Ferris Wheel- A Mini Quilt

I’m currently trying to NOT start new quilts and only finish ones that I’ve started… I know. I know. Typical quilter comment… My rule is to not start anything new unless it’s a Quilt improv Studio challenge, a class, or a Curated Quilt Mini Challenge. This is one of those! This was for the Curated Quilts Mini Challenge from last fall. The theme was Paper Pieced.

I decided to go back to my stash of quilt designs from my Quilt Design a Day days. This one was from way back in 2016 I think!

I took my original design and played around with a bunch of different color ways based on the mini challenge. Obviously, I ended up with the top left color scheme. Which one is your favorite?

I made a little mistake in piecing in the beginning. I had to go back and remove one of the corner pieces of each block. The way I had put pieced them they just sat together in a square, but I was looking for the Ferris wheel effect! No biggie! I just took that corner of and pieced them back together!

I just used a solid piece on the back. It really shows the quilting. And this is how I hang my minis. I put triangles in the corners and use a wooden dowel for hanging. Super easy!

This one did not make the Mini Challenge cut to be featured in the magazine. My InsideOut Pineapple Quilt did make the cut for the full size quilt gallery, though!

It was a fun little challenge. Will I make it again? I don’t know!

Crossroads and Intersections- A Mini Quilt Pair

Or is it a diptych? I’m not sure it’s quite a diptych. I think it’s more of a pair! I made the pair for the Curated Quilts challenge for their Negative Space Mini Quilt Challenge. Other than the colors, the design direction was described as: ‘Please use gap as inspiration for your negative space mini quilt design.’

The mini quilt on the right was the initial design for the challenge. The original design came from a Quilt Design a Day sketch I had done ages ago. With Crossroads, I was exploring the idea of negative space and what happens when the positive space comes together, ever so gently, to squeeze out the negative space. The space that resulted in this experiment was the X shape that is separated by the light blue background.

To me, this mini quilt, Crossroads, fits the design challenge with the gap (or the negative space) created by angled pieces. Apparently, Curated Quilts did not agree, becuase it was not juried into the Mini Quilts Gallery! Or maybe that’s not true. Maybe they did see how it met the challenge they just thought others met the challenge more. I’ll go with that!

To make these angled stripes, I made long straight stripes and folded them, then stitched down the center of my fold. I did end up with a couple of Y seams, but they weren’t too bad!

And if you know me very well, I always like to make a second quilt out of my scraps. And that’s what this second mini quilt, Intersection, is. once I trimmed Crossroads, both the in the middle and on the edges, I was left with the these really cool triangles of scraps. The only thing I could do was sew them together!

I did submit this one to the mini challenge as well. I was thinking there is a bit of negative space in this one. Not so much a gap, but yes to the negative space. Unfortunately, this one didn’t make the cut either!

The backs aren’t all that exciting, but they match! Keeping the pair thing going here.

Even though neither of my minis made it into the magazine, I really love them. And that’s what matters, right?

Up and Over

Up and Over is my quilt entry for the Quilt Improv Studio Primary Challenge. I love participating in these challenges with people from all over the world! For this challenge the ‘rules’ were to use primary colors and to use the graphic element of lines.

Not only was this a Quilt Improv Studio Challenge, but it’s also a Quilt Design A Day to Reality quilt! I don’t do it as much as I used to, but I love doing the Quilt Design a Day challenges. This design came from one of my QDAD designs from years ago. 6 years ago, actually!

I was thinking about using a black and white stripe for the applique lines. Then I remembered this black and white fabric I have also had about 6 years as well! This is fabric from the Spring 2016 Modern Quilt Guild Fabric Challenge. Yep, 2016! It’s the Sashing Stash Fabric by Eleanor Dugan. I had grand plans for this fabric back in 2016, but they never came to fruition. I didn’t want my straight stripes to be just black or just white, so this fabric ended up being perfect for this challenge.

I quilted the red, yellow and blue before adding the bias tape applique. After quilting I sent back and hand appliques the bias tape.

This is my first experiment with using facing as the binding technique. I kept debating which color to use as my binding and nothing worked. I realized it was because the lines needed to be framed in. Perfect time to try the facing technique. I used the tutorial by Cotton and Bourbon and it went smoothly. A little slow since I kept changing my thread color, but I’m hoping next time will be quicker!

I’m really happy with how it turned out! It’s not quite my usual improv style, but it was a fun experiment!

Testing- A MQG Fabric Challenge Quilt Part 1

Every year the Modern Quilt Guild hosts a fabric challenge for Quiltcon. This year the fabric challenge was hosted by Windham Fabrics using their Artisan Cotton fabric line. If you sign up fast enough, they send you free fabric. I didn’t sign up fast enough, so I actually ordered my own fabric to play along!

There were 4 main fabrics you could choose from. You had to use three of the four. Then there was a list of other fabrics that you could incorporate. I ended up ordering some that had nothing to do with the challenge and I’m really excited about the colors! For ‘Testing’ I used the four challenge fabrics, Wine/Pink, Coral/Aqua, Aqua/Blue and Blue/Orchid plus neutrals Stone/Lavender and Navy/White.

I actually ended up making two quilts. ‘Testing’ was my submission to Quiltcon because I finished it in time. The second quilt, ‘Eyes on You’, I’ll tell you more about later. It wasn’t completed in time, so it didn’t even get submitted. But today, I’m just telling you about ‘Testing’.

image via https://www.design-seeds.com/

Do you remember way back when I used to design quilt patterns with the Quilt Design a Day FB group? I’ve made 6 quilts from those designs: Running Away, Rabbit Hole quilts, Raindrops of Wildflowers, Left and Right, Triangle Mountain, and Bright Tide Pools! And now we have number 7, ‘Testing’!

It started as succulents. Once the design was translated in fabric, the quilt took on a different persona. Gone was the nod to the succulents. The quilt now takes it’s que from the ‘off the air’ TV graphics of a bygone era when screen time wasn’t available all day and actually ended at a certain time each day. 

I started in the center and with each layer, I created a piece made of different colored wedges. Then I used my inset circles technique to layer and layer one on top of the other. The picture above is actually the scraps from each layer, but you can see what they started as.

When I quilted the circles, the mini quilt became a little wobbly and doesn’t like to hang flat. You can really see it in the picture of the back. So maybe it’s a good thing it didn’t get picked for the Quiltcon show! For the back I used stash fabric that I happened to have. I love that it picked up not only the grey from the front, but also the circles!

And that’s my ‘Testing’ Mini Quilt! Did you submit a fabric challenge quilt to Quiltcon?? I can’t wait to show to you my next one! Stayed tuned for Part 2!

Improv Mini Quilts for Curated Quilts Issue 5

I used to post 2 to 3 times a week, every week… Life has gotten in the way of that. Now with my haphazardly posting routine, I just realized I never posted my mini quilts for the Improv Issue of Curated Quilts!

 

Yes, Issue 5 was released by in 2018… But I still love these mini quilts!

I made and submitted three mini quilts for this challenge, but only one was chosen to be featured in the Mini Gallery. Down the Rabbit Hole is the one that made it in. I called it Down the Rabbit Hole because I had only intended to make one mini quilt, but once I got started making, I went down the rabbit hole of mini quilts and made 3!

My original design idea was to make one of my Quilt Design a Day quilts into a mini.

And I started it, but my first block was too big to combine three of them into a mini. So I went with this block and made a mini with it.

I kinda ‘framed’ the circle piece inside an improv log cabin. And this is the one that was selected to be in the magazine.

I love a pieced back, but for these mini quilts, I almost never piece the backs! At what size do you decide to make a pieced back versus a single piece of fabric back? My first mini submission for Curated Quilts, I do have a pieced back, but that might be the only mini with a pieced back I have done.

Then I went back to my original project idea and made three smaller circular pieces to match the original QDAD design.

The funny thing is, I made this one, and was so excited about it. But once these first two were done, I knew my favorite was the Down the Rabbit Hole!

So then I still had a pile of scraps from both of these quilts and what was I do to with them, but make a third mini quilt!

Keeping in line with the improv curves, I decided to try out one of my office doodle designs!

If you follow me on IG, you know that I have a habit of doodling during office meetings and lectures. It does actually keep me focused on what is being discussed! I had this one in my sketch book and decided to try it out!

And this is what became of it! and this started me on a course of many more quarter improv circle quilts. I’d say in the last two years, it’s probably my favorite design! You’ll see it more once I start blogging my more recent finishes…

And now I want to turn them all into pillows! What do you think?

What do you do with your mini quilts?

Bright Tide Pools

ok! I’m on a roll and loving getting quilts and projects finished! Not half finished in a pile! Now if I can only post them! 

This little one isn’t as old as some of my other WIPS. It’s only about a year in process. For my son’s school auction, I have been putting in a custom quilt. I give them some of my designs to choose from and whoever gets it, gets to pick the colors to make it their own. This is the second time I have done it. You can see the first one, Triangle Mountain, here. And probably the last as the auction was cancelled this year and I don’t think they do it at his middle school. And I honestly get kinda freaked out about whether or not the person is going to like it.

This design came from when I was active in the Quilt Design a Day FB group. I really miss it and need to pick it up again.

Each day there is a prompt picture, like the one above by Michelle Wilke of Factum of Arts Blog. This picture she took of tide pools in the Olympic National Park was te inspiration ‘spark’ where this quilt originated!

From the picture above came this design.

Which turned into this design after I got the color inspiration from the auction winner!

And this is what we ended up with! Not a single square in the mix. one of the things I like about quilting is the puzzle of putting it all together and this one was a real puzzle!

In hindsight, I probably would have made the blocks bigger so that sat closer together, but I like how it turned out.

I used all the scraps for the back. Starting with the little yellow green rectangle in the orange. That was the first block for the front when I realized it was WAY to small! The back started out as a log cabin, but ended up looking like an old TV with the ‘bunny ears’ antenna. the TV is all I can really see at this point. HA!

I think my favorite part of the back is this skinny purple line!

The auction winner wanted it to cover her induction cooktop. At first I was like, ‘No way! That’s a fire hazard, if I’ve ever heard of one!’ Then I googled it and apparently it’s a thing to cover these cooktops with quilts. Very odd to me and it makes me nervous. But It’s what she wanted, so I went with it. I also added inslu-bright so it can act as a huge potholder/hot pad/trivet.

Name : Bright Tide Pools
Design: Original Design
Dimensions: 32 x 21 in.
Quilted: Straight line quilting 

 

 

Triangle Mountain

 

Introducing Triangle Mountain! This is another one that took forever, yet didn’t take forever! A few years ago, I donated a quilt design/custom quilt to my son’s school. I give some design options and the size. they get to pick the colors. Solid colors, because that’s what I do!

But I realized that when I’m quilting for a particular person, it makes me nervous! Kinda like when I tried to be a photographer… I was a stress case! Will they like me? Will they like my pictures? And on and on… Needless to say, that career idea didn’t last long! Back to quilting. I guess that kinda carries over into quilting. I knew the design, and I knew the colors she wanted, but I was nervous she wouldn’t like it! Gifts, no problem. ‘Client’ is where I got stuck!

All the designs I gave as options were designs I had made through the Quilt Design a Day FB group!

This is the inspiration photo from Design Seeds.

And the design that came from the inspiration photo! Obviously, originally it hade a white background, but the ‘client’ wanted a coral background. Originally we were going to use some hand dyed fabric from her mother, but that didn’t happen.

Then by the time I got to adding the background, the Pantone Color of the Year for 2019 had come out. Living Coral! I was so excited! I have had grand intentions every year to participate in the Pantone Quilt Challenge hosted by No Hats in the House and Bryan House Quilts every year and finally I knew I’d have one completed for it! I did it!

I love how the triangles turned out! I was a little intimated by the triangles too! But I found this tutorial from Jaybird Quilts that got me past it! It’s not an earth shattering tutorial, but it gave me that push I needed to realize I could do this! And just look at those corners!!

And I added a couple of matched binding transitions at the corners of the mountain. They aren’t quite the exact same angle, but it’s ok! Still gets the point across!

And the back! I just all the scraps from the triangle in that little pieced box on top. I didn’t have as much as I thought I would!

Such a relief to get this one done, out of the house and to it’s new home! And my ‘client’ was very appreciative and seemed to be very happy with her purchase. Her long, overdue purchase…

Finish Along Quarter 1 2019 Goals!

For the last couple of years, I’ve participated in the Finish-A-Long hosted by 12 different quilting bloggers. There’s a different Finish-A-Long for each quarter. Typically, I have kinda used it as a tracking tool of all my unfinished WIP’s. Never expecting to finish them all that quarter, but figuring I might finish at least one or two. Like the last one I did, I posted 9 different projects! This year I’m coming at it with a different approach. A little more direct. Not just everything I want to finish, but a handful of projects I am going to make a point of actually finishing.

So here we go! I’m starting off easy here. I want to finish my 2017 SMQG BOM! All the blocks are done! I just need to sew them together and quilt it! Easy! Right?

And another easy one! This is the 2016 SMQG BOM. This is also totally done. I finished all the ‘blocks’ at the retreat last fall. And they are mostly already even quilted! I just need to sew on the last blocks, do a little bit more quilting and then finish it!

And lastly, this one I have to start and finish. So it’s a little more time consuming than the others. I was supposed to have been done with this about 18 months ago for someone at our kid’s school auction. Oops!

Ok! that’s it for the first quarter. I think I can… I think I can… I think I can….

A Christmas Quilt

It’s been a while since I shared a finished quilt!

It’s my Christmas Quilt! I have a Halloween quilt and I have a ton of amazing Christmas fabric, so I knew I needed to make a Christmas quilt! I’m a huge sucker for both Halloween and Christmas fabric. especially Cotton and Steel Christmas fabric…. I can’t get enough so I had to do something with it!

The only problem with Christmas fabric is that it isn’t solids! It’s prints, hence the Christmas theme, right! And I’m not real good with prints! I get totally pushed around by print fabric.

Quilts pictures here are by Katie of Sew Katie Did, not my work! 

In October 2017, the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild had one of our members, Katie Pedersen of Sew Katie Did, come teach some classes. One of the classes was her Split Personality Class. I signed up! But I didn’t want to take solids. Katie is so good with prints, so I was trying to let that rub off on me during this class. But what to take??? Christmas!

I love describing what I do as a quilter to non quilters! So basically the technique involves cutting up fabric, sewing it together, cutting it, mixing the pieces up, sewing it back together, cutting it again, mixing again and sewing it back together again! Yep, that about sums it up! You do that and end up with lovely little improv pieced blocks!

But then what to do with the blocks??? 

I decided to use one of the designs I came up with from the Quilt Design a Day challenge. I forget what the picture was that inspired this design. Anyway, I thought it would be a fun design inspiration for this quilt. 

I also used another technique that I don’ tthink I have ever used before. Fussy cutting… Well, sewing with solids doesn’t lend itself well to fuzzy cutting, does it now?? Ha!

And another technique… Pattern matching my fabric for the back!

Did you know those reindeer came in flannel? So soft! and adorable!

I liked how the blue binding didn’t totally scream Christmas for the quilt.

I really like it turned out! And I’m loving watching the family curl up in on the couch this holiday season!

 

 

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

Hello there! Long time no see… I’ve missed you and thought of you often, but alas, I haven’t written. we went on vacation, then school started and I headed off to a quilt guild retreat. Now it’s all about party planning! ANYWAY….

I’ve never participated in the Blogger’s Quilt Festival, but every year I say I will, then I dont… I’m going to this year, gosh darnit! And I’m going to share the quilt I made for the #whatshadeareyou series with RJR Fabrics earlier this year!

I started with one design that I didn’t like and at the last minute switched to this one and am so glad I did! Raindrops on Wildflowers! As I was quilting it, I debated, one big spiral or three spirals? The whole family agreed on three circles. The kiddo said it was like raindrops in water!

The quilt block is obviously something I just made up, but then I realize it was full of inset corners! Ergh… But I remembered they aren’t so bad and I pretty much mastered it! Well, for this block at least! I’ll post a tutorial soon.

The quilt came from a Quilt Design A Day inspiration photo! I Love seeing the QDAD designs turn into a real quilt design. For more on the inspiration check out this post.

And the back is actually a really fun polka dot fabric. The front had to be solids, but you could choose anything for the back. Obviously I had different intentions since it was a different quilt design I ordered the fabric for, but I like the polka dots and stripes together!