Category: Quilting

More Inspiration Journals

I have been busy making more Inspiration Journals. This time I was asked to make a tropical one. I checked my fabric stash to see what I could come up with. I had some nice fabric with tropical scenes on it that I picked up in Hawaii a few years back and another with a Hawaiian sunset scene and some classic cars but it didn’t really do it for me. I finally dug up some fabric that had hibiscus flowers on it that I had picked up in Papeete  Tahiti. This was more like it. I only had one issue with it and that was the flowers were spaced quite far apart. I fixed that by cutting out individual flowers and used raw edge applique to fill out the flowers.

I then thread painted the flowers and the leaves. I do this before I put the backing on the journals as I don’t want all of the thread to show. I really enjoy thread painting. It is very relaxing as you just move the piece back and forth. When I am thread painting I use up lots of old bobbin thread. I am normally a very organized person but not so when it comes to bobbins. My bobbins are all in nice bobbin cases but I have no idea what thread is wound on which bobbin. When thread painting it doesn’t really matter if the thread is the exact same as the top especially if you are using variegated thread which I am usually using.

I like the way the journal turned out. I sewed seed beads onto the hibiscus stamens as an embellishment. The journals have plain paper inside and also some pockets made from scrapbook paper so you can add pictures cut out from magazines or maybe drawn or doodled on other paper.

I took more pictures this time as I was assembling this one so I will be writing a pattern soon. Well onto complete more sunflower ones.

Happy Quilting

 

 

Meandering Magic

Meandering Magic

I just finished quilting a quilt for a customer. It was a fun quilt to do. I believe the quilt is to be a wedding present and the couple requested red and green. My customer used a variation of the yellow brink road pattern and I think the quilt turned out to be beautiful. My customer wanted an allover design quilted on it and I thought it could really do with leaves as there are many nature fabrics used in the quilt top. The border is a green forest and there are many fun fabrics included throughout the quilt.

I personally love using Superior Threads King Tut line of variegated threads for these types of quilt tops. There is so much going on in the quilt top design that the thread is able to move and blend with the different fabrics but still be visible without getting lost in all of the different fabrics. On this quilt I used 987 English Ivy on the top and for the bobbin I used Superior Threads Bottom Line 613 Sage.

I don’t do a lot of pantograph quilting designs as I do prefer to work from the front of my machine. On this quilt I used a variation of a design from the book Meandering Magic  by Suzanne Earley. I first saw her demonstrate this technique on QNN video a few years back now. Even though I took my inspiration from the book the quilting always ends up looking different. I love that about free hand quilting. Everyone has their own signature style just like everyone has their own unique handwriting.

Here is a look at the quilt top, I couldn’t get it all in as it was raining today and so I had to take the pictures inside.

Diane Customer Quilt-1

You can’t really see the quilting in this photo however it does show off the design of the quilt top nicely.

Diane Customer Quilt-9

This picture shows the quilting better. I am really happy with the way it turned out and I am hoping my customer will be too.

I have heard Angela Walters say in the craftsy classes I have taken of hers that if you make a few mistakes or some bobbles that are OK but not perfect when you get the quilt off of the frame you will never notice them. I have found this to be so true. When you are working on just 10 inches at a time you are so aware of every stitch that is just not quite as perfect as you would like. Once you get the quilt off of the frame and you look at the overall effect it always amazes me of how wonderful it always turns out.

My client choose an Ikea fabric for the back and I think it is budgies. It looks really cool though and you could almost use this as a two sided quilt if you so chose.

Well on to the next quilt which will be leaves again but this time quilted in purple. I haven’t decided whether I want that one as meander quilting such as above or something a little looser like a leaf with a loop de loop. I will figure it out once the quilt top is on the frame.

Meanwhile happy quilting!

Getting Ready for Art Quest

Well things have been busy around here this week. I have now completed making the Inspiration Journals for the upcoming Art Quest Show and Sale at my church. Here is a picture of more of the journals I have made.

Art Quest Journals

They have all turned out very nicely and I have actually sold 3 of the journals before the sale has even started. These are really fun to make. The only downside is you can’t really sell them for the time involved to make them. My plan is to create a written pattern and also to post some how to videos so people can start to make their own if they want to. I will hopefully have that posted in the next month.

I have another finished quilt (yeah), one that has been sitting in my “to be quilted pile”.

Asian Sampler Quilt-6

This one I have simply called Asian Sampler for lack of inspiration at this moment. A few years ago I had made a Border Creek Mystery quilt and it called for making all of these small 6 inch sampler blocks. The mystery had two sizes queen and a bed runner. Well I turned the bed runner into a lap quilt but I only needed about half of these little 6 inch blocks which meant I had all of these blocks left over. What to do with these blocks? Design and make another quilt! So that is what I did, I love blocks on point so I used mostly fabrics from my stash however I did end up buying fabric for the border.

I had fun quilting this quilt although I have to be honest and am not totally happy with my choices for the border. I used a matching metallic thread and you can’t see it at all. I used the same metallic thread in the green plan squares with a stenciled quilting design and I am very happy how that turned out.

The quilt is Cocoa approved too!Cocoa on Quilt 2

I was sewing on the binding and had to get up to get something so I placed the quilt on the floor for less than 3 minutes. When I came back look who had crawled on it and made himself comfortable. What is it about quilts on the floor that dogs and cats like so much?

This afternoon I am off with my Mom to pick up my Aunt and Uncle from the airport as they are flying in from Kamloops to visit my Mom for a week. It will be good to see them. Tomorrow is helping set up the church for Art Quest and Saturday will be volunteering all day at the show.

Hope to see you at the show on Saturday June 4, 2016, 1600 Cook St, corner of Cook and Mason enter by the garden gate off Mason St. It is from 10 am until 5 pm.

A Special Art Studio Visit

Last Wednesday afternoon I had a very special treat. I got the chance to visit one of my church members art studio along with two of my friends. It was the studio of Alan Thompson who is 90 years old and has been making art for many years. My friends and I were privileged to see a studio filled with wonderful treasures and the walls filled with both Alan’s art and others that he has collected over the years. It was especially wonderful to hear some of the stories that went along with the art and treasures.

Alan Thompson Studio-10

The above is a photo of Alan standing in front of just one of his walls of art. A lifetime of work!.

Alan Thompson Studio

Here is a look at a work in progress. Alan made his living as a draftsman and created art in his spare time. He is still creating art to this day.

Alan Thompson Studio-7

Another corner of the studio.

Alan Thompson Studio-9

Some more of his work. I loved the black, white and red sketch.

Alan will have some of his work available for sale at the Art Quest Show and Sale, Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 166 Cook Street, Victoria BC. This is on the corner of Cook and Mason and the entrance is through the garden gate.

Thank you Alan for opening your home and studio to us. It was a wonderful afternoon and I’m looking forward to seeing your work for sale on Saturday.

 

 

Inspiration Journals

My church is having a fund raising event called Art Quest where they have different artists showcase their work and have items for sale. My partner is a very good artist and musician so he will be showcasing some of his work. It will be held at 1600 Cook St in Victoria BC on June 4, 2016 from 10am until 5:pm.

In light of the above and because I wanted to do something fun I decided to make some journals and have them for sale. I had made one years ago but there wasn’t any pattern just someone showing me how so I had to figure out how to make the journals from scratch. I did manage to figure it out and have started writing down how I did it (so I can remember for next time). I will post the instructions once I have fleshed them out and made them look pretty.

Here is one that I have finished. I thread painted the sunflowers and then quilted around all the flowers in gold metallic thread.

Inspiration Journal

Inspiration Journal-2

This is what they look like once the quilting has been finished. I used Pellon (not sure which one) stiff interfacing so the journal will keep its shape.

Inspiration Journal-3

I don’t quilt these on the long arm these are quilted using my Janome Horizon which I keep set up for free motion quilting smaller projects.

These are a lot of fun to make! I am in the process of making a few more, there will be frogs, and butterflies as well. Those are still works in progress. I will show pictures of them once they are finished.

Happy Quilting