2019 Blog writing challenge - Day 10 - Most impactful class

I live in Dallas and have the benefit of a robust Guild.  It raises money from its annual show (March each year), and uses some of the proceeds to fund great speakers for our monthly Guild programs.

Here are some of the speakers
1. One of the first meetings I attended featured a speaker about rescuing blocks that weren't working well.  She gave examples of techniques to rescue the blocks: setting on point by adding triangles, making blocks equal sizes by adding coping strips, changing focus with contrasting fabrics, etc.
2. Ami Simms.  Her general program was a personal history, featuring mistakes she had made (very funny).  Her workshop was on string piecing, and she taught me how to iron for quilting, sew strips together in different directions to prevent warping. She also had her book for sale on "I Spy Quilts", and that idea, new to me, set me off on collecting and trading novelty fabrics, and making eight I Spy quilts over the years for family members and donations.
3. Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, from the Modern Quilt Studio.  We had them as separate speakers in different years.  They both gave excellent talks on design and color, and I took a workshop with Bill that gave me great insights into selecting colors and fabrics, values for a project.  Their books and patterns are excellent.
4. Local quilt teacher, Sharon Wilhelm.  I took several techniques classes with her.  hand quilting, machine quilting, advanced quilting making (that included machine applique, paper pieceing (mariners compass), mitered borders, etc.).  Sharon is a very patient and thorough teacher, great handouts,  provides alternative approaches. She has great patterns as well, currently featuring blocks with crayons and hand embroidery.
5. Cynthia England. Winner of Best in Show at Houston a few years ago.  I took her workshop on Picture quilting, and also heard lectures at the Dallas Guild and Dallas Show. Her picture technique is one of a kind, and I made a small wall quilt of the Texas flag from one of her patterns (won an honorable mention at the Texas State fair).  Her patterns have you put samples of the selected fabric on a paper "palette" so you can easily refer to it for the color variations.  Elizabeth Hartman's patterns suggest the same thing.  A good approach to take away.
6. The late Gwen Marston.  Dallas lecture and workshop on improvisational quilting.
7. Bonnie Hunter.  Entertaining lecture.  Her book was good too.  She wasn't as helpful in the workshop after the first hour (it was a class on a string pieced quilt).  She was more interested in going to visit some local quilt shops in the area. Probably just an off day.

2019 Blog Challenge - Day 9 - Best Tip

This is an applique tip.  For machine applique.  Place a lightweight stabilizer under the background fabric when you machine applique, whether zigzag, blanket or raw edge.  I use cutaway.  It keeps the stitches from curling under and gives a nice smooth finish.  I roughly cut away the excess, but it is so lightweight it doesn't really add any bulk.

Latest finish - Animal Friends for my new granddaughter

The top photo is the finished quilt for my new granddaughter.  It is my own combination of blocks from Elizabeth Hartman's Forest Friends, Bear, Ocean and Desert patterns. I transformed the desert pattern "coyote" into a pink panther.  My daughter had asked for a rainbow color way so I needed to get some bright pinks in.   Plus birds from the Block Lotto several years past.(these are to evoke cardinals, state bird of Indiana, where granddaughter lives).  Except for the grey fox, all the fabrics are from the Grunge line. (the black and white are not grunge).  Assembling the finished blocks in a coherent pattern was a challenge.  I tried to figure out a column-based layout with graph paper but must have made some math mistakes, because the edges didn't line up.  So then I did some trial and error to make it work (lots of ripping out and re-cutting sashing; luckily I had plenty of the background fabric.  Now I have lots of extra strips!)

 The second photo is the back, an animal ABC fabric from Alexander Henry (bought on Fabric.com).  I added a close-up of the fabric; love the t-rex = X-tinct.

Need to add the label and then ready for a nice Christmas gift.   Maria Hall did the quilting. 

2019 Blog Challenge - Day 8 - Skills I wish I had

1. Free motion quilting  (I know --it comes with practice)
2. Ruler quilting (ditto) - I've taken a class and have the tools)
3.Foundation piecing.  I have a good sense of space generally, but there is something about sewing on the reverse that messes my mind.  I've done a few foundation piecing blocks but it's not a pleasure.
4. Needle turn applique.  I like other handwork techniques but have not mastered this at all.  Probably need a class.
5. Thread painting.
6. art quilting generally
7. keeping my quilt room neat and tidy
8. embroidery design on Embrilliance and use of my basic embroidery machine, particularly the different stabilizers, and doing some applique with the designs.
9. photo quilting - landscapes, faces

2019 Blog Challenge - day 7 - Dream Project

my dream project would be the Mountmellick medallion quilt by Di Ford.  One of my quilting friends bought the fabrics but decided she didn't have time to quilt it, so I bought them from her.  This would definitely expand my piecing, patience, and organization skills.

https://www.quiltmania-inc.us/boutique/single-patterns/mystery-quilts/mystery-quilt-by-di-ford/

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2019 Blog Challenge - Day 6 - Oldest UFO

My oldest UFO is a quilt-along project of sampler star blocks.  It probably dates back to 2010 when I was reading a lot of blogs and on-line quilt alongs.  I've completed four of the twelve blocks.  Fabric is a collection of very bright greens, yellow, oranges.
Several years ago I made a list of UFOs, and I have been somewhat conscientiously working on finishing these "unfinished objects". In 2019 I finished 3 UFOs started sometime before 2019.

2019 Blog Challenge - Day 5 - First Project

My first completed project is this medallion sampler quilt that was a Joann's block of the month.  I had bought the blocks over time (using coupons when I could, of course), and some were on clearance.  I think I had to order the finishing kit online.  The pieces of each block were laser cut, and the directions were very basic and excellent for a beginning quilter.  I had done a lot of garment sewing in my teens and twenties, so I wasn't shy about swapping out fabric.  Although I like to wear brown (I'm an "autumn"), I don't really like it that much as a color and the kit had a good bit of brown, particularly a copper-brown rose.  however, the instructions did not give the measurements of the pieces, so when I got ready to swap the setting triangles, I just set the kit's triangle over my fabric and cut.  Much waviness resulted.  I did not yet know that a quilter does not "ease in" fullness.
Anyhoo, my longarmer did her best to fix it, along with some beautiful quilting. Mindy Blackburn.