Sewing and Quilting
So many half square triangles…
Holding my breath that the thread lasts!
At least I have the quilt back done. This one will get finished!
Linking to: WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation
I occasionally find myself in an odd place in the quilting world style wise – I am not super modern, yet to a traditional quilter I look modern. I think one of my old guilds determined I was “modern” simply by my age. I have embraced the “modern traditional” moniker, but it’s not always an easy category to fit in.
This is my first go at a more definitively modern piece. The pattern is not mine (probably takes away from the modernity, right?), but was a piece for the Carolina Longarm Association. They are trying to put together a display with modern and traditional mini quilts that will all be the same two designs, but with a wide variety of fabrics and quilting styles. It should be a really cool display once it’s done.
Quilt Name: Nature of Purple
Size: 29″ x 29″
I really enjoyed quilting this piece. I loved combining the straight lines with the curves to create contrast within the piece. I also really like the design I used inside the rectangles. It’s a straight-line spiral, for lack of a better description, but is fun to use in a space like that.
I did learn some good lessons from this quilt – such as purple is extremely hard to photograph and the quilting does not show up well unless you are really close to it.
Dense quilting would also probably show up better with either a double layer of batting, or a higher quality puff or mixed cotton/poly blend. I used a cheap cotton/poly blend I had laying around because I wan’t planning on quilting it this densely when I started.
Unfortunately, it is not an impressive piece when you see it hung next to other quilts. There is a certain beauty in its simplicity, and the negative space leaves a lot of room to quilt, but it’s still a very simple quilt with very little piecing. I feel like the photo below is a Where’s Waldo game, but you are looking for a small purple quilt that blends into the black background curtains. (Photo borrowed from Christa Quilts, link to her NQA experience roundup).
I entered it into the National Quilting Association show this year to get feedback and try to improve my quilting. As far as feedback, I found the comments to be very useful. The judges found a couple things on this quilt that I had missed, and called me out on errors that I knew existed. It was also nice to receive more than one or two comments, which is more normal for a local level show.
Entering this quilt was a worthwhile experience, and it is pushing me to be better. When I received the quilt back in the mail, I saw that it had been held for the category and a judge’s choice. It’s bittersweet news in a way – it was good, but not good enough. It just means I need to improve my work and make a better quilt next year!
Even if it didn’t win anything, I still like it. I have it hanging above my longarm in my new setup. I still love the purple. I wish it quilted better so I could use it more often, but as you can see below the purple just absorbs all light and makes it look like a purple black hole. Eventually, it will find its way back to North Carolina, but I’m not quite ready to give it up yet.
Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric
I am a member of the Stash Bee, Hive 3. Even with the craziness of moving, I have managed to finish my blocks – but was a little slow on proving that to the internet 🙂
April was my month to receive blocks, so I requested red-tan-brown-low volume blocks to help me get enough blocks to finally finish up my “Real World Red & White” quilt. I think I finally have enough! Thank you ladies!
I also took part in a very unofficial block trade. Aby made this lovely block for my red & white quilt.
And I made this block for a quilt being made for Aby. The request was for bright colors that read as solids with a white background. I played around and made this. The quilt was actually finished before I managed to post about the block, and you can see it here.
This next block is my May block for Jennifer. Her tutorial is here. I’m excited to see this quilt. I think it’s going to look fantastic!
June’s block was for Sylvia at Flying Parrot Quilts. She started her Christmas quilt early enough to actually finish it in time for Christmas! Great idea Sylvia – I should follow suit, so my WiP Christmas quilt doesn’t stay in a box for another year! The tutorial for her block is here.
Linking to some of the following: Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric
Round Trip Quilts is the round robin bee I am currently a part of – Jennifer has a much better summary of the round robin on her web page than I am even going to attempt to cover. We are on our last round now! I can’t believe we’ve been doing this almost for a year. It’s a been a fun challenge!
I am totally stealing photos from my bee-mate’s blogs to illustrate the progression, but I personally find the progressions to be the most interesting part of these quilts – and there are links to their posts to see all the details. Wow, this is a run on sentence! Good thing I’m not an english teacher…
I have had Leanne from Devoted Quilter’s quilt for the last 2 rounds. We had to do a bit of rearranging after one member had to drop out, so that’s why I had her quilt twice in a row. As you can see from my scribbles, I had a couple ideas of what I wanted to do, and was wishy-washy for a little while before finally just doing almost exactly what I was going to do in the first place.
Leanne wanted stars and components of stars. Her original center was 4 Ohio stars set on point.
Mary of See Mary Quilt added the next border – with some stars and some color that Leanne had requested added.
Chelsea at Patch the Giraffe added some flying geese and lovely color to the mix!
Christina at WiPs and Tuts added some more stars to the mix. Another thing I love seeing happen after each round is the direction that each person considers to be up changes.
Kim from Ties that Bind Quilting added a zig zag to the quilt. Kim’s zig zag is the top part with the all white background.
Then it was my turn… I wanted to bring out some of the elements from the center toward the outside of the quilt. I kept Kim’s zig zag going, but I used yellow to bring the yellow center outward.
Next, I wanted to play with some paper pieced stars and improv piecing. I used (from left to right) the Caldonia Star from 627 Handworks, January and February 2013 Lucky Stars BoM Club, Dark & Light Star from Quilter’s Cache. I did gray low volume fabric for the background to pull the gray out from the original center blocks. I chose to concentrate on making the stars in light and dark blue from Leanne’s center with the turquoise and fuchsia accents from Mary’s border.
Leanne, I hope you like where your quilt is going! I tried to leave you a lot of space to have some fun quilting on because I know you are enjoying FMQ-ing a lot lately.
Jennifer, I apologize for being so ridiculously late mailing this to you. I knew I was moving, and had planned to be done much earlier, but it just didn’t happen.
Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric, Paper Piecing Party @ Quilt Art Designs
At the beginning of May, my guild (Tarheel Quilter’s Guild) hosted a workshop by Jane Godshall on how to do a “Rapid Fire” Hunter’s Star. I don’t get to attend classes near as often as I would like, so I jumped on the opportunity!
My travel machine is my trusty Featherweight.
The rapid fire method to make these blocks isn’t very intuitive, but it does produce an accurate block that is pretty easy to assemble and chain piece.
These aren’t my normal colors, but this quilt is intended to be a gift. Can I finish by Christmas? We’ll find out!
One of the fun things she had us do was to layout our blocks in different variations other than a traditional Hunter’s Star.
It was interesting to see how different you could make these blocks look!
This was a demo quilt brought by the teacher. I like the layout, and am thinking about doing this for my quilt. I just need to decide what fabric I want to use as my light.
One of my friends from the guild is much further along on her work – Aby from Aby Quilts. She is combining the Hunter’s Star with a LeMoyne Star and it’s looking really good!
Thanks Tarheel Quilters Guild for a fun day! I was very thankful that I had the opportunity to learn a new technique and spend a day with a great group of ladies 🙂
Linking up to:
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Quilty Thankful Thursday @ Quilting Jet Girl, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric
I started this little mini quilt as part of a Quilting Circle that I go to once a month with Abigail from Aby Quilts. In December, we were gifted a kit to bring to make the mini in January.
I’m never one to finish things quite as directed, so mine looked a little different than the planned version, but I was proud of myself for finishing the top, making a backing, attaching a label and getting it ready for quilting. I should add that I did all of this the first week of February – no UFO’s for me!
I decided to use this mini to try out the baptist fan design because it’s such a classic design, but I had not done it before. There are a few things you have to figure out the hard way the first time you do this pattern because it is very obvious if you don’t nest it correctly. I learned a few lessons with this design on my own work which should keep me from making those mistakes on someone else’s quilt.
As a long armer, I feel like it’s my job to be concerned about tiny mistakes that no one else will ever notice, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my cute little mini.
I was originally very bothered by the small mistakes I had made in this mini. I was actually seriously considering tearing out all of the stitching and starting over.
Instead, I stopped and asked myself why I made this mini.
Is it for a show? No.
Is it to demo my quilting? No.
This mini will hang on my mini wall as a souvenir of the enjoyable times that I had with a wonderful group of ladies in the Quilting Circle.
I wasn’t even going to share this quilt because the mistakes bother me. But, everyone makes mistakes! It’s so easy to get caught up in the perfect world that we curate for the internet… to not show something that didn’t turn out just how we imagined. I shared this because it’s part of my quilting journey. It’s not going to win any shows or blow anyone’s socks off with its originality, but it’s mine and I like it.
So, I am concluding this project in the same way Angela concluded her post – a finished quilt is better than a perfect quilt top. This little mini will hang in honor of good memories and a good lesson.
Linking up to Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF
I have to admit I’ve gotten caught up in the mini quilt mania that is going around, and also gotten caught up in a few swaps. It’s not like I really have extra time to be devoting to swaps, which is why I’m probably not going to participate in any more big swaps (until the next amazing opportunity comes up that I can’t say no to), but I really enjoy that they push me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to come up with new designs and color palettes that I wouldn’t necessarily come up with on my own.
The latest swap was the Rainbow Mini Swap. Rainbow is a big trend right now that I am embracing, albeit as a late adopter. I made this mini quilt for @SGThings (Instagram).
At my recent Carolina Longarm Association meeting, one of the newer members was surprised that I put small things on my longarm. I think she felt like it wasn’t worth the effort to load or didn’t make very many small items. I put everything on the longarm, big or small!
I used a light yellow thread throughout the quilt to blend with all the colors, but it may have blended a little too well because you can’t see some of the custom quilting I did at all! The text on the white background has ribbon candy in it.
My partner mention that Anna Maria Horner was one of her favorites, so I tried to incorporate several of her fabrics. I made a coordinating zipper pouch as well, using the tutorial from The Busy Bean.
This is the mini that I received from @SewGiddy. I love this block, but it’s on my never-ending list of blocks that I haven’t gotten to making yet. At least I have it look at in the meantime! My daughter is going to have a field day with those fabric markers when I let her loose with them.
Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric, Show off Saturday at Sew Can She
I’ve shown some pictures of this quilt in progress, and as just a top (between Instagram – QA Creations and the blog), but it’s finished! This is the 10″ block version of my Square Dance Quilt pattern (available on Craftsy).
This quilt is my entry for the Spring 2015 Blogger’s Quilt Festival – Small Quilt group. This quilt is about 40″ by 40″.
Many of the blocks in this quilt were made by members of my Quilting Circle – a wonderful group that I was a member of here in North Carolina. I did a paper piecing demo for the group, and then we all started work on these blocks.
I had brought the fabric pre-cut so that the group could concentrate on learning paper piecing. This was all fabric from my stash that was begging to turn into something cute and useful.
I was very impressed by how good these blocks turned out considering many of the ladies had never paper pieced before. I took the blocks we made together, and added a few more so that I would have enough to create the top.
I quilted the Bauhaus panto all over using blue thread. I love this pattern for masculine quilts.
I was a little rushed finishing this quilt! Sunday is my last meeting with the Tarheel quilt guild, so I was under a deadline to finish it and turn it in. I may be stitching the label on during the meeting… we’ll see if I get it on in the next 18 hours or so.
This quilt is going to the Fayetteville Tarheel Quilt Guild and will be donated to the NICU at the hospital. I hope that a family really cherishes this quilt, and that it brings them comfort during their stay with the NICU.
– Heather
Also sharing at Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric, Show off Saturday at Sew Can She
Paper pieced pattern includes photographic instructions and offers three block sizes and six quilt sizes for maximum value!
I have been working on this quilt pattern for over a year, and I’m really excited to be able to share it with you today! The Square Dance Quilt Pattern is now available in my Craftsy store.
This is a paper pieced version of a traditional block – one of the traditional names for this block is Square Dance, and I thought it was the most appropriate name for the quilt once you see the overall movement created by the blocks.
I experimented with many different sizes of blocks, and the result of that work is that this pattern includes 6″, 8″ and 10″ versions. I also tried a 4″ version, but it’s not practical for a quilt of any size! The instructions include fabric requirements to make 6 quilt sizes (Baby/Crib, Lap, Twin, Double, Queen, and King) from all three block sizes.
This paper pieced block is a great introduction to paper piecing! I used this pattern to teach a group to paper piece and was very impressed by their results in a couple of short hours. A full color photo tutorial on how to paper piece is included with this pattern, so if you are new to paper piecing this is a great way to get started.
The cover quilt uses the 8″ version of the block.
I had help making some of the blocks from my bee last year – the 2014 Stash Bee Hive 12. For this version, I custom quilted it and entered it in the North Carolina State Fair, where it earned 2nd place in the competitive Group category.
Sharon of ShaShaLaRue Quilts also made a Frolic Square Dance Quilt. She can also be found on Facebook or on Instagram @ShaShaLaRueQuilts. Her playful version demonstrates the versatility of this block because this is perfect for a crib or baby’s playroom!
The 6″ version is also great for Sampler Quilts or bee blocks because if you make 4 of them, it results in a 12.5″ unfinished block, which is what so many samplers or bees ask for!
I made the block above to add to my “real world red & white” quilt.
My guild, the Tarheel Quilter’s Guild in Fayetteville, NC makes quilts for the NICU. Our local hospital likes the quilts to be approximately 40″ square, so I used 16 of the 10″ blocks and made the little boy version of the quilt below. This quilt is made up of blocks made by my Quilting Circle – most of whom had never paper pieced before!
In order to create variation like the cover quilt, a variety of fabric should be used. This quilt would also look amazing in just two colors, or invert the color scheme. Use any combination you can dream for your own look!
You can make any of the block sizes or quilt sizes using fat quarters, half yards or full yards so this quilt is stash friendly!
The pattern is available in my Craftsy store – Quilts Actually Patterns. It is on sale through Mother’s Day (May 10th, 2015) for $7.50.
If you make this quilt, please share it with the hashtag #squaredancequilt or by tagging me @QACreations. You can also email me pictures or a link to your blog post at quilts actually(at)gmail.com. I would love to see what you make!
– Heather
Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric, and Show off Saturday at Sew Can She.
Modern and colorful, the Squared Away Placemat set was published in the May 2015 Make Modern issue.
I’ve had a secret project in the works for a few months now, and I’m really excited to share the good news!
My first pattern was published in Make Modern‘s May issue! If you would like to purchase the issue, it is available here. My project is in home section, and is called the Squared Away Placemats.
I made these placemats based off a design I first came up with for the Schnitzel & Boo Mini Swap last summer. It was one of my early attempts at a more modern look, and I was so grateful for signing up for that swap because it pushed me out of my comfort zone. I would not have come up with this design without that push, and I still really like how it turned out!
You can see the inspiration from the mini quilt in the finished placemats. One or two of the fabrics have even made an appearance in both items.
If you follow me on instagram (@QACreations) or Facebook (Quilts Actually), you’ve seen a preview of the quilting on these. I love the wave panto for a modern look.
These are a simple, quick project that is great for using up some of those precious scraps you’ve been hoarding of your favorite fabrics… I know you have those tiny scraps saved! It is also perfect for that mini charm pack you picked up at the store because they are cute, and then you get home and realize, what am I ever going to use this for?
We’ve all been there, it’s ok! Use those bits to make a placemat so that you can see those beautiful little bits everyday. My daughter loves this rainbow version because she gets to point out all the colors.
If you make set of these placemats, please let me know! I would love to see what you do with my pattern. Send me a picture, direct me to a blog post, or share on instagram with #squaredawaytable.
Also, these smaller quilted items are great to practice quilting on your machine, but if you just don’t have time or want to make a bunch as gifts you can always send them to me to be quilted. Use one continuous length of fabric for the back, and send me the placemats to use as the top. It’s an even better deal if you have another quilt – make the backing extra long and I can quilt those extra smaller pieces on the end of the backing below the quilt. Contact me if you are interested!
– Heather
Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts, Scraptastic Tuesday @ She Can Quilt, Let’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict, TGIFF, Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth Fabric, Show off Saturday at Sew Can She