High Road Reader: Book Review of Zen Chic Inspired: A Guide to Modern Quilt Design by Bridgitte Heitland

High Road Reader has a review of a book full of creative and beautiful quilt projects:

https://highroadreader.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-of-zen-chic-inspired-guide.html

Thanks Shasta!

San Diego Quilt Show

Spent a lovely day at the San Diego Quilt Show.  We were there for more than five hours, and had to rush at the end to see everything!  I went with my non-quilting, walking friend (the same one who went to the Museum of Art Quilt and Color Exhibit).

It was really interesting to attend with someone who did not really know how quilts were made!

This show is run by volunteers but is really nicely done.  I saw some people from my various classes, and one lady even stopped to chat a little!  My friend was able to see how a quilt was made as guild ladies who were making charity quilts stopped to show how binding was applied, etc.

I'm glad I was able to attend...

The link to my photos is here:
https://goo.gl/photos/QfHVCFgkWrtm7Woc6

Admission was $20 for two people.  My only other expense: I bought 6 fat quarters for $2!

Quilts and Color @ San Diego Museum of Art

Had a nice day seeing the Quilts and Color Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art with my walking/non-quilting friend.

Here is the link to my photos:
https://goo.gl/photos/WLfrQhXpFHynrESdA

Purple Missing U and Virtual Reality

Got an email request for a variation of the Missing U block (Sunday Morning Quilts - Nyberg and Arkison). The blocks will be collected, sewn together and quilted by volunteers. The resulting quilt will be presented to someone in another subgroup of quilters who has just been diagnosed with cancer. I hope it provides some comfort to her.

The second email I received about the project gave the end size of the block, noted that purple would be a good color, and that the seams did not need to be straight. I tried my hand at making the variation of the Missing U block, but I couldn't keep to the guidelines as I think the white bit was supposed to have 90 degree corners. Since my fabrics had so many dark shades, the handprint size rectangle of white was just too stark. I made this during my Saturday quilting group session a couple of weekends ago.

I remember the Sunday Morning Quilts book was well written and that I enjoyed reading it and thinking about the blocks. This is the first time though that I actually tried to make one of the blocks.

-*-*-*-

My husband is teaching some classes on virtual reality and I've gotten to go with him to some presentations. It's a very interesting concept.

Here are are photos showing the campus of the last presentation - University of San Diego. Like all of you, I'm always looking at designs...




















The Asian Heritage Society hosted the VR event on Friday, the next day there was a full day of sessions about Vietnam. Their logo reminded me of the Adrinka quilt Shasta is sometimes working on....



This is the the snazzy new computer my husband will be using to create and experience educational virtual reality lessons. The rear of the screen has a dragon with an eye that is white when the machine is on. There are function keys to press to change the color of the keyboard, the colors mean different things in the programs. There are stands in the room with gadgets to define the playing area so someone can put on the goggles to be transported to another experience.

Quilting from Every Angle: 16 Geometric Designs

Quilting from Every Angle: 16 Geometric Designs
By Nancy Purvis

Just read a post that makes this book look like it would fit right in my new sewing area!
http://entropyalwayswinsblog.com/2015/11/11/quilting-from-every-angle-blog-tour-and-giveaway/

The little pebbles and pointed pillow - fun right?

Striped Design

This would make a terrific quilt with sample fabrics! It's on my list to make for Quilts for Kids next fall!

Fitbit: Hot Air Balloon Badge

This is January 2013 thru August 2013, December 2013 and then March 2014.  I misplaced the fibit for several months and just have restarted trying to wear it every day.  Not in the habit again though - but this was a fun badge to receive.

Nicole at Home: Tutorial: Round scalloped edged table cover

Nicole has the cutest ideas for sewing projects. Usually she is making clothes, but I found this cute little tutorial for making a Round scalloped edged table cover using that oilcloth that I've been noticing in stores.

The way she marks the scallops would work for a quilt too. Much better than making a template!

http://www.nicoleathome.com/2011/06/tutorial-round-scalloped-edged-table.html

Coloring Outside the Lines: Fractured Reality

I'm getting emails when the author of Coloring Outside the Lines posts something new.

She has been working with freshening up quilts that no longer excite her.  She is in some cases slicing the block or the quilt, inserting a strip or two of fabric and maybe slicing up again.

Here is her latest project:
http://quiltingismything.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/zen-my-ass/

And here is a search showing all her posts coded with "fractured reality series".
http://quiltingismything.wordpress.com/category/fractured-reality-series/

So daring to slice up and change things up.  I admire her for forging ahead to finished her projects.  She made a list of projects in January (along with photos) showing the projects she wants to finish during 2014.

So it happens that earlier today I made a list of my quilting projects.  I have so few finishes that I also included them in my list.  I'll work on the photos and will be posting my lists soon!  I've been so weighted down that I haven't made a bucket list of new projects to work on at all - but that would be a good thing to work on too.

I so enjoy sewing and quilting, but finding the time to do more than read about projects has been hard for me.  We are almost done with the bookkeeping for the taxes, I'm done with the conference and resigned from the board, now I can really start doing the things I've been pushing back or doing just barely enough to be satisfied.

On Daily Projects (Austin Kleon)

If you have a repeatable daily project, you don’t worry about what’s to be done or where it’s going, you just do it.

I love having a daily project: There’s no existential angst. You sit down for 20 minutes and you make something and you’re done.

What I found was that the more I made them every day, the better I got at them, the more interesting they became to me.


From: https://twitter.com/austinkleon

Project: Fidget Quilts

A friend just sent me this link:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/21/1223965/-DK-Quilt-Guild-Dementia-Quilts

Very sad, but what a wonderful way to practice liberated quilting skills and make a project for someone to use.

I am familiar with the (Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI)) AAQI thru Michelle

http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/p/what-is-aaqi.html  This is a fundraiser with the proceeds going towards Alzheimer's research funding.

Keep these two projects in mind!

Hoooked

I'm in Spain now - noticing this stuff in the stores.  I have not seen in the US, wonder if it's unusual stuff.  Seems very interesting....

Added later:  I wrote to two folks I know who do yarn stuff to see if they'd like me to get them some.  I asked for color and amount.  One didn't reply (as I expected I'm afraid as she doesn't seem to always do email, chat or text messaging - but I wanted to make the effort), the other first said no-thanks then said she liked the flowers and for me to get some.  By then I was in Madrid so couldn't get any anyway, but I just needed to know color and amount - I don't see any flowers so that didn't help me.  I found a nice book with Tapas recipes that I sent her instead!)

Book: Happy Endings

This morning heard about this book - sounds like it would be wonderful reference.  The link goes to a webposting with a tip from the author - she has really thought things thru.  Great way to increase the joy of finishing a quilt.

Just take a look at the different  techniques included:

• Finishing edges without binding
• Finishing rounded corners
• Making imitation binding
• Appliquéing edges to a border
• Working with sculpted edges
• Finishing edges with backing
• Finishing with overlapped corners
• Finishing with mitered corners
• Single- vs. double-fold binding
• Straight-grain vs. bias binding
• Determining binding yardage
• Cutting bindings (straight-grain and bias)
• Continuous bias binding
• Cutting special fabrics for bindings (stripes, plaids, etc.)
• Scrappy, scalloped, and sculpted bindings
• Grandmother’s Flower Garden edges
• Adding trims, cording, piping, prairie points, lace, and ruffles

(And the above is not a complete list!)

Fitness Tip

I just saw this @ http://bodyscapesfitness.com/

FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK

Did you know? 

If you are not a regular exerciser, 

by the time that you reach 65 

you may experience as much as an 80% decrease in your muscle strength.

Row Rug

Isn't this a great project?

http://www.themiddlesister.blogspot.com/2013/04/row-rug-finished.html

Each the rows is so perfect for this project....

Organizing Tips

I have been looking at this site for ideas on how to finish a fireplace, but they have many other helpful posts. Here is one with ideas on getting/keeping organized.  Click on the title for the complete article...

Small Steps to Organizing Success

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Bedroom Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bed Pillows · Bedskirts · Quilts · Sheet Sets · Bedroom Benches · Beds · Headboards · Makeup Mirrors ·

The Liebster Blog Award……..

Doreen of Treadlemusic has given me a Liebster award! Thank you so much! You really brightened my day! Doreen is a quilter who rides motorcycle and lives on a small hobby farm in southeastern Minnesota. Grandmother and Great Grandmother and now retired. You-all will enjoy visiting Treadlemusic to see her FMQing - she is one of the folks working on Leah Day's Quilt Along Wednesdays on the Free Motion Project. So sweet of her to give me one of the five awards....

The Liebster Award (German for favorite) is for bloggers with 200 followers or less. As a recipient of the award, you have the chance to thank and link back to the blogger who gave it to you as well as copy and paste the award to your blog, pass it along to five other deserving blogs, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. So, without further ado, I would like to present this award to:


42 Quilts - Jennifer has embraced quilting - she looks at how to construct the tradition block and modern versions of those blocks. She has two weekly online challenges: Modern Monday and Traditional Tuesday, but there are always interesting things to see on her blog.

Ideas of Inspiration - On the first and fifteenth of each month, Sandy posts a prompt - it might be a color shape, adjectives, a pair of words, month, or some other concept. Followers are challenged to interpret the prompt and to post a photo. It's incredible how creative the postings are and how kind and encouraging the feedback.

pattilousquilts - Pat or Pattilou's quilting shows an amazing amount of variety and color. It's always fun to check her blog to see what she is up to! Her posts about making a swirl quilt and how to baste without commercial sprays are very popular and clearly written.

Sara's Scraps - Sara blog is full of quilting and stories about life. Click on the side bar for her topics - in particular click on Liberated Round Robin to see her brilliant tutorial on how to add a border using QAYG method!

Wayne Kollinger's Sketch Book - Wayne has a unique way at looking blocks and experimenting with ideas for quilts or parts of quilts. What if you change the size of the grid for (this traditional block), you'd come up with a unique new probably wonky block! Click on the side bar for his topics, or scroll thru his posts to get lots of ideas!

Thank you all for your inspiration!

And thank you again Doreen!

Jamaica Quilting Follow-Up

First blogged about here: http://quiltquest.blogspot.com/2012/03/traveling-jamaica-quilting.html


Carolyn sent the photo with the two of us -

Carolyn and June

What a fun visit that was!  


Thanks Carolyn!


Carolyn's blog is at http://caribbeanquilters.blogspot.com/

Traveling: Jamaica Quilting

June with Jamaican Quilt

I did something this trip I have not done before.... I met a fellow quilt blogger and went to see her quilts!

Carolyn http://caribbeanquilters.blogspot.com/

I got to go in her two-roomed Quilting Studio. A little dolls house with a wrap around covered deck complete with various antique chairs and tables.

In the Sewing Room she has her sewing machine on a really nice sewing table with support for FMQing behind and to the side. There is a big cabinet with supplies, behind is her design board (rolled up) and then there are many hand basted quilts hanging or folded on the rack right behind her. (Her students and friends appreciate her FMQing and ask her to finish their quilts up for them!)

We left the Sewing Room and returned to the covered deck to turn right to go into her Fabric Classroom.

She mainly uses luscious Moda fabric. She is partial to French General and newly adopting marbleized solids. The marbleization adds elegance and depth that is missing with completely plain fabric. There was a glassed cabinet where she artfully displayed a few jelly rolls, cake layers, turnovers for her students. There are no quilting stores on the entire island, so she is teaching classes to share her enthusiasm of quilting, and gets a little extra Moda for her students so they know what quality quilting fabric is! When she teaches classes she moves tables into the Classroom so the students have space to work, but mainly I think this is a space for her to plan and cut fabric for her projects.

She showed me quilts she had made, quilts in progress and basted quilts. Lots of different designs and methods (for example: folded log cabin with very narrow sides and paper pieced with tiny geometrics).

I also got to meet some of her family. All lovely people. we chatted and shared a glass of wine before I was on my way! They were most gracious and welcoming.

She has a wonderful way of placing her furniture and accessories - in both her studio and her home. The building itself provided beautiful bones, but she provided the flesh and life. (I've very envious of her knack - skill - knowledge - ability! It shows in her quilting, home and dress!)

I think we both had a nice time chatting with each other:

We both have returned to quilting after taking a break for motherhood. She has really been able to immerse herself in the craft and has so much more expertise and experience than I do now!

We both have gotten our husbands to usually reserve a day for quilting shops and fabric shopping when we are on trips! Sounds like she has been way more successful with finding shops that I have been on these trips - but what fun that we get to see shops on our travels!

This visit with Carolyn was the highlight of my trip to Jamaica, and I hope the beginning of a long quilting friendship!

Thank you Carolyn!

Idea: Lil Twister Quilt

http://conniekresin.blogspot.com/2011/10/worldly-lil-twister-quilt-and-giiveaway.html

This blog posting shows different stages of making the quilt and how the size changes too.  Nice documentation of the steps for the quilt.

I've shared this before - but like it so much I'm posting again....  Some day I'll make one myself!