More Applique Quilt Patterns to Come

Here are the latest photos of one of my most recent applique quilt patterns. Both machine applique and felt applique techniques were used to make this handmade quilt.

My daughter, husband, and I were out on a picnic one day, sitting on a handmade quilt given to us from Josh's Grandma. It got me thinking, and in the sunshine, with fine food and family, an idea came to me. What if I made a literal picnic quilt. From there I designed and created this fun little masterpiece, full of bright colors and sweetness.

Josh made these matching ceramic dishes and I made matching cherry print napkins to go along with this handmade quilt.  You can buy the whole set, along with a vintage picnic basket at The Artists' House Etsy Shop.  If you rather not purchase the entire set, the quilt is also for sale on it's own.

I'm currently working on the pattern for this handmade quilt.  Soon it will be available in my Etsy shop.

Yummy, don't you think?

Knee Deep in Fabric, Paper, Wood, and Thread

I'm currently in the middle of working on six different projects.  Three of them fall in a series of mixed media, fabric inspired, wall hangings.  I'll be offering them in my shop soon.  I don't want to give too much away since they aren't finished yet, let's just say that I'm super busy and there isn't much time for lounging on couches and watching T.V.

I'm also in the middle of working on two more quilts, both original designs.  I'm so excited to get them finished.  Until then, here's a peak...

Oh no, I just spilt some water.

I must be going.  I really should get back to work and start paying attention to what I'm doing, before someone gets hurt.

A Quilt For A New Mommy

This past weekend I hosted a ladies craft night.  Each month an amazing group of woman I know, get together and work on a different craft.  One of our fellow crafters, and dear friend, is pregnant with her first child and so we decided to make a baby quilt.  Here she is.  Isn't she glowing?!

  

Some of these same ladies made a quilt for me and Monet about this same time last year.  Their kind act brought me to tears; forever Monet and I will cherish that quilt, along with the people who made it.  You can read more about it here...

Each block of the quilt was made and mailed by a different loved one.  Each of the eight members of our craft group also contributed a block.  After friends, mothers, sisters, and brothers all contributed, we had a total of sixteen blocks, each telling it's own story, a story that will eventually be told to a little baby boy still inside his mother's belly.

The quilt came together pretty quickly, after about five hours of work.  By the end of the night it was done, all except the binding.  We are now passing it around, from one lady to the next, until the binding is complete and the quilt is securely fastened together.  I like the symbolism behind this, as I hope we ladies stay close-knit and support Mira in this next stage of her life.

Speaking of support, tomorrow I'll be talking about the very important and yet controversial issue of mothers and society.    

A Quilt Survey

I'm starting another project and would love for you to help. The final product will be a lap quilt with felted butterflies migrating across the quilt-top.

Would you please reference to the photos below and then answer the following questions in the comment section...

1.  Which quilt-top layout do you fancy most? (reference to the photos below)

2.  Which are you more likely to buy: a quilt, a duvet, a fleece blanket, a crocheted blanket, or other?

Conglomerate One

One Lone Block

One Block Missing

Two Rows of Five

Ten Together

Conglomerate Two

Systematic Conglomeration

Thanks so much!  I really appreciate the help!

It's Finished, Now If Only I Could Slow Down

I'm having one of those days, one of those weeks, where my mind is going a mile a minute with creative ideas and it won't stop making a list a mile long of things I want to get done.  It's spring break and both my husband I have off.  You would think that I would be able to tackle this list, or rest and have fun, but instead, under these circumstances, my energy is too crazy for my hands or body to slow down and do either of the before mentioned.

And because of this, I'll only be with you a short bit today, because I just must release this energy and I think sewing might be the only solution.  Yes, I'll say it again, SEWING IS THERAPY!

I'm currently working on a few sewing projects, and I just can't wait to share them with you.  In the meantime, I've also finished a big sewing project.  Finally it's finished!

And so, I'll leave this with you today.  Enjoy!

It Feels Good When You Finish Something

They're finished!  I'll drop them by Piper's Quilts and Comforts today.  I'll also be posting some on Etsy for non-Utahans to buy.

How do I feel right now?  A lot like I did in college ironically.  Remember in college, that feeling you got right before you handed in that perfectly crisp term paper?  The one you read and edited until you didn't know what you were reading anymore?  The one you really needed and wanted so badly to get an A on?  What is that feeling?  I think it's part pride and maybe part fear?  Accomplishment?  Maybe?  

Embroidery Birds

My quilt top is almost done. I'm currently using embroidery tread to add in the final details of the birds. I had someone tell me that the applique technique I used, while not traditional, was similar to the broderie perse method of applique. Is anyone familiar with this method? I'd love to learn more about it, other than what I can google on the internet.

Originally, when designing this quilt pattern, I wanted to make it appear that the birds were walking off their fabric and fusing with the other fabrics of the quilt. What do you think? Did I succeed?

Saying Good-Bye to Our Beloved Charley Harper Quilt

Well, it's official, Monet and I have decided to say good-bye to our beloved Charley Harper, applique quilt for a short while. A local fabric shop called Pipers has offered to sell my first pattern. Is it official? Does this make me a designer? While I certainly don't think that's the case quite yet, I must admit I like how that sounds.

This idea has been in the works for a short time now. You can link back to where I originally wrote about this dilemma concerning the quilt inspired by Charley Harper. Jeannette, the owner of Piper's Quilts and Comforts, has come up with a great idea. We are going to sell a Charley Harper coloring book along with my pattern. I'm not going to include Charley's images in the pattern, instead I'm going to put the coloring book under the list of materials. Then people can create the applique images using the coloring book that they purchase. I feel good about this. We are then giving credit where credit is due, while still being able to share this wonderful quilt with the world.

What do you all think? Does this seem fair?

Well, I really should go. I have my first pattern to start making.

Progress at Last, Making Another Applique Quilt - Part 2

I'm happy to say that I made some serious progress on my quilt Sunday night. I was so surprised how fast it went. Josh entertained Monet while watching the end of the Super Bowl and in just two hours I was able to get all the long double strips sewn and ironed. What do you think so far?

From here I'm going to sew on applique birds so it looks like birds are walking off their fabric and onto the other fabrics of the quilt. Here's a sneak peak...

Making Another Applique Quilt - Part 1

I don't know why exactly, but recently I have had an unexplainable urge to make another quilt, for no one in particular, and yet again I'm finding birds to be an inspiration. Follow the link to see photos of my first applique quilt.

I'm finally making progress after a few glitches. I've designed a great pattern and all the fabric has been cut out not once, but twice.

Why twice you may wonder? Well, I used to think multi-tasking was a strength of mine, but since Monet's birth I have found that it is most certainly NOT, rather it is a horrible habit that often detours my work about 100 miles of course. So back to the question at hand, why did I cut each piece of fabric out twice? I suppose watching a baby, doing laundry, cooking dinner, answering the phone, all while creating a quilt pattern makes for a situation where mistakes will be made. And sure enough a mistake was made and fixing that mistake required me to cut a 1/2 inch off each side of ALL my rectangular blocks. In hind sight I suppose I could have kept the 1/2 inch there, but it threw off some other design elements and thus the perfectionistic side of my personality kicked in over drive and I spent the next 3 hours cutting all the blocks again. Here is the aftermath...

Remember to always measure twice, feed the baby, measure again, change the laundry, check your pattern for accuracy, measure once more, answer the phone, and then cut just once.