Quilt ALong # 29 Add a heart for a new look

Quilt Along #29  not only is a review of 5 fmq patterns, but it included an addition of a shape to the pattern, thereby creating a whole new look to the design. 

The shape we added this week is a heart, however, any shape that fit your project or fabric pattern could be added.   If you look closely at the loopy line pattern, my last design I added to this sample, I added little loops to the bottom of the hearts making it look like a little bow at the bottom of the heart.   I do like this addition to the hearts in the loopy design.

Thanks Leah!

UFO Sunday 2 finishes

September 2 , 2012
UFO Sunday ~

Two finishes....

First, the shower curtain that I posted photos of last week, well, it is now hanging up, and I love it.  I would like to attach some seashells onto the curtain hooks, but that is a project for another day. 

The second finish is I made a bath mat from more of the same fabrics, and quilted it, and it now hangs in the shower when not in use!  You can read about it and see photos on my previous blogpost for my quilt along with Leah # 28. 

I have a few other accessories for the bathroom started, and a few others in mind, but those are for another day. 

Thank you for reading my post.
Godspeed,
mary

QA #28 Auditioning Designs

August 31, 2012 

Quilt Along #28 Auditioning Designs

This weeks QA with Leah, (you wouldn't know her computer was still at the repair shop), we continued on this week with another great lesson~ how to audition designs to go in your project.

 

I am working on quilting accessories for my newly renovated bathroom, I finished making/designing a UFO shower curtain, it will be posted tomorrow in the UFO Sundays with Leah.    So this weeks quilt along project, designing a bath mat, and auditioning which FMQ designs to go on it!

 

I chose to audition shells , pebbles, swirls, lines, and stippling patterns.  My theme fabric is an ocean scene.  I drew out the design of my quilt, then sketched in different patterns in different areas of the mat. 

 

I settled on swirls, which reminded me of the snail shaped seashells in the fabric, and a clamshell pattern.  I did the swirls random, and the clamshells I used blue painters tape, cut out the shape and stitched around the tape, going line by line, moving the tape as I went. 

 

 

 

I made three tiny buttonholes, and put 3 suction cups with hooks on my showerstall wall, and there our bathmat hangs, ready to be in use with the next shower.

 There is a rubber grip fabric on the backing (the fabric you use for the bottom of baby feety pajamas), and cotton batt in the middle for absorbency.  I used a layer of tissue paper (for gift wrapping) on the back so the grippers would slide over my supreme slider .  The paper is so thin it tore off very easily. 

I bound it in a dark brown bias binding and stitched the back by hand.  Off to work on more accessories...

Thank you for viewing my blog.  Each week I am learning and reviewing skills, and enjoying sharing my progress with you.   Thanks Leah… see you on Sunday at the UFO posting.

Godspeed,
mary

UFO Sunday ~ Shower curtain

I have been collecting these fabrics to make a shower curtain for our bathroom since Spring, not sure how best to arrange them.  I have been "quilting in glass" with my husband this summer, as we have been tiling our bathroom. 

Here are some photos of the fabrics ~ I had such a hard time deciding how to use them... Finally this week it hit.... I would create a strip across the top of the curtain using the pattern we used in the small tiles, squares on point and quarter square triangles... then to add some piping...

That is what I am working on today~ hope to have a finish soon!  Although I love the fabrics, seashell theme, will be so glad to have it off the design wall ....

These home dec fabrics don't handle as nice as the 100% cottons.   Once done, then on to bath accessories.

August FMQ Challenge Wendy Sheppard

Thank you Wendy Sheppard for leading us in the FMQ Challenge for August.  I have enjoyed seeing your work and your website! 

It was fun to learn the Jester Hat pattern!  I can see it in my minds eye appearing on many future quilted projects.  I really liked your color coded examples of the pattern, it certainly helped to see where the pattern has been and where to go next!

Thank you Wendy for participating in the challenge :) 

Thank you Sew Cal Gal!

Godspeed,
mary

QA #27 How to store your quilt

QA # 27 How to store your quilt

Although Leah Day had a computer malfunction, she still found a way to provide us with a quilt-along for the week.  Thank you Leah! 

I had just purchased a noodle last month to do this very project for my whole-cloth feather wall hangings we made in an earlier quilt along.  I made 4 small wall quilts having in mind that  3 of them were for gifts.  My plan was to roll them on a covered noodle, but love the idea of a sleeve!

The sleeve also provides for these three Christmas gifts to be wrapped way before Christmas!  Once I pick up another noodle, I will get this third one wrapped up in no time.  I took a shortcut and cut the end of the sleeves with pinking sheers and tied the extra fabric into a knot.

Question for you Leah?  Do you ever pin your quilts to the noodle, or does the tautness of the sleeve keep the quilt tight on the roll?

Another finish this week for me was my Applique quilt.  It is all done on my domestic sewing machine in FMQ, and the beadwork is all done by hand. 

I designed the pillowtop especially to fit our pillows, without tucking in, which allows the garland border to remain smooth without ripples.  

  I also did some special features on the corners in order for the gentle drape where the blue bows are.

One of the blocks is my own design, while the others are from an Eleanor Burns QIAD pattern.

Godspeed,

Mary

QA# 26 Painting a Quilt

QA week #26  Painting a Quilt

Thank you Leah for this weeks Lesson….  Earlier this year I had made a small wall quilt, "Twister", and I love the colors of the fabrics I chose for the Fall.  However, I used a Large sunflower on black background for one of the twister fabrics as well as a border fabric choice.  Not a good choice for this pattern.

 When I twisted it  the light colored center of the quilt no longer was visible, as it all blended together leaving the twisted pinwheels to not show up very well.  I tried embellishing with some needlework, and it helped, but this weeks QA had me decide to cover the bright yellow sunflowers and this idea really  helped the center twisted pinwheel pop.

Here is the catch, my oil paint sticks did not have a black, and my fabric dye liquid paint had dried up, so I did the next best thing, no I did not use permanent marker, but I chose a fabric crayon and although it did not completely cover the sunflowers, it allowed the flowers to recede enough so the center twist pops. 

 This winter scene photo is my quilt I painted with oil sticks on plain muslin fabric.  When it was dry, I quilted it!  It is my favorite of all my quilts that I have kept for myself thus far!  Love using paint sticks on fabric, still so soft! and the paint sticks don't dry out!  Just peel off the skin layer and they are ready to go.  I have had these oil sticks for over 20 years, and they still work! I learned these painting techniques from Jackie Paton.   Jackie has a fantastic fabric line you can buy similar style panels and fabrics ~ her wedding panel a few years ago was my favorite, I purchased three of them when they came out and made quilts for my adult children when they married (1 more to go). If you don't want to paint your own you can find her fabrics in quilt stores ~ I believe they are part of the Red Rooster line.

Thanks again Leah ~ Loved seeing you with your little boy in the QA video!  James is adorable! 

Godspeed,

mary