My neighbor picked a random number and the winner of the 200 post giveaway is "Momhooten" - whose email address I cannot find. I did a bit of detective work and think that this name belongs to Debi Hooten. Debi, please contact me (my email is on my blogger profile, click link on the right) and let me know your mailing address. I have a prize for you.
On another note, remember the big Christmas quilt in the works for my church? Well it is so pretty that I decided to make a smaller version for myself. This is a diversion from the Mariner's Sunset that sometimes (aka most of the time) makes me feel overwhelmed. Here is the progress so far on the little Christmas quilt... it is about 36" wide.
Above is the full-size pattern pinned to rich blackish fabric.
These are a few sky pieces (top left corner) that I put down last night using Steam a Seam 2 Lite. Tracing them took longer than putting them in place. This batik is lovely. I'm going to put some jewel "stars" in a few spots later. This is too much fun!
GIVEAWAY • 200 POST. If I posted every day, this would be more than 1100 - yet I'm glad to have made it this far, even if this happens only in fits and starts. For this occasion, I have a giveaway that includes books, fabric, and a few surprises.
TO ENTER: Post a comment sharing your favorite quilt color combination. Omit seasonal/themed/children's/ quilts, which have their own color requirements. POST your comment on today's entry. I'll pick someone randomly. Try to include your email or a link to your blog or website.
Also, I am celebrating the start on my Mariner's Sunset (for want of a better name). In roughly this order, I have:
1) the backing/batting fused and basted loosely, not being sure if fusible batting will hold on this size of a quilt. Here it is folded in thirds.
2) the fabrics selected, mostly. I just toss them in a pile to see if they work together.
3) the fabric strips sewn for the background water, horizon, and lower sky.
4) and those strips laid out along with the other fabrics on top of the batting/backing on our pool table (ping pong top over it) in roughly the right places. Tulle is included, but I'm not sure if it should go just over the "sun" or all across the water as here. It really dulls the bottom of the quilt, but would it look odd if it was just on the compass?
I am doing other things today, but will get back to this. I have to go two floors from the table to my sewing machine. The joy of exercise!
Also, all tips, suggestions, advice, is welcome. I'm making this one up as I go.
A few posts/months ago I posted a sketch of a quilt idea for my 36" Mariner's Compass quilt block. Since the block is so large, the quilt is huge, well, not exactly. It is about a queen size (about 70" x 100") but big for a wall hanging. I'm laid it out on a ping pong table because my design wall is too small. Some of the colors are changed, and I managed to get my computer to put "tulle" over the bottom half of the circle~
This quilt was started in a class called "Shaded Four Patch" on April 13, with Margie Davidson. I finished it today. The quilt, label, page in my book, photo, all done. The colors show a bit richer in real life.
After that class, I took another about selecting quilting designs. The instructor, Margo Fiddes, challenged me to think of something distinctive for quilting each piece. I didn't have this one in class, but began to imagine a subtle cross representing sacrifice, a heart to represent valor, and lines that speak of tension and yet peace. Of course the program "Quilts of Valor" was on my mind too. The cross is at an angle with the top in the upper left. Sorry, this does not show better, even when you double-click the photo.
I've contacted Quilts of Valor so this one will go to a wounded soldier. A local woman spearheaded this program in Canada. This year, she received "Woman of Distinction" Award from our city or her efforts. See more about QoV at this link.
Also, I made a recent decision is to work on one UFO at a time until it is done. More and more I'm noticing how much easier it is to focus when my sewing space is relatively tidy without too much stuff in it! So this means slowly, slowly. It is a stretch for me. I'm so easily distracted or bored.
Notice also that my posts are nearing 200. I'm planning some kind of contest or giveaway. Do drop back!
A few years ago, I finally finished this needle-turned, complicated challenge, and gave it to my sister. I'd not seen what she did with it until last weekend. Her dining room feature wall is dark blue, and this quilt really pops on that background. It is called, "Blue Collection" and was designed by Maggie Walker. I bought the block of the month kit online, but cannot remember where (too long ago!) I switched some of the fabrics and added more leaves to the middle tree. It was quilted on my Baby Lock, rather heavily. I'd forgotten how much I liked it until I saw it again on her wall.
I've been busy and my computer arm aches! Our church has commissioned our small group of quilters to do a huge wall hanging that will be displayed during the Christmas season. We found an old design, altered it to suit our size and space, and I've been drafting the pieces and printing them. This hanging will have three panels, 22" and 38" and 19" wide, and will be 78" long. It will have a stained glass look. We are hoping to use batiks.
In this picture, some of the colors didn't get 'added' so where you see black, think greens, dark blue, etc. and the "leading" will not be white as it shows here.
Anyway, the plan is to make the sandwiched panels using a light-weight batting. Then we will pin all the paper patterns on each panel where they go. The patterns are all number coded and there is a printed "key" in case we get confused. Make that "when we get confused."
Then we will cut out the fabrics, one area at a time, and replace the paper patterns with fabric pieces. We are going to sew them on through all layers, so attach them and quilt it in the same step. We also plan to put sleeves on top and bottom, to put a weight in the bottom to help it hang well and not flap about.
My question: has anyone done anything this large? If so, what are the challenges that we should be aware of? We love the look of it so far, and keep telling ourselves it will be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.
