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March 20, 2013

Jewel Boxes Quilt

jewel-boxes-quilt
jewel-boxes-quilt
 
The Jewel Boxes Quilt is done! I began this quilt, or I should say, I began the scrappy improvisation blocks for this quilt, during the first workshop I took with Denyse Schmidt. You can see my blocks from that weekend more in the second part of the write-up. In the class, we randomly grabbed and pieced small strips together using her paper bag piecing method. This is just what it sounds like, grabbing little bits of fabric from brown paper bags, with absolutely no thought as to what gets paired with what, or what color combinations result. (This is exactly why so many of the blocks you see from her classes have that beautifully random, “use what you have” homespun look.)
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March 8, 2013

Friday Favorites: Echo Star Patchwork Quilt

I am inspired by so many things, I decided that every Friday, I will highlight a favorite person, thing, or idea. Maybe you will be inspired too! See all past Friday Favorites here.

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Updated to add: The Echo Star quilt is now available as a PDF pattern here and here!

Sometimes making a quilt from my head is all about exploration of what looks right together, or what type of patterning might seem harmonious, really just playing with the possibilities, hoping I will like the outcome. (That was definitely the case with Sunshine Medallion.) But there are times when my mind’s eye has a crystal clear vision from the very beginning of what I want the end result to be. That was the case with this quilt, Echo Star.

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March 5, 2013

Echo Star Quilt Progress

quilt progress
Oh…this quilt…. I love it so much. What began as a painting, then became a pillow, and now this large version. It has been so incredibly nice to just hunker down and work feverishly sewing this up during the drear and drip of winter. Somehow it feels so cheerful to me. Edited to add: This quilt is now completed, and available as a PDF pattern!
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February 15, 2013

Friday Favorites: Quilt Artist Luke Haynes

I am inspired by so many things, I decided that every Friday, I will highlight a favorite person, thing, or idea. Maybe you will be inspired too! See all past Friday Favorites here.

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Luke Haynes
Today I bring you the quilted world of Luke Haynes. I learned about Luke through his exhibition at Island Quilter last year that I couldn’t attend (boo!). A self-proclaimed “architect turned quilter”, he creates quilts often using used clothing (my favorite fabric for quilts). His pieces can be powerful, tongue in cheek, thought provoking, and stand alone statements.
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February 11, 2013

How to Sew A Jelly Roll Race Quilt

Jelly Roll
The jelly roll race quilt. Maybe you’ve heard of it? If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat, because it is, quite possibly, one of the fastest quilt tops you will ever make! I made mine in an hour once I cut my own strips. I was looking for a project to practice free motion quilting doodle flowers on (I’m still doodling flowers on everything), and this seemed perfect for that. I thought I’d share how I made mine in case you’d like to make one.
A “jelly roll” of fabric is literally a roll of 2 1/2″ x 44″ pre-cut strips of fabric, and a roll usually has 30-40 strips. These are usually created and sold to feature prints in a particular line (one or more strip of each print included) or groups of, say, coordinating solids. A lap or baby-sized quilt can be made from 1 jelly roll. Because I love to reuse and upcycle to create a more unique look, I used a combination of both new and repurposed fabrics. If you want to make your own jelly roll strips, just cut 2 1/2 inch wide strips across the width of any fabric. If you are reusing fabrics that aren’t 44 inches wide, still cut 2 1/2 inch wide strips, you’ll just need more of them.

 

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February 6, 2013

Free Motion Stitching in the Studio

October 22, 2012

Crazy Star Quilt

Crazy Quilt

 As I suspected, finishing unfinished projects seems to be good for the blahs. I put my nose down toward the sewing machine last week and finished the crazy star quilt I’d started a while ago. I held my breath as I used the walking foot on my Bernina for the first time to quilt straight lines across the star, then continued to hold my breath while I free motioned the entire quilt around the star with loop-d-loops. (Are these out of style? Oh please say they aren’t!). Everything worked just like it was supposed to (I love my sewing machine!) and I finished hand-stitching the binding while Peter and I watched Alaska State Troopers on Saturday night (don’t you want to party with us?).

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September 26, 2012

Crazy Star

star
Back in July, shortly after I came home from my weekend in Portland, I started working on the “Crazy Star” pattern from Denyse’s book, to use in our family room (we only have three quilts in there, apparently that’s not enough cause we’re always negotiating for usage). I spent an afternoon piecing the strips for the stars, which are foundation pieced onto a piece of quilter’s muslin. Well, actually it took less than an afternoon. This pattern is free and fast, once I decided which fabrics to use. That takes me a while. I knew I wanted to use strong blues and greens, but I cut into some beloved old ones to go in here. In an effort to use and not hoard fabric, I’m showing no mercy these days. (If I have it and love it, why not use it?)
My biggest dilemma at this point is what the base fabric color will be. A solid, for sure.
This one’s going to be mine, I think. I love it so much.
 

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