Monthly Archives: May 2017

Show and tell…

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This cute quilt was made by Diane Pfeifley who sent me the photo and the story of her quilt. Isn’t is great!

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Diane said:

I saw your “Welcome to the North Pole” design book many years ago on “Simply Quilts.” When I saw the design of the buildings all I thought was Whoville. My niece loves Dr. Seuss so after many years of thinking about this project I finally was able to put it together. This project I hand appliquéd and hand quilted.

The snowflakes came on a Christmas card. I peeled them off and put them in my embellishment stash. They were perfect for Whoville. I used the design in the blue background to echo quilt. In some places it looks like a ski run. Not intentional. I used buttons for door knobs and shell belt buckles for the windows in the doors.

You might wonder why there are several wildcats tucked here and there. My niece’s husband is a graduate of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. So the wildcats are for him as is the Whocat Alumni Center with KSU on the building.

Your designs were so unique and fun. I really enjoyed making this, even though it took me years of thinking about it before it finally “gelled”. Truly enjoyed using your designs. Now I’m thinking I need to use these patterns to make me a Santa version.

Thanks so much for your unique designs.

I love it!

Wednesday Giveaway

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This week’s winner is Dotti Jones. Congrats to Dotti :-).  If you are not Dotti and still want to make Welcome to the North Pole the book is still in print and is available here. Happy stitching!

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Scroll down and look for the box to leave a comment. If you can’t find the comment box, you might see a little icon that looks like a thought bubble at the upper right at the top of this post. Try clicking that to open the comment section.

I’ll use a random number generator to choose a winner Thursday morning, May 11, 2017. Good luck!

Show and tell…

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Nancy Arseneault sent me photos of her two quilts with the following story. Both of her quilts are beautiful, but Nancy points out how important it is to pay attention to the quilting. Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your quilts with us!

I loved your Anniversary Quilt at first sight.  ​Since I like to put my own spin on patterns, I made oversize blocks using hand dyes on a solid black background.  Construction was a fused raw edge technique with blanket stitching. I added some French knots and experimented with trapunto.  Then I put the blocks aside for several years in a UFO bin.  I pulled them out again in 2012 and decided to make a border with additional appliqué elements.  I called it Garden of Pomegranates. It was going pretty well until  a show deadline loomed.  The free motion machine quilting had to be RUSHED.  Did I mention I had decided to go with salmon colored thread on the black background? Bad call! The quilt was ready in time for the show but the rushed quilting had ruined it.

Garden of Pomegranates

In 2015, I decided that The Anniversary Quilt deserved a do over.  This time, in a completely different color scheme, I decided to make much smaller blocks.  An invisible machine appliqué technique was used.   I changed the setting to allow for some additional background space by separating the 4 Pomegranate blocks with a deconstructed block placed on point in the center.  Once again, a border was created of appliqué shapes from the blocks.  I finished in 2016.  It’s called Back to the Garden. Thought that you might like to see the quilts you inspired and hear about the journey.
Thanks, Becky, for your beautiful quilts, great books & patterns and sound advice.
Nancy Arseneault
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Wednesday Giveaway

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Cathy Cavagnaro is the winner of this week’s Wednesday Giveaway, the Stars in the Garden pattern. Congrats to Cathy!

If you are not Cathy and you still want to make your own Stars in the Garden quilt, click here to find the ePattern.

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Both the book and this pattern are out of print now but you can get the ePattern here if you don’t win this week.

Scroll down and look for the box to leave a comment. If you can’t find the comment box, you might see a little icon that looks like a thought bubble at the upper right at the top of this post. Try clicking that to open the comment section.

I’ll use a random number generator to choose a winner Thursday morning, May 4, 2017. Good luck!

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My color class…

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After The Quilter’s Practical Guide To Color was published, people asked me to teach a class on color. I’ve been teaching this class for about a year and, judging from student responses, it is one of my very best classes.

This is a no-sew class. Students come with 4″ squares of white paper and 4″ squares of fabric in a variety of colors and values. I begin with a mini-version of my color lecture and then show how I organize fabric for a project. Students organize their own fabric squares and then the fun begins!

I choose a block from  The New Quick & Easy Block Tool and a color combo and everyone quickly mocks up 4 blocks. ‘Quickly’ is key. Thinking too much about color choices can stop a project from ever happening and it’s important to learn to trust your instincts.

Once glued, we put the blocks together on a table. They are flat and it’s hard to see a pattern, so I use my phone to take a photo. It’s always fun to hear the gasp as everyone sees the pattern emerge on the screen.

These photos are from a color class taught at Happiness Is… Quilting in McKinney, TX.

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Grandmother’s Choice Block

Everyone is working from the fabric they brought and it’s a stretch to imagine using them together in a quilt, but it is surprising how well the blocks come together.

We change the layout and take more photos:

Grandmother’s Choice Block
Grandmother’s Choice Block
Grandmother’s Choice Block

Each individual knows what they like and what they don’t. We talk about why some colors/values/settings work better than others. My goal is to empower each student, to make color their friend and ally.

Here is the Homeward Bound block in complimentary reds and greens:

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It’s fun to put different blocks together, just to see what happens.

Grandmother’s Choice and Homeward Bound Block Combo

 

This was a 6-hour class, so there was time to mock up several blocks. As the day went on, everyone loosened up and color decisions come quicker and with more confidence.

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I love this class because quilters who begin the day nervous, leave knowing that color is their friend. Trust me when I tell you that color is your friend too!

PS: If you are a shop or guild and would like to have me come teach, email me. I’m usually booking about 2 years out.