Tweet Tweet

I realize that many times over the past few years, I have had a lack of desire to quilt and/or blog, so if you have not seen me lately, it's because I was busy working on projects that were not quilt related.

Recently, my attention was redirected to working on a project for my sister. She wanted birdhouses, but I couldn't figure out what to do, so in the meantime, I dug out a book I've reviewed in 2010, "Nature's Elegance" by Jan Kornfeind. This was a design I really liked and am happy to have the opportunity to create it now.  This project is also the first quilt that I actually have completely finished, since doing my 2010 Quilt Challenge. 

Fabrics

Quilt chosen:  "From A Baltimore Garden Wall Hanging"

There are two quilts in this book that have birds on them, and so I was able to take elements from both projects. The first was the applique design and border choices, and the second from the other quilt was choosing to use a darker background fabric for the center block, instead of a cream print fabric.

I used a dark green thread to do the applique stitching around the applique pieces. Then, using a darker blue thread to do shadow quilting around the design; and some stitching in the ditch around the borders.  

Placing the Applique Pieces

Closeup of the Vase and Stems

Closeup of the Bird

Complete with Borders

The quilt design measures 28" x 30" in the book. Since I used fat quarters for the quilt top, not including the applique, I only needed to adjust the width of the outer border. This made the finished quilt size at 26" x 28". I also used two tiny square buttons for the bird's eyes. These I stitched on with orange thread to make them look more like real eyes.

 Finished Quilt

Happy Quilting
Cheers,

Jul-Aug-Sept Review

My 2010 Quilt Challenge is still on track... and here comes the third instalment. It has been enjoyable and when I seem to tire of it, I receive such wonderful responses, that it surely bounces me back into gear to continue the journey.

Take another look at the projects that I’ve blogged about over these last three months:

--Quilting Books on Review--

Several main goals still being maintained for this challenge are...
· EXPLORING the books in my own library with the Fuse-and-Tell book recently added to my collection.
· USING fabrics I already own, with only a few exceptions, as I bought some new fabrics at a yard sale.
· CREATING small projects to test out these new techniques is still my favorite way to test out new ways.

JULY 2010

Quilting for the first time
Donna Kooler

Redwork – Project 4

Book Project (on left)  /  My Quilt (on right)

My eleventh project allowed me to try Redwork embroidery. I had considered it before, but had not yet achieved that goal.  I do enjoy embroidery and while this project was fun; I really do like working with lots of colours, not just one.

The question on project 4 was “How do I frame needlework with a lattice-strip border?” This I almost got right, but did make one mistake on the bottom strip. Oh, well, it looks okay.

This project is: 8 3/4" x 10 1/4" including the hanging tabs. Mine was very close at: 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" not including the tabs.

Advancing On II – with the Square-In-A-Square technique
Jodi Barrows

In The Garden with Tumbling Blocks

 

Book Project (on left)   /  My Quilt (on right)

My twelfth project was definitely fun to make and this was a good start in seeing how much fun the Square-In-A-Square ruler was to use. So, I’d love to come back and try out more of the options. And, her website has even more options available then are in this book.

This project is: 48" x 55" and rated as an intermediate level. Mine was very small as I only tried out a small sample and is: 33" x 18". I followed the block chart diagram and then modified the size with the additional fancy strips on the sides.

AUGUST 2010

Nature’s Elegance
Jan Kornfeind

Butterfly Fancy Wall Hanging

Book Project (on left)   /  My Quilt (on right)

My thirteenth project was perfect for using those colourful scrap fabrics and an opportunity to dig into my button jar. Sewing on those 70 buttons did take some time, but if you love buttons it is a great way to use them. The book has some great options for using the butterfly blocks. And, one day I hope to revisit this book and try a project with birds.

This project is: 33 1/2" x 33 1/2". Mine was almost the same size, but I chose to add narrower borders at: 25 1/4" x 25 1/4".

SEPTEMBER 2010

Beautiful Borders Backings & Bindings
Jill Reber and Margaret Sindelar

Orange Blossom Table Runner

Book Project (on left)   /  My Quilt (on right)

My fourteenth project was a change from the typical square shaped quilts. Even though I’ve used a mock piping on several projects, it was time to try a real piping technique. I did have trouble with the piping not knowing which machine foot would allow me to get close enough during the construction and when stitching it in place. I know I’ll have more success next time, when I use a much narrower cord.

I also didn’t really have the best greens to choose from to match up the project’s requirements, but did have experience with bias binding and attaching piping to a project. This project is: 18" x 34". Mine was very close at: 15 1/2" x 31". It ended up a bit smaller because I preferred to have the border narrower with the colour I chose.

Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts
Laura Wasilowski

Peaceful Landscape: A Deceptively Calm Day

Book Project (on left)   /  My Quilt (on right)

My fifteenth project was definitely fun to make after I sorted out how I’d arrange my fused pieces. It seemed better when I changed the story of the quilt to something I liked. I stitched clouds in the sky and added a tree. It may even be an orange tree, now that I think about it. I like eating oranges. I really enjoyed the variety of embroidery stitches and colours used. It was also fun to embellish with rick rack and buttons. Hand stitching is not really so terrible as I’ve thought, mostly because there is no hemming involved in quilting.

I think I’ll still add a hanging sleeve sometime, as I didn’t feel the small hanging rings were enough for the weight of my quilt with the extra layers. This project is: 16" x 16". Mine was close at: 18 1/2" x 15 1/2".

What techniques do you wish to try or already are your favourites? If you have enjoyed this review, why not leave a comment below?

See what’s coming up… check out my website for more quilting techniques and inspiring books.

Enjoy your week…

Butterflies with Buttons

Book:
Nature’s Elegance/ Jan Kornfeind

Time to reveal my next project... I choose “Butterfly Fancy Wall Hanging”. It is shown on the front cover of the book.

There are eight awesome and colourful projects in this book that include nine different butterflies, flowers, insects, and birds. It was the butterflies on the cover that caught my eye that had me buy this book, and so I have now had the opportunity to stitch them up into a quilt.

Selecting Fabrics

I do enjoy choosing colourful fabrics. This project would be perfect for using up some of those great fabrics from your scraps.

Drawing and Cutting the Pieces

Machine applique is still my favourite technique in quilting and I do love all the steps involved in creating the designs… drawing out the patterns, choosing the fabrics, cutting and attaching them to the fabrics, and machine stitching them to the blocks, using a buttonhole or zigzag stitch.

Stitching the Butterfly

For this project, I matched up the thread colours I had as closely as possible to my fabrics. I used thread from my collection that consisted of a polyester/cotton blend, 100% cotton and 100% polyester. I find all of these thread types work equally well.

Finished Quilt Blocks Ready for Assembly

I had the choice of making them into smaller quilts, pillows or using all of them in one quilt. As I had decided to follow the project’s layout, I made them into one quilt.

THE BUTTONS

I did want to do this project because of all the buttons!! So, if I had made pillows, these would not have been added.

Butterfly No. 3

Buttons on Sashing and Butterflies

There are a total of 70 buttons used on this quilt. They were all added after the quilt was assembled and quilted. I think it would have been easier to sew the buttons onto the butterflies before assembly, but I chose to follow the directions.

The Binding

I really enjoy working with machine applique, but when working on this project, I really wished I had done one of the bird projects first, because then I would have had enough fabric for the center blocks.  And, later I could have bought more light fabric for the butterflies. However, it is now completed, so here is the finished quilt.

My Finished Quilt

(Finished Size: 25 1/4” x 25 1/4”)

PS…

My post was almost ready to publish, when I hit the wrong key and ended up with a blank screen. So… my only option was to rewrite this review, and I’ll assume it ended up better written.

Enjoy the creative process… and take time to spend some of your time outdoors!!

Just One Block

Don’t have time to make a whole quilt from all those great ideas out there? But you would love to try more new techniques?

Why not make just one block per month or per week as your time allows?

Make JUST ONE BLOCK of each new technique… so you have a variety of techniques and block sizes to create some very unique quilts at the end of the year.

Create a place to safely collect the blocks for the next year. Then after that time period is over; take a look at what you have made. During the year you may also document your progress by keeping a record of the things you did – technique, book is came from, the designers info, the date you made it, fabric samples, a brief description of what you liked/didn’t like about it, interested in making it again, etc. Have a digital camera? Then take pictures of some key stages and the finished blocks.

I think this would be a great idea if your quilting time is limited and it wouldn’t take up much space, either. You could still have fun trying new techniques and creating a quilter’s diary of your progress. 

Hmmm… perhaps, that’s what I could try in 2011. And, maybe some of you would like to join in with me?

IDEAS for using these blocks:

Create a sampler quilt for yourself.

Frame them and decorate your wall.

Donate the blocks to your quilt guild.

Have a friend help by assembling the quilt top.

QUILT GUILD WORKSHOPS/CLASSES

This JUST ONE BLOCK method could also be great for paid classes sponsored by a quilt guild. For a class where a new technique is learned, instead of each person committing to a whole quilt project themselves… each participant makes one block and the blocks are collected and made into one quilt.

OPTIONS for the BLOCKS:

1. The class could decide to buy tickets and the winner(s) get the blocks,
2. Have it quilted in class and sold in a raffle or quilt sale,
3. The proceeds from the tickets or the sale of the quilt go back to the guild.

If you really love that new technique, I’d think you’d be eager to make a new quilt for yourself.

BENEFITS:

1. There isn’t as much cost in creating one quilt block.
2. The time commitment is less and perhaps more quilters could enjoy taking more classes.
3. Learning new techniques wouldn’t be a strain on the wallet.
4. Or add to the present UFO list.

I know I’d be more interested in taking classes if I knew my efforts were going to complete a quilt project and also go to a worthy cause.

With all the great workshops and classes available now, it is quite difficult to decide which new technique to try next and how to get all those quilt ideas into finished quilts.

Change is good. Doing things in new ways allows us to expand our abilities and use our talents to spread warmth and joy.

THIRTEENTH PROJECT - AUGUST 2010:

My thirteenth project will be shared next week...

Nature's Elegance/

Jan Kornfeind

More Book Titles...

If you wish to see more quilting books you can check out my website for more details. The books that will come up in my blog reviews are listed on the "featured" page.

Enjoy your quilting time this summer… !!