Saturday, October 31, 2009

More of Kaffe's Class

Here are some more pics from the class. As you can see, all so different, yet interesting! Imagine all the color schemes you could do yourself and all in sewing squares......how easy is that?
We wondered about the turquoise vertical line on the right but all in all, it seemed to blend with the others and make a statement. Kaffe was complimentary of everyone's quilts! Brandon Mabley also assisted Kaffe with excellent instructions.
Much stronger colors above.
This quilt had many polka dot fabrics, including black and whites....very nice!

The lady next to Margaret and I. Said this was totally different than anything she had done but ended up with beautiful thirties looking pastels!

Kaffe Fassett Class

This gorgeous quilt was designed by Kaffe Fasset and in his book, Country Gardens. It is called Diagonal Madness. So, the class was designed to help you learn about color, not to COPY his quilt, even though it's beautiful. We picked a color scheme and cut 4" squares and 2 1/4" squares with the 4" going diagonally up and across the quilt with the small squares going vertically. So many options, in fact, there were 30 people in class and no two quilts were alike at all.
Here is Margaret Hunt's quilt as it is going up. And to think, she did not cut any squares until she got to class. Very beautiful pastels mostly but the stronger colors help you see the lines.
This is my quilt as I brought it home. Kept changing some of the lines. For a while I lost the large diagonals so Kaffe gave some suggestions to bring those back out, for instance the zinnias with lime green and the brown planets - they both made a huge difference.

Here is one shot with some bright yellow dots on the far right. Just too overpowering and had to be changed. You don't know until you try other options and I guess finally you say, okay, it is done and sew all the squares together.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

More PHQ Pictures

This quilt, Spring Garden, was made by Connie Burleson with gorgeous applique surrounded by flying geese. Beautifully done and she let me quilt it. We're still trying to figure out where the ribbon is. Great job, Connie!
Margaret Hunt won a blue ribbon for her Lone Star quilt surrounded by applique. I think it's a Piece of Cake pattern - at least many of the fabrics are. The star seems to spin in the center. Outstanding colors!
Another Piece of Cake pattern, Everyday Best, made by Barbara Albright - dots everywhere and luscious colors! I'm still collecting my dot fabrics.......BG!!

This fabulous quilt was made by Ille Waters and quilted by Judith Lockhart. The pattern is from the book, At Piece with Time, designed by Kristi Steiner and Diane Frankenberger. You actually make a journal of your life story as you make this beautimous quilt and customize the quilt to your colors, flowers and likings. This is the center square. Below, see the full sized quilt.
A second prize ribbon was won on this quilt in the Applique or Mixed Technique category.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Pieceful Hearts Quilt Show

Since I love bright colors, this quilt quickly grabbed my eyes as I walked into the show on Saturday in North Augusta, SC. And to think, I cut out the paper piecing for one of these years ago and it's still waiting to be made. Now I am definitely inspired by Rachael Thomas to make mine! Isn't it beautiful? She started with the Karen Stone pattern and then added more blocks, chose her own fabrics and Wow!!
This Lady Nolly won Best of Show by Margaret Hunt. She made this after Katrina hit the New Orleans area and it was in the Houston Show in a challenge! Very artistically done!

Nothing Up My Sleeve by Rachael Thomas also - judges choices. Rachael has a gift at making these miniature quilts heavily quilted and beaded.


Best Hand Quilting by Pat Wooke - you can't begin to see all the details in this photo, plus just perfect triangles in the triple feathered star! Beautiful, Pat.

This quilt of mine, Baby Bella, won Best Machine Quilting for the show. I began this tiny quilt - 23" x 23"- in a class with Linda McCuean earlier this year. It is gold silk with navy thread. Quite a challenge but worth the effort.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Quilts of Fall

As much as I love brights and pinks and loud colors, when Fall comes around each year, I just can't wait to pull out my Fall Quilts and display them around the house. I really love the fall weather, too, when you have the cool, crisp mornings to go walking outside. It took several days for it to finally get here but now we are enjoying that weather and even seeing a peek or two of colorful leaves! Above see a butterfly quilt made using the blanket stitch on my sewing machine. This pattern was taken years ago from a quilt my mother-in-law made by hand when she was 12 years old. Paired with it is a pineapple quilt that was for a quilt challenge with the PHQ guild in the mid nineties.
This quilt is from a Country Threads book, Wear Warm Clothes, which had small quilts for all the seasons. So far, just have the one for Fall, but who knows, I may get energetic and make the others one day!
These quilts were both mystery quilt classes taught by Julie Sherar, again, back in the nineties. They were such fun classes and I made 4 quilts with the pattern in the front. Mindless sewing with such a delightful pattern that came from it.
This quilt is called The Great Unknown. It was a kit I bought and love the vibrant colors in it.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

It's A Challenge!

This little quilt is for the Pieceful Hearts Quilt Challenge being held in a couple of weeks. If you read Scraps and Threadtales, you might be familiar with it. You receive one vintage block and then I believe some blocks or other vintage pieces were swapped. Since I live out of town, I was mailed the block and some other extra pieces to use. I hand appliqued all the pieces down onto a vintage piece of fabric that came from my mother-in-law, which has the feel of feedsacks and definite fading, yet it seemed to be in yardage. So, except for the binding, a truly vintage piece. It is interesting when you find old blocks and pieces that did not make it into quilts. Often times you realize why. This dresden plate would not even come close to laying flat until I removed one of the spokes and then made a few more little 'tucks' to make it lie flat, but it worked. And now, who would ever know?