Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Clam Flower #12 - Part 1

Clam Flower #12 is here!  And there are two more coming this month.  Then all 14 will be done.  I can't wait to share.  

Here's the first step of this flower:  I love the orange and blue combination.  It really sparkles.


Here's the back.


This is a closeup of the two petals so far.  If you look closely you can see that the blue stitches are a little longer than the orange stitches. I have been doing that a lot lately and it adds some extra pizzazz.  I may be the only one that notices, but it makes me happy.


I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Monday, August 28, 2017

I Wish You a Merry Quilt-a-long Block 2

Today I'm going to inspire you with my latest block for the I Wish You a Merry Quilt-a-long that's going on over Facebook.  TWO new blocks come out TOMORROW and I can't wait, but for today, here's my block number two.

I rearranged the trees to focus on the snowflake/explosion in the background fabric.  I couldn't stand the thought of cutting it up.  I also decided to applique instead of paper piece.  Here is the block before blanket stitching.


 And here it is after blanket stitching.  I think it helps define the trees with the gold on them.



And my first two blocks together!  I am loving this and can't WAIT until tomorrow!


I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Piece and Quilt with Precuts Blog Hop and Giveaway!

I had the great fortune to make Christa's quilt Windows from her brand new book Piece and Quilt with Precuts!  I made mine about half the size of the full pattern to fit on my sewing room door.




I started with some fun strips.  I had enough of my background fabric to make a really large table runner or bed runner.  I'm going to hang it on my sewing room door as it's about the right size for that.


I laid out the pieces to make sure my colors were all spread out.  Christa's directions are really clear and easy to follow.


I ran out of my background fabric, but had two similar shades of pink to choose from to put on a final border.  I opted for the darker color instead of the light.


Then I got to have fun quilting my quilt!  Christa has great suggestions in her book.  I am not as good at stitching Crazy Eight quilting as she is so I opted for matchsticks in the gray and outer border and then did a design on my own, arc swirls in the background.




I also used a striped binding which just adds so much sparkle!



 The final quilt all ready for my door!


You can purchase a signed copy of the book from Christa at http://shop.christaquilts.com/

You can also leave a comment to be entered for a free ecopy of Christa's book!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Full Schedule:

Friday August 18

Kathy Bruckman Blog: Kathy's Kwilts and More IG: @kathyskwiltsandmore
Kate Colleran Blog: Seams Like a Dream IG: @seamslikeadreamquilts
Sharon Parcel Blog: Yellow Cat Quilt Designs IG: @punkydoodle53

Saturday August 19

Sandy Maxfield Blog: Sandy Star Designs IG: @sandystardesigns
Joanne Harris Blog: Quilts by Joanne IG: @turtlequilterjo
Teresa Mairal-Barreu Blog Sewn Up: IG: @teresadownunder

Monday August 21

Nancy Scott Blog: Masterpiece Quilting IG: @masterpiecequilting
Jenny Wilding Cardon Blog: Stitch This! IG: @martingaletpp
Lorinda Davis Blog: Laurel Poppy & Pine IG: @laurelpoppyandpine

Tuesday August 22

Sherry Shish Blog: Powered by Quilting IG: @poweredbyquilting
Michelle Bartholomew Blog: Michelle Bartholomew IG: @michellebartholomew
Allison Dutton Blog: Allison Sews IG: @allisonsews

Wednesday August 23

Lissa LaGreca Blog: Lovingly Lissa IG: @lovinglylissa
Sherri Noel Blog: Rebecca Mae Designs  IG: @rebeccamaedesigns
Sandra Healy Blog: Sandra Healy Designs IG: @sandrahealydesigns

Thursday August 24

Laura Piland Blog: Slice of Pi Quilts IG: @sliceofpiquilts
Cheryl Brickey Blog: Meadow Mist Designs IG: @meadowmistdesigns
Jen Frost Blog: Faith and Fabric IG: @faithandfabric

Friday August 25

Jessee Maloney Blog: Art School Dropout IG: @jessee_artschooldropout
Jessica Caldwell Blog: Desert Bloom Quilting IG: @desertbloomquilting
Anjeanette Klinder Blog: Anjeanette Klinder IG: @anjeanetteklinder

Saturday August 26

Terri Vanden Bosch Blog: Meanderings Along Lizard Creek IG: @lizardcreekquilter
Suzy Webster Blog: Webster Quilt IG: @websterquilt
Katie Joy Church Blog: Wild Prairie Studio IG: @katie_joyquilts

Monday August 28

Pam Cobb Blog: The Stitch TV Show IG: @thestitchtvshow
Jen Rosin Blog: A Dream and a Stitch: IG: @adreamandastitch
Rashida Khanbhai Blog:  No. 3 Quilt Studio IG: @no3quiltstudio

Tuesday August 29

Lynn Kline Blog: Monkey Needle IG: @monkeyneedle
Kathy Bruckman Blog: Kathy's Kwilts and More IG: @kathyskwiltsandmore

Wednesday Aug 30

Jen Shaffer Blog: Patterns by Jen IG: @patternsbyjen
Sandra Starley Blog: Textile Time Travels IG: @textiletimetravels

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Friday, August 25, 2017

Free Motion Friday - Pattern Similarity

This quilt is from my most recent Island Batik Ambassador challenge.  It was a Quilt as You Go Challenge.  I made a quilt with three panels and quilted each panel similarly.  Since each panel was 36 x 12 inches I didn't want to quilt them all in the same pattern as I didn't want to get bored.  So I decided to put something inside a large circle (1-2 inches in diameter) and then echo the circles to create the similarity between panels.

The first panel has a partial flower/sun inside.  A big curve with little bumps around the outside.  


Here's a closer look.  I had fun putting bubbles inside the leaves and stems and whenever I got into a space that was too small.  Bubbles are always perfect for that.


For these circles I did a pumpkin seed/orange peel inside each circle.  I didn't worry about how they were oriented, they were stitched however my fabric was oriented at the time.  I like this one a lot.


And a closer look.


For the last design I put three feathers inside the circle.  I like it, but will admit it's my least favorite of the three.


And a close up.


Here's the whole quilt all done.  I love Island Batiks!


Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out the quilt I made from Christa Watson's new book Piece and Quilt with Precuts!  You'll even have a chance to win an ecopy of the book!

I hope you get to quilt today (I only get to once the house is clean....)
Suzy

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Tutorial - Putting Wide Rick Rack in the Binding

Adding wide rick rack in the binding makes a statement.  It's a lot of fun to do.

I started by pining on my rick rack leaving 1/4 inch between the edge of the quilt and the edge of the rick rack as shown in the photo below.  I ironed the rick rack before starting and put a pin in every bump.  I used a half inch binding on this quilt (cut at 3 1/2 inches).  If you want to use a 1/4 inch binding with this large rick rack, I would place the bottom of the bump right against the edge of the quilt and you would have more to trim off.


Then I trimmed off the extra rick rack by turning the quilt over to the back side.  I then sewed the binding on as normal.


And the final results!  I did have two pieces that were caught in the binding and had to be ripped out and fixed.  You should check before walking away from the machine (take my work for it LOL).


I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Monday, August 21, 2017

Dental Office Inspiration

This first picture is the fabric on a chair in my dentist's office.  I can totally see it as a free motion pattern or a modern quilt!


I took this one while I was doing some blanket stitching for an upcoming project.  Aren't the colors lovely?


I was speaking at a church recently at this was the front of the sanctuary.  Isn't the brick pattern fabulous?


I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Island Batik Ambassador's Quilt as You Go Challenge

When I looked at this year's Island Batik Ambassador list I must admit that Quilt as You Go (QAYG) was the one I found most daunting.  Why?  Simply because I have never done it before.  Ever.  In 30 years of quilting!  



So what to do?  The same thing I do when a student in my third grade classroom asks a question I don't know the answer to...ask "Professor Google."  I found videos from Leah Day, Missouri Star, and many others.  I watched them all.


I decided I liked Leah Day's approach and went with it.  I also happened to be in an art gallery as I was starting to ponder this challenge and I saw a three panel painting.  I knew that's what I wanted to do.  Make three panels and then stitch them together QAYG style.  It turned out well and I would do it again having successfully survived the experience.

Here's one of the three panels all quilted up.  In looking at it from far away now I wish the green was a little stronger, but such is life.  I must admit I did not make a pattern for these flowers (shocking as I usually do).  I just free cut petals and leaves.  The extra curl I cut out from the bottom of the stem ended up at the top of the flower and me being me, it needed a few dots.




After following Leah's method I decided to do a blanket stitch on my sashing strips.  I used a different machine than I usually do for blanket stitch and found that I should go back to my usual as I'm used to how that one does blanket stitching.  Next time.


I was trying to decide what color to use for sashing.  People kept telling me to use green.  I decided it was too much contrast and went with a lovely blue.



I also decided that the quilt needed more red so I added some really fat red rick rack I found at my local quilt shop.  It's the perfect addition.  A tutorial on how to do that will be coming next week.


And the final quilt!



I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Friday, August 18, 2017

Free Motion Friday - Inspired by Machine Quilting Unlimited Contest

I was super excited to find out yesterday that my entry into Machine Quilting Unlimited's Inspired by MQU is one of the finalists!  

Machine Quilting Unlimited is definitely my favorite quilting magazine and I pondered what to do for my project for quite a while.  Then the last magazine came with Karen Stone's amazing OG quilt on the cover.  The idea came to me instantly.  I had 3 weeks to get the quilt done from start to finish.  But, it was summer vacation and I had time, so why not?  Sometimes deadlines are inspiring.

I made it with a few days to spare, but not without dilemmas.  The main one being that the fabric decided to run when I blocked it.  Thank goodness for Margaret Solomon Gunn's blog post about bleeding.  It saved the quilt!

I don't want to share the whole piece until we find out the winners, but here are a few sneak peeks.



 
You can see that I quilted it to death...as usual!


I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Clam Flower #11 - Part 2

I love how this clam flower turned out.  I think it's one of my favorites.  The green leaves in the picture below remind me of the toes of a frog.  I just noticed that.  It's going to make me laugh every time I look at this block.


The back of layer 3


I love the way the dotted piece in the flower sparkles.  I also really like the stripes in the stem.  Fussy cutting fabric is such fun.


The back of layer 4.


I'd forgotten to take a finished picture of this flower.  Here it is all set into the quilt.  Stay tuned for that!  (It'll be a few weeks though).


I like the contrast between the lime yellow flower stem and the dark blue flower.  It's fun.  You can also see the contrast between the blue and purple flower pieces and how the dotted piece at the top ties them all together.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Back to School Blog Hop Starts Today!



I'm so excited to be a part of the Back to School Blog Hop!  Check out the first post today from Sam Hunter:


Click on the picture above to check it out!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Monday, August 14, 2017

Blog Hops, Blog Hops, Blog Hops!

The next month is going to be FILLED with blog hops!

Fat Quarter Shop is doing a Lady of the Lady Quilt Along that I'm participating in this week.  




I'm part of the Piece and Quilt with Precuts Blog Hop for Christa Watson's new book which starts this week and I go next week. 



Here's a peek:


Then we have the Back to School Blog hop where 32 fabulous quilters and sewers are sharing tips each day for a month.  It starts TOMORROW!




Then comes the Christmas Caroling Row Along which starts September 5th and you will see my row near the end of September.




There's also the Island Batik Ambassadors Back to School Blog Hop in September as well!



And did I mentioned I signed up to do one for Quilting with Dorie's new book too sometime in September?  It's going to be a blog hop filled month with LOTS of inspiration.  Oh, and a Halloween Blog Hop in October.

It's so much fun to be a blogger!

Here's an inspirational picture for you today too.  I did a trunk show last Monday at the Rochester, MN Quilter's Sew-ciety.  Such fun!



I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy