Catching up/year end 2014

The day job keeps me so busy. Traveling is fun, the job is too (most days!). But blogging has taken a back seat to Instagram (follow me: kheliwud). BUT as this is my way of journaling my exploits, here is a catch-up since the last post:

I quilted for hire (3 for this lady, a sweet friend of mine!)

This is also for a dear friend, May Chappell, and this quilt went to Quilt Market (more photos and read about it here) in Houston!:

I made a Brickyard by Bearhug Quiltworks 

(great pattern, goes really fast, designed by yet another awesome friend!)

 I made a leglamp pillow for my son (matches one of his tattoos), from this source

Lunch bags from this awesome tutorial

Made 6 sew together bags (4 shown here)

Did some low-water immersion dyeing

Hosted a private FMQ class (and had so much fun with these ladies!)

Did some Christmas presents form this tutorial (May Chappell ROCKS!)

Joined this mini quilt swap:

 

And quilted the TMQG QuiltCon 2015 quilt:

I am off until Jan 2, so more sewing is happening! 

I hope you have been enjoying a wonderful Holiday Season and I hope all the best for you, and for Peace on Earth in 2015!

Don't forget to check out my Free Motion Tips tab. Feel free to email any FMQ questions as well, I love to help!

A monthly bog post

A catch-up post:

I took part in a round-robin medallion swap with 4 friends that are amazing quilters. We each created our center, then passed it along. Each participant added a row, then in September, we had our big reveal! 5 glorious, unique quilts!

I quilted mine in a simple meander. This quilt is all about the piecing, the colors, the amazing piecing and It did not need dense stitching:

Isn't it beautiful? Each border is a work of art. And, it won a second place ribbon!

More catching up to come.

A little more modern

Why, yes! I see a trend!

I found the pattern for this little in a Moda Candy book. Similar to one in a modern quilting magazine several momths back & similar still to the Big Charming. I did not use a Moda Candy stack (2.5" squares of cuteness) but I once again dipped into my solid charms.

Fun, fast & easy. And on to the quilting! 

My favorite part!

Big Charming

This started as what I like to call "mindless sewing". Just chain piecing meditation. I have a bunch of sold charms, purchased for the love of color. They needed a place to go. I dove into Pinterest one Saturday morning and saw Denyse Schmidt's "Big Charming" and thought "I can do that", so I did! 

All this empty space just yelled for some FMQ, so I obliged. 

I like the starkness of it, the utility blanket feel. And I loved filling it up with quilting, hooked-swirls on the background, feathers & wavy lines on the color blocks.

 

Recalculating...

So, you know when you put an address in your GPS and it maps your trip? You are supposed to follow its turn-by-turn directions and reach your destination in the proscribed time.

Then, a billboard for an interesting shop catches your eye, so you take the next exit. Then you hear that robitic voice instructing you to make a u-turn. And next, in a resigned tone you hear: recalculating.

See the GPS is still trying to get you where you told it you wanted to go. And you still want to get there, but this neat detour popped up!

I use this to describe my quilting journey. A couple of years ago I had planned how it would go. I was dying my own fabric, working intuitively, doing my thing. Then I got caught up in wanting to make the quilts I was seeing online, using the fabrics that were being introduced each week.

My journey took a detour. Not by design, but by purpose. See I was making a quilt each week, zipping through them. Learning a lot as I went.

Lately, my making has slowed down, I am in a very busy place. My job has me traveling, and this time of year has a lot of activities. I still try to sew or quilt each day. But I am recalculating as I go, no specific destination, enjoying the detours.

Recently completed this large-block "X plus" quilt.

 

And used the extra half-square triangles to make this baby quilt.

Focusing on the fabric.

I am using my stash, making patterns I have been saving. Not racing, just enjoying!

Recent projects

A FMQ initial for a friend who spoke at our guild. I love making these!

Detail:

A pillow, gift for a beloved cousin.

My machined binding:

Love the finished look.

Practice

My goal for 2013 was to impove my FMQ feathers. 

There are 3 ways to accomplish this:

1. Practice

2. Practice

3. Practice

Draw them:

And stitch them:

Love them!

Fun, fast, eazy times 2

I found a new "go to" pattern for using my obessive collection of fat quarters. 

It is by Villa Rosa, the "Cloud 9" quilt. 

I had a FQ bundle of Foxfield by Tula Pink, and grabbed some yardage fron my stash of "whites that aren't really white" (thats what I call them). I pieced the first one while at the beach. Once I had it done, I knew I would make another!

Here they are together:

 

One is my 2014 Stokes County Humane Society raffle quilt, the other is being raffled in Virginia by the Friends of Hanover Dog Parks.

I love how bright and colorful they are! I also love how fast they go together!

The faster I get them pieced, the quicker I get to quilt them!

One for Mom (and me)

We are nearing the 1 year mark of the passing of my Dad. While I know rationally that no one makes it out of here alive, and that Dad so dearly deserves this rest, this past 11 months has been so hard.

During this, natural occurances have taken on new meaning, as we look for comfort & assurance. Butterflies, with their annual transformation, have special meaning. This project has been in me for a while, but it needed to gestate, before I could do it. 

2 weeks ago, the time was right. So I made this small whole cloth quilt for Mom. It was the right time for me, very therapeutic. The FMQ just flowed.

 

I used 1 layer of cotton batting topped with a layer of high-loft polyester. Glide thread on top, with Bottom-line on the back and as filler to recede.

 

I love the puff, and the Bottom-line thread is my new favorite thread. Not breaks, no issues of any kind.

Mom loves it.

Lazy Sunday 3

Third quilt with May Chappell's Lazy Sunday pattern. Added borders with flange. Will be a wedding gift:

I love the soft mix of colors with chocolate and teal!

FMQ on my Tiara.

Easing back into the blog

Life has been happening.

Traveling a lot with new position (yay)!

Lots of work with new position (loving the challenge)!

Son completed graduate degree (yay)!

Moved back home.

Son found job in career field (whoopee)!

Helped son find apartment in new city 2 hours away.

Gifted son with this quilt in recognition of his accomplishment:

Pattern: Metro Hoops made with Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful.

Curve and diamond fabrics are Little Black Dress 1. My son loves green, so I found this mottled fabric and love the classic look with the LBD fabrics.

FMQ on my glorious Tiara.

For the record:

I love the Quick Curve Ruler and the Sew Kind of Wonderful patterns are amazingly well written and easy to follow.

Long time, no post!

So, life happens!

Took a new position in my company, lots to learn, blogging took a back seat. Squeezing in quilting as often as possible. To catch you up, gentle readers: 

My Jolly Rodger, 20" by 20".

Lunch bag swap in TMQG

Quiling for $$$

More quilting for $$$

Yes, it is done but I didn't get a pic before it got hung! Hanging in a LQS, 105" square.

I purchased this quilt top from a group in Poland. I quilted it and donated to a church fundraiser. Approximately double-bed size.

20" by 20" pillow for our sofa.

So you see, I have quilted a bit!

Feeling productive

We got slammed with more winter weather the other week; sleet, ice, snow, 5" of the mess. I choose to use my enforced home-bound Friday in the studio. I started out sorting through my scrap bin & ended up making new pillow covers. 

I forgot how much fun they are to make. Instant creative gratification!

I need to make a few more, freshen up the sofa pillows!

A fun one, for me

I have had this idea gestating in my head for a while, so I decided to do it!

My "Jolly Rodger"

He's 20" square, on black Kona.

FMQ is Signature 40 wt. Polyester thread (grey) and 60 wt. bobbin thread (black).

I drew the outline of the skull in chalk, and thread-painted. Yep, it was way fun!

I added a variety of stiches to frame. I love him!