Friday, October 26, 2012

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I am sitting at home feeling quite sorry for myself that I am not at Quilt Market right now, where several friends of mine are.   I was perusing through my favourite blogs when I saw this from Amy's Creative Side and it was just the pick me up I needed to shake off my quilting blues.
She is hosting a Blogger's Quilt Festival with a gazillion prizes (that may be a slight exaggeration) but you simply must check it out, if not for the sole purpose of seeing all the quilts entered.   You can enter a quilt you made this year.   I chose to enter my 'Ripple In Time'.

Ripple In Time
54" x 54"
Designed and Machine Quilted by me
200 crystals applied, hand embroidery, free motion quilted
Best Category:   Art Quilt,  Wall Hanging,  ROYGBIV Quilt




Wish me luck!  Why don't you enter too, it is going to be fun and almost made me forget about missing Sample Spree, well almost....


Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Top Is Done

I finished the top of my latest art quilt.   I almost wonder if I could say it is modern?   It does have hand stitching on it and I some say that modern is all machine work.   I also just read on a publishing blog that there may be a new trend of modern work with applique.   We will have to see what transpires in the quilting world next year.


My design wall is not quite big enough to host this quilt.   I put a small border around the whole quilt using the same fabric that borders each of my hand stitched felted work.   Now onto the pinning and finally the quilting!

If you want to be see two great quilt shows on your computer check out this fabulous blog to get the links=)


Monday, October 22, 2012

Making Progress and Coffee Stains

 I just have to show you my almost finished art quilt top.   I know I showed you the blocks, and should be showing you a finished top, but I am not quite done.   I just can't wait to post a pic of it, I have one more row to go.   I haven't even thought about additional borders yet.   I have an idea in my mind of how to quilt it, but not sure it is going to work.

I am also going to participate in 'Quilting Arts' latest challenge to make an 8 1/2" x 11" little art quilt with the theme 'Coffee or Tea?'   I spent some time on the weekend making coffee stains.  Here is what I have so far:

Now somehow I have to turn this into an adorable little art quilt, and finish my new big art quilt.

Stay tuned, there is exciting news this week!


Monday, October 15, 2012

Making Progress

I am making good progress in my latest art quilt.  All the blocks are done.   I have to spend quite a bit of time doing borders as they are not the traditional strip border, rather, strip, block, strip, block and so on.  

I also had a brainwave for my other art quilt over the weekend while sorting out some toys and came across some plastic kids jewellery.   You know they are going to end up on that quilt!





Friday, October 12, 2012

Mental Block and A New Start

I am working on three art quilts right now.  I would love to just work on one at a time, but am having a little trouble with the design process.   One is ready to be quilted, but I don't know how to quilt it yet, so am still thinking on that.   The next one is making me look at what step comes next, and I am not 100% sure how to proceed.

I thought it best to move onto another art quilt if I am having all these stumbling blocks with the other two!   I have a design drawn up and steps to make this one come to fruition.

Here is my colour palette.   I have used my hand dyed fabric with a commercial print from Robert Kaufman.

I am starting the blocks for it and have two completed.




What do you think?


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Walk Through Earth

Here is my latest art quilt.  It did not get accepted into Quilt National, but I am really not upset at all, they took 85 quilts out of 851.

This quilt is titled 'A Walk Through Earth' and is all my hand dyed fabric and of course my 3D embellishments.   Remember a while back I told you I was hammering and poking holes through my latest 3D embellishment?   None of you guessed what it was.  Bottle caps!

Each bottle cap was flattened with a hammer and then 2 holes were put into each one so a button could be sewn on top.   The buttons spiral from the centre out in a rainbow of colours.


The quilt is all free motion quilted using many different patterns and colours.   Yarn was couched down to symbolize all the different paths we can take.





Thursday, October 4, 2012

Another 3D art quilt

Let's face  it, I am completely obsessively hooked on 3D quilting.  In any way, shape or form.  I just love it.   This one is similar to the one I teach, but I created a different template for the petals and tried a  varied shape for them.   Instead of curving up to the end, I did that for the middle, but then turned them under at the point.


I also combined a few different techniques in one piece of art.  The centre of my flower is my scrap 'n' slash flower with 4 layers of colour.   There are two pink twirlies heading out of the centre that give it that little extra pop.  You know you can never have enough dimension!


For me quilting is all about exploring the unknown, making your quilt that little bit unique or different than anyone else's.   In my case I do it with 3D embellishing, sometimes in a big way, sometimes in a small way.  Okay, most always in a gigantic way=)

What is quilting to you?




Monday, October 1, 2012

A Good Border

Remember my last post, where the zigzag border just didn't give the clarity that I was looking for?


Back to the drawing board, or in this case, fabric stash.   Here is my second try and I think it is a go.

I used my hand dyed blue fabric for the outer edges.


I have to put this aside for 2 weeks as I am working on a super exciting project that I will share with you then.   Some of you have asked me about this throughout my time blogging, so I know you are going to love it!