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!