Monday 27 May 2013

On My Design Wall - Su{Brrr}nova Scraps

Those who have been following for a while know one of my goals for this year is to make better use of my scraps -- my Scrap Bin Mission.

This is a project that is being made entirely with the scraps from Su{Brrr}nova...at least so far.

Su{Brrr}nova
I sewed up all the little leftover triangles from Su{Brrr}nova into more HSTs and then trimmed them to 2" squares.

I played around on my design wall until I found this design that I love.

Scraps from Su{Brrr}nova
I needed about 40 more HSTs for the outside blue diamond so I made them using the remnants of the backing and the blue fabrics. I still haven't cut into any yardage. The diamond medallion is about 28" wide at the moment.

I took the stripe HSTs and arranged them so they look like they are spinning.

Loving this arrangement so far...and it'll hang on my design wall as I quilt Hard Core so I can contemplate what to do next...

What are you working on?

Friday 24 May 2013

The Name's A Game

Project X became Falling for Stripes
Lately, several people have commented to me that they like the names I choose for my quilts and asked how I come up with them.

I'm not going to go into why we should/shouldn't name quilts because well, I'm just not gonna. If people want to name their quilts, cool. If people don't want to name their quilts, that is just fine by me too. To each her/his own.

I have fun naming my quilts, but it wasn't always like that. There is one quilt several years ago that I named for its intended recipients because I just couldn't think of anything else. Then I made it into a kind of game and now it's one of my favourite parts of the quiltmaking process.

Pretty much as soon as I start the quilt, I start mulling over the name. While cutting, piecing, and quilting, I'll play with different ideas:
Occasionally, the name pops out at me right from the beginning. In other cases, like Project X a.k.a. Falling For Stripes, it doesn't come until the quilt is finished.

Mostly, I just try to have fun with it. I also figure that I can always change the name, if I think of something better down the line.

How do you come up with names for your quilts? Any ideas to add to this list?

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Works in Progress Wednesday - The Weeding Edition

It was Victoria Day here on Monday and we spent the weekend gardening. Well, weeding really. The whole weekend. How is it that weeds flourish in our shady backyard, but supposedly 'shade loving' plants don't? I'm stiff and sore now, but at least the garden beds are somewhat under control. I also discovered that we're losing two beautiful big trees to the Emerald Ash Borer. :( It's crazy what those bugs can do! I'm so not a gardener. Sigh.

New Projects: 

What the FMQAYG? Revisited:

I started a new version of What the FMQAYGQAL? Much smaller this time, in a different palette and it's almost done! Here's a photo of where it's at right now:


Completed Projects:

Animal shelter pillows:


Current Projects:

Hard Core: No progress.

Scrappy Trip Along: No progress.

Scrap{Bee} Quilt: No progress.

Kingston quilt: No progress.

Wedding quilt
Nine patch colourwash

WIP Wednesday Recap: 
New projects: 2
Completed projects: 1
Current projects: 4
On Hold/UFO: 14


I'm linking in to WIP Wednesday at The Needle and Thread Network and to W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Thanks Monika and Lee for hosting such great linkies!
Right Click to Save ImageWIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced









What are you working on this week?

Monday 20 May 2013

Scrap Bin Mission: The Shreds



When I discussed my goals for this year in January, I mentioned that I wanted find ways to use more of my scraps.

On my cutting table, I have an assortment of containers to help me keep organized as I'm cutting. I have bucket for usable scraps to be sorted, another bucket for unusable scraps that I call shreds, a bucket for garbage and a container for selvages.

Why collect the shreds? Well, originally I collected them separately because I could put them in our green bins for composting instead of the garbage.

About a year ago though, I read a post by Régina about using those shreds for stuffing beds she makes for the humane society. I just thought that was a fabulous idea! When I decided to do a bit of a reorg last week, I noticed that I had collected a sizeable bag of shreds and it was time to start making some beds (ha, that rhymes!).

In less than an hour, I had 2 1/2 beds made. The pillows are about 15" by 21". This got rid of my shreds and helped me use up some old fabric that just isn't my style anymore.


Feeling a little more organized, productive, and doing some good. Still haven't found that pattern though...

Saturday 18 May 2013

Snow Crab Nebula - Blogger's Quilt Festival


Happy Saturday, all! For those coming from the Blogger's Quilt Festival with Amy's Creative Side, welcome! In addition to my Seeing The Forest quilt, I decided to share Snow Crab Nebula in the Art Quilt category. Gulp! For those who have seen this before, bear with me -- there are some new photos! :)

This project began with my first snow dyeing experiment earlier this year. Yellow, ringed with red and then purple snow dyes turned this:


Into this:

This looked like one of those NASA images from space to me so I decided to see what I could do to accentuate it with some free motion quilting.

Snow Crab Nebula - Front

Quilting Detail
For the quilting, I did swirls, pebbles, wishbones, loop-d-loops, stars/satellites, and ribbons. I put the information I learned from Angela Walter's Free Motion Quilting Negative Space class on Craftsy to good use in mixing up the swirls and pebbles and moving from one type of motif to another.

I used a variety of Aurifil colours in the yellow, orange, red and purple families (#2277, 5009, 1103, 2581, 1240, 1243, 2140 to be specific) in the front and black thread in the back. I just love the sheen of the Aurifil thread against the colours of the fabric.
Quilting Detail
My husband suggested I call it Snow Crab Nebula since it was created with snow dyeing. Works for me!
Snow Crab Nebula - Quilting Detail
Snow Crab Nebula - Quilting Detail
Snow Crab Nebula - Quilting Detail
To play with the theme, I used some solar system fabric for the back.
Snow Crab Nebula - Back
Final stats:
Quilt name: Snow Crab Nebula
Measurements: 19" by 21"
Special techniques: Snow dyeing, free motion quilting, non-mitred facing
Machine quilted: Free motion quilted by me!
Entering this in the Art Quilt category for the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

Here are my entries into past Blogger's Quilt Festivals:
Thanks for stopping by! For lots more inspiration, check out the other entries in the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side -- it's always a fabulous show. Thank you, Amy, for putting all of this together!

AmysCreativeSide.com

Friday 17 May 2013

Seeing The Forest - Blogger's Quilt Festival


Yay, it's Blogger's Quilt Festival time again! I'm very happy to be sharing my Seeing The Forest quilt. If this is your first time here, welcome! For those who saw this quilt last week, please indulge me a little longer. :)

This quilt started out at as a fat eighth bundle of Westminster shot cottons and Helen Howes' Twelve Trees pattern that I got from Mad About Patchwork.

I'm not great at sticking with a pattern though so I added in four more trees, and flipped half of them so they looked like a reflection of the top eight.

For the quilting, I went with horizontal matchstick quilting (kind of like bark?) and I LOVE the effect on both sides of the quilt. I used a Sulky variegated thread that went from burgundy to plum.

The quilting lines are spaced anywhere for 1/8" to 1/3" apart. I was worried that the tight quilting might make the quilt too stiff. Nope, the shot cottons handle it beautifully.

The full reveal:
Seeing The Forest - Front
I love the back almost as much as the front! The insert is made from scraps from the front.
Seeing The Forest - Back
Maxing and relaxing on the steps
Final stats:
Quilt name: Seeing The Forest
Measurements: 40" by 59"
Special techniques: Slash and insert piecing
Machine quilted: Matchstick quilting by me
Entering this in the ROYBGIV category for the Blogger's Quilt Festival.


Here are my entries into past Blogger's Quilt Festivals:

Thanks for stopping by! For lots more inspiration, check out the other entries in the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side -- it's always a fabulous show. Thank you, Amy, for putting all of this together!

AmysCreativeSide.com

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Works in Progress Wednesday - The Reorg Edition

Being unable to find a pattern in my sewing room has prompted a bit of a reorg. I like being organized although it often takes me a few 'systems' before I get there. Although it probably doesn't look it to an outsider, my sewing room is about 70% organized effectively. It's that 30% that occassionally drives me crazy. I hate being unable to find things. So there will be some sorting, some moving. There will also be some purging of stuff. I picked up "Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter" by Carolyn Woods recently so that should help. Any tips for organizing patterns? Scraps? Cloth dyeing stuff? I'm looking forward to the reorg and to finding that bloody pattern!

So the quilty 411 this week is...

New Projects: 

Simply Solids Bee: For May, Shena chose this fun Alberta Triangles block. I was feeling springy so chose to do mine in greens and purples.

Simply Solids - May Block

Completed Projects:

Seeing the Forest: Blogged!




Current Projects:

Hard Core: Top is done and the quilt is basted. Thank you all for the feedback on the quilting. I think I know which one to go with now. :)


Something New SamplerNo progress.

Scrappy Trip Along: No progress.

Scrap{Bee} Quilt: No progress.

Kingston quilt: No progress.

Wedding quilt
Nine patch colourwash

WIP Wednesday Recap: 
New projects: 1
Completed projects: 2
Current projects: 5
On Hold/UFO: 13


I'm linking in to WIP Wednesday at The Needle and Thread Network and to W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Thanks Monika and Lee for hosting such great linkies!
Right Click to Save ImageWIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Monday 13 May 2013

Giddy

I'm really giddy right now and have been since yesterday morning. I was already in a great mood having been spoiled by my boys with breakfast in bed, but when I walked into the Festival of Quilts to do my volunteer shift, I heard someone congratulate me on my ribbons. Yes, ribbons...plural! One ribbon would have sent me over the moon, but ribbons plural?! I thought my head was going to explode on the spot. The talent in my guild is incredible and it took me two years of being a member before I showed anything during our meetings' Show and Share. I'm just so honoured! *Huge goofy grin*

I ran around to check my quilts out. Snow Crab Nebula won 1st in the President's Challenge (Theme: Shooting Stars). Of course, the hubster takes credit for this one because he named it. LOL!


What The FMQAYGQAL? won 3rd in Viewer's Choice for Small Bed Quilt Machine Quilted.


 Su{Brrr}nova won 2nd Merit Award for Small Bed Quilt Machine Quilted.


I'm still doing the happy dance today.

Even while I contemplate this:



The top for Hard Core is done and I'm mulling over ideas for the quilting. Originally, I had envisioned something like this -- rays of different free motion motifs going all the way around:



But then I saw some fabulous examples of precise spirals and I thought of adding in some intersecting straight lines, kind of like this:




And now I'm torn. Thoughts? Other ideas?

I'm also linking up to Design Wall Monday with Patchwork Times because they always have great ideas.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Friday 10 May 2013

SMS Giveaway Winner!

Wow, what a fun week, eh? That you all for entering my giveaway. I had a blast reading your responses -- so many great colour combos out there!

Drum roll please...the winner of this giveaway is:
Congratulations to Sandi Timon!

152. Yes I an another follower of yours. My color combo would either be brown and white or blue and white. These are the colors that I am working with now. I am combining both colors now and am trying to make a Cancer Quilt for my husband. Thank you for being a part of Sew Mama Sew giveaway and for giving me a chance to win fabric. Sandi Timmon

I have emailed you for your address, Sandi!

For everyone else, there will be another giveaway later this month to celebrate my second blogiversary so stick around and more fun finishes coming soon. :)

Have a fabulous Mother's Day weekend, all!

Thursday 9 May 2013

TGIFF! - Seeing The Forest

Welcome to this week's TGIFF!, where every quilt finish deserves a celebration!

I'm very happy to be sharing my Seeing The Forest quilt. This started out at as a fat eighth bundle of Westminster shot cottons and Helen Howes' Twelve Trees pattern that I got from Mad About Patchwork.

I'm not great at sticking with a pattern though so I added in four more trees, and flipped half of them so they looked like a reflection of the top eight. I'm such a rebel.

Figuring out what to do quilting-wise was a challenge. This is the first time that I wanted the quilting to work for both the front and the back.

I considered free motion quilting leaves on the trees, all over leaf pattern, irregular spirals in the backgrounds of the blocks, wishbones in the sashing, etc.

It came down to vertical or horizontal matchstick quilting (kind of like bark?). I went with horizontal and I'm so glad I did. I LOVE the effect on both sides of the quilt and what's more, I actually loved doing the quilting. I used a Sulky variegated thread that went from burgundy to plum.

The quilting lines are spaced anywhere for 1/8" to 1/3" apart. I was worried that the tight quilting might make the quilt too stiff. Nope, the shot cottons handle it beautifully.

The full reveal:
What? You don't hang your quilts on a hockey net?
Seeing The Forest - Back
Quiltography: "Seeing The Forest," by Michèle-Renée Charbonneau, Ottawa, 40" by 59", 2013.

Maxing and relaxing on the steps

Have a great weekend, all!
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