Pumpkin Fest

As fall harvest comes to an end in most parts of the country, there is lots of bounty!

Our Island Batik Ambassador challenge this month had a theme of Pumpkin Fest.
#islandbatikpumpkinfest

Throughout this year, Electric Quilt's Heidi Kory has continued to share inspiring ideas. I found several this month that I particularly liked and downloaded the project files (.PJ7) and started to play around. You can find her ideas at the EQ Website Monthly Project Downloads area.

Do you ever try to combine blocks from various .pj7 files?

Here is a quick tutorial on how I combined them.

Open one of the files, or a NEW project file and name it.

Using the top level menus ...
Libraries, Block Library, Import ...
Choose the .pj7 file that the block(s) are in that you'd like.
Open.
The blocks in that project file are then displayed in your popup window.
Select a block and 'Add to Sketchbook' for all blocks desired.

Then you can have fun creating a completely new quilt or modifying an existing one in your project file with all of those new blocks.

I started with 4 blocks that were part of two different downloads
- Maple Leaf
- Sunflower
- Pumpkin
- Acorn 1

I modified the sunflower (removed the stem) and Acorn 1 (changed the shape of the stem and added a 'ground effect' at the bottom at the sides.

Some elements seemed to be easy enough to rotary cut, others perhaps a template and others still via paper piecing. In the end I should have done a bit more paper piecing, but it worked out sufficiently.

Island Batik's fabrics came together beautifully, but I had limited quantity of each, so chose to do an interesting glow effect with the background fabrics with the lightest being used in the middle and then they suddenly got darker going towards the outer edges. The ground effect on the very outer edge completes this secondary design.

The intended use is as a table topper, so I tossed the leaves and rotated all blocks so that their 'base' was on the outer edge.

I also chose to put Thermore batting in the middle of it.

The backing is a fall color ombre with golden wheat heads.

I used the Curly Maple pantograph to hand-guide the stitching on this quilt. YLI Pecan Sundae thread on top and A&E Tex 30 Taupe on the bottom.

I've heard repeatedly that Dawn liquid dish soap is what to use when you're concerned about bleeding fabrics. Well, I decided to try washing this quilt right away (I had not pre-washed or treated or pre-tested my fabrics before using them) and drying it in the dryer. Just as a little experiment.

I used maybe a tablespoon or so of Dawn and put it in the washer to soak for a few minutes then let the delicate cycle continue. I then threw it in the dryer for about 20 minutes and wah lah! it looked fantastic.


I sneaked over to my neighbors yard that has these beautiful yellow leaf trees and red burning bushes to capture a few extra photos!













Here is one from my back porch:







and another from the front of my shop.

I hope you enjoyed this peak of Fall in our area and wish you the best at getting your fill of pumpkin this year!  Enjoy!

Toppers and Hoppers

Our Island Batik Ambassador challenge for September is Bountiful Table Toppers and I've got a Shop Hop happening Sept 22, 23 and 25. So I'm posting today about Toppers and Hoppers! :-)


I used the Tradewinds collection from Island Batik. The ~3" x 18" pieces that I had became this. I calculated what my strip cuts would be to use all the fabric and create a gentle curve.

The quilting just follows the same fabric transition and repeated. I used a Signature variegated thread with browns and teals and Thermore batting to keep it stable when used on a table yet still shows off the quilting.



















I'm calling this Sunrise on Lake Roosevelt.


































Our North Central Washington Shop Hop is happening Sept. 22-25. "Come Fall in Love"

My own shop, KISSed Quilts in Grand Coulee is open Sept 22 (Thurs), 23 (Fri)  and 25 (Sun). I hope you'll choose to come on one those days to my shop.

Pick up a passport, get it stamped at all 6 locations, receive a free leaf pattern from each shop and when you complete the shop hop you'll receive the cutting instructions for making a quilt layout that I got to design.

Each shop chose a different technique and their own size of block. I then used that information to create a design for them to all work together.

Here is what I came up with:
It is not quilted yet and will likely still evolve. Quilting will add many veins to the leaves.

I'll have a kit for my block available for purchase and a kit of fabrics for the 'extra parts' and borders if you like the fabrics I used. I also have several other fall themed fabrics that could also work --so choose on your own and be creative!

The Road Home RAL - Summer Nights at Grand Coulee Dam

So excited to be back again working with Marian Pena from Seams to be Sew who hosted last year's EQ Seasons row along and is doing many other like events throughout the year, but it is the one that I participated in. This year she has a co-host, Amy from Sew Incredibly Crazy.

If this was the sight on your way home ...would you stop and watch?

 

 

 

At Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State during the summer months there is a laser light show projected onto the face of the dam. Memorial Day weekend (late May) through end of July it is at 10am, August 9:30pm; September 8:30pm. During the other months it does not run.

 

In 2015 my 'water' themed Row by Row Experience(TM) design was this:

the Grand Coulee Dam Laser Light Show.

 

With the theme of this Row Along--The Road Home--I decided to utilize a different variation of that original design and put it in context of the actual dam. Here is my EQ7 #EQ25 version.

 

 

There is a bit of paper piecing, some rotary cuts and some applique. I've tried to recommend the simplest approach for all parts.

 

Here is my final version. Summer Nights @ Grand Coulee Dam.

 

 

All of these fabrics are available in my shop.

The pattern is available via my Craftsy shop, FREE through October 16, 2016

 

and we have a couple other

Giveaways!!!! Yes ....wonderful giveaways!

 

Unique to this post ...from http://www.aurifil.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And another from:  Anita Goodesign

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

The Road Home Row Along Schedule

If you are starting at my blog, I'd highly recommend you read this post. It will give you all of the details of this Row Along, the giveaway parameters, etc. I hope you enjoy this event!

September 6

Allie-Oops SweetHappy Life
creates Harrisville, MI Sunrise Coast
Cynthia’s Creating Ark
creates Adelaide South Australia
Kissed Quilts
creates Grand Coulee, Washington
Renee's Quilting Addiction
creates Alberta, Canada

September 8

Sew Incredibly Crazy
creates Colorado
Quilt in Piece
creates Amanzimtoti, South Africa
3 Patch Crafts
creates Bulgaria
Just Let Me Quilt
creates Las Vegas, Nevada

September 13

Tweety Loves Quilting
creates Edinburgh, UK
Quiltscapes
creates Heber City/ SLC
Seams To Be Sew
creates Idaho Falls, Idaho
Pine Valley
creates New Zealand

September 15

bdieges designs
creates Road to Tehachapi (CA)
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
creates Worcester County in Central Massachusetts
Cloth and Paper Studio
creates North Georgia Mountains
Patti’s Patchwork
creates Toronto, Ontario Canada

Seacoast Quilter
creates New Milford, Connecticut

September 20

Beaquilter
creates Denmark
Heleen Pinkster
creates Netherlands
Seams To Be Sew For Batts In The Attic -- date may change
creates Hollywood/LA
Rebecca Mae Designs
creates Northern Maine

September 22

Words & Stitches
creates Beaches of California
Quilt Art
creates Africa
I Can Quilt 2
creates Baltimore, MD
Any Pattern
creates Port Angeles, Washington

September 27

Creatin’ in the Sticks
creates Dodge City, Kansas
MooseStash Quilting
creates Alaska
Patchwork Breeze
creates West Michigan Shoreline
Sue Griffiths Featured At Just Let Me Quilt
creates Northern Rivers Region, NSW, Australia

September 29

Quilted Fabric Art
creates Burlington Vermont
Westend Quilter
creates Manitoulin Island, Canada
Pamela Quilts
creates Oregon
Quilt Fabrication
creates Silicon Valley, CA

October 04

Linda Robertus
creates Netherlands
Elm Street Quilts
creates North Carolina
Sarah Quinn Featured At Seams To Be Sew
creates Outer Space

Patchouli Moon Studio
creates Central New Mexico

October 06

Cheryl LaPlant Featured At Quilt In Piece
creates York, Maine
Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
creates New Hampshire
Bumbleberry Stitches
creates Oklahoma
Needle in a Hayes Stack
creates Mojave Desert

October 11
Show N Tell Day
TBA


Thanks so much for stopping by!
I look forward to seeing what you do with this.

Splash into the Sea on our Blog Hop

My final post for our Island Batik Ambassador Seaside Summer Blog Hop -- today I'm using a collection called 'Splash'. The collection reminds me of a breezy summer afternoon with gorgeous flowers blooming.  Thanks for stopping by!

A beautiful palette of mostly greens and deep fuschia/pink/purples

Here is the collection that I worked with

and added this BE-23 neutral for background

.

I have had in my 'want to do' quilt list this Cloud 9 fabrics design called Ribbon Box Quilt. Soon after I saw it, a friend made it in patriotic colors and it was beautiful. When the collection of Splash arrived and I started thinking about how to use them, this Ribbon Box Quilt design kept coming to mind. I had enough different fabrics to make all of the ribbons unique so decided this was the one.

There is a bit of focus required to keep the fabrics organized so each ribbon stays in place when you are sewing it together. Each ribbon doesn't require too many cuts, but I found it important to then lay it out on a design wall. To make the piecing efficient, I wanted to use a process I often use when piecing a small grid design, but this one has offset elements, so isn't quite as easy, but I collected each column in a stack and then started sewing the two stacks together, minding when a row element took up two columns or three. All the way across the quilt. Once you have all the 2-sets, then join (2) 2-sets, etc. Maybe this will help you do quick assemblies of many multi-pieced projects. It actually went quite quickly. I'll definitely make this again!

 

The sun was hiding behind clouds this morning, so I will try to get a better shot later this week. Yes, that is Grand Coulee Dam in the background. Next week I'm posting a free row design that will be part of the Road Home Row-along. Hmmmm, wonder what will be in my row? ;-)

Used a Fresh Water Design wide-back

80/20 bleached batting and a pantograph quilting design called 'Kites' by Lorien Quilting available at urbanelementz.com, So Fine! 401 thread.

 

 

 

And let's not forget a seaside snack---this summer we enjoyed juicing lemons adding some Agave nectar and ice and blending it in our VitaMix....a lemon slushy! Add any other fruit --like raspberries or strawberries to give it a fun color and additional flavor.

 

Still an opportunity to register for the giveaways.

 

I have some of these Splash fabrics to giveaway! Enter here --you'll be added to my enewsletter and you may unsubscribe at any time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

For the Island Batik Bundle, register here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So far our bloghop has been through these collections with inspiration from each of these Ambassadors:

Rain Forest - KISSed Quilts

Red Tide - Free Motion by the River and Mary Mack Made Mine

Sand Dune - Purrfect Spots and KnitBug 2

Seashore - Pamela Quilts and Maria Michael Designs and Tamarinis and KISSed Quilts and Arkangel Creations

Surf Squirt - Quilting Affection and Archipelago Quilting

Tradewinds - Bejeweled Quilts

Equinox - Kauffman Designs and Adele Mogavero * Del~Lillian's

Sea Canyon - Lemon Tree Snippets and Bea Quilter

Sea Foam - Stone Cottage Quilts

Spoolin' Around - Sallys Quilting Corner and Toolontilkkupaja

Tide Pools - Inchworm Fabrics and MooseStashQuilting

 

Wind and Sea - For Quilts Sake and Patchwork Breeze

Spring Zing - Desert Bloom Quilting and Adventurous Applique and Quilting

TODAY : Splash

Kissed Quilts

The Patchwork Pearl

Bea Quilter

Still coming up:

Friday Sept 2 - Landscapes

For Quilts Sake

Design Wall Monday

We're in the middle of the big Island Batik - Seaside Summer Blog Hop and I'm going to be posting again on September 1...but here is my initial layout on my design wall for that post.

I'm using Cloud 9 Fabrics - Ribbon Box Quilt pattern and Island Batik's Splash fabrics.

This past weekend was my local county fair (Lincoln Co., WA) and I had a few of my own quilts as well as several customer quilts.

Was nice to be recognized for some good work.

Three quilts got best of show in their category (one was mine, and the other two I quilted), one of my customers' got people's choice and the other also got an Honorable Mention ribbon from INMQ (a Machine Quilter's regional group).

All six of my entries got at least a blue ribbon and of the other 6 customer entries, 4 blue and 2 red.

Whoo Hoo! Fun to be recognized and learn from the judge specific things I can continue to work on--if I choose! :-) HA! Utility quilts just don't seem to need the miter stitched down in the binding, what do you think?

I have awarded the two giveaways to the first two that have come by the shop for their copy of the magazine and Marcus Fabrics after the release of my pattern 'Mountain Pass' in the Oct/Nov McCall's Quick Quilts issue now on newsstands. Congrats Karren P. and Carol E.!

 

 

I did finish this up last week--my new design 'Geese on the Run' now put into blue/white/grey fabrics so I've called this version 'Snowbirds'.

 

 

This is on my quilting table--Labyrinth Walk --a customer's quilt....and I plan to teach the piecing of it this new season. If you're interested, let me know!

Imminently happening .....this is a sneek peek of a part of my row that will be in a row along that starts Sept. 6. ....the Road Home (see side bar).