Week 49:  Fire Island Hosta

Well it is probably not a surprise by now that I am a fan of paper piecing.  I took my first class a few years ago and was hooked then and there.  I have projects that I have bought the fabric for and started the cutting process but then they have been put back into a box for a later date, I have some that are partially finished and then there are those that were completed and are out for me to enjoy.

This year Ben and I decided to take a technique of the month class.  It ran from June to Dec, for a total of eight classes.  Quiltworx has some patterns that only certified shops or certified instructors can sell.  I talked to the instructors about maybe straying from the path and trying out a different pattern.  I just loved the centers of some of the patterns with the curved leaf shapes and thought it had a lot of techniques that I had not done yet.  They told me it wouldn't be a problem, so I decided on the Fire Island Hosta Queen pattern.  I started by just looking at the batik section to find an inspiration for the main color theme of the quilt.  I tend to lean toward cooler colors and wanted to do something different from what I had done in the past.  I decided on an orange color palette to start.  I spent over two hours in their classroom with stacks of bolts of fabrics.  Having done quiltworx patterns before, I kind of knew how to look for the colors, where they were going to go and how to play off of other colors that were already in the quilt.  I worked my way from the center out, first picking the leaves, how they would flow together and so on.  I decided I wanted to end the quilt in a darker color, something that would almost frame the center.  This is what I came up with.

My color pallet 

Pattern 

We got home and I started to do the cutting.  Quiltworx has such specific cutting instructions that it makes cutting a breeze.  I made a little color chart, so I know which fabric went with which number, I precut my pieces and put them into their respective bags.  After all of the precutting was done I went back in and cut out my template pieces for each bag and everything was ready to start being put together.

Pre-Cut Pieces in their 18 bags

My class kit box, everyone 

 We had our first class and I worked on 1/2 of the first leaf.  There were only 4 leaf halves and it took me all day to do this.  I tend to get in a zone and things go pretty quick but this was just not happening, turns out that each individual leaf had almost 40 pieces and that is why it was taking so long.  I wasn't having it, so I got home and finished that leaf and started right onto the next side.  Before the next class two or three weeks later, I worked and worked.  There were some areas I wasn't quite sure on, so I skipped those and moved onto techniques I had done in the past.  By the next class I had almost all of my pieces completed.  I talked to the instructors about piecing things I wasn't sure about and they were a HUGE help with different ways they were taught to do it.  This quilt was a little different, as it was constructed from the outside in, so we talked and I worked.  When I got home I finished the center and started to put on the final borders.  By the time the next class rolled around I came with my completed quilt.  I was so excited to share it and everyone was shocked that I was done so fast.  I just couldn't stop working on it.  Lucky for me, I had another Quiltworx kit ready to start with some new techniques I had not done yet either, so I started on that one.  I just so happened to finish this one up the day after Thanksgiving, leaving me with my Indian Summer quilt to complete.  Our last class is Saturday and I am hoping to get most of it done then.

This quilt was quilted by Susan Miner at http://www.trendythread.net, SHE IS AMAZING.  She has worked on two of my quilts and I might have cried each time I got one back.  It's so amazing what a long arm quilter can do to enhance a quilt but not take away from the design.  Here are some pictures of the process and the final product.  I am just getting the binding on, so it's not all the way completed but it has a bed to lay on when it is done.

1st 4 leaf halves

Same 4 leaf halves trimmed

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the completed quilt, well I still need to sew the binding to the back.

 

 I had to put some pictures of the back just so you can see how amazing this quilting is.

 

 

Week 49: Adam Rateliff

Hi Everyone,

I'm Adam and I am so excited to be a part of 52 Quilters for the week.  What a great way to see what other quilters are doing and get inspiration from them.

I have lived in Eugene, Or for almost two years exactly.  My partner Ben and I relocated from Bakersfield, Ca, where we both grew up, and it is the exact opposite; so green, wet, and beautiful.  I work as an accountant by day and a quilter by night.  I was given the option to telecommute when I left Bakersfield, so I am lucky enough to work from home.  It's great most of the time but I do crave interaction with people sometimes, so I joined my local quilt guilds.  I am lucky that Eugene has two guilds to offer and they are very different.  One is the Emerald Valley Quilters, more of a traditional group and then we have the Eugene Modern Quilt Guild.  Since joining them, I have made many wonderful friends and we meet up and quilt a lot.

I started my quilt journey 4-5 years ago.  As a child, my mother taught me how to sew, crochet, cook and bake.  I sewed on and off over the years but nothing fancy, usually a thrown together Halloween costume.  When Ben came to me and said he wanted to start quilting, we went out and bought ourselves a good sewing machine and went to work.  I don't think we have stopped since.  I found Tula Pink early on in my sewing career.  I wandered across her Squirrel fabric and thought it was so fun and interesting.  I ended up looking at her website and saw the Anchors Aweigh pattern.  Not really knowing how fabric lines worked at the time, I went in search of her Salt Water line, found all of the yardage and started the project.  It was quite a feat but the end product speaks for itself.  This was one of my first quilts, lots of the seams don't line up and there are two blocks that are transposed but I wouldn't have it any other way.

About midway thorough my quilting journey I took my first class.  It was in introduction to paper piecing by a Judy Niemeyer (JN) Certified instructor.  She opened my eyes to a new world.  I loved the process and how exact everything was.  It all had a place and I didn't have to estimate if I was right or not.  My first pattern was a runner that never got done.  It was my introduction into paper piecing and I am not a fan of the fabrics I picked out, lucky for me I took another class and that is when I completed my first JN pattern, Golden Harvest.  I like this quilt but if I had to do it over again, I would probably pick different colors.  Last year I made a tree skirt for our Christmas tree.  This time I knew what I wanted color wise and went out in search.  We were now living in Eugene and just happen to have another Certified JN shop in a small town about an hour away, so we took a drive out to Philomath and made our first stop at Jannilou Creations.  We spent over an hour picking out fabrics with Lou and were very happy when we left.  We had 4 months to get the quilt done in time for Christmas and we were going to do it.  I started on it and got about 40% through before other things and projects came up.  Next thing you know it was late October and the quilt needed to be finished in time to go to the long armer and get back for the holiday.  I got to work and was in front of the sewing machine every night but it got done.  We got it back the day before our Holiday party and it was spectacular under the tree.  This year I took a class and I finished the Fire Island Hosta in the first month or so.  I was so exited to get it done.  Class was 6 months long so I have also finished Summer Solstice and am currently working on Indian Summer.
This is a preview of my Hosta quilt but that deserves it's own post.












As you can see, my style is all over the place.  Although I would probably call myself a modern quilter, I really just like what I like.  I can walk into a store and find inspiration anywhere.  I guess I just have a specific feeling in mind when I think of a quilt and I find fabrics for that vision.  I purchased the Curve It Up pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful and thought it would be interesting using primitive fabrics in these more modern blocks and this is the result.  It was so fun to make and the ruler made curves a snap.  This quilt is currently hanging in a local quilt shop where I just taught my first class.  It was lots of fun and scary at the same time.  I have been told I am a good teacher but it feels great when it is from someone who is paying you to teach them and not just a friend.

I also enjoy making dresses for my nieces and their dolls.  We bought them American Girl Dolls a few years back for Christmas and have been dressing them, and the dolls, since.  It's pretty special when you can make a matching dress for both of them that no one else has.  The two on the left are for cousins that are also best friends, they are almost exact except the color.  My niece is in the middle, in her twirly dress, and the two on the right were for some friends who are sisters and both have little girls.  I have to say sorry to my friends that have little boys, they tend to get other things, boys just are not as fun to sew for.

Well that that is a little or a lot about me and my quilting journey.  I hope I can share lots more during the week.  At the heart of it all is a guy who love to sew and create.  It makes me happy and when I can give it to someone else who is going to smile when they receive it, that makes it that much better.

Until we meet again,

Adam

Week 48: Joanna Martinez (crafty_jojo)

Hi everyone! I'm so thrilled to be taking over week 48 of 52 Quilters. Here is a bit more about me!

My name is Joanna and I live in the Columbus, Ohio area with my three dogs. I moved to Columbus 3.5 years ago for work. I used to live in Florida, and I still get asked if I mind the snow (the answer is no, I actually love it).
I have been a baker and a cross stitcher since I was a child. I learned to bake from my grandmother and to cross stitch from my aunt. I dabbled in sewing briefly in middle and high school, but it never really appealed to me back then. Then, in 2012, my sister told me she took a sewing class and loved it, and I thought- why not? So, I bought a sewing machine, took a "learn to sew" class at a local studio, and I was hooked! My third class was a mug rug class taught by Vanessa from Crafty Gemini, and I loved it! I was hooked on quilting and next thing you know, I was singing up for a BOM class on Craftsy. And the rest, as they say, is history.

My first "quilt", on the right. I've always loved quilting rainbows.

I love to quilt because it gives me a creative outlet after I leave my fairly uninteresting day job (insurance) and because it's not quite as messy as my other creative outlet, which is cake and cookie decorating. I also love to learn new things and challenge myself, so I rarely make the same thing twice. That's another appeal to quilting- there are so many patterns and techniques to learn!
Of course, one thing I didn't have to learn is how to procrastinate... remember that BOM from Craftsy that I signed up for in 2012? Well, I finally finished it earlier this year! You can see up close photos of all the blocks on my IG account, but here is a photo of the whole finished quilt:

2012 Craftsy BOM taught by Amy Gibson

This quilt is actually a pretty good representation of my style- I am somewhere in the middle of vintage and modern although I tend to lean a bit more to the modern side for fabrics. Although I love all colors, my favorite colors are red and yellow. And I don't like white backgrounds on quilts! In fact, the quilt pictured below is the only non-mini quilt I've made with a white background, and I cheated a bit because the white actually has a very subtle blue print :)

Mom's birthday present. Made from a Moda Bakeshop pattern, Renaissance Waves

I am lucky because the company where I work sponsors activity groups, including a quilt group that meets twice a month during lunch. It's so fun to meet and hang out with people who are just as obsessed as I am with fabric! It was also a great way to get involved in charity work- earlier this year I finished a couple of quilts for Project Linus and I hope to finish more in the future. I also do charity work for my other hobby, through a charity called Icing Smiles. Here is an example of my work for them, just for fun:

This week, I will be sharing a bit about my new sewing space and how I organize, as well as a project to make with your tiny scraps (also charity friendly!) and hopefully a few of my other works in progress. I will also share some pics of the Thanksgiving holiday around Columbus. If you've read this far, thank you for following my ramblings, and if you'd like to find me after this week, my Instagram ID is crafty_jojo. I look forward to interacting with all of you this week!

Week 46: Laura Piland of Slice of Pi Quilts

Hello! I am so excited for my week on 52 Quilters!

I really love the online quilting community. I live in a small rural area in southwest Missouri, I’m in my early 30s, and I have two young sons (ages 1 1/2 and 3 1/2). It is difficult to get together with other quilters in person (um, can you say toddlers?), so I love my “tribe” of quilter friends online! I would love to meet you this week and get to know you too!

Snowfall Quilt

When growing up, most women in my family sewed and quilted. I, however, had no interest. I had attempted making some clothes while in 4-H, and found the process long and frustrating. Fast forward to my mid-twenties. A friend was having a baby, and I got an unexplainable urge to make her a baby quilt! I turned to the internet (and my mom!) for help. I used tutorials and YouTube videos to teach myself everything I needed for the quilt.

Bookends Mini

That first quilt was made in 2010. Since then, I’ve made 75 quilts! 34 of those this year! (You can see all my quilt finishes on my blog here.) Early on, I decided I wanted to try something new with each quilt that I made. So I am constantly trying and learning new things.

Selvage Fruits of the Spirit Quilt

Selvage Fruits of the Spirit Quilt

I really started quilting more after having kids. I find that creating something tangible helps keep me sane in the sea of chaos that is tantrums and toys and toddlers.

Quilt for Peace

Earlier this year, I decided to turn some of my quilts into patterns that others could buy. I just released my fourth quilt pattern and have two more in the works! Now I am a stay-at-home-mom, but prior to that, I was a middle school math teacher. Pattern writing feeds my inner math geek!

Split Arrows

I tend to think of myself as a modern quilter, but really I just make what I like at the time. Sometimes that is modern and sometimes that is traditional. I don’t really put myself in a box. I never know what I might decide to try next!

Horton Hears a Who

On my blog, I like to share the stories behind the quilts that I make. I view my blog as a quilt journal – a record of my quilt making. I often share behind the seams photos too. I am the first to say my quilts are not perfect! I strive for improvement, but embrace imperfections. After all, we're all human and quilts are meant to be used!

Teal Mini Quilt Swap 2016

Teal Mini Quilt Swap 2016

I’m looking forward to sharing some of my projects with you this week! I hope to connect with you too! Come say hello!

Blog: http://sliceofpiquilts.blogspot.com/

Instagram: @sliceofpilife

Facebook: Slice of Pi Quilts

Ello: @sliceofpilife

Craftsy

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