I love how this one is looking. It’s about 35 x 35 inches, and the straight line quilting is just under 1 inch apart. All that’s left to do is the binding, which will be black. I plan to post the completely finished quilt tomorrow, and I’ll enter it in the Modern Quilt Guild Riley Basics challenge.
I’m linking up to these sites, where you can see many creative projects:
Send to KindleMy Riley Blake quilt doesn’t look a lot different than it did last week, but the piecing is almost complete.
I’m linking up with these blogs for WiP Wednesday. Click on the buttons below to see all the creative people participating and check out the projects they’re working on. (I missed the deadline for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced, but check it out anyway.)
My entry for the VMQG/Modern Quilt Guild Riley Blake Basics challenge is progressing nicely. I knew I wanted to do another circle quilt, using similar techniques that I used in this quilt. After many sketches, I settled on this design.
I drew the pattern on freezer paper, then cut each template out and pressed it to the back of the fabric. I used 2 techniques to join the pieces – some of the seams have raw edges that will be covered with bias tape, some of the seam allowances were pressed over the freezer paper template then top-stitched over the adjacent piece.
The right side is sewn together, except the 2 orange corner pieces. The left side hasn’t been sewn at all yet.
I’m linking up with these blogs for WiP Wednesday. Click on the buttons below to see all the creative people participating and check out the projects they’re working on.
I stumbled across this wonderful design wall a few weeks ago. It’s two-sided, it stands up straight by itself, and it’s on wheels! It’s made from two pieces on styrofoam attached to a rolling coat rack. I contacted Lynne to ask if it was still working for her. She confirmed that it’s standing up well, and even gave me some construction tips.
This is exactly what I need! I have no bare walls in my quilt studio, so my existing design wall leans against a wall of cupboards. It is moveable, but still needs to be propped against something. Also, because it’s inconvenient to move the design wall around, I’m not using the space behind it very efficiently.
My rolling folding table fits into a cubbyhole behind the design wall. For quite a while, the rolling table just sat in it’s cubbyhole because it was a hassle to get it out. Then, after I made an ironing mat to fit the top of it, I moved it out into the studio. But now it never goes back into its cubbyhole, and the shelf behind the design wall has become a dumping ground for fabric scraps.
I finally got all the materials and tools together, and assembled my new design wall this weekend. Now that I can wheel the wall around, I’ll be able to access and utilize the shelf and cupboards currently behind the design wall. In the photo on the left, the new design wall is standing in the usual place. In the photo on the right, it’s standing next to the usual place.
I decided to cover one side with light gray fabric, and the other with dark gray. The photos above show the light gray side. Below, you can see the dark gray side, and a close-up photo of both sides with the end of the coat rack poking out.
I’m planning to document my construction methods in a tutorial, but I want to wait a couple of weeks to make sure it all stays together and doesn’t require any modifications.
I’m linking up to these sites, where you can see many creative projects:
My entry for this month’s Quilting Arts Magazine ‘In the Garden’ Reader Challenge is finished and has been submitted. It was a lot of fun to recreate the effect of the sun and shadows on the clump of iris leaves, using a very limited color palette of fabric and thread.
Here’s a peak at how I constructed it. I did most of the machine stitching before I quilted the piece. This allowed me to stitch the background leaves before fusing on the foreground leaves. Plus, I didn’t have to bury all those thread ends! After layering it with batting and backing, I quilted around the edges of the 4 foreground leaves.
Next up will be my entry for the Modern Quilt Guild Riley Basics challenge. VMQG members received a package of 6 fat eighths at our December meeting. I’ve been debating exactly what to do for my entry, as I have several ideas and not much fabric. At our meeting Monday night, I scored an extra bundle (some members decided not to participate, so there were leftover bundles). Now I only have to narrow it down to two ideas, instead of just one!
I’m linking up with these blogs for WiP Wednesday. Click on the buttons below to see all the creative people participating and check out the projects they’re working on.
For this month’s Quilting Arts Magazine ‘In the Garden’ Reader Challenge, I was initially thinking of a flower garden with bright colors – but I just wasn’t getting inspired. So I went to my image collection and found this photo I took a couple of years ago of a clump of iris leaves in the sun. I love the light and dark patterns created by the sun and shadows.
Then I found this beautiful fabric in my stash – it has a gradation from dark to light green. It’s the fabric on the top, folded so you can see all the different shades of green. On the bottom are several coordinating solid and tone-on-tone green fabrics. I’m excited about using this limited color palette to make an art quilt. It’s going to be almost completely about value – ensuring there is enough difference in value so the leaves can be distinguished from each other.
I’ll enhance the foreground leaves with thread work, and I’m going to experiment with tulle over the leaves in the back, so they will fade into the background and make the scene appear more three-dimensional.
Here’s what I’ve done so far. I like how it’s looking.
I’m linking up with these blogs for WiP Wednesday. Click on the buttons below to see all the creative people participating and check out the projects they’re working on.
I started working on this little quilt earlier this week. It’s finished and ready to ship to the SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk Show.
I was originally going to finish the edges with a facing, but then I realized it will be mounted on a black background, so I used a dark gray binding instead.
I’m linking up to these sites, where you can see many creative projects:
This is my first blog post of 2014, so HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!
I’m making this little quilt for the SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk Show. It needs to get to the show coordinator by January 31st and I’m sending it from Canada, so I have to allow additional shipping time for possible customs delays. So with a tight timeline, I decided to create yet another version of one of my favorite themes – Rainy Day People – rather than starting a new design from scratch.
I used some of the figures from my previous Rainy Day People quilts, and scaled the size to suit the 7 x 10 inch required size of this piece. The people and their umbrellas are fused to the background. I’ll outline the pieces with zigzag stitching, and then quilt the ‘rain’. I expect to have it finished and on its way by Friday.
I’m linking up with these blogs for WiP Wednesday. Click on the buttons below to see all the creative people participating and check out the projects they’re working on.
I just reviewed my accomplishments in 2012 and the goals I set for 2013. I’m very happy with my productivity.
In 2013, I made more than 20 quilts, had 15 art quilts accepted into quilt shows, and was published 7 times in magazines. I submitted a piece to the SAQA online auction for the first time, and participated in the Bloggers Quilt Festival.
I did 4 trunk show presentations and taught 2 workshops for local guilds. I added a tutorial section to my blog.
Here’s a collage of some of the quilts, and other things, I made in 2013. 
During 2013, my work was shown in the following quilt shows:
My work was published in these magazines and blogs:
My goal for the coming year is to continue doing more of the same, and to keep it interesting by searching out new exhibit opportunities, and incorporating new materials and techniques into my work.
I hope your goals – whatever they may be – bring you fun and satisfaction. And I wish you all a happy and creative 2014!
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what I’ve been up to in the past 12 months. Leave a comment and let me know what you accomplished in 2013, and what your goals are for 2014.
After a few days off to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, I got back into my studio on Friday.
The portrait quilt is finished, and on its way to my client. I’m very happy with how it looks. The finished size is approximately 14 x 12 inches, so the face is definitely larger than life-size. That meant more detail work than in a smaller portrait. I had a lot of fun working with the details in these beautiful blue eyes.
I’m linking up to these sites, where you can see many creative projects:
Terry Aske Art Quilt Studio
