Warm & Plush Batting from The Warm Company

Blog Hop Giveaway--is now over. Thanks for stopping by.

"Dreamland"

This year's Inland Northwest Machine Quilter's (INMQ) challenge was to create a 30" symmetrical wholecloth. The Warm Company had given me a baby size Warm & Plush batting--their latest product at Spring Market. It was so new, they didn't even have the packaging ready and for months I wasn't sure what it even was. I decided I would use it on my challenge piece. The Warm Co. has provided today's giveaway and I hope you'll enjoy reading about my process of creating this wholecloth, and seeing the results.

Taking inspiration from the Sharon Schamber class presented in March of 2012 in Spokane, WA, I designed the symmetrical wholecloth with a 1/8th section on vellum on a scale of 6" radius so I could put my mirrors on it and see how it would ultimately look. Then scaled it to a full 15" right angled side and traced key elements on top of a lightbox onto the fabric with a purple 'evaporating' marking pen and mirrored it 7 more times.

Only thread work was allowed in the challenge piece and it provided the batik that had hints of pink/purple/blue in it. I chose to work with various threads with a pink tint in the center moving to purple and ultimately on the outer edges, blue. Mostly using Wonderfil threads including their metalic, hologram and 100 weight (fills). The feathers are Signature variegated 'pansy patch'. A bit of blue metallic Madiera and YLI silver was also used.

The Warm Co. batting--"Warm and Plush" is a luxury loft 100% natural cotton. For more information about this batting, here is a link to their information about it. It is a very soft 6oz per sq yd of 100% pre-cleaned, needle punched cotton! It has no scrim and has 50% more cotton than their Warm & Natural or Warm & White products. This makes it heavier and warmer.

The Benefits of Needlepunch

• Will Not Separate or Bunch
• Contains No Glues or Resins
• Will Not Beard - Shift or Migrate
• Quilt or Tie Leaving Up To 6"Open
• Once Quilted, Machine Wash & Dry

This was my first legitimate wholecloth and most pre-designed quilting work I've ever done. Learned a lot though!

The story continues when I showed pictures to the Warm Company representatives at the mini-market put on at EESchenck in September. They loved it and wanted to use it at Houston in their booth. Wow!! That was exciting.

It was already scheduled to be in the Spokane show  right before Houston.

These are the ribbons from that show given by the show viewers (the yellow one) and show attendees that are members of INMQ (the purple one), and then it was shipped to Houston for International Quilt Market.

If you by chance were at Houston and happened to get a photo of/in their booth and it captured my quilt --I'd sure love to see it!

I almost like the backside better!

 

Thanks for reading along and participating in this blog hop. The Warm Company is sponsoring this giveaway. You will receive a Queen Size Warm & Plush batting directly from them. It is wonderfully lush and you can see what it did with my quilting! They have agreed to ship internationally as well.

 

To enter the givaway, please leave a comment about what you would do with the batting and be sure I can contact you to get your address if you are the randomly selected winner. Following along on my blog and/or on Facebook would be most appreciated.

 

Comment #39 was chosen by the random # generator...that's "Barb"! You have been sent an email to confirm details to receive your batting.

 

Get back to the Blog Hop Here!

4 years completed on this special day 11/12/13

Besides being a sequential date today 11/12/13 ...it is also my 4th anniversary of taking delivery of my long-arm quilting machine.

What a difference a year can make! A year ago my husband had started a new job in another town and we were figuring out how to make the move. Now, it has all taken place and KISSed Quilts has its own commercial space studio in Grand Coulee, WA. A grand opening happened in June and we started teaching classes in the local Art Room of the Senior Center in September. We're on a great journey!

So here is my recap:

Customer Quilts
Last night I finished Customer Quilt #252 (a secret project) since receiving my Gammill Opt+. That makes 65 customer quilts during year 4 (same as last year). Photos of each are at http://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts in the album 'Customer Quilts v.4'.

I also did 7 commissions. Five memory quilts (one was a bonus that I felt compelled to do with the original request). Two quilts were for special couples--one celebrated a 19th wedding anniversary (and got bonus pillow cases too) and the other was for my cousin's wedding.

Special contributions: Have you seen a custom scooter quilt? I got to back one with minkee, quilt and bind it.

I made several blocks and receiving blankets for charity and donated them through the 'Just Us Quilters' Facebook group and the Quilts for Boston effort.

New Patterns No new ones this year (all are available at Craftsy):

Quilts in contests or made it into noteworthy shows included:

'Rosie's BOMb'

• TriCities show - Outstanding in its Field
• Pendleton show - Best Machine Quilter
• Juried into Pacific West - Tacoma
• Juried into AQS-Des Moines and received 2nd place, Bed Quilts, Machine Quilted (HUGE deal!)

'Dreamland'

• WSQ-Spokane - INMQ Challenge category; 2nd Place - WSQ, Honorable Mention - INMQ'
• Displayed in the Warm Company's booth at the International Quilt Market, Houston

'Spinner'

• juried into MQX-West in Portland and received a Teacher's Award from Georgia Still
• Best of Show at Ferry County Fair.
• 2nd Place at Lincoln County Fair

'KQ via QR'

• Exhibited in the 'What's App-ening?' exhibit at the International Quilt Festival of Ireland
• Special Award at Lincoln County Fair
• Reserve Champion at Ferry County Fair

'Rose of Hope'

• Grand Champion, Ferry County Fair

'Night and Day'

• 3rd place, Viewer's Choice, Small Quilts, Walla Walla Valley Quilt Festival
• Grand Champion, Ferry County Fair

'SuperNova - BlackHole'

• Grand Champion, Ferry County Fair

In the Walla Walla Valley Quilt Show, there were quite a few client quilts in the show that I had quilted. So grateful to have such wonderful representation of my work. One area had 3 glacier star versions hung next to each other. First place, Large quilts, Viewer's Choice went to Charlotte Collier for her Christmas Celebration and Third place, Large quilts, Viewer's Choice went to Rayni Lambert for her Glacier Star with extended borders. I had the honor of quilting both of them.

Teaching
Now have classes every Tuesday in Grand Coulee. We have a year long series going on that meets the first 3 Tuesdays of each month. Each month is a new technique. My morning class is full and my evening class has several spots still available. On the 4th Tuesday of the month a new project is taught, and if there is a 5th Tuesday we do something fun!

The Country Register continues to be my muse. Every other month, for the past three years, I have written a new article. It is now being picked up by many of the regions across Canada and the United States. Next issue---a free pattern that is quick and simple and is really cute!! Pick one up to see it.

Personal WIPs have included 10 items finished so far this year. I've been participating in a 'Year of Finishes'. The link will take you to all my blogposts that feature these finishes. I'll do a more indepth review of these at the end of 2013.

Thank you for following along, your input and business throughout the year has been greatly appreciated.