Vertical Quilting Curve

Brought to you from the publishers at Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting this new magazine claims easy projects that are “quick - simple - fun”. Good news is I really liked most of the projects in the magazine. Bad news is I really like most of the projects in the magazine which means I bought it but I promise I’m going to actually make something out of it.

Some of the projects inside quilts and wall hangings as well as pillows, a table topper, a unique purse, baby quilts and a notebook cover. Some of the techniques used include strip piecing, rag quilting using flannels, bargello, and steps for bead embellishing.

One of the 28 projects inside that made me really inspired was “blocks in a box”. A super easy strip pieced block is the basis of this simply elegant quilt. The designers used a varietyof off-white prints to surround a red square. I decided to try this using all blue fabrics around a black square. I have 4 blocks done as shown in my photo. I plan on using a variety of blue fabrics to give it more of a random look while maintaining a monochromatic style. I have never used much blue in my quilt projects but this simple pattern with the exciting prints, I believe is going to make an elegant bed covering that won’t take me forever to piece. Now, actually quilting it will be another issue all together.

Now, that I’ve been inspired, maybe I should change my magazine challenge to this project. I didn’t get very far with my other one and I won’t have to think as much with this one. Just making these 4 squares didn’t take me long at all. Plus, I have some other ideas for using this square but making them smaller for small projects such as tote bags. What do you think?

quilting, quilts, quilt magazine, Easy Quilts, Fons and Porter

The Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana is accepting submissions for its quilt art show. Deadline is October 20, 2007. The accepted entries will be shown January 12 through March 8. There will be $1000 for best in show as well as other awards. The prospectus is available in PDF format.

This would be an excellent challenge for yourself. The great thing is that there is not a minimum size for entry so it would be a nice opportunity to use some of your quilting or multimedia talents in an art quilt. If you create something, let me know and I will link to your blog entry or if you don’t have a blog send me a photo and I will post it.

Good luck to everyone who will enter and have fun!

quilting, quilt art, quilt contest, quilt show, Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany IN

This is an easy update because I haven’t started yet. I have been enjoying learning some new things, reading, and traveling this summer that I haven’t been able to get started. It’s a good thing I have this blog to remind me I made goals.

I originally made my challenge in May which was to find a project from the stack of magazines I have been hoarding. I finally chose my endeavor in mid June. It is to do a work of fusible applique using a mosaic style. I was supposed to get started by the end of June but I have been keeping so busy it just hasn’t happened. Now, it’s the middle of July, almost the end of July!

I guess I better make this project a seasonal one. Some designs I am considering are a poinsettia, a Christmas tree or maybe something for the fall like a collection of maple leaves. Well, at least I’m brainstorming. I could also do something for someone as a Christmas gift. That definitely would take care of a couple things at a time.

Okay, now, hopefully I will have something to show by next month of what I have actually decided to do. Then maybe I can inspire someone to join me in the challenge.

fusible applique, quilting, quilt challenge

Okay, my challenge due date I had for myself was June 15 and I am a few days late but I have found something to work on. I came across this fusible applique method by Lorraine Carthew in the American Quilter magazine Projects 2005 issue. The technique is basically a mosaic approach where you cut small pieces from fabric backed by fusible web then fuse them to the background.

As you can see the photo is a pattern of a rose. I am not going to do the rose so another part of the challenge will be deciding on what to use for the design. I’m thinking just doing some shapes. And, now I just have to find the time to start challenging myself. We are traveling this weekend and then it will be the holiday week. It just seems there is never enough time to do everything you want.

Question of the Day: What designs do you think would work well with this technique?

fusible applique, quilting, Lorraine Carthew , quilt challenge

Welcome to my new series: Quilting for a Cause. This series is going to explore how quilters open their hearts and talents to support a cause. It will also serve as a challenge for everyone out there to take up your needle and thread and help your community out.

I viewed the “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece” exhibit in November 2006 at the Greater Chicago Quilt Exposition. The exhibit is part of the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative that Ami Simms started and she was there to speak about it. This is a cause that is very personal to her because her mother has Alzheimer’s. It is an emotional exhibit not to be taken lightly but Ami’s lecture is full of hope and energy. She is hoping to raise $500,000. As of her last posting on her web site the exhibit and the accompanying auction “Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts” project the initiative has raised almost $70,000.

Here’s the challenge and how you can help. You can make a small quilt to put in an auction. The quilts are small - they can be no larger than 9″ x 12″. For complete details on the rules and where to send please visit the website. You can also view the current quilts up for auction and their current bids. If you have a blog and make quilts for this cause and post them on your site I will place a link here.

If you know or have a cause supported by quilters please feel free to contact me. I don’t how often I will post this series. Right now I’m thinking of posting the cause one month and then doing a post the next month with something I’m working on for the cause.

quilting, Alzheimer’s, donations, quilt auction, Ami Simms, Alheimer’s Quilt Initiative, quilt exhibit

This is going to be an ongoing challenge for myself and if you would like to join in just let me know and if you have a blog and post something related to the challenge I will link to you when I next write about the challenge.

First a question. How many magazines do you have? How many of those have you completed a project out of or even tried a technique? I have more magazines than I think I could ever count. I have always had the idea to catalogue them into a computer database so I could search them and find just what I needed but if I take time to do that then I would never have time to do the project. But, if I can’t find that magazine I saw that great idea in then I will never get to do it. In circles we go.

So, I have devised a plan, sort of. My challenge is to go through my magazines (in no particular order) and not only find a project I want to do but to actually do it. Now, I have one stipulation and that is I don’t have to follow the directions exactly as written unless I am trying to master a certain technique. Although I have hundreds of books, patterns and magazines, I find it very hard to make a design exactly as shown. I am one of those people who can’t stand kits to make a duplicate of the quilt hanging on the quilt store wall. Mine has to be different. I like to pick out my own fabrics and colors.

That’s it, at least for now. My deadline for myself is June 15 to find a project and get it started on by the end of June. I would love to start this weekend but we are going out of town for the holiday. Again, just let me know if you want to join in or if you have any ideas.