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.

folded-flock-jenna-brand

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.

Cheers!

2 Comments

Filed under Challenges, Quilting

Improv Arrow Quilt Block Tutorial

A group within the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild is working together on a charity quilt featuring improvisational arrow blocks.  Today I grabbed some scrap fabric and experimented with a piecing strategy.

For my group, these are not instructions and certainly feel free to create your arrow blocks however you’d like!  But let me offer this Improv Arrow Quilt Block Tutorial just in case it’s useful.

-1

Read more for the tutorial.

Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under A2MQG, Pattern, Techniques, Tutorial

Handmade Beginnings Quilt

This little quilt has been 4 years in the making!  That’s insane!

IMG_2007My dear friend asked if I wanted to make this Sixth Time’s the Charm Quilt from the book Handmade Beginnings.

http://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Beginnings-Sewing-Projects-Welcome/dp/0470497815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290625418&sr=8-1

We used the Stitched in Color alternate piecing method and a shared color scheme routed in orange and teal.  Separately, we each made 6 triangles; then we swapped them!  We both ended up with lovely quilts.

sunshine-2

This was a gift for my sons’ preschool (which has Sunshine in the title) and they are using it to help round up the little ones for morning meetings!  Everyone grab an edge of the quilt, it’s time to pay attention and talk about our day  : )

IMG_2006

2 Comments

Filed under Quilting

Folded Flock Quilt

flock-brand1

Ooooo it’s been a busy summer.  I made this quilt a while ago and have been meaning to blog about it forever.  But then this morning I got some great news – Folded Flock is going to be in the International Quilt Show’s Modern Quilt Guild showcase in Houston!

This quilt features the Botanics line by Carolyn Friedlander.   The quilting was done on my walking foot.  One large arrow shape echoed many times.

flock-brand2

This quilt was inspired by origami cranes and this rug designed by Lesley Barnes. I sketched out my idea on the computer.  Birds and arrows.birds-sketch

 

I made the wings, head, body for my birds and used extra background fabric to flesh them out into rectangular blocks.   I’ve made another post – here – describing more about how I slabbed together fabric to make my bird and arrow blocks!  Thanks for stopping by!bird-paper-2

10 Comments

Filed under Fabric, Inspiration, Pattern, Quilting, Techniques

Folded Flock – Process

This is my technique for joining nonuniform pieces together to form a workable rectangle when making a quilt.  I want to show you how I started combining my birds and triangle blocks together to make large rectangles that could be pieced together for Folded Flock.

Here is a group of three birds and a cluster of triangle blocks that I wanted to piece together.  I already joined the dark blue and the minty colored birds, adding a strip of fabric first to the right of the blue bird so it’d be the same width as the mint.  I also added a strip of white between the two birds so they would have a bit more space to soar.

part 1

With an intention to stagger the birds and to ensure that the lower row of triangles could fit flush beneath the mint bird, I added fabric to the top of the orange bird and additional fabric to the yellow triangle set.

part 2

I joined the orange bird with the yellow triangle base to the other birds and trimmed the fabrics.

part 3

When joining these pieces, I looked for places where I could match seams.  The below aligned perfectly because I am good with the cosmos and luck is sometimes on my side.  I learned from Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts that having seams either match or decidedly NOT match (meaning 1/2″ or more “off”) is the best way to ensure an eye-pleasing quilt. part 3-1

I needed to add a bit more fabric to the bottom row of triangles, and I matched the seams so that the white and blue triangle block could align directly below the yellow and yellow block.  An additional strip of fabric was joined to the bottom.

part 4

Lots more information can be found in my original post here.

So there you go!  This quilt was designed with the intention that I would be adding light printed fabrics to my original pieces in order to join my elements together as a whole, and this is how I did that!

1 Comment

Filed under Fabric, Techniques, Tutorial

Jorna in Perfect Pattern Parcel #3

Hello, Summer. Hello, Jorna.

thalia

ashley1

Remember this dress pattern? For a limited time it’s available in the Perfect Pattern Parcel #3 bundle!

Pattern Parcel #3This bundle includes:

  • Poppy Tunic by Make it Perfect
  • Water Bottle Tote by Radiant Home Studio
  • Jorna Tank Dress by Jenna Brand
  • Staple Dress by April Rhodes
  • Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files

Bonus Pattern:

  • Choose a price of $28 or greater for Parcel #3 and you will automatically also be sent the Bonus Pattern! The Bonus Pattern for this Parcel is Prefontaine Shorts for Women by Made with Moxie. This shorts pattern has a retro trim, loads of pockets, two inseams and are so comfortable you won’t want to take them off. Includes sizes 0 – 24. Exclusive launch on Pattern Parcel. Be the first to own this pattern!

CUSTOMERS SET THEIR OWN PRICE!  And at PPP, customers are encouraged to allocate part of their Parcel price to the charity Donorschoose.org in order to help classrooms in need. Pattern Parcel donates all profits after expenses from Parcel sales to the charity as well. Together they’ve raised almost $4,500 towards eliminating educational inequality.

SO go out and get that bundle, ya’ll!

Jorna-2

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Clothes, Pattern, Shop

ARIZONA FABRICS WINNER!

LINDSEY!  LINDSEY YOU WON THE FABRICS!

EMAIL ME ASAP : )

 

Screen Shot 2014-05-10 at 1.17.11 PM

 

Screen Shot 2014-05-10 at 1.17.04 PM

 

done-giveaway

1 Comment

Filed under Fabric

r0ssie Hexagon Pillows

If you are a member of the Modern Quilt Guild, then you got some awesome email this week: a complete Improv Echoed Hexagons Quilt Pattern by Rossie Hutchinson!

rossie

Rossie is super awesome, and I don’t mean to sound braggy but she is truly one of my most beloved friends and I love her and she loves me.  Side bonus? I got to pattern test some hexagons!

hex-1

I made two pillows.

hex-3

hex-2

hex-4

Word on the street is that this pattern will be available to people everywhere sometime someday.  Keep an eye on Rossie’s site for the world-wide pattern release and general awesomeness.   She also Instagram’s here at r0ssie_fmq

 

 

1 Comment

Filed under Fabric, Pattern, Pillow, Quilting

Arizona Quilt TUTORIAL and GIVEAWAY

done

I am so honored to be a part of the blog tour for April Rhodes’ upcoming fabric line “Arizona” from Art Gallery! 

done-4

I made another quilt inspired by my most recent project, Play on Point, which was inspired by this quilt Instagram’d by 2ndavestudio!  I call this one Arizona on Point.

done-3

done-2

done-1

April Rhodes is sponsoring a giveaway HERE for a FAT QUARTER BUNDLE! Just leave a comment below by Saturday May 10 and I will randomly select one winner to get a fat quarter of this fabulous line mailed to them ASAP!  United States residents only, please. 

done-giveaway

AND I HAVE A TUTORIAL!  Just click Read More at the bottom of this post.

Here’s the whole gorgeous Blog Hoppin’ Gang!:

Thursday, May 1 – Noodlehead
Saturday, May 3 – Julie Herman – @jaybirdquilts
Sunday, May 4 – Erin Sobon Sundet – @sewbon
Monday, May 5 – Jenna Brand – @howtobejenna
Tuesday, May 6 – Kelli Ward – @truebias
Wednesday, May 7 – Rachel Howard – @familyeverafter
Thursday, May 8 – Delia Randall – @deliacreates
Friday, May 9 – Kelly Costas – @cutcutsew
Saturday, May 10 – Rachel Gander – @imaginegnats
Sunday, May 11 – Devon Iott – @missmake
Monday, May 12 – Mary Dugan – @marysdugan
Tuesday, May 13 – Shannon Cook – @soveryshannon
Wednesday, May 14 – Penny Layman – @sewtakeahike
Thursday, May 15 – Katie Blakesley – @swimbikequilt

done-5

Continue reading

129 Comments

Filed under Fabric, Pattern, Quilting, Tutorial

Play on Point quilt

Here is a quilt I made for my friend’s new toddler!  They adopted a recently-turned-two-year-old boy from China.  He’s a gem, and they are a wonderful family.

korben-1

This quilt is about 60″ square and features quarter log cabin blocks set on point.  A tutorial for making one of these quilts will be on the blog on MONDAY along with a GIVEAWAY!  Woot!  This quilt was inspired by THIS ONE instagram’d by 2ndavestudio.

korben-2I love looking at these bright colors after our long, dreary winter!

korben-4

It’s been a while since I stippled a quilt.  There’s something to be said about the free, loopy, swirly playfulness of this super fast quilting pattern.

korben-3

2 Comments

Filed under Quilting