This quilt is the challenge project  for Thumbstall Quilt Guild’s biennial quilt show in July. The challenge is to use this bright colored focus fabric and blocks that contain only squares. Other elements that could be used are setting triangles and embellishments.

I struggled with the coordinating fabrics for this quilt because I normally choose  earth tones and ‘Thimleberries’ type fabrics – not brights for my quilts. However, I think I came up with the perfect fabrics to compliment the focus fabric – off-white and white on white.

These toned down the focus fabrics and I think the finished mini-quilt (it measures 18″ square) looks as those it’s full of brilliant gems.

I finished my hand embroidered Seasons quilt during our 2009 winter get-away and have been stymied as to how to quilt it without sacrificing the beauty of the embroidery.  I took the top to a guild meeting and received some very good suggestions.  I was going to add some more embroidery to the white spaces, but now have decided that I would fill them in with quilting instead.    I needed some quilting options.

Seasons Quilt Top

After putting it up on my design wall, I checked online and got a few ideas then went into the EQ5 program and found some perfect quilt stencils to compliment this quilt.

Quilt options

Quilting Pattern for Blocks

Seasons Quilt Stencils for Borders:

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

My next step is to make some quilt sandwiches to practice quilting these designs.  I normally cut muslin and backing squares 12″x12″ to use as practice pieces.

At a recent craft show in upstate New York, I came across an interesting display of well executed quilts.  Carol Hesselink of cmhCreations displays a number of  quilts designed by her after being inspired by a specific fabric.  She then adds coordinating and complimentary fabrics.    In many of her quilts, the pattern or technique becomes the inspiration.

Check out some of her quilts on line at:  Pictue Trail; member name cmhCreations.  Carol’s creativity fosters itself in many different ways such as when she designs an item made of  ‘fabric leftovers’  as she makes a unique bag or tote.  I’m sure her stack of UFO’s is quite a bit smaller than mine.  Quite a crafty lady!

Each of Carol’s quilts comes with a digital photo card of the quilt.  Not only does the recipient get a beautiful handmade quilt, but also receives a matching note card.  She also packages and sells note cards separately.

A brief demonstrations on paper piecing at her booth shows how easy paper piecing is to do .

I enjoyed meeting her and her husband, Chuck at the show.  He praises  her accomplishments as he shows off some of her quilts,  “See what can be made from scraps!”

I also learned that they live in Amsterdam NY – just a few miles from my daughter’s home.  Small world!

On our annual quilting retreat last week, I decided to make the table topper mystery quilt.  I should know better.  I really like to put a project on my design wall as it progress, sometimes making changes to the fabric I’ve chosen.

At the retreat, I used a focus fabric that was directional – mistake.  When I started to put the project together it was a mess.  So I stopped what I was doing, came home and re-cut using a new focus fabric.  Everything is strip pieced so it goes together quite easily.

I liked the result so much that I ended up making two! I think that the second table topper will be one of my pieces in the craft boutique at our guild’s quilt show next year.

Lesson learned.

After finally deciding which Celtic patch I wanted to use for my Fall quilt, I imported a block from the Internet into Electric Quilt 5 (QE5) to re-size it for the medallion. While in QE5, I also checked to see if it contained other Celtic blocks. The very same block that I had found online – can be found in QE5! – Why didn’t I look there in the first place?

It is very easy to re-size the block in QE5. Just by clicking on the block after it is placed in a custom quilt setting, it can be resized using the Graph Pad or adjust tool. No hassle with copy machines or hand drawing.

Looking at the template, it occurred to me that I could use bias strips to complete the design. Having some strips left over from another project, I decided to test them on the template. This should work out fine.

Now to audition the fabric. I definitely  want to use the green background – and now only have to decide which fabric or combination thereof will work the best. I’ll keep the fabric on my design wall so I can view it in daylight and artificial light before I make a final decision.

Quilting at Home!