Category Archives: Challenges

October 30, 2014 · 11:32 pm

Modern Quilt Guild Showcase

I was very honored to have my Folded Flock quilt in the Modern Quilt Guild Showcase at the International Quilt Market & Festival in Houston this past couple of weeks.

Hello, quilt! You look creased. Live and learn.

A special thanks to Christa Watson who photographed all of the quilts in the showcase and posted them on her site. Check ’em out.

If you’d like to get a peek at this quilt in person, I do believe you’ll be seeing it at Quilt Con! And if you’d like to meet me I’ll probably be hiding behind my quilt listening for compliments and writing down the names of the haters.

Lastly, if you’d like to learn more about this quilt – You can see a post HERE and another one more about the process of assembling the quilt top HERE.

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Filed under Challenges, Quilting

Tagged as International Quilt Market, Modern Quilt Guild

February 20, 2014 · 6:22 pm

Catnap Dress Contest

Lizzy House had the best idea ever to hold a dress contest for her fabric line Catnap. Participants chose to either make an adult dress or one for little girlies. I opted to sew myself a full skirt sleeveless dress, perfect for wearing to cat tea parties:

The pattern is Simplicity 1873 by Cynthia Rowley, Style B. I had to merge two sizes in order to get the perfect fit and I added an inch to the bodice length.

Nope, these aren’t my kids. I went to a girls-only party at EmmmyLizzy’s so I could hang with these darling ladies in their Catnap dresses!

More pictures and one tip for sewing pleats after the jump!

Continue reading →

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Filed under Challenges, Clothes, Fabric, Kids, Pattern, Techniques

February 16, 2014 · 8:37 pm

Riley Blake Challenge Quilt

Hello! Here is my entry for the Riley Blake Modern Quilt Challenge. I call it Riley’s Cloud:

Happy little cloud bumps made using my sew-and-turn applique method explained here.

It’s not blanket stitch, not raw edge, not needle-turn – it’s sew and turn and it’s my favorite!

Can you see the scallop quilting?

There are four cloud outlines hidden in the white.

A little splash of color against our milk sky, our snowy roof-tops, and the black, bare trees.

This quilt was made for the MQG Riley Blake Challenge. Members of the modern quilt guild were sent fabric bundles of Riley Blake designer quilting cottons.

The Ann Arbor Quilt Guild is also having a challenge! Our members will pick a favorite and win a stack of fabric!

More pictures after the jump:

Continue reading →

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Filed under A2MQG, Challenges, Fabric, Quilting, Techniques

November 12, 2013 · 6:13 pm

International Quilt Festival

I was very honored to have had two of my quilts accepted into the Modern Quilt Exhibit at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. See all of the exhibit’s quilts here…

“Trapezoids at Work” originally blogged here

“Archicoop” – more pictures here – and featuring my homegirl Rossie who teaches this applique method.

Kids Clothes Week Wrap-Up

It’s been a while! My family has been hustlin’ and bustlin’ across the Midwest almost every weekend. Thankfully, Kids Clothes Week launched their summer session last week and I took the opportunity to plant myself back in front of my machine.

If you joined the KCW community, you can see my profile here!

My favorite project was this Jorna Jr. made from a stretch woven blue polka-dot knit. You can buy your own Jorna Jr. pattern here!

I refashioned an old sweater dress I had into this little A-line Jorna Jr.:

This one now belongs to my niece. And I also made her these shorts from the Parsley Pants pattern:

And I made my 3-week old nephew these baby knit pants. They are only a fraction as cute as my actual nephew, but I think these will be super comfy. I used this pattern.

Have you done any garment sewing recently? Which are your favorite patterns?

Maxi Skirt

A little late, yet again, but here’s my week three project for the Summer of No Pants series!

So comfortable and easy, but it adds a bit of style and a nice alternative to jeans! I love items you can throw on effortlessly and still carry a sense of fashion.

I used this tutorial!

Madrona Road Challenge: Gear and Spark

The Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild is participating in the Michael Miller Madrona Road Challenge. Participants made complete quilts with a perimeter of at least 120″, using fabrics from the Madrona Road line by Violet Craft, and complementing them with Michael Miller Cotton Couture Solids.

Here’s my entry! A bias-tape, machine-appliquéd design representing a gentle, loopy gear:

The quilting represents the spark with free-motion star shapes.

It all started off with this doodle:

I used a bias-tape applique method.

Check out the rest of the amazing entries from the A2MQG HERE.

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Filed under A2MQG, Challenges, Fabric, Quilting

April 12, 2013 · 7:48 pm

Laurel in Red

Coletterie has launched a new pattern called The Laurel and is having a contest! And it just so happens that this contest is happening at the same time as Made By Rae’s Spring Top Sew-Along showcase/contest! So I had double inspiration to make a couple of tops.

Here’s my first Laurel blouse! I made it with some red polka-dot fabric that was handed over to me from a friend. I think it’s rayon? It goes swish-swish when you rub it against itself, it doesn’t wrinkle, it pretty transparent, doesn’t fray, and it holds its shape.

Adjustments to the pattern included dropping the armhole down an inch, reducing the shoulder ease, adding about three inches to the waist and another to the hem (!! am I really that stretched out!?!?) and I moved the back darts down an inch.

Also – instead of bias tape binding for the raw edges, I did piping!!!!! I am so happy with this choice. I think the edges look super sharp and it was SO EASY (especially since I just used ready-made piping binding from the store).

Yay new blouse! Clap clap.

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Filed under Challenges, Clothes, Fabric, Techniques

January 29, 2013 · 3:38 pm

A2MQG Spoonflower Quilt – My Rows

Jen from our quilt guild (who blogs HERE) surprised the A2MQG with a wonderful request from Spoonflower! Pick a stack of our fabrics and make us a quilt that can be featured on the Spoonflower blog.

I grabbed these fabrics from Jen’s pile of pretties:

And I make two 60″ rows. Everyone in the guild who wanted to participate was to make a 60″ row. I wanted my rows to be quiet – to give the quilt a couple of places to breathe – and I wanted them to showcase these amazing fabrics. So I fussy cut the arrow fletching and the stars (as best I could with the amount of fabric on hand) and spaced everything out with lots of Kona White sashing.

Can’t wait to see how everything looks pieced together! Thanks for organizing this, Jen, and to Spoonflower for the awesome idea!

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Filed under A2MQG, Challenges, Fabric

December 11, 2012 · 8:59 pm

I’m a Fall for Solids WINNER!

YAY!

Thanks everyone who voted in the Fall for Solids contest (hosted by Pink Castle Fabrics). I am so pleased to post that I won in the viewers’ choice category for mini quilts!

Look at all of these fabric winnings I received?! A KONA color card from Robert Kaufman, and bundles of solid fabrics from Michael Miller, Bella, Free Spirit, Dear Stella, and Riley Blake! Thanks Pink Castle Fabrics !!