Showing posts with label Moda. Show all posts

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Cathedral Window Hot Pads at Free Motion Mavericks

Hi and welcome to week 479 of Free Motion Mavericks! Last week I made a crowd of hot pads 😁. I always thought that Cathedral Windows were very difficult. I watched the video, and it looked easy. Then I made a crowd of them and it turns out that they're not so easy! 😉

Cathedral Window Hot Pads & a Layer Cake

Many years ago, I got a great deal on a Layer Cake (10" squares from a collection of fabrics), in this case, Figures by Brigitte Heitland for Zen Chic and Moda. When I needed 10" squares to make Cathedral Window Hot Pads, I found my package of Layer Cake and started the production.

My first crowd of Cathedral Window hot pads

I made the first one for myself, since I was sure that it would turn out wonky...and it did, but not terrible. I got an air fryer for Christmas and I wanted to have a hot pad that would stay nearby. Don't they look good together 😀

My first hot pad - made to hang out with the air fryer

I'm afraid that I didn't take any process pictures but if you want to learn how to male these, I highly recommend a tutorial by Shabby Fabrics (see link below). The thing about Cathedral Windows is that it's all about how those windows look in the centre and in the corners. Here's an image from the video on how they should look. You can see that the centre and the corners of the Cathedral Windows are well defined and relatively pointy.

Look at those corners -
that's what they should look like!

Unfortunately, mine didn't all look like this. Some came out really good while others sort of continued into space 😁. I'm sure that my non-quilting friends won't mind but if I'm going to make these, I may as well figure out how to make them well.

Here are close-ups of the three that I made for a friend. Aren't these fabric amazing?

A white background with blue accents and yellow Cathedral Windows

I love this blue and yellow combination

There are so many lovely blues in this one

This is what they look like from the back

You may have noticed that the top blue hot pad on the right is double stitched around the Cathedral Windows. I was trying different variations of making these, and for this one, I managed to forget to stitch down the Cathedral Windows before adding the backing and turning it over (like a pillow case). It didn't make that much of a difference, except for the double stitched line.

Cathedral Window Hot Pads gift

What I learned

In theory, making Cathedral Windows is not difficult.
When I first watched the Shabby Fabric tutorial, the instructor said to be very careful with the centre of your Cathedral Windows. So I put all of my attention on the centre but sort of forgot the corners. Generally my centres do look good.
I'm still trying to figure out how to get some lovely bottom corners in my Cathedral Windows. When I figure it out, I'll let you know! 😊
Many people would like some of these hot pads, so when I make my next crowd, I'll be extra careful with my corners and take lots of pictures and notes so that I can get them consistently right.
I used my walking for making the hot pads. Now that I've gone back to piecing the Mystery Quilt with my ¼" foot, I've noticed that my accuracy is much better. I'll have to take that into consideration the next time I make these hot pads.

Free Motion Mavericks

Thanks to everyone who linked up their projects! Here are those projects that involved FMQ, ruler work or walking foot quilting.

Kat from Scrapbox Quilts finished a lovely 3 yard quilt named Charlie as part of the 2024 3YD Quilt Series with Material Girlfriends. She quilted it with flowers in the centre of the blocks, using "Every Leaf " templates by Amanda Murphy. I'm sure that the child who will receive it will love it!

A lovely 3 Yard Quilt by Kat

Some lovely FMQ as seen from the back.

It's now your turn 😍

Monday, May 20, 2019

Making Gaïa's Garden

After a bit of productive procrastination, I'm back to working on my art quilt.

Gaïa's Garden

It's always a long process, so I thought that I would share some of it with you. Here's a recap (see Related links below).

My model for Gaïa

Choosing a colour palette

My model for Gaïa is this picture of a reproduction statuette of a beautiful Pre-Columbian female figure from Colombia, South America.

I used photo transfer medium to make the fabric image.

Gradients Multi
33366 11D Moda

It took me a long time to start because I was looking for the right fabric, which I found in the Gradients by Moda line.

Fussy cutting and trying out possibilities

Next I went through my stash and fussy cut fabric, including the background. I just placed them on the design board to get the general effect and to ensure that I had enough fabric.

That's where I was in my last post, with lots of work left and many possibilities.

The next part is the one I find most intimidating - taking everything off the design board and creating the background.

I attached the sky (including my hand-dyed yellow and pink cotton), the green background and the river. Then it was time to play with the colours. I took out my box of gauze, tulle, and silk.

It's difficult to see in the photo but the sky and river really shimmer. I separated the river into 3 sections - the reflection of the sky, a more turbulent riven and then a calmer lake.

Knowing what to keep

Creating the background and adding shimmer

From the many versions on my design board, there were a few things that I knew that I would keep.

These were the leaves beside Gaïa and the large plant, flowers and bird in this photo.

It took several tries to get the other side of Gaïa finished. My original thought was to use the light leaves. I also tried out some yellow/orange leaves but they just blended into the reflecting water. Finally I choose the darker blue leaves to create more contrast. Since the image of Gaïa is light, she needs a little help to stand out.

Should I use the light coloured leaves?

What about the yellow/orange leaves?

Finally choosing the darker blue leaves

Below you can see that I added a couple of leaves on top to create a curve.

My next two challenges can be seen in this image. The first one is by the river where I want to create a quiet space with a bit of a swamp or pond. The second one is the lotus flower at the foot of Gaïa. This is where I'm at, although I can still change my mind since the challenging pieces haven't been attached yet.

What it looks like so far

I'm working mostly from my design board which is on my ironing board. When I like something, I just pin them into place and go to the sewing machine next to it. I've been using Superior Threads' Kimono Silk thread to attach all of these pieces. I'm trying not to add too much detail at this point since once everything is attached, I'll be free motion quilting the piece. At that point, I may use heavier thread, depending on the effect that I want.

Working on my design board

Using Kimono Silk thread

What I learned

Deadlines have their usefulness (I guess) but since I got a bit of a reprieve, it's taking that much longer to make. Turns out that the description was due in mid-May but the final product is only due in mid-June. I'm afraid that I'll be using every last minute of that extra time - to make it and to productively procrastinate 😉
There is still a ways to go, although it usually goes a little faster once things fall into place.
As I've been writing this post, I realise that I'll be placing the swamp in the lake part of the piece. It make more sense, although reality is not especially important here!
As for the lotus flower, I think that if I add more fabric around it, I'll get a better sense of how it will look.
My background has a few puckers in it. Since I'm making this up as I go along, I'll probably cut around the river and adjust the fabric.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Updates on Celebrate - Fêtons 150

It's been a while since I wrote about Celebrating Canada's 150th. I wasn't planning on more posts but I really wanted to share a couple of tid bits - and besides, we are still celebrating here in Ottawa!

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Northcott's Trans Canada Block Party.

Quilt shops across Canada were invited to create an original pattern of a block to celebrate Canada's 150th using Northcott's fabrics. There are some really amazing blocks out there.

All Around Canada block

The patterns are free to people who visit the shops. These patterns and blocks were only available in the shops but after September 1st, they are available to order online. Many of the shops have prepared kits for sale. In one of the Celebrate - Fêtons 150! posts, I featured one of my favourite blocks, All Around Canada, from Along Came Quilting in Calgary Alberta.

It also looks like I will be going to Calgary at the end of October. The shop is definitely on my list of places to visit!

On social media, Northcott invited Mrs. Button to visit all of the shops that participated in the Trans-Canada Block Party. Here is a picture from Facebook.

The images are of Mrs. Bobbin visiting The Cottage Quilter shop in Corbeil, Ontario. Isn't that a cute beaver block?

A map of the participating shops is available on Northcott's Resources page.

I hope to get a chance to pick up a couple of these blocks. Here is the one I made this summer. It's Sergeant Sesquicentennial block from Quilting Pleasure.

Sergeant Sesquicentennial block
from Quilting Pleasure

Northcott is now hosting the Canadian Quilt Challenge based on quilts that were made of at least 6 blocks. I suggest that you go visit the page and vote for your favourite. Votes are open until October 1st, 2017. Check them out and vote! See the Related Links below.

If you're in the area, the 13 finalist quilts will be on display at the Creativ Festival this weekend in Calgary and in Toronto at the end of October.

Grace Noel, Designer of With Glowing Hearts fabric by Moda

Two weeks ago at the Common Thread Quilt Guild meeting, the guest speaker was Ottawa's Grace Noel. Grace studied design at Algonquin College and for her work term applied for and got her placement with Moda. Wow! How cool is that?

Grace is a gifted artist who has been selling her designs on Spoonflower for years. It was really great to hear how this very young designer created the With Glowing Hearts fabrics. It sounds like it was a great experience - it will sure look good on her resume and portfolio!

With Glowing Hearts by Grace Noel

Here is the quilt that Grace showed us during the presentation. It was made from her fabrics by a friend.

Quilt made using With Glowing Hearts fabrics

Trend-Tex-Fabrics, the Moda distributors in Canada, sponsored a contest with their Glowing Hearts fabrics. The winning quilts will be displayed at the International Fall Quilt Market 2017.

What I learned

I don't follow social media much so I wasn't aware of Mrs. Button's visits to the quilt shops. It's great to see the blocks made by the various shops.
It's really too bad that I didn't know earlier about Grace and the With Glowing Hearts fabric line. I really like the quilt that Grace brought with her at the presentation. The fabrics looked great.
Last week I went to Kingston, Ontario and found a few of the fabrics in the With Glowing Hearts line. I bought a meter of the grey with maple leaves. It's a great souvenir of this year and of Grace's presentation.

Related Links