2023 Quilt Finishes

 After a triple F (Faint, Fall, Fracture) sewing commenced in late April and May timeframe. Feeling vulnerable I realized it was time to SEW my Fabric Stash and concentrated on finishing UFO's (unfinished objects) and plan a way to use a lot of fabric quickly. 

As a longarmer there are many scraps on the sides, top and bottom widths that are needed to attach the quilt back to the longarm frame, plus fabric widths in strips are quick to sew. So strips for backgrounds and bits (scraps for animals) became my logo. The fabric bits are for the crazy animal critters, and monsters - no patterns. I used clip art to get the basic shape and free cut. I used Elmer's glue stick and tacky glue to create the animals. The layout was all glued down including the yarn outlines as that works to be quickest to stitch on. Free motion applique went quickly - especially feeling "free"  using the techniques learned in the Sophie Standing Mustang (horse) class I took the first of the year. I really appreciate the fact that she explains it all in videos and keeps it on the class page for 6 months as with the injury I needed all that time to finish. SMQG Gifting chair also sent me the "farm" fabric to use in this technique.

This year I kept track using google slides to add photo's and stories of the quilts made. 

Looking forward to…

 I’ve admired Sophie Standings textile artwork and finally am taking her workshop via Zoom. Class starts in one week, kit received and there will be lots to learn. Click here to see her website. Here is the project we will learn her technique to make….a mustang horse.

Jon and Jack chilling on room divider scratchers.

Stuff done

Can’t show what I’m working on as it’s a secret project. Other things got done like door cams installed…

And the Christmas Cacti flowers are still blooming though some starting to fold. They have been so gorgeous this year. 

And pondering what to do with this printed fabric of Collin from photo taken when visiting the Great Northwest. Pillow, small quilt, painting? 

Sand Cranes

 This is the closest the sand cranes have let me- I think they’re focused on the crunchy nibbles afoot.

And a surprise gift in the mail, a 2023 calendar with photos of Joe and family. 💕 💕 💗 it!

Cat on lap

Cat and Dog day

 Remember the Asparagus quilt? Got the sweetest photo from Jodi of

Asparagus on Asparagus. Such a cute Kitty!

And there’s a new puppy in Joe’s family…

Meet Clover, an Irish Wolfhound Doodle. Just 7 months old, weighing 70 lbs, so long and lean- any guesses on her grown size and weight?

Video of SMQG 2022 Highlights

 Use what you have - and one item I have plenty of are quilt photos. As webmaster for the Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild (SMQG) I take and receive many photos for our monthly Show and Tell and activities. With the new year I decided it would be fun to look back on some of the outstanding 2022 Show and Tell quilts to post to our social media sites. You know, one of those end of the year reviews. It’s made using the CapCut app. Enjoy…

(I learned to format it in 9:16 not 4:3 the Google inquiry stated. Both Instagram and Facebook automatically changed it so it lost part of its background blur….had to takedown redo upload again.) A learning point…

To see lots of SMQG 2022 Show and Tell quilts click here.

Happy New Year 2023!

 Just amazes me, another year for…

Watching Hall Hill Farm on FB with its gorgeous views and animals

And then there’s ads I’m working on for the SMQG Quilt Show

Have a wonderful creative fun New Year!

 

A finished project

 Every year Helen Godden offers a free Christmas quilt along. This year is a nutcracker -just finished. This is painted on muslim using Caran d’Ache pencils. They are permanent when heat set. She quilts a section each day leading up to Christmas. Here’s my version of the Nutcracker finished and hanging by last years Partridge in a Pear Tree. Click here for Nutcracker info.

The Christmas cacti are in full bloom!

 No kitties have sniffed or sampled yet…

Quilts 2022

 My favorite nine made in 2022. 

Top left is a pattern I designed from free clip art on https://www.vecteezy.com/  I started with a new app called  Vectornator  but switched back to Affinity Designer on the iPad because….the magnifier floats just above the item you are connecting. It’s so much easier to see and get correct. Now that Affinity Designer version 2 is out ….I love 💕 this app. 

Top middle is a fabric find on Spoonflower showing locals in Italy. I had it printed on Minky by Spoonflower, it’s so soft and one of my favorites to use. On the front of the quilt. I used a map of Italy and highlighted or inserted where they lived and the regions they loved to travel. I imagine them tracing the map to remember some of their favorite trips.

Top right is a baby quilt for new great nephew Felix. Pattern by https://jenniferheynen.com/products/jungle-buddies-applique-quilt-pattern and the tiger is from https://shop.shinyhappyworld.com/collections/applique-block-patterns. These are so fun to make from scrap fabrics.

Middle left- OMG I was so thrilled to get in a Zoom class taught by Irene Roderick. The class was Dancing with the Wall. Her method of making abstract modern quilts is a thoughtful artistic process. Excellent class! And she has great book on Improv quilting too.

Middle is a Kwandi quilt. Nan R gave the May SMQG  on how these quilts are made and their history. 

Middle right is another Irene Roderick class- Dancing Design. We studied design principles and designed a quilt. We learned constructive critique methods. The Quilts made in this class are fantastic!

Bottom left is the Give and Take quilt method by https://tarafaughnanquilts.com/. Made in a Zoom class from her for our guild.

Bottom middle is from a Whimsical Quilting class I took through Manatee Patchworkers  by https://www.crisarcbono.com/. Cristina’s work specializes in Vintage Retro … great technique!

Bottom right is a quilt made for Jodi who fosters cats and kittens until they are adopted. She fell in love with one special kitten Asparagus and adopted him….this is such a great photo, stylized in the Prisma app and printed on minky at Spoonflower. I used a Sherpa backing so it’s super soft. 

More made and quilted but these are my favorites of 2022. It was a great year!

QuiltCon 2022

QuiltCon 2022 was in Phoenix with beautiful weather. I enjoyed the quilts tremendously and it was great to have time to see my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. We had some tasty eats in beautiful downtown Phoenix.

QuiltCon quilts were just fantastic! I love the way the show is laid out in a zigzag method to let all really view the quilts and keep the lines moving. (As compared to the U shape method the other shows use.) Plus the categories are so descriptive such as Modern Traditional, Negative Space, Improv etc. It includes the overall design of the quilts more than just the perfection of a technique.

Here are some of my favorites: