A week of Quilts - Day 3

I woke up very early this morning with thoughts of what quilts I would share today.  I was going to share applique quilts, then realized that many of my applique quilts are living in other people's homes.  I have put in requests for pictures for tomorrow or Friday.

So, today is Foundation Pieced Quilts.

There was a time when I loved to paper piece.  It was all I did.  I will now make one or two pieced blocks, but the thought of paper piecing a whole quilt does not appeal to me.  What does appeal to me is seeing how small I can make the quilts!

Here is a picture of 4 quilts.  The blocks range in size from 1 1/2" to 3" finished.  I called this pattern Woven Geese.  This pattern works well with gradated hand dyed fabrics.

I stitched this lovely little scene as a time of play....no particular reason.  The border is too big for the block but the piecing is tiny.

This last quilt is a lovely wall hanging my mother made for me.  She LOVES to paper piece!.  You'll have to turn your head to the side to see that it says "welcome".    For the life of me I can't get it to rotate!

A week of Quilts - Day 2

On the weekend, Karen challenged me to show off my quilts...3 per day for 5 days.  I thought about this and have decided to show of a different theme of quilts each day.  So, there will be more than 3 quilts each day, but it will be fun.

I apologize ahead of time for any fuzzy pictures.....I am using the camera on my phone.  I want a new camera, but am not sure what to get, so I am holding off.

Today I am sharing my Lone Star quilts.  I really do like making these quilts.  I strip piece them and have found them very enjoyable to make.  I have sewn 3 bed size lone stars.  One went to a friend for their 20th wedding anniversary.  One is very dog chewed (memories of a family pet) and sits on our bed as an under quilt....keeps us warm in the winter.  The third is still under construction.  This is a very large broken star quilt in yellows and blues.  I have finally found the right colour thread for it and as soon as my backing fabric arrives, I'll quilt it.

This little lone star measures 15".  The star is make up of 1" cut strips.  The star measures just over 7" from point to point.  I made this in 2005 and quilted it with WonderFil's Invisafil thread.

Mini Lone Star

I think this is the quilt that started it all.  I call this Whitefish Star.  It measures 33" x 33" and is made up of 1 3/4" wide strips. I stitched this in 2000.  I bought a bundle of Fat Quarters at a Quilt shop in Whitefish Montana. 

Whitefish Star

This is the only quilt I have ever (and ever will) enter into a competition.  The judge's comment was a poor choice of fabric for the backing and to watch my tension.  I used whatever I had for the backing....its a wall hanging! And I quilted this quilt with twin needles.  I don't think the judge understood. I still love it!

quilted with twin needle

   

The rest of the quilts are samples of my Lone Star and Friends pattern.  I created this pattern to teach 3 types of stars, the lone star using 3 fabrics and two other pieced stars. The quilt is easy to sew, but teaches some precision piecing techniques.

Asian Lone Star and Friends

I sent my hubby to the store to get me fabric.  He chose well for this Asian Lone Star and Friends.

 This was my first class sample.  Used fabrics I had in my stash.

Christmas Lone Star and Friends

This Lone Star quilt was made with non traditional Christmas fabrics.  Not sure I like it, but it makes a great class sample.

Am I Blue? Lone Star

When I chose the fabrics for this quilt, I wanted anything but blue!  I didn't do too well choosing fabrics!  But I do love this quilt.  I quilted it with a hologram thread.  The stitching really shines.

Feathered Lone Star

This is the last Lone Star I stitched.  It is a sample for my class and used as the picture for the printed pattern.  I used WonderFil Tutti (50wt cotton) thread to quilt this.  Love it!

A week of quilts - Day 1

The challenge has been received and accepted!  Ack!  What have I got myself into?

Karen Walker, a quilting buddy I met last year at the Handi Quilter Academy in Salt Lake City in Utah challenged me to post 3 quilt pictures a day for a week (5 days).  I then have to challenge someone every day to post their quilt pictures.  

I thought this would be a great blog post.  A way for me to pull out all those quilts I have stacked downstairs and really look at my work and maybe do something with them....like get them out of the basement and onto some of my walls.

I was very disappointed to see the fold creases in these quilts.  I did try pressing and steaming and some of the creases came out, but not all.

Elaine's Windows 15" wide x 35" long

First up....Elaine's Window.  Many, many years ago my Dad started doing stained glass.  He used to work in the aerospace industry working on planes.   He is very particular and found that stained glass was the perfect outlet for him.  He was semi-retired for almost 2 years and started doing more and more stained glass.  A friend from church had found an old window and asked my dad to re-do the leading on it.  Guess what?   Never been done, and now its in my sister's sun room and she loves it!  I was just starting to learn to do stained glass on fabric and took a rubbing of Elaine's window.

The quilt on the right is my first completed attempt using my own hand dyed fabrics.  I love it!  The quilt on the left is the one I used as a class sample for promotion.  I have taught this class using a reverse applique method and the bias tape.  In the class students learn how to make their own bias, which saves a lot of money!

Avril's Window 15" wide x 38" long

Next is Avril's window.  I named it after my niece, Avril who is now 10.  I did most of the reverse applique stitching while she was propped in my arms as a 6 month old.  So I can say the method is pretty easy.

My Rose Garden 27" wide x 23" high

I have always wanted wild roses in my yard.  I live in a pretty part of the country and the Alberta Wild Rose is our province's flower. I stitched this version of my roses.

Spring 40" x 40"

And last up is Spring.  The vision was to create 4 quilts that would be similar, yet different enough to represent the 4 seasons......maybe I'm an eternal optimist and always want it to be spring with all that is promised with new birth, etc.  An interesting note on Spring, this quilt took over 47 meters of 1/4" wide bias tape.  Purchasing that stuff when I was making these quilts was very expensive, so in my classes an important part of the class was teaching students to make their own bias.  Way much cheaper.  I think this quilt took less than 2 meters of black fabric vs. 47 meters of purchased bias.  Very economical.

All of these quilts were made between 2000 and 2007.  I think I need to start with more Stained glass quilting projects.

That's it for day 1 of the quilt challenge.  

half, quarter and split half square triangles

I spent a lovely Friday sewing triangles. I've decided that many of my quilting samples should be a consistent size. So I'm going to spend some time working on samples for classes that are 2 by 3 feet... 24 inches wide and 36 inches long. This is a challenge. I usually just wing it, see whatever size the quilt ends up.

This is a sample for my half square triangle quarter square triangle and split half triangle squares. I just learned the term split-half triangle while doing some Pinterest searching the other day. I never knew what to call those squares made of two quarter triangles and one half triangle. Now I know. Split half triangle square perfect name.

Custom Quilting - February Special

I'm offering a special price for custom quilting for the month of February.


Book your quilt in during February and get 20% off the price of medium density quilting. Price for this is regularly 3¢ per square inch.  Now only 2.4¢ per square inch. 


A quilt that is 60" x 90" would be 5400 square inches.  At 3¢ per square inch the total would be $162.  At 2.4¢ per square inch the new total would be $130.


Give me a call at 403-819-8126 to book your quilt in for quilting.

Allison

2500 feathers

treated myself to Adam Chenevert's 2500 feathers dvd. I've had lots of fun drawing.  

Welcome to 2015

We always start the new year with "where has the time gone"!    Let's not worry about where it's gone...let's just get on with our plans for this year.

During the summer of 2014 I started working part time at WonderFil Specialty Threads.  I was hired to write a monthly newsletter to our retail customers, to our homebased customers and to teachers who use the WonderFil threads.  I have also started writing a weekly/monthly newsletter to our Threaducation Centre supporters.  I have also started writing the CalgaryThreadGirls blog which is our way of keeping everyone up to date on events at the Centre.  AND....I am excited to say that I am looking after the Handi Quilter Training and Rental Studio!  I get to teach and encourage and support long arm quilters.

So, my plans for the coming year?  

to dream about quilting, to think about quilting, to talk about quilting, 

to write about quilting!....and to QUILT!!!!!

As this is my personal quilting blog and the blog I use to promote my longarm quilting business I may post about events at the WonderFil Threaducation Centre and the Handi Quilter Studio on occasion. I expect I'll make a brief comment and attach a link to the Calgary Thread Girls blog.  

I will try to post pictures at least monthly of the quilting projects I have done as well as ideas that I have found interesting and informative.

I'm still available to do custom quilting for you.  Just give me a call.

I am going to re-cap my quilt challenges from last year.  I had a challenge to finish a number of quilts that have been sitting around for quite a while.  My goal was to get them to the next stage.....completed quilt tops, quilted and bound and unfinished quilt tops to the completed stage.

My giant broken star in blues and yellows....Always reminded me of fields of grains and a bright summer sky.  I pulled it out half way through the summer and noticed a diamond that is in the wrong place.  It got folded back up and put away.  I thought I had enough fabric for the backing, but am short.  :(

Arabesque
July 2014, the border is on.  The backing is prepared...just need to load and quilt.   This one is done and on my bed!!!!!   I quilted the dark and light blocks with alternating free hand designs.  I'm very pleased with this quilt.  I will even go so far to say its my favourite.

  

 Asian Stack and Whack.  This I've pulled out a couple of times.  I was trying to decide on whether or not to make more blocks for a bigger quilt, but have decided to add a yellow and blue zinger and a nice wide border of the print fabric.

Aussie Stack n' slash...it's quilted.  I just have to trim and bind.  I'll post more about this quilt with pictures soon. (Completed) We have done much snuggling under this puppy!

 Batik Blazing Star....some strips cut....that's all.   :(   Think I may make this my new year's priority project. The last time I worked on this I was trying to decide on the background.  I don't have enough of any of the fabrics, so it will have to be pieced.  Not gonna shop for anything for this quilt till I get to the backing.   And that's a promise!

  

AHG Mystery.  I've already completed one of these.  But as with many mysteries, fabric choices are always a challenge.  I want to use the big blue circles for lots of quilting. Hanging my head in shame.....not much more done that what's shown here.  

 Blue and White Dresden Plate.   I see a trend developing.  I see another year of challenges coming on!

 Foothills Sampler. The backing is ready to go.  All I have to do is load it and get it done! I will need to look for a fabric for the binding as I made this quilt so long ago and don't have any fabric left.

 2 Quilts to be given away  (Completed)  These were both completed this year and gifted. 

 Gordian Knot.  not done....no more to say.

Double 9 patch (Update....gave the top away to a friend who will finish it for her daughter!)  Can I count that in the completed column?

 Hand Dyed Lone Star not done

 Hand Dyed Pinks  not done

Western Retreat Mystery (completed in May 2014 and put on display at Heritage Park Festival of Quilts.) completed Woot Woot.  Done and is used every day snuggling on the couch.  I was trying my hand at ruler work and am not sure if I like it or not.  I found it very slow and quite a challenge.  May have to try more ruler work.

  

  

 Xs and Os - paper pieced scraps (gave away...see I do check things off one way or another)

This is not the end.  I did get a lot of other projects done.  Some I started from scratch and completed and some I just started.  I think I'll wait a while to start my 2015 list.

Have a great start to your 2015.