PMQG Block Challenge 2012

In March, members of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild received a challenge by Michael Miller to use their new Cotton Couture line of gorgeous, silky smooth solid fabrics and make a block. Members were given 8 fat eights from which a block 15½” wide x 18½” high was made. Blocks were turned in at the April meeting ... aren't they cool!

PMQG Michael Miller Challenge Blocks

Here's the block I made:

It was great fun and the Couture Cottons are lovely! They are silky smooth, lustrous and soft without being stretchy.

What is to be done with all these blocks? Well ... Kathy Miller will select 16 blocks to be made into a quilt they will feature at Spring Quilt Market in their booth in Kansas City. Kathy has a tough job ahead of her as well over 40 blocks were submitted. Remaining blocks will be made into a PMQG-collective quilt that will hopefully be shown in the Sisters Quilt Show in July. Any blocks remaining after *that* will be made into charity quilts so all will be well used.

Click to see:  Michael Miller's Cotton Couture Line

The colors chosen for the PMQG block challenge are:

Fog, Meadow, Clementine, Luna (row 1)

Charcoal, Kryptonite, Tangerine, Aqua (row 2)

 

Free Motion Quilting Post by Elizabeth Hartman

Be sure and check out the excellent article Elizabeth Hartman posted to her blog with tips on free motion quilting larger quilts with your home sewing machine. Here's a picture of the quilt she discusses in the article:

Xylophone Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman

Click through to her blog to see the entire quilt, front and back. Her blog is one I read and enjoy regularly.

Elizabeth's new book, Modern Patchwork, will be available in June from amazon. I can hardly wait!

The Cancer Roller Coaster

I haven't written about Benny, our 12 year old golden retriever, for quite some time. Progressing through a cancer diagnosis and subsequent medical care is quite an emotional roller coaster, a road far too many of us know far too well. The highs can be near heavenly as good news must certainly be reveled in. And the lows ... well, they can be all too wrenching.

In January, we received great and sad news:  Benny was officially designated in clinical remission for the oral melanoma diagnosed back in December 2010 ... yea! Nearly in the same breath, a tumor was discovered on his left shoulder. We thought it likely a metastasis of the melanoma but no ... it turned out to be an unrelated cancer ... hemangiosarcoma.

Harry and I constantly endeavor to make decisions we hope are wise and that emphasize quality of life over longevity. With mixed feelings, we have proceeded with IV chemotherapy for Benny in hopes of slowing down tumor growth. The first treatment was somewhat rough for Benny (intestinal distress ... enough said about that) ... but the second treatment has gone far better as the oncologists at Oregon State sent us home armed with two anti-nausea meds and an antibiotic targeted for the gastrointestinal system.

Benny, affectionately called their "miracle golden" by the oncologists at OSU, is tired for several days after each chemo treatment, but so far has bounced back within a week, as you can see from this photo of Benny and Frankie in the snow:

Benny (left) and Frankie

Growing up in Tennessee, snow typically meant surprise play days of no school. So long as I don't have to drive, I still feel euphoric when those big, beautiful flakes fall!

Frankie ... throw the next snowball!

Frankie ... rolling, rolling, rolling!

Benny loves the snow too, but not quite so much as Frankie who is utterly mad for it. The shaved patch on Benny's shoulder is from a biopsy surgery. The oncologists had hoped to remove the HAS tumor but it was already too involved in the shoulder joint, thus inoperable, hence the chemo approach. 

Handsome Benny

 ... and speaking of handsome boys, here is a picture of Z, our strictly indoors-only kitty who far prefers to view the snow (or rain, birds, squirrels etc) from his scratching post. He is 2 years old now and has shown absolutely no interest in going outside. He does have rather beautiful blue eyes, doesn't he?

Z admiring the snow from his cozy, indoor scratching post

Z hasn't quite forgiven us for bringing an uncouth, uncivilized, overly enthusiastic golden retriever puppy into our lives. Alas and finally, Z has given up all hope that Nickel is visiting ... almost a year later, Z reluctantly tolerates Nickel who simply doesn't understand how to respect a kitty properly. Will he ever learn?

It turns out, Nickel, like Frankie, is utterly mad for the snow. On this particular snow day, however, Nickel was playing with his pals at doggy day care. He simply has more energy than all the rest of his household members combined ... and we all love Nickel so much more when he is, well ... tired!

Nickel (3 months old) sleeping on step

 

Nickel (1 year) sleeping on same step

I will post some photos of quilts I am working on soon ... hope you are all well and happy!

Learn to Quilt I Winter 2012

Despite late spring snow here in the Pacific Northwest, a wonderful group of women completed the Learn to Quilt class last week at the Pine Needle. I am so pleased and proud to show some photos of their work!

Diane chose a bright green paisley print for her feature fabric. The "quilt bug" totally snared Diane:  she came to class 3 (of 5) with her quilt top nearly finished ... then in class 4, Diane brought 6 pillowcases she made to go with her quilt that will go on a day bed in her home. I especially enjoy the way the 4-patch fabrics dance happily across the quilt top along with the cheerful fabrics she chose for her borders.

Diane's Quilt Top

Lynn chose an Asian dragonfly print for her feature fabric. The rich gold background fabric shows off the blue dragonfly fabric while the bright pink squares add excitement! I understand that a visitor fell in love with Lynn's quilt and is the lucky recipient of her quilt. Meanwhile, I am hoping for a photo ... with borders ... so I can share with all of you.

Lynn's Quilt ... work in progress

Due to the snow, schools opened on a delayed schedule so Kathy wasn't able to come to class 5. Here are her quilt blocks as she was sewing the rows of blocks together. Isn't it fascinating how different the same pattern looks interpreted with different fabrics? The background fabric she chose is a small scale cream and beige floral ... a perfect complement for her feature fabric ... along with the soft gold and red she chose for her 4-patch blocks.

Kathy's Quilt ... work in progress

Nancy chose teal, cream and brown batiks for her quilt. As we auditioned borders, there wasn't enough distinction between the outer and middle borders so Nancy added a narrow border of brown ... which sets off her quilt beautifully ... especially lovely with the softer teal inner border.

Nancy's Quilt - Front

And check out the backing for her quilt ... Nancy used leftover scraps to make the bands of vertical strips, bordered with the soft teal she used in the front. Yea Nancy!

Nancy's Quilt - Back

Stephanie chose a black, white and red color scheme for her quilt. As she auditioned her middle and outer borders, she decided the flying geese in the corners looked too traditional for the clean, crisp feeling of her contemporary quilt. She decided  to leave off the flying geese but added a narrow red border to bring out the red in her quilt top ... a perfect accent! Stephanie had enough scraps to make a second, smaller quilt which she brought to class 5. She designed it herself using 4-patch, plain and improvisationally pieced blocks. Go Stephanie go!

Stephanie's Quilt

Stephanie's Second Quilt

Coincidentally, Elizabeth and Kathy chose the same feature fabric for their quilts. Elizabeth's choices of coordinating fabrics really bring out the blue colors in the feature fabric illustrating that even when the same feature fabrics are used, you can make the quilt your own with the colors you want to emphasize or subdue. The narrow blue border Elizabeth added clearly defines the middle and outer borders as well as emphasizes the blues in her star and 4-patch blocks. Beautiful!

Elizabeth's Quilt

Sandi's quilt will be a gift for her daughter so she was always thinking of her and the colors she likes best as she made fabric choices throughout the construction of her quilt. I love the glow of the cream background in the center and the way the pink and buttery yellow bring out the flowers in the star and outer border fabrics ... and I think Sandi did a fabulous job choosing fabrics that convey the emotions she intended in the quilt ... a warm, snuggly quilt for her daughter.

Sandi's Quilt

Sue chose Fabric Freedom's recent stained glass print of blue poppies and iris. Wow ... stunning fabrics! The medium and dark blue fabrics she used in the 4-patch blocks complement the poppy fabric beautifully. Sue also added a narrow, dark blue border between the middle and outer borders to sharply delineate those. Otherwise, the two busy prints would blend visually. The bright green she used in the inner border, along with the cream background, gives the quilt light and excitement.

Sue's Quilt

Somehow, I missed getting a photo of Val's work but hope to get a photo to share as Val finishes up her quilt. I am very proud of these women and their work! I believe that a pattern, like a recipe, is a starting place so I absolutely love it when students are willing to really look at their quilts and, when called for, go beyond the pattern's instructions.

As a teacher, there are many moments to savor and enjoy throughout a "beginning" class ... I get to see:

• quilts emerge from initial uncertainty and occasional confusion
• confidence grow
• very special moments when a new quilter gets utterly hooked!

LOVE Quilt and Exciting News

First, the exciting news! Remember back in July when I posted this picture of four small quilts that might possibly be included in Jean Wells' new book?

Well, here's the exciting news ... a card from Jean:

Yippee! I cannot wait to see Jean's new book and am so honored to be a tiny part of it. She is an amazing teacher!

I just finished the class sample for "LOVE is in the Air", a class I am teaching this spring at the Pine Needle:

I love everything about this pattern (by Tula Pink), from the whimsical letters to the quilting and multi-color binding. I quilted it as shown in the pattern because I thought the quilting design by Angela Walters was fabulous. A collaboration between the two of them, the "rays" in the light gray areas were Tula Pink's idea and the pebbles Angela's idea. 

The quilt will be at the Pine Needle open house Friday and Saturday, January 13 and 14. Hope to see you there!

Happy New Year 2012 - A Year in Free Motion

A couple of exciting free motion projects are kicking off that I'd like to share with you ... so 2012 could be, if you are interested, a year of Free Motion! What a terrific opportunity to practice regularly. I am practicing too ... definitely doing the Free Motion Challenge ... once a month seems doable. I also plan to participate as much as possible in Leah Day's "Quilt Along". I know I'll be too busy some weeks to stitch them all, but knowing Leah's work, there will be tons of great information and ideas to inspire all of us.


Free Motion Challenge 2012


Arden sent me the information on the Free Motion Challenge 2012 from SewCalGal. Thank you Arden! Here is the description:

"Every month in 2012 a FMQ expert will share a tutorial with tips to help quilters learn and/or improve their free-motion quilting skills.  Insights will also be shared about this expert (e.g. quilting background, insights on books/dvds that they may have created, teaching schedule, etc.).  The focus is on inspiring others to learn and have fun doing free-motion quilting.  Each FMQ Expert  will also sponsor a giveaway whereby they may donate a book/dvd that they've created, thread, fabric, a quilt that they made, or some other item appropriate for a quilter.  Quilting participants that complete the challenge in the respective month will be entered to win that giveaway."

Leah Day's Free Motion Quilt Along


Each week in 2012, Leah Day is going to post a design that we can practice that week. The Free Motion Quilt Along is her newest endeavor. If you are familiar with her previous project, Leah embarked on a challenge to stitch a new design every day for a year. She has completed all 365 free motion designs complete with video and clear instructions.


The 365 designs are all stitched in a 4-inch square. Her focus this year to to quilt on a larger scale. I hope to stitch as many of these as I can!

I hope you'll join me in practicing free motion stitching this year. Best wishes for happy quilting in 2012!

Pine Needle Winter-Spring 2012 Catalog

The Pine Needle's Winter-Spring 2012 catalog is here! It's in the mail and should be arriving in your mailbox soon. Here's a photo of the cover:

Winter-Spring 2012 Catalog

Of course I adore all the new fabrics from Marcia Derse ... she is one of my absolute favorite designers these days! I am loving the new designs by Metropolitan Quilts (Milan and Valencia especially) ... and the new "Antique Rose" Block of the Month that will start in May ... one of the best BOM quilts I've ever seen!

And then there's the Lemoyne Star workshop that Maggie is teaching ... if you are at all interested in stitching Lemoyne Stars, the ruler from Deb Tucker makes it so much easier!

New flannel quilts that I love are Timberline and Hearth and Home.

The catalog has has three quick and easy projects that can be made in an afternoon or a day:

• French Journal Quilt
• Sunflower Showcase Wall Hanging ... I wrote the pattern instructions for this one so let me know how it goes! This pattern features the gorgeous sunflower print and a two-color binding.
• Paris Postale Wall Hanging ... I also wrote these pattern instructions and definitely appreciate hearing from you.

Enjoy!

2011 Holiday Project Inspiration

I am inspired by the frenzy of holiday creativity happening these days. Pink Chalk Studio is sharing a "Countdown to Christmas" that I've particularly been enjoying. I love Allie Kat Mom's "Oh Christmas Tree" quilt:

Oh Christmas Tree by Allie Kat Mom

The quilt is made of half square triangles, plain squares and a star block at the top of the tree. I think it would look great in shades of green with an occasional red half square triangle. The simple, parallel quilting lines look great!


You can find detailed instructions for making this quilt here.


I am also loving Amanda Jean's square Christmas Tree skirt:

Amanda Jean's Christmas Tree Skirt

Amanda Jean, Crazy Mom Quilts, posted a terrific step-by-step tutorial for making the Christmas Tree Skirt on her blog.


Are any of you familiar with Ed Emberley? He is an artist and author of numerous drawing books ... here are just a few:


Drawing Book of Animals
Drawing Book of Trucks and Trains
BIG GREEN Drawing Book


Cloud 9 is introducing a line of fabrics (February 2012) inspired by his Drawing Book of Animals and I can hardly wait! I especially love the lion print ... can't help it as I am a Leo ...

Lions and Tigers by Cloud 9

... but the elephant print is darling too!

Elephants by Cloud 9

Enjoy!

Free eBook 4 Modern Quilt Blocks from Quilting Arts

Quilting Arts magazine has put together another free eBook:  Quilt Squares for Modern Quilters, 4 Free Quilt Block Patterns. I especially like "Rubik's Crush" by Ashley Newcomb ...

Rubik's Crush

... and "Birdhouse Rock" by Tina Givens ...

Birdhouse Rock

Birdhouse Rock Line Drawing

Can't wait to try these!

Click here to check out all their free eBooks:  Quilting Arts' eBooks. I found "Free Motion Machine Quilting" and "How to Bind a Quilt" especially good. Enjoy ... and a big thank you to Quilting Arts for publishing these eBooks! 

Learn to Quilt Fall 2011

The Fall 2011 Learn to Quilt class finished up last week. I am so proud and want to share their beautiful quilts with all of you. Please let me know if I got any of your names mixed up ... and if I did, I am so sorry. I will always remember your face (and your quilt)!


Lori is a girl on a mission! Her quilt will be a cherished gift. Not only did she finish her quilt top, she quilted it herself! 

Front of Lori's Quilt

Lori used up scraps and pieced the back!

Here is Ann's quilt ... look what a beautiful job she did matching the directional print in the outer border! The warm yellow middle border sets off the red geese ... and the soft green inner border looks great.

Ann's Quilt

One of Catherine's goals was to step outside her color comfort zone and use brighter, bolder colors. Her quilt is sunny and joyful ... and the red inner border sets it off beautifully.

Catherine's Quilt

Heather used softer colors in her quilt and decided to make the inner, striped border a little bit narrower so it sets off the center without overpowering the quilt. She is binding her quilt with the striped fabric cut on the bias ... I think that will be the perfect finish for her quilt!

Heather's Quilt

Noelle's quilt is a gift for her daughter. Aren't these soft, romantic colors beautiful? The soft blues for the stars and flying geese read clearly ... not easy to achieve when using a close range of values. Noelle used diagonal seams in her outer border to minimize their visibility.

Noelle's Quilt

Susan's quilt is made from beautiful, fall colors. The middle border of her fabric uses two directional prints. She did a great job orienting her fabrics so the subtle stripe in the brown fabric is consistent and the lines of dots in the taupe print flow visually.  

Susan's Quilt

Congratulations! I am thrilled and so very proud of you all.