MQG Swap 2020

I participated in the Modern Quilt Guild mini swap.  My partner and I swapped at QuiltCon.

I combined two paper pieced patterns by Quiet Play.  Kona colours used were:  Rich Red, Mango, Buttercup, Kiwi, Everglade, Lake, Wisteria, Heliotrope, Sangria, and Pomegranate, with Kona Silver for background.

Star and loop free-motion quilting in grey thread for a quick finish.

I received an improv mini showcasing bright colours.

A fun bright backing.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Home Sewn By Us

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

QuiltCon Austin - The Workshops

I finally attended my first QuiltCon, and it did not disappoint!!  I hope to attend QuiltCon 2021 in Atlanta and QuiltCon 2022 in Phoenix.  Time to start saving money.  😉

Today's post is about the workshops I attended.

EQ8 for Beginners - Cheryl Brickey (Meadow Mist Designs)

I have had EQ8 for over a year, but really didn't have an idea how to use it correctly.  Cheryl was an awesome instructor, and I learned a lot.  If you want to learn EQ8, I highly recommend her workshop.

I've already designed a small quilt.  I wanted to try something simple to practice using the features I learned from Cheryl.  I've printed off both rotary cutting instructions and paper piecing templates.

1 Curve, 100s of Ideas - Jen Carlton Bailey (Betty Crocker Ass)

I purchased Jen's curve template set, and they are a great tool.  We learned both a single and double curve.

We also learned a double curve (but not following the path of the previous curve) and a half circle.

And then Jen showed us how to make a full circle.  Another workshop I highly recommend.

Block Printing on Fabric - Pantera Saint-Montaigne (Brooklyn Mojo)

The hardest part of this workshop was creating a design.  I love block printing!!

I sacrificed my pencil (sorry eraser) to add a centre to my flowers.  And yet another workshop that I recommend.

High Contrast Hand Quilting - Riane Menardi Morrison (Riane Elise)

I think I'm starting to like hand piecing/quilting.  Oh my...did I say that??  LOL  This was another great workshop.

I have finished all the lines I marked, but I'm going to add something extra between the lines.

With the exception of my laptop for the EQ8 workshop, I didn't need to bring a lot of supplies for my workshops.  When travelling a long distance with only one checked bag, it was a relief not to have to bring a lot of stuff.  I will definitely keep this in mind when selecting workshops in the future.

Thanks to the Modern Quilt Guild for hosting such a great event.  Also great thanks to the many volunteers who make this event happen.

Project Quilting 11.4 - Birds in the Air

Do you play along with Project Quilting hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams?  This is my third year participating.  The theme for Project Quilting 11.4 was announced at 12:00 noon on February 16 -- well after I had left home to attend QuiltCon.  I had already decided that I wouldn't play along because I didn't have a lot of sewing supplies with me.  But then while at QuiltCon I started scheming on how I might be able to participate. 😁

I sketched out a small mini Thursday night, making a list of the sizes of the two colours I needed.  I played around in EQ8 for a few design options.  Thanks to Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs for an awesome EQ8 class Thursday morning.

Following my class Friday night, I choose the two colours that I had sufficient fabric and cut out the pieces before leaving class.  I had hoped to sneak in several minutes of sewing before I had to leave the room.  Unfortunately, I was only able to machine sew the four HSTs needed.  Back in the hotel room, the top of the fridge became my cutting table.  😊

So I started hand sewing the pieces together.  Dena was also working on some hand work, and we ended up sewing until 2:00 a.m.  We didn't realize it had gotten so late.  I even pieced the binding strips by hand.

Dena had some white perle cotton so I started hand quilting Saturday night. And yet again, we ended up sewing late into the night.  I really enjoyed making this project.

It finishes 8.5 inches.

This project also qualifies to link up with Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts for her monthly Show Me Something linky party.  This month's theme is triangles.

Pattern Testing - Staggered Quilt by Night Quilter

I recently had the opportunity to test a pattern for Kitty @ Night Quilter.  It's an awesome pattern, and I will definitely make it again.  Head over to Kitty's blog for details on how to purchase the pattern.

I made the baby size, and it is quite generous in size.

I used Alison Glass prints and Kona Charcoal.

It's a quick, easy pattern.

The Staggered pattern is on sale for a limited time.

[Photo from Night Quilter blog]

Project Quilting 11.3 - Put a Heart On It

Put a Heart on It was the third theme for Project Quilting (hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams).

I knew what to make right away...having recently found a photo online of a heart inside a star.  I decided to make a pillow for a friend who is having surgery in the coming weeks.

Everything was in my scrap pile, including this fun chevron for the back.

I even found a heart print for the border.  I quilted some words in the star points:  love and faith.

And joy and peace.  I'm not one to practice 😉 but I did practice peace...once...and then jumped right in.

I ran out of time...so a boxy stipple in the background.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to participate in the next challenge, as I'll be en route to QuiltCon when the next theme is announced.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Sarah Goer Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

2020 Monthly Color Challenge - February

It's time for the February block for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  Head over to Jen's blog for details.

February's colour is teal and focuses on HSTs.  I use my Hera marker (slim and regular) to mark the diagonal line rather than a pen or pencil -- you can mark two blocks at once, saving time.

I think I have the tension fixed on my Singer Featherweight, so I've been sewing on it the past two days.  I used Island Batik prints.

Head over to Jen's blog for details on the prize sponsors.

February Color Challenge Bloggers

Kathy - Penny For My Thoughts

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Claudia - Create with Claudia

Carolyn - Sweet Boater Chick

Sheila - So This is Kentucky

Drop Everything and Make It - Lined Drawstring Bags

Sandra @ Musings of Menopausal Melon hosts a monthly link up -- DREAMI -- to share the projects you just had to make because the squirrels sidetracked you.

I have been making a lot of snack-sized Lined Drawstring Bags by Jeni @ In Color Order.  They are a quick make.  I save time by using ribbon rather than making ties.

I've been using Island Batik fabrics.

I think these teal/green ones are my favourite.

I need to take a break and get back to other projects.  But I'm already thinking about other colour combinations to make more bags.  😉

Project Quilting 11.2 - Team Colours

This week's theme for Project Quilting (hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams) was Team Colours.  I had an idea early in the week, but didn't get around to cutting fabric until Friday night.  Luckily, I just made a baby-sized quilt, so I was able to piece, quilt, and bind it all on Saturday.

I decided to use the colours of my high school:  black and yellow.

I added Kona Black, Iron, Silver, and White to the two black/yellow prints.  I used my Accuquilt Go to cut the triangles -- that eliminated the need to trim the HSTs once they were sewn.

For a quick finish, a simple all over stipple in yellow thread.

A quick indoor photo as it started to rain while I was taking photos this morning.

Now to get caught up on some other projects.  The next theme will be released next Sunday at noon.

TGIFF - Birthday Pillow

This week's finish was a quick project.  Elizabeth Hartman's pattern, Dogs in Sweaters.  The pattern has three sizes, so I decided to make the pillow (one block) as a birthday gift for a friend.

The block finishes at 16 x 26 inches.  I used Kona Earth, Chocolate, and Purple.

It's the weekend!!  I'll be sewing with friends tomorrow -- guild sew day.


I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

TGIFF - Bags for a Friend

You may have seen over on Instagram that recently I got a little sidetracked making a bunch of Lined Drawstring Bags by Jeni @ In Color Order.  This is an amazing pattern, and I can't wait to try the expansion pattern.

A friend loves the Toronto Raptors basketball team, so I whipped up a bag to send to her.

And I also love the Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial by Noodlehead.  So I made one to go along with the drawstring bag.

I hope she enjoys them.  They were fun to make.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Simply Crafting

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting