William Morris Block

This is the second to last block needed to complete the William Morris quilt I am making.

Here is my new quilting companion, Charlie, who came back from Texas with us. He had a thorough checkup with the vet yesterday. He isn't neutered, so that will happen next week. He was obviously someone's pet at one time, but was quite skinny and dirty when my friend started feeding him. He needed a forever home, which he now has.

QuiltCon 2013

I have not posted in over a week because I have been in Texas at the Modern Quilt Guild's very first national quilt show, QuiltCon. It was held at the Austin Convention Center in downtown Austin. I was wowed by the vision and design sense that were on display there. It felt a little bit as though you were in a modern art museum and then again it didn't. What was especially pleasing to me was that most of the quilts were original designs and were, for the most part, quilted as well as constructed by the same person.

When I have attended the big national shows - Paducah, Houston, etc.,- I am overwhelmed with the intricacy of the work and feel it is not a level I can aspire to. I appreciate the originality of the work, the technical expertise, and the incredible doggedness it must take to put hundreds of hours of work into a show entry. Nonetheless, it seems totally beyond my reach. Not so with the modern quilts at QuiltCon. There was not one quilt that was over-quilted. Not one quilt with glued on rhinestones or crystals. Not one quilt with miles of metallic thread.  Anyway, here is one or two photos that I took. I didn't get all that I wanted as my camera batteries gave out.

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This is "Over the Rainbow", made and quilted by Janice Ryan of Glendale, CA and a member of Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild.

"Bang! You're Dead" made and quilted by Janice Gering, of Chicago, IL and a member of Chicago Modern Quilt Guild.

"Paper Shredder", made and quilted by Pamela Johnson of Los Angeles, CA, a member of Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild.

"The Caltrans Quilt", made and quilted by Susan Kephart of San Diego, CA, member of San Diego Modern Quilt Guild.

"Handyman", made by Jenifer Dick and quilted by Angela Walters of Harrisonville, MO. Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild. Here are two detail photos of the quilting:

Carrie Nation

Carrie Nation is the block this week over at Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice block of the week.

This morning was the second half of the applique workshop I spoke of recently. The starch and template technique is a good one to have in my toolbox. It will be especially useful in placing applique pieces in complicated blocks.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I recently took a workshop with a guild member who does fantastic applique quilts. He wants to pass on his techniques to others and I jumped at the chance to learn from him. I have tried several methods of applique but have settled in with simple needle turn applique. I like that it is simple to do and does not require a lot of preparation work. This is a block from a pattern based on William Morris by Michelle Hill. I have only two blocks left to do after completing this one last night. This block was done using needle turn, but I will try the last two blocks with the newly learned methods from the workshop. It involves a fair amount of preparation work, being a riff on the template and starch method. This will reinforce what I learned at the workshop.

Welcome aboard to Christine, the latest blog follower!

True Blue

Barbara Brackman's selection this week for Grandmother's Choice is True Blue and this is my interpretation.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

I am piecing a quilt top for a friend's baby boy and this is as far as I got today. The rest of the top has a bit of very easy fusible applique, rick rack and prairie points. The pattern is from Scrap Quilts magazine by Fons & Porter, Fall 2012 and the pattern is by Karen DuMont. Once this one is finished, I will be starting a second  in the girl's version. My sister has asked for help in producing a quilt for her friend.

Grandmother's Choice: Girl's Joy

This week, Barbara Brackman's block for Grandmother's Choice was Girl's Joy. I had a scrap of striped fabric that needed to be used. Necessity is really the mother of invention. Yesterday evening Sine Curve finally was finished with application of the border.

Sine Curve Update

I have been busy most of this week quilting Sine Curve and also making 16 paper pieced units of sashing for TQS BOM, Two of Us. You can catch a glimpse of them in the background behind Sine Curve. Month 2's instructions were posted today and I am going to work a bit on those pieces. While looking for something else, I came across a  photo of Sugar and Spice, a quilt for my niece's new daughter that may be of some interest.

It is a pattern by Bunny Hill Designs. It was a lot of fun to make. A friend of mine has made two of them as well. One in a pink and purple colorway and another in gray and pink.