Memory Pillows: 9/11 Firefighters Memorial Quilt

It has been a while now since I presented the Memorial quilt I made for the only Fire Marshal to loose his life in 9/11. It was such a great project.

When I work with families on quilts I always keep every single scrap until I know what the families want to do with them. And by every last scrap I mean EVERY label, button, seam, tiny sliver - everything is kept together until I know what the families wishes are.

On this occasion the family asked for two small cushions - one for each of the grandchild.

I made two 15" cushions from mixing the left over t-shirt scraps with some regular polyfill. For the pillow covers I used the same material as the quilt - it is a cute pale yellow cotton polka dot. I took some larger scraps and cut some hearts out and quilted the front of the cushions in the same way that the quilt had been quilted (echoed lines.) The cushions are really sweet and will look super cute with the quilt.

The cushions weigh quite a bit due to their filling - it made me think about the weight of love - how heavily we can love people. My thoughts are with the family of the heroic Ron Bucca this valentines day.

Diary of a Longarm: End of Week 5

I've finished the guild quilt top and I don't know if I want to celebrate or faint.

Every block is quilted in a different design freehand. This taught me so much about what I find 'easy' and what I find 'impossible'. More on this quilt once it has been trimmed & bound.

Kids Painted Quilt: Watercolor Circles

If you remember this project came about as a suggestion from Asia from Fun at Home with Kids.  Asia's site is my go-to if I am ever looking for fun activity to do with my little bunnies.

This quilt is so pretty. These photos do not show what a wonderful job my eldest bunny did (not that I am biased!) The colors are all soft and sherberty. They did spread - they are not perfect circles - but I do not care.

I had so much fun quilting it with a sort of free form McTavishing style. Here it is coming off the frame.

It is the sort of quilt you would curl up under while watching TV or lie on in the garden on a sunny afternoon. 

 

I used quite a few different colors of thread to try and highlight & define the different color splotches. You can see here the colors go from purple to blue to pink to green.



It was really interesting to me to see how the colors of the fabric paint interacted with the different colored threads. I have much to learn & experiment with - in how colored thread can bring out color, change color or blend perfectly.

I wonder what project ideas will come to us next. 

Technical Info:
Batting: Hobbs Wool Heirloom Batting
Backing Fabric: Scrap White on White prints
Top: Blue Fabrics: Recycled Sheet
Binding: Premium Quilt Colorbok Fabric - Dot Floral
Thread: Aurifil Mako Quilting Cotton - Natural White, Selection of Bottom Line threads by Superior & Fil-Tec Monofilament thread in bobbin

Diary of a Long Arm: Week 5

I reloaded the guild quilt top again. To say I am harboring a little bit of resentment towards this piece is a mild understatement. If you remember - last time I loaded this top I quilted for 30 mins and unpicked for over 5 hours. I was clear with the guild when I took the top that I wanted to practice and our President (Lisa Mason - check out her work) asked me if there was any particular pattern I would like to practice. Taking her question as though I have free reign to quilt what I please. I have kept the curved serpintine type lines on the diagonals but I used a really pretty grey/lilac thread by Superior So Fine # 50 - Milan Mauve instead of a variegated thread. I am simply fascinated by how the color of the thread changes dependent on the fabric underneath it (I'm totally obsessed by color but typically scared to use it.) I have decided to take this quilt one block at a time. Quilt a different design in each block - changing thread colors as I go.

 

I started with some echo shells. Wish me luck!

Diary of a Long Arm: Week 4 - McTavishing

Karen McTavish was actually the first person I saw using a longarm who's work captured my attention and made me think 'I want to do that'. Her work seems effortless, organic and flowing. My dream would be to become a quilter of this standard - maybe after 20 years of practice? I've been practising McTavishing on our latest Kid Painted Art Quilt - Watercolor Circles. It was such a fun piece to quilt - I just went for it. I've now become obsessed with negative space in quilts!!

Free Motion Quilting Pattern: Octopus Flower

This is a quick guide on how to make the Octopus Flower pattern that I used on this Memorial Quilt made from a ladies shirts. My apologies in advance for such poor quality in the following photos.



1) Make a medium/large swirl.

2) Travel back between the lines of the swirl.

3) Make smaller swirls (approx 8) around the outside of your bigger central swirl.

4) Echo around the outside of the smaller swirls & echo travel to a place where you can start your next big swirl for the next octopus flower.

 5) Keep swirling & echoing. It doesn't matter if each Octopus Flower has 8 swirls or not.

Have fun. It is a really easy pattern to use and travel around the quilt with. 

Diary of a Longarm: End of Week 3 - Unpicking stitches is not fun

This is a quilt top that I got from my guild (NYC Metro MOD Quilters) to quilt. Stuck for ideas and inspiration I asked a couple of members for ideas.

Everyone liked the idea of curved lines and variegated thread. I have not kept it a secret that I struggle with color. I really want to use color more and get more comfortable with it and hone skills to enhance pieces of work with colored thread. Game to try the variegated thread on this piece I quilted for maybe 20-30 mins (you really do cover ground very quickly with these machines.) I didn't like it at all. 

5+hrs of unpicking later ........

I still haven't got the courage to reload the piece and try again.