WAV Heart

The We of Artistic Vision (WAV) Challenge for November was Value.  I created a heart using old jeans.

I drew the heart on a piece of newspaper paper.  I purchased the end roll at the Billings Gazette.  Then I created the heart using a paper piece method.  It took more pieces of denim to make the nicer curves at the top of the heart.  The problem with that was that there got to be a lot of bulk at the top.  Even though I raised the hopping foot on my Gammill quilting machine, the hopping foot bounced off of some areas.
I used PermaCore thread for the quilting.  But even that broke.
I believe the back looks a little rough so I am going to turn this in to the Quilt By Association Community Quilts committee.  One of those ladies will put the binding on this quilt.  Sharon T. will then find it a perfect home.

When I presented this at WAV, they suggested that I need to have as many stitch lines at the bottom as I did at the top.  To create the rounded top, I made a lot of stitch lines.  Then at the bottom, I had a straight line so I only used one piece of denim.  There is a lot of bulk at the top, and none at the bottom.
The WAV group also said that this could be just the beginning of something.  One lady suggested that she would start using the PaintStiks on it to add some color and fun.  Another suggestion was write words all over it like a graduation or get well item.  All grand ides for my next project :-)

Among the Pines

I finished the hand embroidery on four of the Among the Pines blocks.  They are the 2014 hand embroidery block of the month at Trackside Quilting.  I am just helping Sue out.  She will put the entire quilt together.
There are three "big" blocks that are the same.  I only did two of the them.  I made mine look the same.  They may go on the sides of the completed wallhanging.  Sue has the other "big" block to embroider.

The snowshoe block was fast comparatively.  It was also fun to try some satin stitching in the tablecloth checkers.

The trees in these blocks were quite tedious.  They took a lot of time.  I do believe I put completing these blocks off for a long time because of the trees.  I had to do the block with the skier first so I would do the other three blocks.

All of these blocks still have the Transfer-Eze.  The Transfer-Eze is rinsed off in cold water.  At this time, Sue C. has already rinsed the Transfer-Eze off the block I did and the blocks are at the store waiting to be put into a quilt.

Friendship Block

We gathered together and exchanged friendship blocks in September.  We had all of the blocks available for exchanging but one.  There are 20 blocks total for this quilt.

I put the blocks up on the design wall that evening because I collected blocks for my friend Melissa.  I wanted to take a picture so she could see what her quilt was going to look like when it is done.

These are my blocks on the design wall the evening I received them from the group.

These are Melissa's blocks on the design wall.  Very similar but there are a few differences.

Classic Rolling Stone block created by Betty S.

Simplex Star created by Jan S.

Created by Lynn C.

Created by Christine A.

Potager created by Marlene H.

Best Friend created by Nancy S.

Created by Rita O.

Stargazing created by Sue W.

Simple Star block created by Sue C.

Churn Dash by Sue H.

Created by Karen B.

Created by Kora C.

Created by Brenda W.

Checkered Fields created by Melissa L.

Rectangle Window created by me.

Road to Heaven created by Lee F.

Mondrian created by Kris L.

Created by Morganne K.

Created by Kim L.

Criss Cross Triangle created by Nancy S.

We are supposed to have the quilts completed in February.  At the February get together, we are going to reveal our quilts.  We also receive the new fabric which I get to select for this go around.  I am excited and my first thought was solid orange.  But now that I have been thinking about it, I am going to do a bit of research and find out what the 2015 quilting color of the year.  And I may change my mind again.

Checkers

JoAnne B. ended up requesting Checkers designed by Monika Wintermantel from the Modern Blocks book compiled by Susanne Woods for the modern block exchange group through Four Winds Quilting.  What JoAnne has told me since receiving her blocks back is that she had another block selected but since she was not available to present that day, she sent a quick email to Nancy.  Nancy Sasse forgot exactly what JoAnne requested and presented what she thought JoAnne requested.  JoAnne likes the new blocks even better than the original idea she had selected.  It all works our great in the end!

From Nancy's presentation, we were supposed to put something that meant something to us with the tree or in the center of the block.  I used Pony from the 120 Original Embroidery Designs book by Yoko Saito.

Overall block:

Close up of the pony:

 Close up of the center of the block:

I really like the pony.  If I come up with the need for a pony again, I know where to reference.

Modern Blocks Requested

I presented the block On the Fence designed by Weeks Ringle & Bill Kerr from the Modern Blocks book compiled by Susanne Woods.  Following are the blocks I used as my samples for the modern block exchange group through Four Winds Quilting in Billings, MT.

I have already received many of the On the Fence blocks back.  I have not yet put the blocks on the design wall even to take a picture because I was told that I was going to receive more blocks back from people who have not yet turned in their blocks.

In September, I presented my block request to the other modern block exchange group.  I requested Envy designed by Angela Pingel in the Modern Blocks book compiled by Susanne Woods.

I am to receive the Envy blocks back from the exchange group the third Saturday in October.

Some of the ladies asked me where I had purchased the striped fabric I used in my blocks.  I did have to tell them that I purchased it at Barb Olson's garage sale so I had no vendor information for them.

Round Robin

Karol H.'s round robin treasure was a Quilt Ladies embroidery in redwork that Karol had done.  Then we were to add a round of borders.

I created a few Center Stage 3 3/4" unfinished blocks.  I miscalculated initially and ended up with more blocks than I really needed.  I guess that is better than miscalculating and ending up with too few blocks.  The Center Stage block is from the New Classic Patchwork book by Yoko Saito.

The little blocks can get a lot of bulk built up in the back because they are so small and there is no where for the seam to lie and be out of the way.  I did end up pressing some of the seams open so that the presser foot on my sewing machine did not get pushed around.

Crumb Quilt - #29 September

I have had this crumb quilt quilted for a while.  I just needed to put the binding on to have it completed and off of the to do list.

I used a solid for the most visible part of the binding and a flannel for the piped part of the binding.  I thought the flannel would slip and slide too much to be the most visible part of the binding.  It seemed to work out fine to use flannel for the piping.

Although it was a long time ago, I do remember that I did not trim after each seam when I was created the four and a half unfinished crumb squares.  That made bulky seams in the blocks.  The quilting machine would bounce around the bulk because the hopping foot is only set so high.  Since learning that, I have been trimming more of the excess out from behind the crumb blocks.  Although I haven't gotten anything with this small of crumbs to the quilting machine lately, hopefully it will work better.

I took this quilt for show n tell at the Quilt By Association guild last night.  Although I like the crumb quilts, I do not think they are show stoppers.  But guild members were very kind and said nice things about my crumb quilt.  Maybe they were just impressed that I brought a show n tell item!