Marie's Creative Space: quilt

Showing posts with label quilt. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Getting Started is the Hardest Part!!

Don't you think so?

I recently had an opportunity to spend the day with one of my favorite people, Karen.

As I had her for a whole day I set out to find a project that she would enjoy that could be completed in One Day!!

It's always hardest to Start a Project

BUT if someone else...

Shows up with the project

AND

The supplies

AND

Says PICK....

I found it wasn't so hard at all!!

I happened to find the perfect project in a recent email from "Sew She Can" - "Quilting UnPlugged: design-your-own MINI QUILT" and thought this would be a perfect - One-day project!

I had recently worked on a Charity Quilt with some friends using our scraps. I hadn't unpacked the leftovers and it just happened to be a happy 'little' container of lovely blue and aqua's that would be just the combination to get Karen's creativity going!

From this stash she picked a large flower (left fabric) as her focus piece and placed it in the large square where it would stand out. Next she grabbed a few coordinating pieces plus a background and set to work.

Here is Karen with the beauty she created!

Fabric selected, cut, pieced, machine quilted, bound, and

hanging pockets in the corners.

ALL done in One Day!!!

Success!

Now if only I could apply some of this to my WIPs!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Sewing
Marie

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Crystals are like Tattoos....

At least I think they are...

We had our Creative Conglomeration reveal last night and this is my piece.

Sunapee Night Sky

As I sat up late the night before the reveal gluing ALL the crystals on my quilt it made me think of tattoos and how many people I know who have one, have many... As in just can't get enough - or maybe just never finished. (This is why I can't have tattoos! that and I'm a bit afraid of needles!)

Well I glued and glued and still am not sure whether I put on enough.

This quilt is made using pieces from my Sunapee Star pattern. In addition to using one piece each from the 6", 9", and 12" stars, I used the computer to made the 6" two sizes smaller and the 12" two sizes larger for 7 total paper pieced sections.

This is the smallest unfinished piece.

Which became this.

I increased the size as I went around hoping to give it a shooting star effect.

In the upper right corner I placed crystals in form the Big and Little Dipper as that is what is visible at our lakehouse when we sit at the campfire on the summer nights!

I drew in the lines on the Big and Little Dipper so you can see it.

Crystals are very hard to photograph!

This is the view from the campfire over looking the lake.

One of my favorite places to be!

I'll be linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday! Stop by and see what everyone is up to!

Monday, January 19, 2015

Birthday Tote Bag

Birthday Tote Bag.
2014 was a year of many finishes but blogging wasn't one of them. Through out 2015 I'll add in some to my 2014 finishes. This is from October 2014.

I picked up some pretty peach fabric to make a tote bag for my sister's birthday.

I made some four patch squares then added triangles to create the front pocket panel.

Here it is trimmed down.

Next I cut one stripe of each fabric and sewed them together then cut them into squares and placed the squares to form this chevron pattern.

I cut the piece in half using for the front and the back as shown. I placed the pieces onto Pellon 809 Decor-Bond heavy duty iron-on stabilizer.

Next the straps were added. (Note of self - Straps should be a bit longer next time!)

I used canvas for the bottom to help it stay looking clean and make it more durable.

There's a clasp to keep it closed.

The inside features a set of pockets plus hook for keys.

What have you been up to?

Monday, September 29, 2014

Around the World Blog Hop!

Maer over at The Hard-Rock Quilter tagged me to participate in the Around the World Blog Hop. I met Maer @ an online mug rug swap and was BLOWN away with the beautiful pieces of ART she created for me!! So much more than Mug Rugs!

http://thehard-rockquilter.blogspot.com/

In answer to Sophie over at Sophie Junction's question "does anyone know who started this? and Or why there isn't a nice long list somewhere of everyone who has blogged an Around the World Blog Hop post?" My answer is no but I think that like she and Kate over at Kate's Quilting, the hardest part of doing this was finding 3 more people to pass it on to. And since there's no master list the thought that if you'd like to play along - do!

Here are the question and my answers:
1) What are you currently working on?
Just finished one block for Sophie's September Block Lotto. Super fun group and I won both January and February this year :)

I also just mailed a mug rug to VA for the Two for Teal Mug Rug Swap 2014 which support research for Ovarian cancer. Can't show the whole thing as it hasn't been received but here's a peek:

I also finished a challenge for my local guild's 30th Anniversary, which, again I can't show but here's the back - actually had a bit of time to quilt this one myself which is always fun:

here's a peek at the front:

I am also doing Tula Pink's 100 Modern Quilt Blocks with several friends. We are working on blocks 41-80 for a reveal in a few weeks. No pics but will add some soon.

Mostly I have been working on developing a pattern using 1/2 Rectangle blocks. I have my 72" sq and 49" sq quilt samples to my friend Lisa to have them long arm quilted and am planning to send out the rough copy to my friend, Susie who has offered to test it for me! More on that over the next month or so!

2) How does my work differ from others?

I'm not sure that it does. I like to think that I take things that look very hard and find an easy way to approach it. I often work from pictures I've seen and seldom use a pattern. I have patterns & desings 'pop' into my head constantly and grab a piece of graph paper and scribble away. I have a tendency to jump into a project with an idea and just go with whatever sparks me. Usually that works out but every once in a while I just make an addition to my UFO pile...

Here's a quilt I recently made for my Creative Conglomeration Group:
For this one I took 2 photos and some clipart - mushed it into the 13" required size and:

(hubby says I made HIS face too fat, LOL, I thought I was the one with chipmuck cheeks!)

3) Why do I write and/or create what I do?

Well, this summer has been very sparse with my blogging but I like to blog to share what I'm up to because people have shown interest it seeing it and have said that I inspire them. I love that thought and enjoy encouraging others to reach past their comfort zone and try new things! This might be why I enjoy teaching as much as I do. Blogging also creates a bit of a diary of what I have created, which I find is a nice reference to have. I also love the interaction with the blogging community. I really enjoy being involved with the many online swap and round robins, etc. It is fun to be involved with people all over the world while sitting at home.

As I stated above being involved with the online swaps, etc. opens me to interacting with some fantastically creative people. Never know, some of it may rub off on me :)

4) What is my creative process?
First answer that popped into my head is - depends. I LOVE to create NEW things! Love, love, love it!! BUT I bore very easily! That being said I seldom make an item twice, unless it's a gift item for a group or a Log Cabin which is my favorite 'go to' pattern. I have notebook after notebook of ideas just waiting for me to have time to turn the thoughts from paper drafts into quilting creations!

So that's a little about me! Remember if you haven't been tagged and want to do this... Go for it!! As for me, my three 'taggies' are:

Lois Kindley over @ Creative Gypsy - Lo and I go back 4 1/2 years but it feels like a life time! She is presently located in Mansfield TX but as her site relates, she is a tumbleweed that landed in my life for a few years and my heart forever! This is one creative lady! Don't let the lack of recent blogs stop you, she is just getting over surgery on her 'good' hand and will be back in force soon! Lo's ramblings will keep you well informed and often in stitches!

Second, head over to Terry Burris @ Terry Burris Quilting. Terry moonlights as a long arm quilter while still working her day job like me. I got to know Terry while chairing the last quilt show for SVQG. She worked magic at getting her wonderful vendors to donate their beautiful products for our raffle baskets!

Next up in Beth of Quilting Hottie Haven. Beth is running the "Two for Teal" Mug Rug Swap I mentioned above and is a pattern designer and teacher. I first met Beth when she was a speaker for SVQG then got ran into her again through the NHMQG. Fun and interesting blog, check out her!

Promise to blog sooner! M

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

MQG - Michael Miller Challenge!

Well here it is the last week to enter the MQG's Michael Miller Challenge.

I am delighted to show you my entry....

The Improv Log

As you can see - it's bigger than me! The quilt measures 70" square.

It is my original design which I plan to release the pattern for in the middle of August - so check back if you are interested!!

I had planned to quilt this one myself. I knew exactly how I wanted to quilt it - Stitch in the Ditch around all of the multi colored fabric pieces then 'BUBBLES!' Everywhere else!! (Floating Log Cabin.... Bubbles!) But I ran out of time and still that it is exactly how it came out WITH the expert help of my good friend and long arm quilter Lisa Teichmann of Garden Gate Quilting!!

Heading over to upload the quilt to the MQG site. If you have a chance go on over to see all the beautiful and exciting creations!!

I'll be linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday! Stop by and see what everyone is up to!