Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas Flutter Emag

  Amanda from The Quilted Fish put together a wonderful emag using her new line 'Flutter'.

It is filled with Christmas inspiration from her design team, a guest and herself.   Go and check it out, it is free.  If you are looking for my contribution, it is front and center in polka dots=)



Thursday, November 29, 2012

Commission Work

I am working on an art quilt commission.  There are three large components to it.  The first is the world.   Let me first clarify, I am not an artist and I cannot draw to save my soul.   I googled a picture of the world and had it on my screen.   I had a large circle already drawn beside my computer.   I then proceeded to free hand the world from the screen onto the paper.

Once that was done I carefully cut out all the land pieces.  I traced around the land pieces onto previously fused green fabric and cut them out.   Using the original paper drawing placed over my fabric world of blue water, I was able to accurately place my green fabric land pieces and fuse them down.

While I am sure it isn't a perfect replica of the world, I like to think it is a quilter's interpretation of it=)


Monday, November 26, 2012

Finished My Modern Quilt

Whew, after 2 years of hand stitching and designing, I finally finished my first ever modern quilt.

The fabric is mostly my hand dyed cottons with a bit of Kona commercial in the borders.
I have never done so many straight lines on a quilt in my life.   I think this quilt needed it though.

I am linking up with Leah Day at her Free Motion Quilting blog.  You can go and check out other UFO's that are there.   



Thursday, November 22, 2012

New Fabric and an Art Quilt

Just arrived at my doorstep - Flutter!  The Quilted Fish's latest fabric line and it is gorgeous.  Riley Blake Fabrics carries it and no doubt it is selling like crazy.   Amanda has used reds, creams, oranges and blues this time. The designs are so unique on each piece, that it is like eye candy that you just can't stop looking at!




 A week ago I did this tutorial over at C&T Publishing blog.   


Last night at our guild meeting, an amazing quilter surprised me by showing this quilt using my tutorial.
I think she did  a fabulous job, don't you?



Monday, November 19, 2012

Playing with Pom Poms


I am over at Riley Blake's Cutting Corners doing a fun tutorial on pom poms.


I show a couple different ways you can use pom poms and then give you a tutorial on how to make this cute bookmark.   It is the perfect gift for someone's stocking!


Sunday, November 18, 2012

Winner of Giveaway

Yikes, I am 2 days late in announcing the giveaway winner of the fat quarter bundle... 12 fat quarters go to....




Blogger sbsudbury said...
Can't wait to try out this tutorial!!!
Thanks so much Jackie, I really appreciate your generosity in sharing these types of tutorials and the bonus of a giveaway WOW.


I do have a good excuse to my tardiness.   I was on a five day, out of town excursion  for meetings with some fabulous Canadian quilters!   We had a pile of fun and accomplished a ton of stuff.   On our last night we headed to Niagara Falls.

Now I do have to tell you about all that mist off the lake. Even though it looks pretty, we got soaked to the bone in about 30 seconds.   We looked like drowned rats, but we were smiling and laughing wet rats!





Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Quilting is Done!

I finished all the quilting on my new 'modern' art quilt.   It was straight lines vertical and horizontal. Let me just say, there were alot of lines.   They crisscrossed in sections and I used several different colours as well.   I have to bury the threads and get ready to do my binding.


I am very excited to see this one hanging on my wall.   It combines hand work (something I never do) with my love of colour and modern work.



Thursday, November 8, 2012

C & T Blog and a Huge Giveaway

I am celebrating today!

You have asked me over and over, and now I am finally showing you one of my unique ways to make my original 3D flowers.   I have been working with this method since I first created it in 2008.   Since then I have made large art quilts using it such as 'The First Flower', 'Whimsical Wonder' and 'Rhythm 'n' Blues', all of which have been juried into the Canadian National Juried Show and AQS shows.  You can see these art quilts in my 3D Quilt Gallery.  I now teach this method in workshops with wonderful results that you can see here.

Now, for the first time, you can use my technique and make this adorable wall hanging.  The fabric is 'Apple Of My Eye' from an amazing designer Amanda Herring who designs for Riley Blake Fabrics.


I have my tutorial of this wonderful 3D method over at the C & T Publishing blog.   Go and check me out.

To celebrate this milestone, I am having a giveaway of 6 fat quarters of 'Moonlit Sonata' by Paintbrush Studios..... wait there is more!


If I get 30 new followers or 200 comments, I am going to throw in another 6 fat quarters from the 'Moonlit Sonata' collection.  That is 12 fat quarters to one lucky winner!



Here's the details:
1.   Leave a comment, any ol' comment at all.
2.  If you are a follower, leave another comment telling me so.  ( I do love new followers, just saying=)
3.  I will make a draw on Friday November 16th.  Good luck!





Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Quilting Arts Challenge

 'Coffee or Tea' was the theme for the latest Quilting Arts magazine challenge.

I used coffee filters, beads and lace.   First I dyed my coffee filters in coffee overnight.  Then layered them onto my batting.  I stitched curved lines to simulate steam rising from a coffee mug.  

Beads were added to outline the shape of 2 of my favourite cups and lastly added a bit of lace to portray the steam coming out of my coffee.



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Quilt Author - Jennifer Chiaverini


The Giving Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

A few years ago our guild did a program called 'secret sister', where each month you bought the same person a little gift. And at the end of the year, you revealed yourself.   My 'secret sister' bought me a few of the 'Elm Creek Quilts' books by Jennifer Chiaverini.   By the end of the year, I had either borrowed or purchased all of them.

I absolutely loved her! Imagine capturing a novel with not only your favourite passion as the basis of it, but making it come alive with a continuing set of characters that had so much heart to them you felt like they were your best friends.

When I was asked to do a book review of her latest book, 'The Giving Quilt', I could hardly wait to start.  I might add that I finished the book in two days.

The story is about a group of quilters getting together at Elm Creek Manor to participate in a week of charity quilting called 'Quiltsgiving'.  It focuses on the interesting background of six women and what led them to Elm Creek Manor, and how their new friendships helped them to heal and grow.

Now I will admit, the book is broken into chapters from the perspective of each woman.  I had a little trouble at the beginning getting my head around that, but once I did, I couldn't wait to finish a chapter to see how the next quilter was handling her week at the Manor.

If you have never read a book by Ms. Chiaverini, or you are a die hard fan of yours, you will not be disappointed by her latest book, 'The Giving Quilt'.   

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Voting Time

Have you all checked out the Blogger's Quilt Festival?   Now is the time to vote.   Head on over and vote for your favourite.

In case you were wondering, mine is #241=)

I am quilting my latest art quilt, all lines for this one.  They are stitched in variegated and solid threads and crisscross at different areas.   I haven't done straight in a long time, it is certainly a different feeling than free motion quilting.   Not nearly as exciting, but this quilt warrants a bit of uniformity.