Challenge Accepted -MQG

A couple of years ago I joined the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild. Since then I have enjoyed Guild meetings with presentations by both local and national fiber artists. I have seen many techniques presented that I was not familiar with. Large-scale fiber art displays, fabric weaving, extemporaneous piecing, appliqué techniques, indigo dyeing, and faces are just a few.

What I have most enjoyed in my Guild are seeing the challenge pieces completed by the members and opportunities to socialize and meet some of the talented, artistic people in my area. I have made so many new friends.

This year, I decided to accept one of the challenges; Riley Blake Spring 2018 Fabric Challenge.

If you signed up early enough, they sent you four fat eighths (9″x21″) from their “Riley Blake Basics” collection to create a quilted object of your choice. I challenged myself to make it completely from the fabric provided without buying additional fabric.

“Featured basics include Navy Mini Hashtag, Rose Gold Kisses, White Triangles and Navy Stripe.”

Today, I submitted my official entry online and we are encouraged to share on social media, so here is my plug… I really enjoyed participating! Free fabric. How could I go wrong? One way, I would get to hang in a booth, the other, I have an adorable new addition to my quilting studio!

Without further ado, here is my entry;

Feathered Photo Pop

The pattern is a take on the Binding Tool Star pattern by Missouri Star Quilt Company. By scaling it down even smaller than a mini binding tool, I was able to construct about a 14″ mini quilt from only four fat eighths, including the backing and binding.

I call it the “photo pop” because I inserted fabric photo corners in the seams of the center block. You can slip your favorite photograph into the corners for a quilted frame.

If you don’t want to use a photo, you can embroider or big stitch quilt in the center block.

I am excited about my pattern idea and can see other mini quilt patterns with this concept in my head.

Perhaps after the contest is over, I can post the pattern I have worked up. I can’t wait to work up a series of photo pops. They will be so much fun to hang in my studio throughout the year.

MADE.

10 Karat Gems

I started the year strong in Quilting.

I completed custom quilting on a Queen Size Swoon Quilt for my mother.
(Pictures later. She gets to show it off first!)
I completed piecing and quilting the King size Star Trek quilt (seen in this post.)
I pieced the backings, and quilted some quilts for a good cause.

Then, after all of that big stuff. I needed a couple of bite size projects. I had two small wall hangings pieced that just needed quilting.

I’ll post the first one here. Let’s call it Sewn Machine.

The is a paper piecing pattern, by Kristy @ Quiet Play, called “Geometric Sewing Machine Pattern”. I downloaded it from Craftsy HERE.

The pattern makes a 16″ block. I decided to border mine with crazy pieced sashing to mimic the many angles in the design. I used fabric from a layer cake, Wilmington Essentials line call Magic Colors 10 Karat Gems. I purchased it a couple of years ago because I loved the rainbow mix. They worked pretty well for this fractal design. I have plenty left for some coordinating work.

If you are used to foundation peicing, where they tell you how large to cut your pieces to begin with, you may have a slower start with this pattern. I call this freestyle paper peicing. You have to determine how large your piece needs to be. However, I do have a method to the madness. I really don’t mind it, and for other similar projects, this let me use extensivley from my scrap stash.

If you fold your paper back on the sew line, and work over a light box, you can better estimate the size of the fabric you need. Let me know if anyone would like a video demo.

I think all my new wall hanging needs is a hand embroidered needle and presser foot. Here is a peek at it hanging on my wall, along with my other finsihed project, A Kaffe Fassett dresden plate. They add some needed color to the area!

These gems are finished!

Boldly Sewn.

Whew, finished! Do you know that feeling?

This quilt was based on the zipper quilt that I saw in one of the Missouri Star Quilt Company’s Block magazines. You can watch Jenny Doan’s tutorial at the link below.

The Zipper Quilt – Quilting Made Easy

The main thing I changed was to start with 10″ squares (layer cakes) instead of charm packs. I used one layer cake and some Star Trek yardage that my husband and I stashed away over the last few years. The result is an extra long, king size, Star Trek zipper quilt.

A quilt of such Sci Fi magnitude screamed for a quilting design bolder than stipples, feathers, or simple geometrics. I decided to digitize a point to point command Insignia. With connected ends, every other one inverted, and nested the rows, the quilt has no top or bottom.

Admittedly I got carried away and had to remove one whole column before quilting so that I didn’t need to piece my backing and batting!

Sew Bold!

Stashing Fabric – A Retreat Especial?

My partner in crime, Kayla and I hosted our first ever quilt retreat in September for a group we formed from people we have met in the quilting community. For lack of a better name, we called ourselves the “Fabric Stashers”.

To tell you the truth, when we identified a location that had a minimum requirement of 10 people, we were not sure if we would be able to fill 10 spots since we are both newer to quilting. However, The Quilting Community is just that; A trusting, fun loving family! Our little retreat filled to our maximum of 15 fast, with a waitlist. I was amazed and daunted as I had never planned anything like this before.

We hosted the retreat at a remarkable bed and breakfast, the Blackberry Creek Retreat B&B in Rogersville, MO. If you have not visited, I highly recommend it. With location alone, we have set the bar high! (Thanks to one of our Fabrics Stasher’s, Cathie, for capturing some fun pics of the grounds! Can I make you the official photographer?)

After a 3.5 errrrrr, 7 hour?, road trip (including the stop(s) at quilt shops and delightful lunch stops on the route) we were greeted by the sight of this lovely retreat.

No one was brave enough to take a dip in the pond…

I did the best I could with planning, and if anything, overplanned. It turns out Quilters are pretty good at entertaining themselves!

Features of the 1st Annual Fabric Stasher Retreat;

Secret Sisters (a lead up to the retreat); Kayla Walker graciously organized this.
Themed T-Shirts for our group
Favors for a fun introduction & ice-breaker. I loved hearing everyone’s story. We were all rolling with laughter at points.
A Joint Charity Project with the KC Modern Quilt Guild, and our generous fabric donor, Massdrop
Some ladies participated in Saturday outings to a local quilt shop, Merrily We Quilt, and others to a local winery, Lambs & Vines, for wine tasting and a peek at the local wool yarn. (We even had a special treat of meeting the Innkeepers, Mark & Dixies, new twin grandsons!)
Show & Tell
A lively game of “Strip” poker
Goody Bags on the beds and Door Prizes donated by quilting industry business
Door prizes donated by members of the Fabrics Stasher Retreat
Two hand toile painted quilt racks donated by Tom McGowan @CivilTom.com
A Deb Tucker demo (Kayla Walker)
A demo of Cake Mixes for the charity event (Kayla Walker)
June Tailor Charming Circles Demo (@duelingthreads)
Sew Kind of Wonderful Quick Curve Demo (@duelingthreads)
Massages by a licensed massage therapist – The Therapeutic Touch
(I think some of us plan to stop through again just for a massage! Thanks Brandy.)
Fabulous breakfasts, dinners, and deserts! by our outstanding innkeeper, Mark!
Amish baked goods
And last but not least, sleep?… no, but

QUILTING!

In hindsight, we could have spent a little more time on the last one, but who could resist all of the other fun! I’m not posting any more photos here, but you might find them on Facebook and Instagram. The retreat was Sew Successful we have already set our date for next year… and have a waitlist! I received some constructive feedback from the ladies, and while next year will be scaled down slightly, it is sure to be another outstanding experience!

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

A Special THANK YOU to all of our quilting business and community supporters this year! Your generosity is not unnoticed.

180 Baby

This is known. A new baby, especially the first is a life changing, schedule changing, priority changing event. The smaller the package, the bigger the change! You might say life takes a 180-degree turn.

When I saw geometrics with these colors on a colleagues registry for their first child, I just couldn’t help it. Instead of well wishes of diapers, I couldn’t resist “just” making a quilt! The idea for “180 Baby” was born.

I was heading to a quilt retreat with the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild at the “Disneyland of Quilting”, Missouri Star Quilt Company. This quilt presented itself as a perfect excuse to shop and sew a project that I could finish fairly quickly. Another friend and colleague, Randy, thought it sounded fun and offered to go in on it with me, so we made it a dual gift.

I laid out the colors, and size ahead of time in EQ7 and was able to get an easy estimate of yardage required for each color. After applying colors in the expecting couple’s registry, I decided that it needed something extra. A “pop” of non-symmetrical color is used often in modern quilts, so I wasn’t surprised when I landed on the peachy-orange triangle and binding.

I had fun at MSQC Modern, and selected fabrics from Cotton+Steel, Timeless Treasures, Moda, Red Rooster Fabrics, Robert Kauffman, and Michael Miller. I don’t think that any two of the fabrics were from the same line. This was a very fun combination to select.

Triangles for this design were cut from 8 1/2″ strips using Jaybird Quilts Super Sidekick Ruler. I’m looking forward to making their pattern called “Gravity” later this year!

The only trick to tumbling these triangles is to make sure that you get the 1/4″ seam allowance accurate and line each up over the other before sewing. If you do this, then you will not cut off the points of the triangles when you sew your rows together.

The new design wall at the Missouri Star Quilt Company Retreat Center was a perfect canvas for laying everything out. I really enjoyed the weekend I spent with my wonderful Mom! Here are some pics soon after we arrived. Ignore my mug, and take a look at the new design wall. Also, if you look above, you can see details of the restored original ceiling tiles of the building. I love how MSQC uses some of the existing architecture when possible to add historic interest to the main street buildings!

I was able to finish the top late the first evening, and then worked on the back early the next morning. My friends at the retreat snapped some images of my reveal. I laughed when one friend said “What happens if we like the backside better than the front?”. The back was put together with yardage and leftover triangles.

After bringing it home, I quilted it on my longarm. The batting is 100% cotton Dream Angel. I used a larger spaced quilt design to keep it soft and cuddly. The finished quilt is a little larger than a typical crib quilt, but would be perfect for a day at the park, or snuggles with dad… Congratulations Daren on your new baby girl!