Another Quilt Finish and a Useful FMQ Tip

Here's another wall quilt (33" x 39") that I made to practice free-motion quilting skills.

Here's a fmq tip for you: Leave the feed-dogs up and set the stitch length to "0."

It seems wrong but I tried it both ways and this is better! It's a big help. 

Improv Wall Quilt is Finished

This improv wall quilt has no repeating block. It measures 40" x 44." 

I like the saw-tooth edge surrounded by border-less white (Kona Bone). 

This contributes to the modern look, I think. 

All my Kona solids made it into this quilt except the grays and dull colors. 

This kind of quilt is so much fun to make. Maybe I'll make another. :)

Aren't we lucky to have a hobby that never gets boring?

See listing here.

Christmas Tree Quilt

Treez, an improvisational batik quilt by Jan Mullen of Stargazey Quilts in Melbourne, Australia.

Very clever, Jan!

Patty High's New Ferris Wheel Quilt!

This beautiful Ferris Wheel quilt is the creation of Patty High of Florida. 

I especially like the striped fabrics she used...and all the reds. 

Visit her quilt shop: Red Amaryllis Quilts on Etsy. 

Patty used my Ferris Wheel pattern to make this lovely quilt.

Click to see all my patterns. 

Improv Wedge Quilt

This quilt was just added to my Etsy shop. See the pattern here.

It measures 58" wide x 65" long. All Kona cotton solids. This quilt is fun to make. 

It's a little short to use on a bed, but it looks awesome on the wall, especially with a spotlight on it.

(The narrow outer stripe is the binding. It was photographed on a white wall.)

Improv Quilt Spill

This improvisational quilt was exhibited at the Bellevue Art Museum near Seattle, WA in 2011. It's from the Crib Quilt blog from Japan. It looks like the pieced center is spilling out into the lower border. Maybe I've just been playing too much Candy Crush!

Joanell's Quilt

Take a look at this happy quilt by fiber artist Joanell. I love how the bold fabrics add so much excitement to this quilt. The best fabric is the green with red/pink veins. And the black and white stripes, of course. Nice!

Sampler Quilt with Fans and More!

Sampler quilts are so much fun to make because there's very little repetition. I made this one years ago. See the photo above, in the middle, there are 4 red and gold 9-patch blocks? That's what started this whole quilt. I made them with 1" wide strips, so that was enough! Instead of making more, they became the centers of 4 log cabin blocks. There are 2 more identical 9-patches in the quilt; see them (below)?  

This quilt has 2 center medallions.  Notice there are solids and a few prints? There are even some batiks in there. I like the triangles in the outer border. I was surprised (and delighted) to see how this quilt looked when it was finished.

And yes, here are some more fan blocks. See the pattern for them here.

Log Cabin by Sarah Turnage

This quilt was pieced by Sarah Turnage and quilted by Mary Thompson and Aurelia Forester. It was featured on Sherri Lynn Wood's Dainty Time blog. She tells about a conversation she had with Eli Leon about the design of this quilt. I wish I was there when Sarah decided to put that solid brown stripe near the top. I'm curious about that. What a bold exciting quilt!

I feel a new log cabin quilt coming on. That's what happens when I'm not already quilting. It's a vicious cycle! 

Modern Art, Antique Quilts

This quilt was featured on ArtFixDaily. In the article Laura Fisher (NYC Americana dealer) says that collectors are looking for quilts with innovative design and visual impact. Modern art in a vintage quilt.

 I can't imagine how this quilt went together, can you? Look at those tiny serrated edges. I'm not going there!

Autumn Dawn Quilt by Ann Brauer

Ann Brauer of Massachusetts wrote an interesting post about designing the quilt above, "Autumn Dawn." She includes photos of the quilt while in progress. Her blog is called The Quilts of Ann Brauer. 

See more of her quilts here. Nice work, Ann! 

Wedding Quilt Update #2

As you know, I'm making a wedding quilt for a customer who will give it to her sister at a shower this month.  She wants a "Stacks" quilt with bright, fresh colors and interesting fabrics. Here it is on the design wall. The skinny red ribbon on the right is there just to help me know where the edge of the quilt will be. I love arranging all these colors and patterns. The white areas will be filled in with light prints.

See all my patterns here.

I love September. The windows in my quilt room are open and the temperature is perfect. 

I hope all is well with you.

Handkerchief Quilt

This handkerchief quilt was made by Sujata. You can see more about it here: Basket Full of Scraps.

Her other blog is: The Root Connection. You will love all the inspiration on these blogs!

Sara's String Quilt

The thing that I love best about this string quilt by Sara Collett (Seattle, Washington) is the border. Both borders: the pink roses on green, and the brown and light turquoise damask. They're busy and flowery, but they don't fight with the scraps in the center. I'd call this "cottage chic." Nice job, Sara!

Sara shows her paper foundation method for making this quilt in the post. I wouldn't bother with paper, just place a square ruler on it when you're finished sewing the strips together, then trim. No paper removal necessary. She says that part is fun. I don't know. :)

Sujata's Blue quilt

Every time I visit Sujata's blog The Root Connection I find something wonderful. Take a look at the posts about this quilt. Her inspiration was the blue city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 

Sujata is one of my all time favorite quilters! 

Siddis Quilt and Oleander Girl Book

This quilt was part of an exhibit at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. It was made by Siddis women. Their ancestors came from Africa beginning in the 1500's and settled in western India. Their  traditions are a combination of Indian and African.

See the close-up photo below for a good look at the dense quilting. 

Last night I finished reading "Oleander Girl," a novel by Chitra Divakuruni. It takes place mostly in Kolkata, India around 2002. It is a very engaging story and full of the sights and fragrances of India. I recommend it for all ages.

Upcycle Scrap Quilt Pattern!

Got scraps? I was making the Trellis quilt and got this one too, for no extra charge! I literally upcycled the scraps off the quilt room floor. Fast and easy raw-edge machine applique scrap quilt. Lots of clear how-to photos. PDF Pattern, 8 pages. Great for beginners, and quilters with a lot of scraps. Print it or save it on your computer. $5.

As always, I love to add little surprises like the flower pot in the block below.

Wedges Quilt Pattern: Fast, Fun and Modern

Here's the latest quilt pattern, a modern improv wedge quilt. 

This bright, modern quilt is made by eye! There is very little measuring. Basically, you “wing it” and then tweak it. Using this method, the quilt goes together fast so trust your instincts and enjoy!

Could you please Pin, FB, etc? Thanks!!

I hope you're having some quilt fun today.

I'm going to visit with my sister (and quilting buddy) Eileen tonight! 

Thimbles Quilt Needs Something

This is what I'm up to this morning: Thimbles, and lots of "low volume" playful improvisation. But it needs something. I'm trying to figure out what. Maybe something orderly in the border to calm things down. I do like how the thimbles dance across the quilt. I think I like the 4 apples too. Any thoughts?

Sewing Shoes? Haha!

Some quilters want to look really good when they sew! Read yesterday's post (and Victoria's comment) to understand this photo. And leave a comment to enter the book GIVEAWAY!