Monday, July 13, 2015

Craftsy Classes are great!

I received an email last week about new classes (or new to me).   I checked them out and then treated my self.

Sketch it, Fuse it, Quilt it


Hand Stitched Collage Quilts

So, here are some images of what I have stitched in the past week.

This little quilt I had started a while ago.  The flower was made with sharpie markers and rubbing alcohol.  Then I hand stitched using WonderFil's Eleganza and Dazzle thread.

This was a fun project to work on, although I was using the wrong fusible web.  I had to go shopping to get something that I could hand sew.  I'll save the heavy fusible for machine stitching and try the new lighter fusible for hand stitching later.

I machine stitched the border using WonderFil's 8wt cotton Eleganza in my bobbin and a 50wt cotton (Konfetti) in the needle.  I increased the needle tension just a bit and set a 3mm stitch length.  I still need to spritz and get rid of the previously unsuccessful needle holes.


The centre purple of the flower was created using a pebble pattern over a washaway stabilizer.  The stabilizer was rinsed away and I used french knots to anchor the centre.


This morning I prepped 4 of these Applique Fun Flowers (my own design) with fusible and got one completely stitched using WonderFil's Splendor thread.  I'll use different weight threads to stitch the other 3 quilts.  I love Laura's method of fusible binding.


 I stitched her "curly fries and bananas" quilting design in the sky and grass in the lower half.

I need a new camera!!!!

I don't think I need to write anything more.  Just look at the following images!  I think I'm decided on getting myself a Canon DSLR , but I'm going to have to quilt a few more customer quilts before I have enough pennies saved.

I am using my old camera, a simple point and click Canon that I've had for years.  The flash doesn't work, so a lot of the time the pictures are not as clear as they should be.

I also like to take close-ups of my stitching and will need to get a macro lens.  Sometimes I can get a good shot, other times.....not so good.
  
 Can you see the bear?   It's that little black dot on the right hand side.  Couldn't get a closer shot,

I have the most beautiful grand daughter!  I want a camera that will allow me to take great shots.... not a few seconds after she has turned her head away!


 I want to be able to take photos that are bright, clean and clear.


 And get nicely composed shots.


There, its out in the open and now I have to work hard to get a new camera.  I would appreciate any pointers or suggestions for a new camera.  What would you recommend?

Friday, July 3, 2015

Foothills Sampler

I started this quilt back in the mid 1990s.  I was part of a Ladies Midweek ministry at Foothills Alliance Church in North West Calgary.  I taught a simple quilt pattern at the Mum's Morning Out and then was asked to teach more.  So, I came up with this sampler quilt.  The top was finished eons ago, but I just recently quilted it.

 I tried to quilt something similar in the alternate blocks, so used this feather design.  


Each of the blocks used a different piecing or applique technique, so i quilted each of them a bit differently.
 


All the dark brown sections were stitched with  the "heavy metal" design.
 

 Every time I quilt a quilt I try to a new element or technique that I have recently learned.  The border idea came from Adam Chenevert's Beautiful Borders DVD.




The quilt was quilted and the extra batting and backing were trimmed.  The quilt was folded and put aside until I found fabric for binding.  I went to the store last month to look for something that would look OK.  I opened up the folded quilt and low and behold the binding was there, ready to go.  I guess at some point I had found fabric, cut the strips, trimmed and pressed and folded it neatly till it got sewn on the quilt!

Now, it's officially finished (except for a label).