This Quilt Could Be Yours!

UPDATE:  SOLD!  
The sale of this little quilt and a couple dozen other quilts helped to raise over $5000 for the charity, 

HUMANITY SEWS - Stitching Seams & Sewing Dreams.

Thanks to all those who contributed.  Your purchase will make a difference in people's lives!

~~~~~

U.Q.S.M. Fabric Challenge/Auction 2020:

"Spring in the Meadow"

This quilt features gorgeous "Painted Meadow" fabrics by Robin Pickens for Moda.  Mine is only one of twenty-seven quilts in this year's challenge.  And even though the Utah Quilting & Sewing Marketplace show has been canceled, the annual Fabric Challenge Auction is still happening!

This year's auction will send 100% of the proceeds to the amazing charity, Humanity Sews, formerly known as "Sew Much Hope".  Click the link below to view all of the quilts and place your bid or donate to this lovely cause.

MODA Virtual Charity Auction

Final bidding will end on Friday, May 1st at 7:00pm MST

I love to take part in this annual challenge and have been participating in one way or another since 2007.  This little quilt was really fun to piece (I have a thing for chickens), and the pattern, Free Range by Sandy Gervais seemed to suit the fabrics perfectly.  I used "Chicken Wire" quilting design, added little dimensional elements, and finished with a fun faux-piped binding. ♥♥

...still not sure if these look like bees or bugs... you decide.

Pressing Matters

My pressing zone got a little facelift!

I re-covered an old tabletop ironing board I came across while tidying up my sewing room.  I usually have my ironing board set up in the next room, just to get some exercise, but this little topper will make it convenient when I'm sewing at full speed.

 (♥♥Love my upholstery tacker.)

And this sweet little misting spray bottle from Riley Blake Designs came in the mail!  Sew-Press-Repeat, it's adorable.

Have you tried these spray-misters?  I love that it sprays a perfect light mist over a large area -  ideal for piecing!  I think I'll need two, one for water and one for starch.

I've seen them listed online at Fat Quarter Shop and a host of other sites, or ask at your local quilt shop - many of our local shops still offer drive-by, curbside service.

My new pressing station came in handy for making a little batch of masks from these Hampton Gardens leftovers.

Press on, and Happy Sewing!

Hampton Gardens Project Tour

Playing with Lila Tueller's newest fabrics for Riley Blake Designs:  Hampton Gardens!  Look at these luscious lovelies!

"Hampton Gardens" by Lila Tueller for Riley Blake Designs

I really like this combination of fabrics - and wanted to make a project that could feature all of them!  Lori Holt's Crazy Quilt Paper was a super-easy way to cut all the pieces in a "controlled random" but quick kind of process.

Supplies:

* One 10-inch Stacker (42 pieces, 2 to 3 of each print in the line)

* 1 yard fun print for lining - Cut a 28" x 39" rectangle, 1 yard lightweight interfacing (optional)
* 3/8 yard for handles - Cut (3) 3-1/2" x width of fabric strips, joined together end to end.  Trim to make a 106" loop, then press lengthwise in half, bring the raw edges to the center line and press again, then fold in half again and topstitch.
* 1 package Crazy Quilt Paper
* Zippers, 24-26" for the top and 7-9" for pocket (optional)

These papers have a waxy side which can be ironed to fabric and sticks long enough that you can get good cuts without having to pin or worry about the papers slipping off.  It's the "Stack * Slash * Switch *  & Stitch" technique, and the papers made it really slick.  I used one sheet for each stack.

Stack 'em,

Press the Crazy Patch Paper to the top (or bottom) of the stack.

Slash em, 

Peel off the papers, then Switch 'em,

and Stitch 'em!

This bag uses 15 Crazy-Patch blocks.  I squared 12 of the blocks to 8-1/2" and cut two of the blocks at 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" for the bag bottom, then added some flying geese for the end panels.  Those are made with a simple flying geese technique using a 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangle of prints (16 total) and (2) 2-1/2" squares of background for each unit (32 total).  

I assembled my bag as pictured above and quilted it directly to some Soft & Stable foam-like interfacing. 

Then I trimmed the bag and added straps.  I think I could have added these straps while it was still on the longarm!  Next time...

Once that was done, I folded the bag in half and stitched the sides, then boxed the bottom to make the bag's shell.  

Then I added a zipper and boxed the top corners too.  I had to sacrifice the top flying geese unit but it encloses the zipper nicely.  

For the lining, I fused some lightweight interfacing to give it a little body, then added a zipped pocket before sewing the sides and boxing the bottom and top.  I made some adjustments to the size a little because the quilting took in the size of the bag.

And it's done!

It may have to wait a while to go anywhere... but it will always remind me of this crazy, unexpected time of our lives we're experiencing right now.

Look for Hampton Gardens fabrics and Crazy Patch Papers through online retail quilt shops!

Happy Quilting!

More Hampton Garden projects:
Damjana's DIY Storage Bags @ AppleGreenCottage
Karly's May Day Quilt @ Paisley Roots
Sarah's Happy Scrappy QAL quilt @ Piccolo Studio
Julie's Irish Chain @sewblissful insta
Lila's RBD Blocks

100,000 Welcomes

My Aunt Marjory has been dreaming about what to do with some old linen napkins of her grandmother's!  

Aunt M Quilt Chronicles V: Yes, "Owl Always Love You"

First quilt, Owl Always Love You for Olyvia

My sweet Aunt Marjory, now 87 years old, began a quest a few years ago to make quilts for each of her nine granddaughters.  She and Uncle Jack began to make regular treks to my house to work together.  She'd never made a quilt before.  In fact, she began a career in Family and Consumer Sciences, but detested sewing and cooking, so she quit and taught English instead.  But she was determined, and the process was so enjoyable, it must have sparked a fire!  

She made friends at a local quilt shop, and the ladies set her up with quilt kits for her four sons.  And of course, she couldn't forget her three daughters, so a couple of stacks of fat quarters magically lept into her arms too.  Then she had Uncle Jack cut up his old Levis for a quilt of his own.  I think she was hooked!

A broken hip threw a wrench into her plans, along with the passing of dear Uncle Jack, and she moved to a Senior Living community.  

When she needed more quilts made, we shopped together for all the fabrics, which brought her great joy!  It was color therapy.  Then it fell to me to make the quilts, and get them quilted so they could be distributed at family reunions, a few each year.  

Owl Always Love You < Digital Pattern
Owl Always Love You < Paper Pattern

This last quilt was similar to the first one, with background scenery similar to the actual view of that particular daughter who lives within sight of the Teton mountains.

In all, 27 quilts were made and given to all Aunt Marjory's children and grandchildren:  3 Owl quilts, 3 Bear quilts, 2 Elephant quilts, 8 Bear panels, 1 Wolf panel, 4 Horse panels, 1 Deer panel, 2 Elk panels, 1 Denim quilt and 2 Turning 20 scrappy quilts.  She kept one of those for herself.  It has been a delightful process for me.  As a bonus, I have loved getting to know my Aunt and Uncle better, and hearing stories of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents as we worked.

You can see some of  the quilts in these previous Aunt M Quilt Chronicles:

 I:  Owl Always Love You

II:  Bear In Mind Owl Always Love You

III:  Remember, Owl Always Love You

IV:  You know, Owl Always Love You

Next project?  A little quilted banner she can hang on her door, Céad Mile Fáilte, which means "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes" in Gaelic.  I quilted it using a beautifully embossed linen napkin that belonged to great-grandma Liljenquist.  In fact, Aunt Marjory has nine of those napkins...

Come to My Garden

Last September, I spent the most amazing weekend at the first annual Garden of Quilts at the lovely Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

Throughout the 55 acres of lush gardens and lovely meadows, there were around 800 quilts hanging in the gardens, including a few of my daughter's and my own.  

Kaleido-Medallion

Nicole's "Something's Fishy" 

Magic "Instant Blocks" quilt under the Garden Trellis

Nicole's "Cut Diamonds"

Nicole and I with my "Sheep Shape" in the trees

Visitors checking out my Carpenter's Wife quilt  - photo by Amy Smart

I got to work as a volunteer for those couple of days, assisting in Camille Roskelly's class (@thimbleblossoms) one morning, and as a quilt assistant with trunk shows for Amy Smart @diaryofaquilter, Stacy West @buttermilkbasin, Christopher Thompson @the_tattooed_quilter, and Heather Peterson @ankastreasures.

I was in heaven!  Even had a fun chat with my friend Jenny and her husband Ron between classes.  They had brought dozens of quilts from Missouri Star Quilt Co. to hang in the gardens too.  So lovely!

I've just received word that I'll be teaching a couple of classes at next September's Garden of Quilts event, and I am thrilled!  

I'll be teaching my new favorite quilt:  Iridescent Star, Thurs, Sept.17th, 2:00 to 5:00 pm. 

...and my ever-popular Binding & Alternate Endings Workshop on Friday, Sept. 18th, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.  

REGISTRATION for the 2020 Garden of Quilts event is open today!  

 
Hope to see you there!

~~~

As a side note, I'm in my last few weeks of performing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and the song, "Come to My Garden" from The Secret Garden just happened to be on our broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word the day following the Garden of Quilts event.  Enjoy this beautiful music! 

Come to My Garden

Happened to be caught on camera:  "I will live for you..."  4:00, top of the screen, silver hair.