Flutterby Mini Quilt

I have had these little 4 " blocks in my UFO drawer for about 3 years and finally got them out and made a little quilt. I loved the blocks but never had an incentive to get them put together. I am in a Mini Spring Blooms Quilt Swap sponsored by Quilting Bloggers and thought of these sweeties and pulled them out. I quilted it on my regular machine, not confident enough yet to do that tiny McTavishing on my long arm.

Now that is is done. . . .I want to keep it instead of sending it off to an unknown person in Michigan!!! Of course I will be getting one in the mail in return, but it just isn't the same as making it myself and loving it! LOL When I get my mini from my mystery partner, I will post a picture. Off in the mail this one goes today!

Life's a Beach

I am having great fun making beach blocks for a swap I am in. These pictorial blocks are so fun and since I do fusible machine applique, they are also pretty fast. The first set of blocks is a light house. I found this pattern online as an embroidery (noun not a verb) pattern and fell in love with it. I adapted it a bit for applique and here is the resulting block.

The second set of blocks are jelly fish. This was from a coloring page I found on the web. It was just so cute. I often find coloring pages great sources for applique or embroidery. I love to do the machine button hole stitch on the edges and use different color threads to realy enhance the pictures and add details.

I found this background fabric in several colors on my recent camping vacation and thought the jellyfish would love swimming around in this swirly water. You can't really see in the picture, but I stitched the pieces down with variagated gold metalic thread! I wasn not sure if it would work but I increased the tension on the bottom thread and decreased the tension on the top (metalic) thread. Then I used a Metalic needle (it has a bigger hole so the thread doesn't shred) and so far, not a single broken thread. It works great!

The last block is one of my favorites. I call it Flamingo in a hurricane. Now I really didn't intend it to be a hurricane, but when I positioned the palm tree and leaves on the block, it looked like it was in a big wind.

Then i realized that the flamingo was too big to stand in the water -- I didn't want him standing on the beach sand -- so I added a puddle for him to stand in and added some ripples around his legs with blue thread. I think I will add some more so it looks more realistic. I pieced and appliqued the background (sky, water, sand) then machine appliqued all the elements on top. The flamingo legs are satin stitch in orange thread with a little extra wide thread play at the knobby knees.

My big tip for machine applique. . . increase bobbin tension and use a stabilizer. My stabilizer of choice. . . . wax paper! Its cheap, easy to get just the right size, and it slides around easily on the machine bed or table making it easy to get around corners or curves. Also, a knee lifter on my machine is the key to success, as i can keep my hands on the work and my knee lifts the presser foot when I need to pivot. If you need a thicker stabilizer. . . use 2 sheets of wax paper. It pulls off when you are done really easily! What fun this was to do!!

Now that my blocks are nearly done I am going to load a charity quilt top on my new long arm, it will be the first REAL quilt I will do on my new machine. I have been practicing on scrap fabric and muslin, now its time for the real deal. I think I will do loopy stars or swirls. I have been practicing both of those. Wish me luck!! I'll post pics of the finished quilt when I get it done.

My New Toy!

I finally realized one more of my professional quilting goals this week. I purchased a long arm quilting machine. Technically it would be called a mid-arm, HQ16 with the new professional studio frame. I bought the 12' table but only set up 8' so it would fit in my studio. Since I mostly do smaller quilts this is a great size for me and will work just fine as I am learning. Of course it meant I had to clean up my studio and get rid of all the junk! That alone made it worth it. I finally parted with stuff I have been hauling around for decades which I really do not need or want. I bet you have a pile or two of that stuff in your house too! :-)
I had to move my book shelves and get rid of my rocking chair and book nook corner in my studio to fit in the frame, but the rug works great to cushion my feet when I am standing at the frame. My studio is long and narrow 24' x 9' so there wasn't room to put it on one of the end walls. This way I can get behind it to use the laser and pantos with the rear handles. I really wish I could get wheels for it so I can move it around as I need to, but my floor is cement (under the vinyl) and not particularly flat!

I am still adjusting the height, and may have to lower it a bit once I get more used to what works for me. Luckily the frame is easy to adjust. I have signed up for some classes and am watching some DVD's a friend lent me. I am also filling up sketch pad pages of squiggles and leaves and feathers while I train my eye and my hand. This really is fun. I find I am really jerky in my movements and have to really practice being smoother. I sure would love to hear your suggestions and advice as I fly along the learning curve! Don't you just love new toys?!?!

Midnight Posies Block 5

Midnight Posies Block #5 is the Purple Pansy Block!

This wonderful nine-patch variation is super easy. Bright purple petals and a bold yellow center make it striking. The simple leaves are formed by half square triangles using a medium green and the black background fabric. Of course you can make yours any color you choose, but the brighter the better. Bright clear colors really get a big punch from the black background, and Mother Nature is skimpy on colors in her flower garden. She goes for pure clear colors with lots of zing to attract those busy summer polinators!

Download the PDF for this block here.

Want to kick this block up a notch? Experienced quilters might want to "cut off the corners" of the purple petals by doing a quick corner in the 2 outer corners, or even all four corners! Or try a variation like the ones I have created playing on EQ6:

This block uses a "quick corner" to take a bite out of the two outer corners of each petal. It also adds an "hour glass" block or quarter square triange to the center with 2 different yellows. This variation makes the flower look more petite. In blue it would be a forget-me-not!

This version captures the blue and purple petals of real pansies and the four-patch yellows in the center add more interest. Smaller bites off the corners really adds to the shape of the pansey petals as does extending the petals into the center. Instructions for these and other variations will be included in the purchased pattern. I hope you have fun creating your own variations.

I hate to add this little disclaimer but I felt it was important to remind you that this pattern is copywrited and may not be duplicated, sold, or used for profit in any manner. You may download the pattern for your personal use or for charitable causes. If you wish to share it with your friends, please invite them to come to my blog and download a copy for their use.

If you exhibit this quilt or use it for charitable purposes please be sure that the pattern title, Midnight Posies by Morning Glory Quilt Designs, is prominently displayed on the quilt label. And by all means send me a picture!! I would love to see your work and note all the ways you personalized this pattern to reflect your tastes and creativity!!

Thank you so much for respecting rights of designers. We love sharing our work with people who love quilting as much as we do!

Back from Vacation

Wow! I didn't realize how long it has been since I last posted. I have been out of touch for two blissful weeks of camping, family visits, college reunions, and almost no work. No TV, no cell phones, and no internet! It was wonderful. I so appreciate the time away to recharge my creative batteries, rest my mind and body, and enjoy the simple joys of conversation, laughter, and friendship.

Of course I stopped at lots of quilt shops and here are some of my favorites:

Angies Nine Patch in Effingham, IL -- what a treasure trove of fabric, patterns & books, tools and gadgets, and thread. Prices are terrific and great customer service. And a sweet little antique shop on the back of the shop was an added bonus.

Satin Stitches in Columbia, MO -- this is just a great all around shop. Excellent selection of fabric, patterns and notions. Wonderful shop samples all around. And bags!! Wow did they ever have a great selection of bags made up with loads of patterns and accessories for bag making. They are also a Pfaff dealer and had some wonderful machines and embroidery "stuff". The staff is super friendly. Great prices on fabric too! All bolts are $2.00 off the retail price.

I love visiting shops across the country when I travel. I get so many ideas and see new things. I come back inspired and ready to sew!

Lily of the Valley

The delicate blooms of the tiny Lily of the Valley have always fascinated me. I love their unique scent, the quintessential floral fragrance, Muget du bois! It was my mother's favorite perfume. We bought her a bottle for Christmas every year. And when she would walk downstairs, stressed up for an occasion, the linger scent of these delicate lillies would follow her. I will forever associate their gentle little bells and fragrance with my mother.

They are now blooming in my garden, and I picked a bouquet of these lovely blooms for the house. Their scent lingers in my kitchen, bringing images of springs past, and gardens of my childhood. I am working on an embroidered quilt block which attempts to capture their sweet bell shape, and pristine pinkish white color.

It is only partially completed but I am experimenting with satin stitch on the flowers, and still have much practice to go before my satin stitch looks good. But it is a start and I am enjoying the fun and making this precious blooms come to life on fabric. I have been trying for some months to come up with a way to creat a table runner which uses lily of the valley to complete my Charming Botanicals table runner collection. May is the only month that still eludes me, as I try to find a way to retain the delicacy of the blossoms, and still create a floral quilt which is easy to do and elegant in design. I took lots of pictures of the flowers in my garden for inspiration, in addition to collecting other artistic pieces that feature the darling buds.

Here are few of the treasures I have found.

I find the green and white palate an great source of peace and contentment, and I hope that the quilt design I finally come up with will convey that same sense of "comfort" and "home." A great way to spend Mothers Day, I think.

Rosey Posey Block 4

I love this time of each month when the new block of the BOM Midnight Posies is posted. It is so fun to see all the bright colors and this simple Rose block is one of the brightest and most cheerful. And never was there an easier rose block than this one.

Download PDF block here.

This quilt has 12 blocks plus a machine appliqued floral border. Block #4 stars row 2 of the quilt. No new techniques are added to this block but the color placement becomes increasingly important as we explore all the possibilities of the versatile nine-patch block to create lots of different flowers. Next month we will introduce quarter square triangles to add to your repetoire of skills in this simple quilt. If you are a beginner you will be amazed at how this simple addition multiplies the possibilities in your quilts. Experienced quilters will enjoy how fun and easy it is to create such varied blocks with minimal changes in piecing technique. No matter what your level of experience, I hope you will love this month's Rosey Posey Block.

If you are joining us late and still want to get the first three blocks and the supply list, click on the image of the quilt in the side bar at right and you will get access to all the blocks todate. I will only leave the earlier links open for a few more weeks, so if you haven't saved the pdf files for those blocks, please do so right away. After June 1, only the current month's block will be available!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support of this project. Enjoy!

Kaw Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show

This Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26 is the Kaw Valley Quilt Guilds's annual Quilt Show at the Douglas County Fair Grounds in Lawrence, KS. If you are in the area I encourage you to attend. The theme of the show is "A Quilted Garden", and there will be lots of fabulous quilts to see, vendors to shop with, and free lectures, workshops and demonstrations. There is also a silent auction for miniature quilts made by guild members, with proceeds going to local charitable causes. Hope you can make it.
This was the first public exhibition of my new Color Wheel Quilt! I made its first informal showing at a color class I taught in late March and again April 21 and 22, when I spoke on Color Confidence for Quilters at the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild monthly meetings.

I am debating wether I should bring this out as a pattern or as a kit. I thought some might find it fun to find all these fabrics, but others might prefer to have all the colors supplied. Which would you prefer? Thanks for the suggestions.

Quilt Studio -- A view on the veranda

I thought I would share a few pictures of my quilt studio. When my son went to college his large basement bedroom was immediately appropriated as my new quilt studio. The dark long and narrow room got new wallboard, insulation, and a coat of paint. The old carpet was pulled up and fresh wood-grain vinyl flooring was rolled out. The best part, for me anyway, was my new "view". The veranda in the picture is a wallpaper mural that covers all of one end of the room and wraps around one corner about 2 feet.
I arranged my machines to face the veranda so that I can "look out" at the sea while I sew. It really gives the space a sense of spaciousness and warmth. I used parts of an old computer desk unit for my machine tables and have my Bernina, serger, and Jukie at hand, with my ironing big board right behind me. It is a great space to work in. The 2 table mounted Ott Lites and the new overhead track lights really give me great light for sewing.My storage area for stash is one of the 2 closet in the room. I installed wire shelves and organized my stash by color in clear bins. I really need a second closet, but so far I am managing to contain my stash -- well most of it -- in this closet. The drawer units hold large cuts, quilt backs, and UFO's. The small stool allows me to reach boxes on the top shelf without breaking my neck!
The "Book Nook" is my favorite corner of the room. My quilt books and magazines are stored here and I often sit in my rocker and look through books for inspiration or research. The kitties often curl up on this rug -- a bargain at an outlet store (the rug not the kitties) -- and keep me company while I read or do hand work.
The last picrure is the view of my studio from the far end. My cutting table stands in the middle and has 2 leaves that come up when I need more cutting room. The drawers and cupboards are perfect for rulers and rotary cutters and all my tools store nicely in stacked bins inside the cupboards. Since taking the picture, I have added an antique pie safe on the wall where the ironing board is and it is filled with quilts, extra batting, and works in progress.

As for my son, not to worry. Not only has he graduated from college and officially moved out to start his career in Texas, but I have a guest room upstairs for him when he comes home! But I sure love my new studio and find it a wonderful workable space. Now, if it was only this clean all the time! My Easter wish for each of you is a spacious studio of your own to work and create in. Thanks for taking a look at mine.

Home From Retreat

What fun it is to go to a 5 day retreat! A group of friends from my online quilting group, SewManySwaps, attend a retreat twice a year in Winslow, Arkansas. We have been going since 2002 and it feels more like family than friends each fall and spring when we make the short trek from Kansas to the beautiful Boston Mountains in the Arkansas Ozarks. The scenery is spectacular, our hosts at Sky View Lodge are welcoming and wonderful, and the time with friends oh so precious.

I was able to finish this Merry Go Round Quilt in sweet baby fabrics. Shhhh, don't tell, but this will be a baby gift for my Nephew Corey and his wife Jeniffer who are expecting any day now! Wow, I better get it quilted this weekend! I was so pleased to get my color wheel quilt finished while at retreat. It came out just as I hoped it would. What a challenge it was to find just the right fabrics for each hue, tint, shade, and tone. I ripped out the whole center wheel and replaced it with darker tints, as the first set I had were too pale. I used those 12 tints to make piping around each of the dark shades in the outer ring, making the grayed tones between them really show up.

The outer border has the 3-D effect I was hoping for, altho the dark green is a bit darker than I had hoped. But now it is ready for quilting and I am looking forward to having it completed in time for a quild presentation I am giving this month at the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild in Lawrence, KS on "Color for Quilters." I am going to bind it with a fabulous multi-color stripe cut on the bias.

This wonderful version of my Midnight Posie Block of the Month Quilt was completed by my amazing editor and pattern tester Kathi! Of course she always puts her own spin on the colors and block placements, which I think is great. She also found a major error in one of the later block patterns which I have now fixed. . . yippeee. My sincerest gratitude to her for finding and fixing all my errors. Well, really there was only one, which is pretty amazing. Not that I made a mistake, but that I made only one! (cheesy grin!)

I finished this set of indigo and white blocks for a block swap I am participating in. They really came out nice and were a lot of fun to make. I still have another set to make and then off they go.

I do so love going to retreat! It charges my creative batteries and refuels my soul. I hope each of you have the opportunity to attend a sewing or quilting retreat as often as you are able to go. It will do you so much good. Oh, and get a massage while you are at it. Our wonderful masseuse gave me a "hot rock" massage while I was at retreat. AHHHhhhhh, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

I am working on my next 2 patterns that will be published this summer. I will provide a sneak peak soon, when I get the tops done. Hope you are having a wonderful spring. My daffodils are blooming!! How about yours? Would love to hear what you are up to. Please post a comment and share your spring projects!