Grand Rivers Challenge with Stitching

Here is a section of the Grand Rivers Challenge for April with the embroidery stitching (in yellow). I love this piece, perhaps because I love embroidered circles. It isn't due until April, but then again it isn't quilted yet.

Grand Rivers

This is the beginning of my piece for the Grand Rivers April 2017 Challenge. It will  be 24"x24" and will feature black, white, and one other color (yellow). It is not yet fused or quilted but it is basically begun. I have until April to complete the piece.

The quilt festival runs concurrent with the American Quilters Society Show in Paducah in April. I have advised the sponsors of the Grand Rivers Challenge that I will donate this piece to their scholarship program through their Chamber of Commerce at the conclusion of the show. 

Oscar is Finished

Oscar is now finished. It took ordering more Kaffe Fassett fabrics from both Hancock's of Paducah and Missouri Star Company, but the appropriate finishing fabrics were located and he is now complete.  I used a simple gridwork for the quilting design and a facing instead of a binding.

Remember When

Here is Remember When, based on Gloria Loughiman's book "Symphony Quilts".  It took a long time to get to the quilting stage but its very worth it. This, too, has been quilted by the very talented Sharon Brooks of Glendale, AZ. It is one of my favorite pieces with the muted colors and crochet pieces from the past.

Diva Wallet Class

This is a "Diva Wallet" I made in a class at Cholla Chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild in Mesa, AZ. This purple, turquoise and green batik fabric wallet holds credit cards, bills and change. It is a gift for my daughter and only took two hours to create. The snap closure holds everything together.

Spiral

This is the beginning of a Susan Carlson-inspired spiral from her book, Serendipity Quilts: Cutting Loose Fabric Collage. I took her class at Quiting in the Desert in Phoenix in January, 2016. This is how the spiral begins. Two colors of scrap fabrics (opposite on the color wheel preferably), glued down on to muslin. I experimented with Roxanne's Glue Baste-It and found it very useful. Next you add more fabric strips.   

Spiral Beginning

This unique blend of purple and orange goes great

together, don't you think? This spiral of colors is 

really a very satisfying effect. The tulle, which is

added later, makes it appear multi-

dimensional.

Finished base

Stitching down the tulle

I used my walking foot when stitching down the

tulle. It helps to glide over the surface in a circular motion.

Trimming away tulle.

Oscar

When you look at this colorful piece of work, doesn't it inspire you to make a quilt? I love the bold, bright colors. I can imagine this turtle taking off, swimming through the water.

I named him Oscar because I worked on him during the Academy Awards show. It is a Susan Carlson project and I loved being in her class at Quilting in the Desert. I've made many of her patterns and this is my latest one in progress. You can see that he is only laying on top of the hand dyed fabric.

Image printed on muslin

Included are some of the images of the progression of the piece so you can see how it went together... As you can see, he isn't finished, but I am mid-move to Ohio and he is in one of the many boxes. He will reappear in a later post in all of his glory.

Turtle Paw

Alternate background

Marianne's Dragon Quilt

This is the dragon quilt I made for my nail technician, Marianne, who loves dragons. She recently left Beauty Brands to become an insurance agent. We wish her well. She and I shared many stories of our aging parents. Love you, girl.

I used the same fabrics from Jason's "Frenemies" quilt to make this smaller version for Marianne, used a nine-patch center and surrounded it with piano keys of varied lights and darks. It's 30" x 30".

Natalie's Lime/Black Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead
for Natalie, my colorist

This piece is for Natalie, my colorist, who shares my love of the Day of the Dead theme. Natalie is responsible for the purple hair which I adore so much. 

The piece is about 20" square. 

Self-Portrait Class with Terry Waldron

My dear friend Barbara and I decided on a whim to take a self-portrait class during AQG Quiltweek in Phoenix at the end of January. I have mine started, but alas not yet finished, however I'm including a work-in-progress by my friend Barbara. It's a wonderful beginning and I'm so proud of her efforts. Now I need to get back to mine.