"Blossom's Journey"

"Blossom's Journey"

Pilgrim/Roy Challenge Quilt 2012

Live Auction AQS Show, Paducah 2012

40 1/2" square

My quilt is finished!  I was invited to be part of this year's Pilgrim and Roy Challenge, a group of quilts made by well known quilters to be auctioned live at the AQS show in Paducah to raise funds for the National Quilt Museum. 

The quilts were due last April but because of health problems I was unable to complete mine until this winter.  But it's done, will be exhibited at the quilt show in the convention center with the other magnificent quilts already featured and displayed this past year.  To see them and think about bidding on one or more of them, click here.

The quilt auction is Thursday evening April 26, 6-8 p.m. with food available beforehand in the food tent.

You can bid online if you won't be at the event:  http://www.quiltmuseum.org/auction1.html

The quilt was made of a packet of challenge fabrics by Moda from Hancock's of Paducah, and I added two additional fabrics to complete the design.  Quilting motifs are original, including the animals from my Quilting Whimsy digitized embroidery designs for OESD.

The animals were traced to the quilt, but the feathers surrounding it are done freehand and are not symmetrical or matching, totally organic.  I thought the birds, cats, and rabbits looked best surrounded by flowing natural greenery.

I used YLI #100 silk thread and YLI Sparkle thread, and Pellon Legacy wool batt, and the lovely piping/binding was made using Susan Cleveland's Piping Hot Binding materials, book, and technique, which worked wonderfully.  Love it.

Below is a detail of the border quilting. 

I will add more photos in an upcoming post so if you are interested in purchasing this quilt you will have more detailed information.  If you are going to the AQS Show in Paducah, you can see it there, which is always so much better than a photo.  The motifs are outlined in taupe/gold YLI Sparkle thread which gives it such a richness and vintage warmth. 

All of the quilters involved in this project made stunning quilts, and we hope you will be generous and bid and support the museum.  Your contribution will be tax deductible, plus you will own a piece of quilting history from some of your favorite iconic quilters. 

I hope whatever quilt you choose to buy you will be thrilled with this opportunity to own and see every single day something that will enrich your life so much and do so much to support our museum.  The museum belongs to all of us, and we have to do as much as we can to support it. 

The story of this quilt is all about Blossom, a lovely and amazingly sweet little tabby cat who found our home in the snows and ice of February, and went through a long and incredible journey of trust with us to find a new life. 

While that was going on, I made this quilt, a happy diversion for Oliver and me, and included the two cats on it to represent this ordeal.  The "Trip Around the World" pattern is very fitting indeed.  It has a good ending, and Blossom has a new home with a family in our town.  The quilt I hope will find a new home too.

Please spread the word about these quilts so as many people as possible will know about them and think about buying one of them.  I thank you so much.

I am making plans to go to Sneak Preview at the AQS Paducah show and opening day, so please say hi if you see me, whip out a feather plume to show me, and I will be happy.  Can't wait to see the quilts, see old friends, do some shopping, see what everyone has been making!

Keep quilting,  your work gets better every day!

Diane

Art Quilt Exhibit

"Waiting for Breakfast" ~ Ann Fahl

Yesterday we braved monsoon rains and drove an hour south to the Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha, WI to view the Quilts in Color Exhibit on display through tomorrow.  We arrived 15 minutes before it opened, so sneaked in a major lunch to wile away some time.  When we returned the rain was not as heavy and we ran to the front door, and walked in to a world of glorious color and design. 

The exhibit showcases the works of major art quilters: Ann Fahl, Melodie Johnson, Marcia Stein, Barbara J. Schneider, Gloria Hansen, and Rhonda Rodero. 

It was wonderful to get a dose of quilting, to be able to see these quilts displayed so beautifully in a splendid old mansion, each one spot-lit perfectly.  The threads twinkled and glowed, the colors were rich and vibrant.  I think some of these quilts left an impression on my retinas that lasted for hours!  Perfect viewing on a rainy spring day.

Loved the variety too, soft colors in the abstract quilts that reminded me of the shimmering rain on pavement right outside the French doors, looking out to Lake Michigan, a stone's throw away.  Intense color in Melodie Johnson's work,  the illusions and depth created by Gloria Hansen, and oh the whimsy of Marcia Stein. 

Ann Fahl's quilts were all on the main level, and hung perfectly so there were sight lines where a quilt could be seen from many feet away, perfectly framed.  Then you strolled up as close as you could get to see the individual thread colors and stitches.  Her cat quilts were fantastic seen all together.  I had the chance to look at them and spend some time not only enjoying the overall look, but seeing up close how things were done.  Although much of it did appear to be a mystery to me!

We spoke with a young mom and two girls who had just finished viewing the quilts, and their faces said it all.  It was so rewarding to me as a quilter to see how they were affected by these works.   Ann's cat quilts were their favorites, and each named one that was her own special "best." 

We talked cats, and quilts, and they wanted to know the name of the black and white cat in the quilts, so I told them it was "Oreo."  Ironically, my first cat as a grown-up was a tuxedo cat, a boy, and his name was Oreo too. 

There were many other visitors while we were there, and they were thoroughly enjoying all the quilts as were we.  It was a pleasure for me to see how they were interacting and so excited and happy with this exhibit.  Each room was a new discovery, and all of it was so satisfying. 

I hope if you live within a day trip of this exhibit you will try and go before it is over on March 25.  Let yard work wait, go grocery shopping next week.  This is worth changing your schedule.  I think I enjoyed this much more than seeing many of these same quilts in quilt shows.  It was fabulous.

Today I have to face making piping and binding, but will grit my teeth and just do it.  Then one more project with a deadline will be done.

Hope you are quilting a little bit in this warm early spring,

Diane

Stolen Quilts

Batik Cascade Ribbons by Karen Combs

I am very sad to report that fellow professional Karen Combs was the victim of a break-in to her car while in Texas this past week, and a suitcase of teaching supplies and quilts was stolen.  Please go to her blog to see the photos of the missing quilts and contact her if you have any information at all.  Many eyes might help locate these quilts. 

My heart goes out to Karen.  Having something stolen that is so much a part of you as your quilts must be terrible, and to have vital supplies and samples for her classes and her work taken is an added assault. 

Let's hope these quilts can be located and returned, and meanwhile show our support to Karen.

Thanks!

Diane

Feathers Everywhere

I hope you've been enjoying quilting feathers!  Here is a photo of a portion of a quilt, "Twilight Rhythms," that contained lots of feathers, flowers quilted with the echo feather technique, and backgrounds on a hand dyed sateen.  The largest feathers are about 5" long, and the tiny ones are tiny. 

Once you learn the shape, and the spacing technique with the line of echo quilting, just about any non-continuous line design can be quilted this way.  Leaving a small space and echoing the line, then echoing the entire design gives it a tailored, finished look.

Here the flowers are quilted with the technique, as could be leaves, pinecones, sunflowers, whatever you choose that has petal shapes or parts hat all unite to form a unit.  The echo lets you travel to the next shape.

My sewing machine has been getting a tune-up and soon I'll be working at it again.  I have reached the physical boundaries in my sewing room with no more space, and I can't find anything anymore.  It's a dilemma, as I really want to keep everything, but must start downsizing to be able to function at all in the space. 

Oliver plans on helping me sort and organize.  Ha!

Hope spring is in the air where you live, it is here in the north, with longer days already.  Time to plan a spring trip to a quilt event!

Keep quilting, keep feathering, don't let what you've learned fade away.

Diane

NQM Quilt Ruler!

Oliver has checked out my new ruler that arrived from the National Quilt Museum gift shop and discovered that Mom has a quilt included on its vertical display of quilts from their collection.  How cool is that???

It's $8.95 and features some really beautiful favorites.  I will keep mine handy for the necessary measuring of things I do all the time. 

My "Shadows of Umbria" is on the ruler and I think you'll recognize so many others that you all have loved at the museum.  The detail is excellent on the photos; you'll love seeing the fabrics and quilting. 

Please excuse the cat hair, a carryover from previous cats that became part of the fabric of the quilt.  Oliver enjoyed investigating the "new" smell of the ruler, plus the "old" scents of all the prior cats who slept on this lap quilt, but was not unduly alarmed at all.  Just curious.

I guess it is due for a good wash soon!  It is quilted with smoke invisble monofilament thread, which has held up well over the years, and mostly because it was good quality fresh thread, quilted with the correct set-up and needle, but most importantly quilted with the correct tension.  I used cotton #60 Mettler in the bobbin.  It has lasted nicely, has cotton batt, no trapunto.  I love its vintage look.

SewCalGal has given me some sneak peeks at comments and photos on the Free Motion Quilting Challenge Facebook page, and I am really pleased and proud of all of you for doing so incredibly well!  The best thing is to see finished feathers in actual quilts, table runners, wall hangings.  Go for it!  The more you quilt them, the better you'll become and you will WANT to quilt your own tops, yes, on your very own home sewing machine.  Yay!!

Oliver finally fell asleep by the ruler, adding yet another layer to the interesting fur deposits on the quilt. 

Keep quilting!  Your work gets better every day,

Diane



Feathers Together

Way back when, about 10 or more years ago, I began quilting freehand feathers with the "echo" technique, leaving a small corridor or space between each feather, and echoing once around the finished design to tie it all together. 

I still love quilting them this way, although longer thin "finger feathers" as in the design above, are a tad difficult to do in a home machine.  Moving the quilt smoothly and keeping that space even isn't easy, but you do develop the skill with repetition and conscious effort.  Concentration is the key, and then it becomes a non-thinking task, more of a muscle memory.

The photo above shows a portion of a small design/quilt I drew, traced, and then quilted with this technique.  If you find it too difficult to do feathers with no marks, then try drawing your own, tracing them to your quilt, and quilting them with the technique.  Quilt on the line for the feather, but echo it back up to the top until you reach the marked top of the next feather, then quilt on that line.  Remember to echo the outside tips of the feathers as the finishing touch.

You can also use stencils and quilt them this way.

In my designs I include fat rounded feathers, long thin ones, feathers that look a bit like real bird feathers with hardly any variation in the width, large and small feathers.  It makes the design interesting to combine a variety of sizes especially, but even shapes.  Don't go overboard on this or it will look very busy and distracting.

The complete design, below, is still one of my favorites.  The good thing about drawing a design is you can tinker with it and get it so it looks right before proceeding to mark and quilt it.  Also, you have it in your drawer of designs to use again and again.

"Joy"

Note the two plumes I added at the bottom to balance the design.  Fun!  The main design was begun with the urn, then I added a branched spine.  Now, I would only draw that much, and quilt the feathers freehand, spontaneously, but at that time I drew them all and traced them. 

I am better at quilting them now, but any feathers, at any time, beginner or advanced, give beauty, movement, elegance, charm to your quilts.

Enjoy your feathers, keep working at them, add them to other designs to keep up your skills.

FMQ Challenge members, good luck in March!  You will enjoy Ann's tutorial.

Keep quilting!  Your work gets better every day,

Diane

Feathers on One Side Only!

I have been looking at the FMQ Challenge results that many of you have posted, and they are fabulous!  There are feather plumes everywhere, all over the world, looking individual, unique, lovely.

Practicing drawing, quilting, going back, trying again, all of you worked so hard and came up with some spectacular results.  The best thing?  You are quilting them already in your quilts. 

They look terrific, and of course, the more you do, and keep at it, and try new things with them, the easier they will be, the better they will become.  Try different threads and needles.  It's always fun to experiment, and yes, it is a process, a journey, and seeing improvement so quickly does keep you going.  I am really happy so many of you are doing quite well with this tutorial.

The echo quilting background I did is more difficult and takes a long time to do.  Simple echoes that repeat the design are easier, with more spacing.  If you use a contrast color thread that shows for the feathers, choose one that matches background for echoes or other background design so the feathers are highlighted, and your "oops moments" in echoes are not as obvious.  But echo quilting is a fabulous technique to learn, so keep at it, love seeing your results.

The hardest thing in doing echo quilting is having good visibility in your home sewing machine.  Some machines make it truly difficult, others are great because of the foot placement, no big thumb screws or added hardware getting in your line of vision.  Big thick plastic feet are hard to see around, as are feet that are not offset from the central post but block your view at "noon."

Time for another idea for your feathers.

The photo, above, is a variation of the feather plume that you can try.  It works placed around anything, other designs, applique, open spaces. 

I used the Perfect Spiral tool by Anita Shackleford at www.thimbleworks.com to trace the spiral lines that became the spines of the feathers as they radiate outwards.  I only traced one line, quilted it out from the base at the echoes around the pile of Headbands (directions in my Quilt Savvy book).  Then at the outer edge, and just as in the spine in the tutorial, I echoed it back to my starting point and then feathered it.

It's easiest to feather on the outside curve, the edge that is like the outside edge of an inflated balloon.  Here I quilted on the left side of the spine and it was the Dreaded Inside Curve, but it is so gentle it is not a problem. This side can be tricky and more difficult as so many of you found. 

This design lets you quilt on either side, pick your "best" side and do that. If you found it was always hard to do one side, but the "other" side was good, pick that side and quilt it in this design. 

You can also quilt this design in plumes, so each line has feathers emerging from it.  Be sure and double the spine so you don't get thread pileups going to a single stitched line.

The feathers also fill the background space, no need for any other quilting that can be so tedious. 

I loved reading someone saying that she decided to quickly add a few more feathers as it decreased the amount of echo quilting!  Something I discovered years ago too.....:-)!

The center part could be an applique, and actually this spiral technique was devised by Anita as an applique block background.  Feathering it is just a way to make it more interesting and give more excitement to the central area.

You could divide a border space with these curves and do areas of this design like a fractured design.  It would not be difficult, it would give you areas to quilt and take a break, and would look new and fresh and interesting.

Yes, you can use straight lines for this if you like, but the soft curves  look so flowing and natural.  And yes, you can sketch these yourself without a tool, give it a try.

Straight lines would be perfect to give an architectural look or more geometry to the feather design. 

The lines control and contain your feather shapes.  You have boundaries for your feather exuberance!  Here you quilt the feathers to fill the space, so deciding on how big to make them is so easy, and they graduate nicely in size too.

I'll keep checking your results on SewCalGal's blog, and ....

Keep quilting!  Your work really does get better every day!

Diane