A Quilt Show-Part 1

September 24, 201313 Comments

This past weekend, there was a Quilt Show in Midhurst, Ontario. Usually I have a booth

there and this year was no exception.

My booth at the Quilt Show

The lighting is bad so I do apologize for that.

There were alot of applique quilts this year but I will make you wait until next week

to see those. There are too many photos to show you all of them right now.

The Art Quilts were pretty amazing too!

Linda’s Art Quilt

This cute little guy was made by Linda.

Hummingbird

And this little guy is so sweet. I think the owner took a class with David Taylor. This

is the outcome of all that work.

Cottage wall art.

Isn’t it amazing what a person can capture in fabric?

This wallhanging is pretty cool. I can’t remember the designer but

there is alot of hand embroidery in it. Seems that hand embroidery is becoming

popular in the quilting world too.

Mckena Ryan

I am guessing that Mckena Ryan is the designer of this pattern. It suits the

style of the piece.

Peggy’s Cove

I love this piece-“Peggy’s Cove.” It reminds me of home-especially since I did grow up in Nfld.

Grace Errea style quilt

This quilt was made using the pattern and technique used by Grace Errea. I saw her on the

Quilt Show and want to try out her technique for making an Art Quilt.

Poppies?

Are these poppies? I should have read the little note with the quilt but

being in a rush makes you miss out on some details sometimes.

Jack In The Pulpit

This one has an interesting name indeed.

What is living by a Great Lake without seagulls to annoy you?

Seagull

This is my favorite wall hanging/Art Quilt out of the whole show. I love the

fun that the creator threw in with all the 3D embellishments on the bottom of

the piece. There is even a fishing lure and a seashell included in the piece.

Fishing lure

seashell

And last, but not least, here is a photo of my quilt that was chosen to be auctioned

off by SACA. Made me feel pretty honored that they purchased a quilt that I made.

Auction Quilt made my me.

It even hung nicely-pretty flat and not many ripples at all.

That’s all for now but I promise more photos next week.

Have a great week.

A quick quilt binding tool?

September 17, 20137 Comments

During the summer, I bought this binding gadget believing the line that it was a quick way to make binding.

I was impressed that it had 3 different slots for 3 different sizes of binding – 2 1/4″ up to 2 3/4″ in width.

Binding gadget

The gadget looked promising but when I tried it out, I was sorely disappointed.

I had to fold the fabric before it went through the slot and then you had to keep

checking that it was folded equally on both sides. So, what a waste of time and money!!

While I was playing with my new binding gadget, I made enough binding for 2 quilts:

a cute baby quilt and the Cathedral Stars quilt, pattern by Bonnie Hunter.

This panel came from Fabricland-yes, I can feel the shudders coming from you all!

Baby boy quilt.

I think it is cute. What about you?

Fire truck on the baby boy quilt.

What is a baby boy quilt without a fire truck?

Here is the Cathedral Stars quilt-all done.

Bonnie Hunter’s Cathedral Star quilt.

Due to time restraints, I did a panto but it wasn’t that quick

due to its immense size. I think 90″ x 90″. I decided to use a So Fine golden thread-as it

blends well with all the different shades of brown, cream, red and gold. On the backing,

I think I used the same thread too.

Close up of quilting.

“Quirky” was the name of the pantograph I used due to its cirucular shape. So many

points and square shapes within the piecing that I thought it could use something

circular quilted onto it.

Border of the quilt with “Quirky” as the panto.

This next quilt was pieced by Helen. It is even more massive than my own: 120″ x 109″. Whew!

Helen’s massive quilt.

That was one BIG quilt! Helen wanted a pantograph named “Flirtatous” but didn’t like the

size in relation to how big her quilt was. So, off to Staples I went and enlarged it. It took

me a while to figure out the pattern due to its enlarged size but in the end it turned out well.

Close up of Helen’s quilt.

I think that the original pattern was maybe 12″ in width and I enlarged it to 22″ in width, so it

is quite bigger. Hoping that she likes it.

I used a variegated thread on top-Sticks and Stones. For the backing, she chose black to

match the color of the backing but what a nightmare for me. It is difficult on a good day

to get the tension just right but when you have black thread on the back and a lighter on

the top-well, some issues arise.

So, please consider that when you are thinking of the fabric and color for your backings.

There is an upcoming quilt show this weekend and I am trying to finish this wallhanging.

Christmas wallhanging.

This has been hanging around my house for several years now and finally it is almost done.

I love the fact that there are different 3D embellishments within this walllhanging.

My snowman.

For instance, I love the buttons on this snowman. I just realized that he is blind and is

missing his eyes. And the owl is pretty cool too.

My horse and his bells.

And, of course, I love the bells on the horse but don’t ask me what the bells are attached to

on the horse.

Snowflakes

And I love snowflakes too. These are crocheted-by me and have a little bit of silver sparkles

on them. While they were drying I added some to make them more shiny. And there are

some crystalson the wallhanging too. A little bit of bling never hurt anyone.

I will try to get some photos of the Quilt Show for you too.

Ruth

Playing catch up.

September 10, 201310 Comments

School is in and I am playing catch up. In several weeks time, there is an annual

quilt show that I attend. Every year, it seems I am behind and have to race like mad to

complete a quilt to hang in the show. Only this year, I forgot to hand in my intent

form and so I have no quilt to hang in the show.

I do have a booth so I can hang it there. It is nice to have a new quilt to show.

This is my new quilt-hot off the sewing machine. If you look closely-it is not quilted!

This is my job this week-to completely finish and bind it.

A Bonnie Hunter quilt pattern.

This pattern came from Bonnie Hunter. I think her website is called

Quiltville but I could be mistaken. She allows people to use her patterns

to make a quilt but not to sell the pattern itself. Pretty generous of her, if

you ask me.

I have been debating whether to custom quilt this one or just do an

all over design. Due to the time restraints I have , I am leaning towards

a pantograph. What do you think?

This cute quilt was made by my friend, Arlene. She is a great piecer and I

love the colors in this quilt.

Arlene’s snowman quilt

Arlene wanted light stitching around the snowmen, in the panel

section.

Snowman panel section

I didn’t want to stitch any design in the piano key border so

I stitched around each individual key. I think it helps the border

to stand out even more.

Piano key border

I also decided to put a small snowflake in the four corners

of the inner blue border. Can you see them? A swirl was

added too, just for movement and due to its quickness.

In each pieced block, I was thinking about putting in a large

snowflake to fill the entire area but later decided against it. I think

the snowflakes would have been too big. So, I SID around

the pieced blocks and stitched in a smaller snowflake.

Snowflakes in the pieced blocks.

I think that looks better. What about you?

I couldn’t decide which color of thread to use in the pieced

blocks so Arlene chose a gold color-So Fine too. I think that

it looks better than either the red or the green.

Fall is quickly approaching, so I thought I would show you a

wallhanging that I made about 10 years ago. I bought it as

a kit from Country Concessions, in Cookstown. Usually, I

don’t buy kits but the colors and fabric in this one drew me.

It is even hand quilted-did it before I had my longarm.

I still love this wallhanging.

My favorite fall wallhanging.

All the blocks are blanketed stitched by hand. Yes, it took a long

time but I enjoyed doing it.

Close up of corn

Even the turkey received a blanket stitch.

Turkey.

What is a fall wallhanging without a turkey?

Have a great week!

Ruth

School is in-Yeah!

September 4, 20137 Comments

School is in! Yeah! I am both happy and sad – happy that the bickering is
over but sad that I am alone again-during the day. On the brighter side,
I can get back to work and quilting.
Last week, I had to get 2 quilts done for customers. Debbie has just
taken up quilting and this was her first quilt. I think that she did a
great job!

Debbie’s first quilt.

I stitched in the ditch around each block and picture. Trees were added

in the blocks with the bear and moose-just for fun and also to help hold

the blocks together. I used a polyester thread-cream, blue and brown on the

top. On the backing, cream was chosen.

Back of Debbie’s quilt.

She loved the quilt and is planning to hang it in her house. It is great to

use the quilts that we make instead of keeping them locked up in a trunk

or closet somewhere. Let them out!

Joy also brought me a quilt that she had made. She too was learning

how to quilt and I actually taught her how to make this pattern in

a class, several years ago.

I am still debating whether to teach classes or not.

Joy fell in love with some stippling or meandering that she saw and this is

what is stitched all over the quilt.

Joy”s quilt.

We chose a dark blue polyester thread on both top and back.

She loves it and is planning to bind it this upcoming weekend.

I think she did a great job! what a great feeling to actually finish

something and then to be able to move onto a new project.

Here is the back of the quilt:

Back of Joy’s quilt

It is hard to see the design due to the color of the thread and the color

of the backing-but it is there.

Have a great week.

Ruth

Stitching Impressions

All aspects of longarm quilting

Month: September 2013

A Quilt Show-Part 1

A quick quilt binding tool?

Playing catch up.

School is in-Yeah!