Shameless Promotion for Amy

Being a quilter kind of gets you into a "club" of sorts where other quilters, no matter your skill level, always remember you when there is a sewing evening afoot.  

This is Amy.  I stole this pic from her blog.

I Met Amy about three years ago through church.  She learned that I quilt and periodically, when her husband is out of town or camping with the boy scouts, she hosts a sewing night.  These events are always full of ladies, sewing projects and yummy snacks.  We settle in with our various projects and give each other feedback.  I have met so many wonderful ladies through these evenings.  Amy always passes on her well used magazines or random scraps that she is getting rid of "gives away prizes" at the end of the night.  Generally there is a charity quilt for people to learn on.

About 4 months ago Amy emailed me and asked me to help edit a book wrote.  I felt honored that she would ask me for help.  At first, I thought she asked me to edit grammar and text.  But NOO!  Amy wanted my feedback on the explanations and clarity of her instructions.  I guess she needed a quilter who is a bit "dangerous". I can get myself in a quilting pickle, but am not always the best at getting out of said pickle.

Amy's Book Frazzled Fancies

 Amy truly has the mind of a quilter.  She took the pages for each topic and taped them together in a long column.  Her tutorial for her Frazzled Fancies blocks were deliberate and easy to understand.  She didn't waste an inch of space on the page and references many pictures to help readers and quilters understand how to make the block.  The best thing about Amy's method is her creative use of materials, and her attitude about quilting.  She believes that mistakes are going to happen, and precision quilting isn't the only way to quilt.

Check out her blog and etsy store! 

 

Deanna's Dresden Quilt Top Finish

I am so very excited about this finish.  I started working on this quilt last spring.  I wanted a color scheme that I loved and I found this fabric.  It is floral without being super girly and included my favorite colors - orange, yellow, and navy.  I started collecting fabrics based on these colors.  

Inspiration Fabric

My goal with this project was to do it in steps and not skip ahead and make a block and then start over again to make the second block.  I started by cutting out 600 dresden blades, and then chain piecing them.  I then trimmed the seam allowance and docked the corner to create the point.  I used my scissors to turn the point.  I then starched the dickens out of the points and threw them in a box.  Every couple of days or so I would cut a 12.5 inch square, pick out my blades, sew the dresden and appliqued it.  

I admit I got sick of making all those blades day after day.  I wasn't super gentle and ended up poking through some of the points.  Some of the I would work on this project when the mood struck, but I didn't stick with it until it was completed.  It was nice to not place pressure on myself to get it done.  I enjoyed taking my time and creating.

Well, I worked and worked - and ran out of blades.  I was three blocks short. I got super frustrated! I put off the rest of the blocks for some time and then after a few months, I decided to bite the bullet and cut the rest of my blades.  I decided I would make two non-pointed dresdens, just for fun.  I also cut one set of blades shorter than the others to vary the look of the dresdens.

Uh Oh one extra block

 I chose to use the same fabric for the center of each dresden.  I wanted each block to look like it could stand on it's own and also "go" with the other blocks. I think that the middles give a place for they eyes to rest.  

With the remaining yellow fabric, I cut 2.5 inch strips and added a thin border.  For some reason, I don't like the look of blocks without some sort border.  I think it makes me mad because the points get lost.

Ignore the pile of fabric and batting in the right corner

I like how this quilt looks different from different angles

The VERY bestest part of this whole project is that I found 5 yards of vintage navy floral at a thrift shop.  I got the whole piece for 8 bucks!!!  

I plan on using the left over Kona Tangerine or Kona Sunset (perhaps wrong name) for the binding.  I plan on using the extra block and left over to widen the back.

Steal of the Year! (2014)

Once again I am at a loss of how to quilt this one.  I don't want to break a needle, and I only have my little domestic machine to quilt with.  I thought I might just follow the outline of the plates using my walking foot.  

Have any of you ever quilted a dresden?  Any suggestions?

A Pair of Quilts and Wall Hangings

I don't really have a clever title, but this project was definitely a labor of love.  My fantastic friend Gina decided to inform her friends that she was pregnant with TWINS after she was four months along.  I was so happy for her.  I probed her for name ideas and her nursery theme.  She brushed me off the first few times, and finally she told me elephants.  I thought that was a sweet idea!  BUT Gina had specifications for her elephants.  They had to have trunks turned up because up trunks are good luck. 

Finished wall hanging and in process blanket

I searched the interwebs for images that were appealing.  I saw alot of cute stuff, but most of it was for girlie-bobs.  I didn't feel confident in my drawing skills.  I ask an artist friend of mine to do a line drawing, but alas, I didn't get it in time and if I was going to complete TWO wall hangings and TWO baby quilts, I had to get down to business.  

I found a piece of clip art that I liked and I used it as a reference to draw an elephant.  I cut out my paper drawing and outlined it on a piece of cardboard - like cereal boxes are made of.  I cut out my cardboard elephant; and traced it on to the interfacing that I ironed on to my grey fabric.  I traced my second elephant facing the opposite direction.  I used two different decorative stitches to applique the elephant on the background fabric.  I used spray baste to adhere the quilt sandwich and used simple outline and straight line quilting using my walking foot.  I am not at all skilled at quilting, but I have less anxiety when I use a walking foot.  I then made my own binding and machine bound each of the wall hangings using a zig zag stitch.  I used some scrap fabric to make two corner rod pockets for hanging.

Zach and Jeff on their special blankets

I made simple quilts for the babies because I wanted them to be sturdy for lots of loving and would hold up to washing.  I used some cute elephant print fabric with up trunks and decided to use the same grey from the elephants for the back.  I decided to inset a piece of grey fabric on the front and then use a strip of elephant print on the back.  I also found some flannel that had grey polka dots and used my same elephant template to make elephant appliques, facing different directions.  I used interfacing to stabilize the flannel.  

Twin Tummy Time