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Monday, October 26, 2015

You Can Quilt! - Curves



We're cruising along with the You Can Quilt! Blog hop. I hope you're enjoying seeing the beautiful Island Batik fabrics and what each blogger has done with a particular chapter of blocks from the book.

Curves is something that I was always afraid of, but trying these three blocks as a way to get familiar with sewing curves is a wonderful experience. Truly!










International Quilt Market is wrapping up today and I've been able to see all the projects made with all the collections being released in the Island Batik booth. So much fun to see them all in real life. This quilt was a gift to Kathy Engle for her 30 years in this business. Various Island Batik Ambassadors and staff worked on making this a reality. My blocks are Row 1, column 4 (there are 5 columns...the 1st is well hidden) and Row 3, column 2--with fussy cut leaves on 6 tips. I got to be there on Friday afternoon when it was presented. She was very touched.














For my blocks, I used -- French Roasted. I am not a regular pre-washer, but realize I need to at least habitually test all new fabrics for color fastness. I had used these for the project above and was asked that we all pre-wash so that the group effort would have a consistent result. Even after washing these fabrics, I found them to still hold up in the curves without extra starching! Just loved them!

As an Island Batik Ambassador we often get some small cuts of a variety of fabrics. I pulled fabrics that coordinated with the line and created a strata and cut the small square sections to break up the blocks and add a bit more interest to this runner. There are still side borders to be added, so if you continue to follow along on the hop, you'll get my finishing instructions for this piece on November 6.

I'm thinking I might call this one Flight Line. Any other suggestions?

This Co-Author's Notes:
p. 80 -  Fabric "D" should be cut 3 1/8” x 3 1/8” square
Fabric "C" pre-cut dimension needs to be  Cut (4) 3 ¼” x 3 ¼” squares for Template 3.

p. 82 Templates 1st paragraph….. there are 3 templates. Mark these changes for your pre-cuts: Fabric A: (4) 4 ¾” x 6 ¼”; Fabric C (1) 1 ½” x 1 ½” square

 
 
Do you just love or hate sewing a curve?
 
 
 
Enter the giveaway of a copy of our book and a pack of fabric by using the Rafflecopter wizard.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
Leave a comment here and stop by my Facebook page and consider following along (Note ...from the drop-down of the 'Like' button you now have the option to SEE FIRST in your news feed to be sure not to miss any posts).

 
Want to buy some Island Batik fabric? This is what I now have in my shop which makes my Woven Braid design (and 3 other layouts) that was released at Spring Market this year. Kits are available with free pattern. Just name your size!
 
 
To purchase an autographed by me copy of the book, use the Paypal request in the upper right hand corner of this blog. Leila has it available on Etsy and you can also get it at ShopAQS.com, your local quilt shop or Amazon. I even heard it was in Nancy's Notions and the Connecting Threads catalogs!
 
 

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Fall 2015 - Blogger's Quilt Festival - Jewels - Fire Island

Category: Original Design

Here is my 2nd entry in the Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival. This is a new design being released at Fall Market in the Island Batik booth, featuring their Fire Island fabric line due out this winter.

Patterns will be available after Nov. 1.

My quilt design is Jewels....and this version is Fire Island Jewels.





I loved working with the vibrant colors against the white and black. I kept imagining a hot lava flow in the Hawaiian islands.


 Imagining the various shades of blue water.


Now to quilt it..... The border is a large flame like shape and this is repeated in various sizes around the jewels in the center of the quilt. If you just used blue and red jewels--it could easily be a Quilt of Valor!






















Backside


So, this version of Jewels, Fire Island Jewels.

 Here are other versions made by my 'testers':

made by Julie Tapley, Quilted by Holly Anderson
a Patriotic theme
made by Nancy Cargo; Quilted by me
using Jinny Beyer batiks and border print

My original "Royal Peacock Jewels" was a special commission for a wedding gift. I used a mishmash of specially selected colors for the center blocks and a Jinny Beyer border print. I always wanted to make this into a pattern ...and the time has finally come!
 
Thank you for stopping by and considering this as your vote for Original Design.
btw...do you see white stars? My client saw them but I didn't until she pointed them out
....and yes, I designed it that way. ha!

Fall 2015 - Blogger's Quilt Festival - ROYGBV - Dangling Diamonds

I'm excited to be sharing this quilt with you as part of Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival.

I have always wanted to create a ROYGBV quilt and it finally came together this year. This is also hanging at Fall Market in the Island Batik booth using their new fabrics from the Sea Salt Sandy Collection.
















My quilt design is called "Dangling Diamonds" and uses Bella Nonna Design Studio's Boondoggle Rulers.

The pattern, with several bonus Quilted in Honor themed patterns, will be available Nov. 1 after its release at Int'l Quilt Market or can be ordered hard copy from me directly or ask your local quilt shop to carry them.

Here are a few details of how I quilted it. With all the angles in the piecing, I wanted to create some twirling effects. I created a card stock template of this shape and traced it into each large background diamond as I went. It is with a purple disappearing ink pen, so it doesn't stay there long.





 

 
For the colored diamonds I used matching metallic thread. The center diamond was marked with disappearing ink to give me a registration point for the center, the rest used some straight rulers but a lot of freehand and eyeballing to keep it fairly consistent. Ultimately the key here--loosen the top tension to almost nothing!
 




 
In the small diamonds, I used this curved ruler to create a consistent arc, then freehanded the rest.
 


 

I used two layers of 80/20 bleached batting. I love the relief where it is NOT quilted.

 
Backside!


Dangling Diamonds by Marlene Oddie of Kissed Quilts
using Bella Nonna Design Studio Boondoggle Rulers(tm)
56" x 71"
 
Thanks for stopping by and considering this quilt for your ROYGBIV vote!
 

Friday, October 9, 2015

You Can Quilt! Blog Hop featuring Island Batik fabrics

Welcome to our You Can Quilt! blog hop featuring Island Batik Fabrics that are being released at market this month.

First --Big thank you goes out to AQS who published our book and provided ebook copies to all the Island Batik Ambassadors (IBA). AQS is excited to share the book with everyone. Check out the link at the bottom of where you can get the book directly from them. And thank you to Island Batik who made sure we all had the latest fabrics (including Leila) to use and showcase the blocks in the book.

Second--Thank you to each IBA who agreed to jump in and help us show off the latest fabrics but also introduce new people to our book.

Each IBA will have made 1-3 of the blocks in the chapter and may show you how they chose to put them together into a finished project (s). You won't want to miss seeing all the new fabrics and what everyone is doing, so please follow along over the next 4+ weeks as we see how each Island Batik Ambassador and the authors of the book, You Can Quilt! Building Skills for Beginners used the new Island Batik fabrics to showcase the blocks in each chapter of the book.

Which fabric collections each IBA used is still a secret, so stop by each day of the hop to see a new collection!

Here is the line-up:

Bloggers are by Date, Chapter, Name, Blog

Oct. 9 – Ch. 1. Basics - Leila Gardunia - co-author -  http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com

Oct. 12 – Ch. 2. HST - Tammy Silvers  http://tamarinis.typepad.com/

Oct 14 – Ch 3. QST - Connie Kresin Campbell http://www.conniekresin.com/

Extras: Table Runners (1) (2)

Oct. 16 – Ch 4. Flying Geese - Maryellen McAuliffe http://teachpany.blogspot.com

Oct 19 -- Ch. 5. Wonky - Christine McCrann Martinez http://madeinscraps.blogspot.com

Oct. 21 – Ch. 6. Improvisation - Connie Kauffman http://kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com

Oct. 23 -- Ch. 7. Foundation Paper Piecing - Joan Kawano http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.com/

Oct. 26 – Ch. 8. Curves - me! - Marlene Oddie  http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com

Oct. 28 -  Ch 9. One-Patch Blocks - Bea Lee http://www.beaquilter.com

Oct. 30 – Ch. 10. Applique - Barbara Gaddy http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com 

Nov. 2 – Ch. 11. Inset Seams - Pamela Boatright  http://pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/

Nov. 4 – Ch. 12. Challenge Blocks - Linda Stewart Pearl http:// www.onequiltingcircle.com

Nov. 6 – Ch. 13. finishing – I'll share a variety of ways to finish off your blocks that aren't covered in the book.   http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com

Fabric bundles and books are being given away to 4 lucky people at the end of the hop. This is only eligible for U.S. residents. Be sure to use the Rafflecopter box to enter the giveaways that will be posted on each person's blog and show each blogger some love with appropriate comments. Wouldn't you like some of these?


 

shopaqs.com These Spring releases just arrived in my shop!

Wondering where to buy other Island Batik fabrics near you?
Search here.
 
For an autographed copy by me of the book, you can always click on the top right of my blog on the book and PayPal button. I'd love to send one to you!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

EQ Seasons RAL Finish

I ended up creating two pieces ...the one row that you saw (above), but then I needed something for another challenge and came up with another piece using the blocks I shared with you.



I didn't hit the deadline for two possible challenges that the original block was envisioned to be ready for, but it then hit me that this could also work for a National Park themed opportunity. It still needs to be blocked and bound, but this is where it is at so far.

How about 'View from the Ahwahnee'? Have you ever been to Yosemite National Park when the dogwoods are blooming? It can be stunning and I've seen it many times in my life. I love the stone work of the building and incorporated that into the border of the piece. The unquilted part in the border suggests the Ahwahnee's logos (but not exactly).



A plate from the dining room c. 1929
 


Do you realize that next year, 2016, is the National Park Service's Centennial? Yosemite just celebrated their 125th year, but the National Park Service was created in 1916.




We're so lucky! Here in Grand Coulee area we are going to be hosting a curated exhibit by Donna Desoto (her most recent curated exhibit featured a quilt for each of 150 Beatles Songs) that represented the flora, fauna and landscape for each of the 59 parks. Yes, 177 quilts! All here in our area for part of the NPS Centennial celebrations, July 1-4, 2016. We have a Festival of America that occurs over the same weekend and sets fireworks off the top of Grand Coulee Dam. You don't want to miss this weekend --or at least drive in for the show!

We're also inviting quilters to create their own 'inspired by the National Parks' quilt. What experiences have you had in the National Parks that inspires you to create a quilt?

There are currently no specific rules for this, just that it has been inspired by your own park experiences. Then share them with us during this same weekend along side this incredible curated National Park exhibit.

The NPS is sponsoring this and will have a webpage up shortly with additional details. I'll blog and post about it on Facebook, so be sure to be following along!

I can still kit the original 60" row in all but this exact bark fabric (have many alternatives)--the fabrics are all Northcott, Toscana line. Let me know if you're interested.
 
There are still giveaways available.
 
Northcott Fabrics is giving 1 lucky recipient, 6-8 pieces of fabric at 1 yard lengths each. You may
 only enter once. In other words, if you enter it here, do not enter it at the other blogs. 
This giveaway is at all the featured blogs today. Value $60-80.00.
 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Free Shipping to anyone in the 48 Contiguous states. 
If winner is outside of this area, you must agree to pay shipping cost. Value $450.00
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
Sept 01, 2015 to October 13, 2015 - Combined to make it easier. This is a participation giveaway, if they post to flickr, they are entered into the drawing. 
 
As An Incentive To Participate By Making Blocks and Rows
Craftsy Class of your Choice
Value $40.00 based on average cost of Quilting classes,
but the value goes up if you choose lets say a sewing class.
3 individual winners
and
Nancy's Notions
2 individual winners
$10.00 gift certificate
When you add a unique block/row to the Flickr Group that you've created from any of the patterns offered each
week, you will get one entry into the drawing.
You can enter at any blog featuring the Flickr giveaway once each day of this Row-A-Long until
October 13, 2015 when the giveaway closes.
Winners Announced October 14, 2015
If you enter both giveaways, you need 2 unique blocks per each day you enter.
Duplicate Entries will be checked and if found you will be disqualified.
Filler Rows Do Not Count. These too will be disqualified if entered.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
SHOW ‘N TELL DAY - that's today!
Nancy - PATCHWORK BREEZE
Reeze - MORNING GLORY
Loreen - SCHOOL HOUSE QUILT
Marlene - KISSED QUILTS (ME!)

BONUS ROW PATTERN:
Darlene - QUILT SHOP GAL
This has been a great RAL...hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to share links in your comments if you have posted a finished row as well. I especially would like to see it if you did my dogwoods! Have a good one!