Playing & Learning

It's been a whirlwind of quilty activity. It seems that I'm not just hooked on all things quilty, I'm addicted and I love it.  Since my e-learning career seems to be at a standstill (and maybe I need a holiday), I've decided to spend that extra energy on quilting. Wow, I didn't realise how much energy I had!

I have spent the last couple of weeks doing something related to quilting every day. Thanks to Craftsy, I've been practicing free motion quilting on my new-to-me Jag. After seven days in a row, I can safely say that it's all about practice. So far Leah Day has taught me to free motion stipples and paisleys. I made a whole bunch of small practice sandwiches using a huge bag of fabric that I bought for $10. It has all kinds of miss-dyed fabrics. I practiced those curvy “U”s, up, down and sideways. My stippling is coming along nicely.

Next came the paisleys. Leah makes it look so easy as she zips through them, while talking to us! I was having a lot of problems making teardrop shapes, let alone shadowing them and "travelling" across previously quilted lines. Finally one day at lunch time, I spent 20 minutes drawing teardrops and paisleys and my hands got it! My paisleys are not great but they are looking more like paisleys every day.

Then, because practicing free motion quilting isn't really "creating" anything, one evening I decided to challenge myself. I used my bag of scraps to make a landscape. I only dipped into my stash for a piece of stripy orange fabric that was perfect for the setting sun.

First version

Latest version

Once I had cut out and attached the pieces, of course I had to consult my other Craftsy course - Stupendous Stitching: Adventures in Surface Design with Carol Ann Waugh. That should be easy enough except that Carol Ann suggests that we create a stitch bible (I prefer stitch dictionary). Since I’m playing on a new machine, that made too much sense to bypass. I’m now on page 5 of the stitch dictionary. My machine has over 200 stitches and after 5 pages I’m at stitch 38. I did the math – that’s another 27 pages! I’m sure I’ll get it done....in the next few months!

Luckily the appliqué stitch on my machine is in the twenties – so I practiced that stitch on the outline of the trees and the grass. I then added some straight stitches on the trees. I also found another stitch that looks like waves, so they got added to the water. They don’t show up much but now I know how to make them.

Details of the tree trunks

Waves sewn in the water

Last night I spent the evening looking at my Quilting Arts magazines. I've always loved the various quilts but didn't have a clue about going about making them. It was amazing going through these magazines and noticing (and understanding) the types of free motion quilting. It’s like going through life without noticing the colour red – and suddenly seeing it!

I’ll never look at quilts in the same way. That’s what learning is all about!

Procrastination Over - Quilt on its Way to Denmark

I made it - barely. My brother and his family stayed at our home for a few days before moving to Denmark. We had a lovely visit but I did spend a lot of my time in my quilt studio (bedroom!) quilting.

I should have completed the quilt when they were packing up their belongings to be shipped by container. I can blame procrastination (since that could be my middle name!) but this quilt had a lot of "teachable moments".

Back of the quilt

I wanted to make a nice backing for the quilt so I watched the free Craftsy course, Creative Quilt Backs with Elizabeth Hartman. I really like the back that I created, but that did take a few extra days.

In the meantime, I got my new sewing machine, so of course I had to try it out (and continued to procrastinate).

After having coffee with a quilting friend, I realized that I needed to re-base the quilt. It turns out that yes, it does take quite a few tries before getting the quilt flat!

Since I also bought the Craftsy course, Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine with Ann Petersen, I watched the sections that were relevant to this project. It was very informative and I used several of her suggestions.

Then, when I did a small sample on my new sewing machine (my Jag), I discovered that it insists on very good thread for quilting! Since I have a very small selection of Superior Thread, I had to go to my local quilt shop for the correct colours.

So, I started quilting on Saturday afternoon and finished Monday evening. The quilting pattern in each block, my son's wonderful suggestion, is one square inside another. I attached the binding Monday evening and finished hand sewing it Tuesday afternoon. Not much extra time since they left on Wednesday!

Stitch it: Quilts

The pattern, Scrap Happy, is from Stitch it: Quilts, 16 quilted projects to make for your home by Inspirations books.

Getting Ready for Ricky Timms

Tomorrow I’ll be spending the day with Ricky Tims (with a few hundred other quilters!) He’ll be in Ottawa for  a quilting seminar. That means we'll be listening and watching him as opposed to bringing our sewing machines and quilting.  

The doors open at 8:30 and our ticket says that it's on till 8:30 pm! Here's the schedule:

• Lecture 1: Fear not the "A" Word (Appliqué)
• Lecture 2: Out of Your Mind (This one sounds like it's right up my alley since it's about design)
• Lecture 3: Just a Quilting Fool (Machine quilting on a domestic sewing machine)
• Concert

I sure hope that Ricky is well rested - that is one full day of performing. He's probably an extrovert and gets energy from crowds and performing. As an introvert, a schedule like that would kill me!

Ricky Tims Convergence Quilts

To get ready for this event, I bought Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilts book. Since I'm procrastinating so well at this time, I read the book and started on my own convergence quilt!

What I learned:

• Ricky Tims has really worked through his technique, so when he suggests that you do something, even if you don't think it's necessary - DO IT! In the end, he's right!!!!

• It wasn't a difficult technique but you do have to be accurate when sewing it all back together.

I haven't added a border yet, but I really do like the effects. Once my brother's quilt is quilted, this project is on the top of the list!

I also learned that my blog doesn't want to play nice with other fonts! It seems that I'll have to use the html to keep it consistent.   :-)

Ricky Tims and some of his fans!

Update: August 2, 2013

The day with Ricky Tims was amazing. He taught, entertained, serenaded and inspired us. He seems so authentic. It was a real treat. I was able to buy some of his hand-died fabric, without paying for shipping (at least not directly).

Here he was, signing autographs and chatting.

There were three of his quilts on display - and would you believe that he encouraged us to touch them!

This was a wonderful quilty day!

Finishing Projects or Procrastinating?

I have to machine-quilt a quilt by next week. What am I doing? Finishing projects, starting new ones....and learning how to use my new-to-me Jenome Memory Craft 5600. What a machine! I feel like I just bought the Jaguar of my dreams!!! It purrs, has even stitching and the bobbin winds at the touch of a button. OMG, it’s amazing.

Except that I still need to quilt my brother’s quilt!

While I was procrastinating, I finished an embroidery I started at least a year ago. I bought the book “Encyclopedia Of Embroidered Flowers” by Barbara Baatz. From the book, I made a pattern of eleven of the flowers and bought a lovely frame for it. I embroidered most of the flowers within a short time – and hadn’t touched it in over a year. Well, procrastination on one project can be a good thing for another – the embroidery is now finished!

What I learned:

• I need to keep working on my short and long satin stitch; and
• I have to figure out what to put behind my embroidery to stop it from puckering.

It was a great project – I’m glad that it’s done.


I also made the cutest mini-messenger bag using a free pattern from All People Quilt website. I chose some lively fabrics but my daughter thinks that they are too juvenile – and since she’s the family style consultant, we listen to her! So this lovely mini-messenger bag will go to Denmark with my niece!
I have great plans for another one in fun but adultish fabrics. Any bets on when I’ll start quilting my brother’s quilt?

First Paper Piecing Project



Craftsy



I seem to be in a major learning mode - the stars must be aligned! Love it!!!

Since I'm addicted to learning, I've become a very good customer of Craftsy's. I've bought more classes than I have time to do, but since I can watch them anytime, it suits me. 

Since I was intrigued by my initial trial of paper piecing in April, I thought I would learn more about it. Of course I can't just follow along with the course. I watched the first four lessons of the Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing with Carol Doak and then went off on my own. In the course resources, there are tons of 3 inch paper piecing blocks to make. I chose three that were fun and that might appeal to my niece and then went to it.

My first block was these cute crayons. That was a lot of fun. I got lots of practice since I cut it too small and had no seam allowance left to sew it to anything....oppps!

My next piece was the framed picture. I love how it turned out.

I then pieced the bird house. How cute is that?

I framed all of the blocks and Voila! A wall hanging for Anna.

I'm linking up with Sarah Goer's Show Me Something...Mini.

Moccasin Vamps Completed!

On May 24th, my Learning to Bead blog was about creating moccasin vamps (tops) for the “Walking with our sisters collective art project”. It’s been a great learning experience.

Beading can be a very meditative undertaking. Once I’d decided how to bead a section, it was then just a matter of doing. These vamps carry many prayers for suffering women around the world, particularly our first nation sisters.


The design on the vamps is a modification of a quilt block since that’s part of my culture and passion. They are also bound as a quilt would be. Although the beading is less crammed, a little more space would have been good. I guess that’s a good metaphor for putting less stuff in our lives and accepting a little more space for being.

I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project when it comes through Ottawa.

Miigwech

Update: These are the vamps that our group sent in. They are so wonderfully diverse!

Placemat Extravaganza!

I’ve been working on a lot of various projects these days, but finishing very little. I don’t really care since there aren’t deadlines looming, but if I don’t finish something, there’s very little to blog!
Last night I finished two sets of placemats for my brother, sister-in-law and family. There’s not really a deadline, but since they’re moving away for a couple of years, I guess there is a deadline unless I want to mail them to Denmark.

Both sets are variations of the same pattern - "Take Four" by Cary Flanagan. The top one has 3 side strips while the one below only has 2. It’s a great pattern that only requires 4 fat quarters, plus of course, the batting and the backing.




These placemats had smaller, move even strips, so I quilted them by using a decorative stitch between each fabric.



These placemats are quite a bit larger.  They also have 2 wider strips on the bottom that I had to quilt.

I made some loops for a couple of the fabrics; quilted in grids for the darker fabric; and even quilted a couple of oak leaves with acorns on one of the placemats. It’s a great way to practice my machine quilting.

I'll miss my brother and his family. These will be a great reminder of home.