every holiday I bring out these tv trays to hold the excess food that won't fit on the table due to all the company I have.   It is always a pain as only salads and buns can go on there, but now because of the insulated batting, I can put anything on there.   Wait, if I am worried I may get a spill on my fancy workshop ironing board, I am just going to put a seasonal placemat on the top so I am super stylish and preserving my board!   

So when you see me at the next workshop, don't worry I won't be holding up the line waiting for the ironing board!


One last thing, it took me 23 minutes to make, and 9 of those minutes were spent finding my husband's staple gun.
What do you think?


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Postcard Challenge

Quilting Arts magazine had a challenge called 'Staycation', where you had to make a postcard reflecting what you did at home this summer.   I started with some hand dyed upholstery fabric.   In this picture you can really see the fabulous texture.   I cut out the parts that I liked the best.


I sewed them together and then did some free motion quilting around the outside and a couple flowing lines in the middle.   




I spent the rest of the time beading.  When I finished beading I applied Timtex and a back layer and stitched around the outside.   I will pop it in the mail and hope it gets there on time.




Wednesday, September 12, 2012

A Little News and a Cool Site


There is a show called Quilt National.  Some say it is the cream of the crop of quilting in North America.   I have been working on my  entry  for it like crazy.   It is due Friday.   I have had 2 years to get it done.   I started on Monday. They accept 80 out of about 1,000 entries.  They don't let you show it at all.   Anywhere.   So, I am writing this with a huge smile on my face.   It is all true, and no I am not completely delusional.  I fully realize I have no chance of getting in. But, and a big giant BUT here, when I do  (and we are all going to pretend that someday I do), I want to be able to say that I have been diligently trying for the last 32 years to get in!

Go and check out the site, they show the winners for several years.  It is a feast for the eyes for sure.   I will tell you this, I was using a hammer and nails to prepare some of the embellishments for it.   As soon as I get my rejection letter, I will post it.  Until then, you can just wonder away as to what I was doing with those tools=)

On another topic, I mentioned before that I signed onto the national Board here in Canada called Canadian Quilters' Association.   I started in May and can honestly tell you I am having the time of my life.   One of my tasks is to help look after our brand new blog. It showcases great quilt teachers, fun tidbits and some breathtaking quilts.   Today there is a fantastic way to download tutorials using a site I was just told about.   
Go and check it out, and by all means, if you are so inclined, hit that 'follow' button.

Now fingers crossed I finish my entry in time!

Photo: I sew relate to this!
Found at someecards

Thursday, September 6, 2012

New 3D Art Quilt with Tutorial

Remember I teased you with this picture:

I can now show you the whole quilt.   There is a funny story about this one.  Pellon needed something using their product 'Fabric Magic' by the end of a week, for a promotion with a huge company.

I was emailed, but was leaving in middle of said week.  Not wanting to let Pellon down, and knowing the product made fabric go 3D, I decided to try. At 5 pm I walked into my studio with no idea whatsoever in my head, and having never used the product, I got started. At 10 pm I skipped joyfully out with this.

Now to clarify this NEVER happens to me, that an idea hits, no kinks happen, well, other than restarting the project halfway through.   That was when the really big brainwave hit, and then I got petrified I didn't have enough of the Fabric Magic left.  The fabric used is 'Apple of My Eye' by The Quilted Fish.

The tutorial is here.   The great news, Pellon loved it and is going to use it for promotion...more on those details later=))


What do you think?


P.S. My friend Nina Marie is doing a link up Friday, drop by and check it out.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Back to School = Back to Reality

If you are like me and still have kids in school, or if not,  imagine a summer filled with playing, sunshine and happiness.   Then imagine a dark cloud moving in called 'School' and life is filled with tears, lunches and  homework. Maybe I am exaggerating slightly alot, but regardless the days of no schedule are over for ten months.

On the positive side, and there always is one, I can GET BACK TO QUILTING!  You have been so great to stick by me, as I know my posts border on sparse this past summer.  Now I am ready to roll out the quilts, find new ways to 3D embellish and maybe even do a bit of teaching along the way.

This weekend I spent time working on two different quilts.   One was hand applique... OH MY GOODNESS that is tedious work.  If you are a hand quilter, you really, really need to give yourself a pat on the back.  Heck, go buy yourself something chocolate.  You deserve it.



The other project, albeit hand work, but not quite so insane, was stitching my felted pieces.   Finally this weekend I had a brainwave and figured out how I was going to turn this into a quilt.  It took the right piece of fabric and two years of sketches, yes I did say two years.   I could just never get the design to look like what I wanted it to.

I even visioned using it in a piece of wearable art... but the thought of sewing them together and then cutting off the pieces that didn't fit into the pattern made me too sad.

Now I am really excited with what I think may work.   We all know what you have on paper does not necessarily turn out like that once you try and make it into a quilt.  Well, that is what happens with me.  How do you get a new quilt started?