Throwback Thursday

Since "darkness" seems to be the theme for Throwback Thursday over at A Quarter Inch from the Edge, allow me to share my Loop in Motion. I've always loved how black sets off colors, and this one really glows.

Loop in Motion, 60" x 60", 2006

 

Loop In Motion was made in 2006 for a guild challenge, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of University City, MO.  U-City has a vibrant neighborhood called The Loop which has an annual festival called Loop in Motion.

Detail, Loop in Motion

This quilt is pieced, not appliqued. The blocks are 6" squares, with either one or two quarter-circle arcs. Hand piecing is great for curves, especially such small ones.

EQ Image, Loop in Motion Block

 

The members of my bee, CSQ Piecing Group, pieced these blocks for me. The colorful fabric is all one batik. I cut lots of arcs and arranged them on the design wall so the colors would flow into one another. Yes, that is all one continuous serpentine loop. Machine quilted by me in a diagonal grid.

Loop in Motion received an Honorable Mention ribbon in The Quintessential Quilt 2007 show.

Antler Dance: A Finished Flimsy, and Questions for Readers

I was able to get Antler Dance finished to a flimsy so I could count out the fabric used in my October stash report. Yay! Here it is on my design wall. I'm hoping to get some better photos this week.

Antler Dance Flimsy on the Design Wall

Not sure when I'll get this quilted, probably not until after January 1st. The plan is to spiral quilt it using the walking foot, starting from the center. At 72" square, this is as big as I can manage to spiral quilt on my domestic machine.

Now, I have a few questions for you. I've been invited to give a trunk show and talk about my book Cut and Shuffle Quilts to a local quilt guild next week. In addition to the book quilts, I also have patterns and their quilts to show. I also have other quilts, some older, some that - looking back - I can see are precursors to what I developed for the book or for patterns. You can see many of them in the Gallery tab above.  

• What do you like quilters to talk about when they give a trunk show?
• Chronological order? Or book quilts first, then backtrack and show everything else?
• Should I include current WIPs that are finished flimsies but not quilted? (Includes the flying geese project and the two QF BOM tops that were finished in Sept.  & Oct.)
• What question would you ask the quilter giving the trunk show?
• I keep a quilt journal; should I show it?

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times

October Stash Report and Goals Update

Stash Report:

I did buy fabric this week, a yard of Kona Bone to finish Antler Dance. The top is finished but I don't have a photo yet.

Also, since it was on sale for $3.99, I bought four yards of a harvest print to back a top I finished in September.  That brown sunflower print looks pretty good for backing, especially with that leafy border, doesn't it:

IN this month: 8 yards (3 yds wide backing for KBFG, 1 yd Kona Bone, 4 yds harvest backing)
OUT this month: 14-7/8 yards (3/8 wonky stars;  QF Main: 5.5 yds (gold sashing 1-1/4, white sashing 3/4, inner border 1/2, outer border 3); 2-1/2 yds orange C&S donation top & 1/2 yd for binding,  3-1/2 yds bone & 2-1/2 yds print for Antler Dance top)
Month net change: 6-7/8 yards out   Whoo-hoo!

YTD IN: 136-1/4 yards
YTD OUT: 131-1/8 yards
YTD Net Change: 5-1/8 yards added to stash

Still hoping to break even for the year. I'm getting close!

Goals:

October recap:
1. Book signing at The Quilted Fox on October 4. DONE
2. Prep for teaching workshop. DONE
3. Finish piecing QF Main BOM Blocks flimsy including borders. DONE
4. Continue piecing Antler Dance. DONE - Finished top
5. Layer and pin baste one WIP.  Not done, but cut/pieced/layered/basted/quilted orange donation quilt instead.
6. Query from Quilt Pattern Magazine about submitting a pattern: Investigate their requirements and decide if I want to submit something. Investigated; don't have anything suitable to submit right now.
7. Sew Me STL retreat Oct 24-25. Yes! Had a great time.
8. Teach Cut & Shuffle workshop Oct 24. DONE - It went well.
9. Keep up with Bee Blocks. Some are still in work, but finished the ginormous one with the badly written instructions at Sew Me STL.
November Goals:
1. Plan & prep for trunk show & program 11/9
2. Make fleece-backed lap quilt for dad
3. Start new Christmas stockings
4. Layer & baste at least one WIP
5. Keep up with bee blocks

Time to work on Christmas stuff. We need new stockings now that baby CJ is here. And I've decided to make a lap quilt using fleece or minkee for my dad, something tactile he can stroke. I'd better get busy!

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times; check out the other stash reports over there.

Snuggly

On Monday I mentioned that some of my students in my Cut & Shuffle class made extra blocks. I was able to make a few more and set them together at Sew Me STL for a quilt top for our Project Linus drive, due in November.

Voila, it's finished:

I needed batting and I hadn't figured out what I would do for backing, probably cobble something together from stash.  I needed more Kona Bone for another project, so I went to the chain store where I had gotten it before, and found that they had fleece on sale. Backing problem and batting issue solved.

I backed the donation quilt with orange fleece and didn't use any batting at all. I quilted it with the walking foot, using a serpentine stitch over the seams. Enough to hold it together, but still leave it soft and drapey. Yes, I know this technically doesn't meet the definition of a quilt, but for this purpose, who cares? It feels so soft and snuggly, some kid is going to love it!

I really like this and may use this method for kid donation quilts in the future. The cost of the fleece is far less than the cost of batting and backing fabric. And the snuggly, cuddly feeling will be more comforting to kids.

So, a Friday finish this week. Whoo-hoo! I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts.

Hmm, I like the feel of this, with only the fleece backing and no batting, so much that I think I'll make a lap quilt for my dad for in his wheelchair. I made him a fidget quilt last year, and something like this soft "blankie" might be nice for him.

Sew Me STL Recap

Where to begin???
I had so much fun at Sew Me STL this weekend!
Sew Me STL is the annual weekend retreat of the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.

For me, it started with my Cut and Shuffle Workshop on Saturday morning. There were 14 students in my class and they were all awesome!

We made three of the blocks from Cut and Shuffle Quilts. We started by making Block Mamas, then marked cutting mats for accuracy, cut and shuffled block parts, and assembled the blocks.

Making and Cutting the Block Mama

 

Everyone was so focused! They all got their cutting mats marked with tape to assure that they cut their Block Mamas apart correctly. Then they all went to town making blocks. We started with the Plus Block.

Plus Blocks Made by Students

 

 Everyone seemed to get into making blocks this way, using the Cut and Shuffle method. After the Plus Block, we made Four Corners blocks.  

Cutting and Sewing the Blocks

 





And then Labyrinth blocks. Some people even went on to make additional blocks; I showed them how the shuffled parts can make a Hashtag block, and the Antler Dance block I'm currently working with.

Blocks on the Wall

By the end of the workshop nearly everyone had finished their class blocks. We talked about fabrics a little bit. My cut parts sample had a directional print and I showed them how to mix it up so the print would go in different directions in the finished block. We talked about value and contrast, and how greater contrast makes the block shape more apparent and how similar values make the contrast much more subtle.

Lots of Blocks!

At the end of class, I offered bonus kits to any student who wanted one, for them to make a Four Corners block during Sew Me STL. About half of the class took kits and made blocks, and I put them together into a top which I'll finish for our Project Linus drive. They did such a good job, all the blocks came out the right size and went together well.

Project Linus Top from Bonus Cut and Shuffle Blocks Made by Class Members

One of my students went on to make a whole set of blocks for another Project Linus quilt. She included the blocks from class, plus the Hashtag block. I can't begin to tell you how gratifying that feels, to have someone appreciate my blocks and method and class enough to go on to make more for such a worthy purpose.

Project Linus Top

The rest of Sew Me STL was great, too. I sat with some of the members of my bee, and we worked on bee blocks. One of them was huge, and very difficult and confusing, not because of the block, but because of how the pattern was written. And some of us had only black & white copies of the directions. Thank goodness Marie had figured it out and coached the rest of us through the process! We got several blocks done and Chrissy was able to sew them together. She's making a Moroccan Tile quilt for her newly decorated living room. Thanks, Marie, for your help!

Moroccan Tile Quilt

I was able to get my Antler Dance blocks sewn together and the top and bottom border made. Then I discovered I didn't cut enough plain pieces for the border, and I'm out of fabric. No worries, it's Kona Bone which I bought locally in September so I can get more. You can see how the borders finish the motifs.

Antler Dance Top WIP

I was hoping to get the Antler Dance top finished so I could count the fabric out of my stash. Didn't happen, but I'll get more fabric and finish the top this week. I can, however, count out the fabrics for the bonus Cut and Shuffle kits because the Project Linus top is finished, so that's 2-1/2 yards out.

It was really fun to hang out with my friends and sew all weekend. And - bonus! - I won a door prize: a print to frame for my sewing room, a thread catcher, and a big bundle of very colorful zippers (forgot to take a photo).

I have to admit, when I got home yesterday, I was really tired! Now I have all my weekend chores to catch up on, so I'd better get off the computer and get going. The sooner I get them done, the sooner I can get back to sewing!

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times

The Quilter's Planner

Today I want to give a big shout-out to Stephanie Palmer of Late Night Quilter, who is introducing her Quilter’s Planner.

Stephanie launched her Indigogo campaign this week, featuring The Quilter’s Planner she developed to help us all stay organized and manage our lives and our projects. Approximately 8-1/2” by 11”, and spiral bound, The Quilter’s Planner is the one-stop, go-to indispensable aid to organizing the quilty life.

 

To stay organized, I currently rely on a calendar, sticky notes, various to-do lists, a bulletin board in my sewing room and another in my kitchen, and my phone. I’m so looking forward to being able to keep everything in one place using Stephanie’s planner.

Like all planners, The Quilter’s Planner has weekly and monthly pages. But the features that make this planner special for quilters are the project planning pages, graph paper and free-motion sketching pages, and project status update pages. 

 

Even more special, Stephanie has included eight complete quilt patterns from talented designers. The planner also contains a reference section with important quilting measurements and construction techniques for common designs.

 

Weekly pages include space for to do lists for personal life, work, and quilting, plus notes. Each day features Stephanie’s “daily top three,” which she describes as the most important 3 things you need to get done to have a successful day. Each page features a quilt block designed by one of over 50 talented quilt bloggers.

 

Monthly pages feature an at-a-glance overview of the month. Also helpful are spaces for personal, work, and quilting goals, and a roomy section for notes.

Visit Stephanie’sIndiegogo site for more about her planner.

Congrats, Stephanie, on your launch! I’m linking up with Whoop-Whoop Friday over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict because you deserve a big Whoop Whoop for this!

 

Full disclosure: One of the blocks featured on the weekly pages is my design. Also, Stephanie has graciously agreed to post about my book Cut and Shuffle Quilts in January (she's a little busy right now), and I'm happy to return the favor here. I'm looking forward to using The Quilter's Planner.

 

 

 

I'm on Sarah's Bookshelf!!!

My friend Sarah Craig at Confessions of a Fabric Addict posts book reviews on Wednesdays, and she very graciously agreed to review my new book Cut and Shuffle Quilts.

Sarah's Bookshelf

Sarah speaks very kindly about my book - Thanks, Sarah!

Go check out her post here.

Cut and Shuffle Quilts

Sarah says she's intrigued with the versatile Block Mama method for making blocks, and she's added Heat Wave to her bucket list. I like that she mentions how the blocks and quilts work in alternate colorways. Four alternate colorways are shown for each quilt in the book.

Heat Wave

 

Alternate Colorways for Heat Wave

 

If you like the Disappearing Nine Patch, Disappearing Four Patch, and similar blocks, you'll love the Block Mama method presented in Cut and Shuffle Quilts.

Thanks so much, Sarah, for so enthusiastically reviewing my book!

Cut and Shuffle Quilts is available from AQS or Amazon.