Back to Work (in Progress)

The kids went back to school this week which means I can get back to sewing.  It's been a fun summer but we all do better with structure!

To get back in the swing of things I finally started quilting this table square made with leftover blocks from my Rouenneries Rail Fence quilt.  I'm using Angela's fabulous paisley pattern again but rather than filling the entire space I meandered back and forth for a free-form feather effect.

I'm falling behind on the Baby Brit QAL at dream quilt create but I did get one more block made.  This one is definitely my favorite;-)

And I have something Ghastly in the works for October...  be warned!

Nicey Jane Gingham

Yea!  The Nicey Jane Gingham is finally finished:-)  

It's made up of 5" squares arranged to look like gingham, at least that's how I see it.

For the quilting I just used the edge of my walking foot to quilt 1/4" from both sides of the seam lines.

It also has a pieced back.  I chose all of the fabrics in the quilt based on this Picnic Bouquet floral.

I ♥ a striped binding!

Quilt Stats:

Finished quilt is 60" x 70".

Fabrics:  Essex Linen in Flax and White.  Assorted scraps from my stash featuring Nicey Jane, Pop Garden and Bijoux by Heather Bailey.
Batting:  Quilter's Dream Orient
Thread:  Aurifil 2021 

QuiltCon Block Challenge

Did you get your entry in for the QuiltCon Block Challenge?

"Your challenge is to use the colors of the QuiltCon logo to make a quilt block that reflects what modern quilting means to you.  We encourage you to stretch yourself and plan an interesting composition that represents your own unique voice."

I really wanted to enter a block but after sewing together all those HSTs for my BMQG Challenge mini and making all these hexies I just wanted to do something fast and easy.  I was staring at my stack of fabrics and thought they looked nice just like that.

Straight Up Stripes... simplicity at it's best:-)  But while I had used the specified colors I wouldn't say this reflects what modern quilting means to me.

So I did it again but this time my stripes were a little Tipsy.  Definitely more modern but still not totally me...

and then it hit me, Drunken Stripes;-)  To me modern quilting is about taking something traditional and having a little fun with it.  Cheers!

W.i.P Wednesday: London Calling

The Olympics may be over but I'm still on London time!  After all the excitement last week with the BMQG quilt show it's really nice to just relax and get back to sewing this week.  Without hours of Olympic coverage to keep up with I finally got a chance to start on my Victory Garden quilt.

I followed the Busy Bee pattern to make the first block.  They use an interesting method which lets you strip piece most of the block and then cut it out with their template.  It's easy to do but uses yardage and isn't fat quarter friendly.

For this one I designed my own paper piecing pattern so I could use my  Lecien Flower Sugar fat pack.  I think this one is a little too aqua so it may get turned in to a pillow.  I had planned to use the white version of this print for the flag sections but cut it wrong and made a quick sub which didn't work as well.  The down side of only having FQs:-(

I'm doing this as part of the Baby Brit QAL at dream quilt create.  She's using some Flower Sugar also so it's fun to see how we use it differently.  Hopefully this will keep me on track to get this one finished quickly!

BMQG Quilt Show

This weekend the BMQG had the privilege of putting on a quilt show as part of the Lowell Quilt Festival.

The venue was amazing!  A converted shoe mill which is now a mix of residential apartments and artist studio spaces with beautiful common areas perfect for displays.

There's something amazing about seeing a bunch of quilts hung together.   These were the mini-quilts submitted by our members.  There is so much talent in this group but each member definitely has their own unique style. 

Here is my Neptune Zig Zag hung with Aimee's Falling Leaves.  Same pattern, two very different quilts!

There were 7 challenge quilts...  all use the same color scheme but again, many different ideas 

The highlight for me was when the quilt mafia, Marianne and Mary "Quilty" Fons, came to check out our exhibit.  The were both so fun and graciously posed with me in front of my Chain Reaction quilt.

I also entered one of my all time favorite quilts... my Ghastlies Coffin quilt.  I've been buying up the new additions to the Ghastlies collection so more Ghastly things are on the way;-)

You can see all of the quilts from the show in the BMQG Flickr group.  Enjoy!!!

That's So Random!

Here's my entry for the BMQG Lowell Quilt Festival challenge quilted and bound.  After piecing all those HSTs I wanted a simple quilting design.  I went with an off-center concentric circle.  I drew the first circle on the quilt but then just used the edge of my walking foot for the subsequent circles.  The smallest circles were tricky but it definitely got easier as I moved away from the center.  I think the curved lines look cool with all the sharp angles of the HSTs.

This shot gives you an idea of the scale.  This is only a 15" square and is made up of 100 HSTs (1 1/2" finished for those of you who are math challenged:-)

For the back I pulled this Meet the Gang that I got a Quilt Market last fall from my stash and of course another HST for the label:-)

Quilt Stats:

Finished quilt is 15" x 15".

Fabrics:  Kona Cotton Cyan, Azure, Candy Green, Lime, Chartreuse, Buttercup, School Bus, Tangerine, Medium Gray, Coal, White.
Batting:  Quilter's Dream Orient
Thread:  Aurifil 1246

Just Three: August To Do List

Well I didn't totally deliver on my goals for July...

I wanted to finish up this quilt.  It's all quilted but I haven't finished tacking the binding yet.  Between the Olympics and trips every weekend this month I've got lots of opportunities for handwork coming up so I know it'll get done in August.

I did finish this mini quilt for the BMQG Lowell Quilt Festival challenge.  It's good to have a hard deadline:-)

But I still haven't done anything for the My Precious QAL... I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time with this but I have a plan for that in August!

So here goes, three things for August:

1.  With the Queen's Jubilee and the London Olympics my anglophile friend asked if I would make her this Victory Garden quilt.  In an amazing coincidence, Dream Quilt Create is hosting a quilt along this month and when I started pulling fabrics I realized the perfect combination would include these long hoarded Lecien Flower Sugar fabrics (and a few other precious treasures).  Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

2.  Make a block for the QuiltCon Challenge.  I've got the fabrics so there's no reason not to just do it:-)

3.  Quilt one of my UFOs...  I haven't decided which one but I want to shorten the stack!

It's going to be a very busy month so hopefully I can stay on track!

W.i.P Wednesday: Handy

Our summer has been kicking in to high gear!  Days at the pool, birthdays, sleepovers...  there haven't been many chances to sneak off to my quilt studio.  Fortunately, the endless hours of coverage of the London Olympics provide the perfect time for hand sewing.  I'm a total addict!

I've got plenty of those QuiltCon challenge solids left so I've been making lots of little hexies.

And I sewed the sleeves on my quilts for the BMQG's exhibit at the Lowell Quilt Festival next week.  If you can't guess which quilts I'm entering you'll have to come to the show to see for yourself;-)

There will be some amazing quilts there by my insanely talented friends!

Now all that's left is to tack down the binding on my Nicey Jane Gingham quilt.  The perfect way to end a busy day!