Fabric Postcards-Week # 1

June 24, 2014June 24, 20148 Comments

Dale’s quilt

Dale did a great job on this batik quilt. “Spring Bouquet” is the name

of the panto that she wanted for the quilt. I used a dark polyester pink

thread on the top and a pale pink polyester thread on the backing.

In the border area, you can really see the stitching well.

The backing was also a pale pink color. It makes the quilt look totally

different from the front of the quilt.

Dale also brought a really neat “Elephant” wallhanging that

needed to be quilted as well.

The picture above shows the 2 different borders in the wallhanging.

In the inner block border, I followed the lines of the blocks using a light

grey polyester thread.

In the white borde area, I quilted a simple wavy line . This helped add

some texture to the area. In the outer border, I quilted an “X” shape,

again following the lines on the fabric. Sometimes, the fabric used in

the quilt top itself gives you an idea of what to quilt in a particular area.

I think that if the person used a certain fabric in the quilt, then they must

like that fabric. So, why not use the pattern within the fabric itself?

I really love the sun shape in this wallhanging. It is so cool. Dale wanted

me to stitch around the sun and leave the inside area alone. No problem.

In this space, I used a darker grey thread to match the background area

around the sun.

There is also a tree stitched underneath the sun. I thought that the elephant

needed some vegetation to surround him,to make him feel at home.

Here you can see the front of the elephant. Again, another tree was stitched

in this area. Again, a lighter grey thread was used to match the background

area.

Underneath the elephant, I tried to quilt in some pebbles and dirt.

You can see most of the elephant here. It is a really neat

wallhanging.

There were also 2 pieces of grass on the wallhanging. I thought that more

grass would be fun so that is what I quilted in these 2 areas.

Last week, I mentioned starting a Fabric Postcard Challenge. In the rules

I created, I had to take a picture and make a postcard from that photo. Each

week, there would also be a theme.

Well, here is week # 1. The theme I chose was “Circles.” I didn’t think that

I would actually manage to complete my postcard for this week. Isn’t that

the way-make a committment and then not even manage to complete it

the very first week. I got up early today and stitched it this morning.

Hay bales at a neighbouring farm.

Week # 1- Circles

Here is my completed fabric postcard. It needs some work but at least it is

finished. There are a few things that can improved upon but it was fun

to do. Hoping that it will stimulate my creative juices.

Have a great week.

OH, by the way, 3 people left comments last week so I have decided to send

each one a piece of my hand dyed fabric.

Comfort Quilts, Dyeing, Fabric Postcards and Winnings…

June 18, 2014June 19, 20144 Comments

Mary made this cute comfort quilt for our Guild. It just needed to be quilted and bound.

The lime green color really stands out.

Comfort Quilt by Mary

A close up of the quilting on the Train Comfort Quilt. I wanted to

quilt a quick free motion design so I decided to follow the pieced block

pattern and quilt a small gentle line in each section. White polyester thread was

used on the top and a dark blue on the backing.

I have been wanting to dye fabric for a while so I took

the plunge and ordered some powdered dyes from G & S, in Toronto.

This is the result. Do you like hand dyed fabrics? Leave a comment

at the end of this post, telling me why you like hand dyed

fabric so much. I will draw one name and send you a piece of both the turquoise and

yellow fabric that I dyed last week.

Another hand dyed piece-looks kind of cool.

This looks like a more solid colored piece. I find it hard to

create a solid color. The mottled colors are somewhat easier to dye.

I really like the yellow and green colors in this piece. I was even fortunate

enough to find some white and cream fabric at a yard sale several weeks ago.

And my neighbour gave me 3 1/2 yards of white fabric too-yeah! More dyeing to come.

Yellow-I had to choose a color to dye, so this was it. I like all the various shades

of yellow.

Below, this is my very first fabric postcard. Brandy Lynn

Maslowski, is holding a fabric postcard exchange for Canada Day.

70 people from across Canada have committed to participate and mine

is going to BC. I will also recieve a fabric postcard from someone as well.

Isn’t that cool? Brandy Lynn is the host of Canadian Quilt Talk. I will link up

with her show so please check her out.

My very first fabric postcard

Here is my second fabric postcard. Can you guess wha it resembles?

Here is one of the six patterns that I won several weeks ago from

Sassfras Designs, in Colorado, during the Creative Blog Festival.

Amy hosted it over at Amy’s Creative Side.

Here is pattern #2.

Pattern # 3.

I love the colors in this pattern -4.

Pattern # 5 is colorful as well.

Pattern # 6 didn’t want to co-operate so it has no photo.

Uhmm, which quilt will I make first?

Andre Gallant is a photographer that I just discovered on the Net.

You should check out his photos-they are amazing! And he is

Canadian as well, from New Brunswick. I will link up to his

website so you can take a look for yourself.

I am thinking that I may follow his example and take the 52 week

challenge. My challenge would involve making fabric postcards but I

have a few rules that I have to follow though. I have to take a photo to

go along with the postcards. I can use any theme for the week and I can

use any medium (ie. paint, fabric, markers etc) to help me make my

postcards as well. Sounds like fun but I am hoping it will kick start

my creative juices.

Each week I will post both the picture and the postcard that I made.

If you feel up for the challenge, you can send me what you have created

too.

I was hoping to have a nice quiet and relaxing summer but I think all that

has changed now.

See you next week.

Tale of a modern quilt

June 11, 20144 Comments

Holly’s modern quilt

Holly made a great Modern Quilt. She also knew what she

wanted quilted on it so that made my job even easier. Straight lines

in the light blue areas and Greek Keys in the dark solid blue area.

I uesd polyester thread in the top and bobbin.

Back of Holly’s quilt

The back of the quilt. What a great idea, using up leftover blocks

from the top of the quilt for the backing. We also used a black

batting so if any bearding occured, it wouldn’t look so bad.

SONY DSC

The orange color really stands out but fits in with the other

colors as well.

In the bubble blue ares, straight lines were stitched as well. I used a

polyester blue thread in both the top and bobbin. The small orange square

was left unquilted due to its small size.

Have a great week. Linking up to Freshly Pieced. I also dyed some fabric this

week. Will show you what happened next week.

Spring Bouquet

June 3, 2014June 4, 201411 Comments

Mary has a beautiful quilt-Spring Bouquet-designed by Edyta Sitar, from

Laundry Basket Quilts. This was a BOM with a local Quilt Shop in the

area. All the fabrics are batiks. It is very colorful,bright, cheery and beautiful.

I love all the colors.

SONY DSC

All of the pieces were precut by laser and all Mary had to do

was place them on the background, press them in place, and

then zig zag around all the shapes. Did I say: “all Mary had to

do?” This sounds pretty easy but it does take a long time. All those

pieces and shapes. Mary even changed up the thread color

depending on the piece = more time. If I remember correctly,

Mary did a blanket stitch around each piece. Patience is the

name of the game here but Mary said she loved it.

SONY DSC

Another block. I love the funky flowers in this block.

Even the pieced border is colorful.

SONY DSC

I love these small circles. In the outside border and in the

middle of the quilt, Mary wanted an overall filler but not alot

of stitching to detract from the design. Mary chose a loop

de loop as the filler. Although the background color of the

quilt top is a light green, Mary chose a light cream as the thread

color. You really can’t tell that it is cream either. It blends well

with the mottled background color.

SONY DSC

You can see the loop de loops in the background in this photo. All the

shapes were quilted around too.

SONY DSC

The pieced border was quilted in leaves so that it tied into

all the leaves throughout the top of the quilt pattern.

SONY DSC

The back of the quilt was also a batik fabric. It was cream with blue

leaves all over it. Again, a cream polyester thread was used in the bobbin

as well. Less tension issues this way.

Today, I received some Fabric Dyes because I am wanting to try my hand at dying.

I will let you know how that goes.

I also won 6 quilt patterns from Sassfras Designs over at Amy’s Creative Side

Quilt Blog Festival this week. I have never won anything online so this is the

first. Maybe a sign to come? Have you ever won anything online?

I am linking up with Freshly Pieced as well.

Sue Garman also mentions me on her post this month as well. It is the start

of a good month indeed.

Have a great week.

Stitching Impressions

All aspects of longarm quilting

Month: June 2014

Fabric Postcards-Week # 1

Comfort Quilts, Dyeing, Fabric Postcards and Winnings…

Tale of a modern quilt

Spring Bouquet