Color Challenge

Another mini is complete. This one was made in response to a quilt shop color challenge. 

At the beginning of February, Julia and I visited a quilt shop near Albany, NY. I had been a fan of Amelia's Garden since I met Tara and her mom vending at quilt shows. Next to the register, they had set out a basket of fat eighths with a printout of a design seeds color palette. I'm sure no one is surprised that I chose an orange one! The challenge was to make a mini quilt using as many of the colors in the palette as possible. I already had most of this fabric in my hands, ready to check out!

Before I sat down with EQ7, I scrolled through my Pinterest boards for inspiration. I'm always attracted to kaleidoscopes and periwinkles. My block is like a bordered kaleidoscope. Since I wanted to use all six colors, the background color changes behind the stars. I numbered my blocks and colored them in with crayons so I could keep it all straight. I still had to rip out a couple of pieces.

I usually use paper clips to hold blocks together, but the wonder clips were closer. They work, but I prefer vinyl coated paper clips.

 

To make thinks interesting for me, I used a different free motion quilting design in each color. I definitely need more practice with these lazy 8's.

 

 

  

This was such a fun challenge, I'd like to bring it to my guilds or retreat.

Texture. Oh, yeah!

 

All ready for Julia to take back to the shop next week for judging. Rhode Island peeps, Amelia's Garden will be vending at the NBQA show on April 23-24. 

Amelia's Color

Started 3/25/16

Completed 4/2/16

20" X 20"

Jeweled Wildflowers

 I'm excited to have completed a challenge piece in time for tonight's guild meeting! Narragansett Bay Quilters issued a fabric challenge way back last year in preparation for our show in April. I purchased 1/2 yard of the selected Kaffe Fasset print and it sat untouched for months.

Finally in January, I searched my Pinterest boards for inspiration and found Rebecca Bryan's pattern for English Paper Pieced Wildflowers. Perfect! I wanted a portable project that I could work on during breaks at work.

After piecing a test block, I cut out all the parts. I didn't have enough of the white background print, so the gold became a built-in border.

I sort of fussy cut the challenge fabric, so I was left with odd bits leftover. And a generous selvedge strip!

This is what happens when you're not paying attention. Oops!

I pieced a block or two on retreat. I have to take my glasses off so I can clearly see the tiny stitches. Wonder clips work great for holding the pieces together.

I pieced a whole flower while waiting for an oil change. #EPPeverywhere!

When I posted this picture to a Facebook group, I noticed a fabric placement error in the top left corner flower. It's only an error in my mind, so I left it.

I quilted in a variety of threads that matched the fabrics.

The fabric on the back is a Philip Jacobs delphinium print that I love.

I use transparencies and dry erase markers to play with quilting designs. Many thanks to my friend Pat Harrison for giving me a small supply of transparencies!

You can see better on a white background. If I don't like something, I can easily erase it and try again.

 I'm ready for tonight!

Jeweled Wildflowers

22" X 22"

Pattern by Rebecca Bryan

NBQA challenge fabric

Started January 26, 2016

Completed February 13, 2016

Awards:
Narragansett Bay Quilters Association, April 2016
3rd Place Exemplary Piecing

WIP Wednesday

 My guild challenge piece is coming along for Narragansett Bay Quilters. It's due next Thursday, so I really need to get moving. I was at my sister's house last weekend, basting pieces for the top row. Her granddaughter had fun putting together the stars with Grammie.

 Most of my free time recently has been spent preparing for lectures. Last night, I spoke to my home guild, Ninigret Quilters, about quilting on the internet. The topic wasn't my idea, but it was fun! I got to drag out all my swap pieces, BOMs, mysteries, and trendy patterns. Berta was one of my holders, and this post is for her! Pat, thank you for taking pictures!

Yes, I'm that short and my hands are always moving.

A note to my Ninnies: If you need more info for something you saw last night, click over to my Completed Projects page or try a search in the box top left.

Since my last post, I finished a bunch of small projects for my next lecture. I'm saving the big reveals for the Clamshell Quilters next week. Here's a tease...

I'm a Modern Blue Star Mom!

Fussy cut hexie gears and lots of quilted texture.

What do these three minis have in common?

All this snow has given me plenty of time to stitch! 

Lee is taking a break from her WIP Wednesday link-ups. Thanks for 5 years of fun, Lee!

Black and White and ...

 A couple of months ago, the RIMQG issued a challenge. We were to use black and white and one additional color of our choice. Hmm. What color will Tina add? That's a tough one!

I wanted to keep it simple with a disappearing nine patch. I drew it out in EQ7 which was a great help in deciding how to use various oranges. The only thing that ended up being very different from the drawing is the binding.

I played with some extra squares for the back, and used up some more of that DS Quilts orange print.

I wanted to do something fun and interesting with the quilting. Plan A included some pebbling and matchstick quilting in the oranges. I hated it! I had gone through two full bobbins when I decided to rip it all out.

It took hours to unstitch, but it was totally worth it.

I'm much happier with Plan B. The only problem that remains is a hint of the gray chalk that I used again on the medium orange. I marked a grid to guide the petals and it just won't wash out completely. I will never use that chalk again!

 In this shot of the back, you can see the orange stripe binding. I will run out of orange fabric and move on to something else, but it won't happen any time soon.

My little quilt is currently hanging in the kitchen, adding a little Halloween cheer.

Black and White and Orange All Over

October 16-18, 2014

37" square

Diamond Party

I just decided to call this little challenge quilt Diamond Party because it was so much fun to make. I really enjoyed the process from start to finish. No stress, just fun!

It all started with fat eighths of these fun prints from Micheal Miller for the MQG challenge. Four of the prints are from the Petal Pinwheels collection. The gray print is Star Jacks from Atomic Tabbys. And the solid is Cotton Couture Coral.

This is one of the first quilts I designed with EQ7. I even drew in the quilting. I almost never plan the quilting when I am designing a quilt. It was fun to plan ahead this time.

Fat eighths are not a lot of fabric to work with, so I was happy to have EQ7 do the math for me to verify I'd have enough fabric. In mid-May, I paper pieced the 2" finished half square triangles and the rows came together quickly.

Then life happened and it had to wait, taped to the hallway wall, until this week. I finished the top on Thursday and pieced the back from a half yard of coordinating green that I purchased plus all the leftovers from the front. I prepared the binding, too. By the way, instead of pinning the rows together, I glue basted to be sure the points matched. It worked like a charm, but was a pain to pop them open when I pressed the seams open.

On Friday, I was ready to quilt with Aurifil 50 wt, white #2024. I quilted in the ditch with a walking foot to stabilize the piece. I wanted concentric squares, but didn't want to deal with all the turning with the walking foot, so I went free motion. Labeling them "wonky" means they don't have to be perfect!

I really like the texture and character of the quilting- front and back.

I couldn't decide which end was up, so I made 2 sleeves for the top and bottom. I used the remaining green to make the sleeves, but it wasn't quite wide enough. I pieced in some of the lighter orange from my stash and matched the seams so they blend in with the pieced back. I had saved the solid coral for the binding, but there wasn't enough to go around, so I added the lighter orange again to fill the gap.

I love this piece hanging in my green and orange powder room/laundry room.

Diamond Party

Started 5/13/14

Completed 6/13/14

Working time: 4 days

Finished size: 24" X 28"