Sunday, October 4, 2015

Cabin in the Woods



Date:  January - September 2015

Pattern:  www.craftsy.com  Inspired Modern Quilts

Reason:  Part of a class in modern quilting

Thoughts:  I can't say that I love this quilt.  I've done better improve.  I do like the floating blocks, though and need to play with this concept.  I enjoyed the FMQ.  I also played with straight line quilting with a walking foot. 

Lessons Learned:   It's okay to not be thrilled with the outcome if you learned something along the way.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Rebecca

Quilt Canada was finally near me this year.  I've been saving up for it for a long time so I could take a workshop every day.

The second workshop I took was a family pick.  My Grandmother and two of my aunts and I signed up in the first 30 minutes to make sure we could all get a spot with Weeks Ringle.  Because life happens it turned out that her husband Bill came instead.  We had a really good time with him.  

The workshop was all about roll of colour in a quilt.  We also talked quite a bit about edge.  Bill explained that the two couldn't really be separated.  Both were necessary for a good quilt.  I am finding that to be absolutely true in the work that I do.  It was very necessary to think of both when I chose to make a portrait of my daughter.


There are endless pieces of Rebecca in this quilt.  The purple and pink are obvious.  Her favourite part is the Pinkie Pie in the middle.  The first pod is the princess that she loves to be.  It was the first major part of her personality to shine.  The second pod is her love for what her Daddy has introduced her to - Marvel, Starwars, etc.

The straight lines of the blocks and of the quilting and the traditional 9-patch speak to how her mind works, the way she likes to think inside her box.

The curved edges are all about her imagination and the fun she has when she plays.


I did micro "scribbling" in the white space of the quilt.  Just those two little spaces took a whole bobbin.

I kind of cheated for this assignment.  Bill told us what to do before lunch and I realized that most of the fabric I brought with me wouldn't work.  Off to the merchant mall I went.  I felt a bit like I was on a timed shopping spree as I went from booth to booth looking for "Rebecca".  A lot of the fabric I bought, I normally wouldn't look twice at.  .

Date:  June - July 2015

Pattern:  Inspired from pods in a craftsy.com class.

Fabrics / Best Buys:  Most was bought from the Merchant Mall at Quilt Canada - Yay for $2 fat quarters.  I used the back of grey fabric because the front was too harsh for the subject matter.

Lessons Learned:  I tried a new binding technique with curved edges.  This is the tutorial I used.  Sew Very Easy  The curves turned out perfectly, but the binding process did not.  I'll need to think about how I can make it more uniform for next time.

Thoughts:  This was a very challenging and very personal project.  As we went around the table at the workshop and discussed our work, there were profound thoughts and even tears as people discussed their journeys and loved ones.  It was good.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Spook

One of my favourite things is when I'm given blocks or UFOs from our local MCC Thrift Store.  I have a friend and fellow quilter there who sometimes passes things on.  The idea is to finish them and send them back.  MCC can sell a finish for much more than the sum of the parts.


Date:  July 2015

Pattern:  Unknown - the top came finished with the exception of the outer border.

Fabric:  All from MCC except outer border and binding.  They were from my stash.


Lessons Learned:  If your tension isn't absolutely perfect when quilting, use a thread in the bobbin that matches the fabric on the front.  Yes, I cheat :)

Thoughts:  I'm not a Halloween girl, but I'm sure someone will love this.

All the quilting on this was a walking foot at ¼".  I used to have a ½" walking foot.  I think it met an accidental end.  I think I might want to invest in one to make thicker rows.

My quilting group and I are likely to put on a show at the library next spring.  I'll show it there and then send it back to MCC for sale.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Purple Irish Chain

Date:  May 2015

Pattern:  Traditional Irish Chain

Size:  30 x 30

Reason:  I accidentally made 9-patches when I meant to make 4-patches (rolls eyes)

Special Fabrics:  White sheet, purple left over from God's Promise back

Lessons Learned:
  1)  Don't cut and sew on auto-pilot
  2)  Feathers aren't as scary as they look

Thoughts:  The circles are hand quilted, the lines were done with a walking foot, the corner feathers were done with a darning foot.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Wonky Crosses


Date:  January - April 2015

Pattern:  www.craftsy.com  Inspired Modern Quilts


Reason:  I love modern quilts.  I wanted to know more about their construction, thus the course.


Best Buys / Special Fabrics:  All from my scrap drawers. 

Lessons Learned:  It is better to trim down a little more and create a bit of waste than to have a finished cross that is too small!!


Thoughts:  The husband asked me to finish this one for the baby of a friend of his.  I think I need to make another.  It was fun.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Baby Hexis

Date:  April 2015

Size:  30 x 42

Pattern:  n/a


Best Buys / Special Fabrics:  The hexis were a gift from a friend.  The grey was a gift from a sister.

Lessons Learned:  Don't assume gifted pre-cuts are the same size (I do this often.)


Thoughts:  This is my first finish of the year (beside ten potholders).  I have MANY tops waiting to be quilted.

I love the simplicity of this quilt - it took a weekend to make because I laid the hexis on top of a quilt sandwich and quilted them in place.  The edges will fray beautifully in the wash.  I really want to do this again with different shaped fabrics - squares and/or rectangles.

It is quite likely LBCQ will be doing a show at the library again this fall.  I'll save this for the show.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Zen for Dad


Date:  May 2012 - March 2013

Pattern:  McCalls Quick Quilts March 2008 (severely modified)

Reason:  I liked the pattern and I wanted to use some blocks Grandma gave me.

Special Fabrics / Best Buys:  Many of the blocks including the 4 in the centre were given to me by Grandma.  My Aunt who works at a fabric store let me know when the perfect navy came in to the store.

Thoughts:  Gave to Dad for his 60th birthday.  I hand quilted this one.  It's been a really long time since I've done that.

7 Down 5 to Go

These blocks are orphans my grandmother game me.  I love using her blocks.


Friday, January 30, 2015

More Potholders

Our church needs new potholders and hotpads.  I'm hoping to make a dozen.  These are the first two, both made with blocks my grandmother gave me.