Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge

I love entering challenges, and one of these days I aim to win one ... perhaps.  My Mmm PotPie quilt was one of the many QuiltCon rejects this year.  Naturally when I arrived at QuiltCon last week, I had to check out the quilts that were accepted to display in the Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge that Michael Miller held earlier in the year. 

Aren't these solid pastels lovely?   The challenge was to use these pastels and any other solids in the Cotton Couture line by Michael Miller fabrics.  I must confess - Some marvelous quilts were chosen (over mine) for this challenge exhibit.  Here are some of my favorites:

Fractured Churndash by Erin Davis

Evanston, Illinois

Chicago MQG

I love this colorful quilt that is a spin-off of the classic Churn Dash block (one of my favorites).  Erin put a modern spin on the classic block by piecing the center in an improvisational manner.  She actually posted on social media that she was looking for any solid scraps in any color from the Michael Miller Cotton Couture line (as the challenge rules mandated that the quilt top must be made entirely from the Cotton Couture solids). 

detail view of Fractured Churndash

This quilt uses modern techniques in a new fashion and also keeps the iconic look of the classic Churn Dash block.  I love the wash of color across the quilt as well as the randomly set-in darker strips in the setting/framing sashes.  As Erin states, she has "put an effective modern spin on a traditional block with pastels as the primary focus, making this quilt a vibrant example that pastels CAN be modern.  This quilt is an original design by Erin Davis.  Erin writes a blog called Sew at Home Mummy; check it out here: http://www.sewathomemummy.com/

Totally Spring by Dora Cary

Paso Robles, California

Dora explains that her inspiration came from the dandelion blossom.  Her idea was to have smaller dandelions create a larger one and to use gradations of color and size to suggest the spherical shape, slightly drawing inspiration from the style of Romanian quilter Geta Grama. 

detail of Totally Spring by Dora Cary

Dora fused the dandelion petals on the quilt, then slightly stitched them.  Her variety of circular and spiral quilting also enhance the finished look.  This quilt feels like Spring, totally!  In searching for Dora on the web, I discovered that she is the 2015-16 President of the Almond County Quilt Guild (ACQG) in California!

 detail of Pastels Aren't My Favorite by Janet McWorkman

Starting with a peak of the quilting in this lively little quilt.  The name of the quilt lets us know that Janet is not a big fan of pastels.  Perhaps the success of this sweet quilt will change her mind?  

Pastels Aren't My Favorite by Janet McWorkman

Anchorage, Alaska

Janet states"I never sew with pastels.  But this challenge was so much fun and I am happy with the result.  The quilt looks fresh, clean and interesting." [she's exactly right on that!] "I was inspired by the personality the pastels have with the simplicity of the square.  Little shots of dark gray emphasize the coolness of the pastels."  Janet used Electric Quilt software to design her quilt top which is machine pieced and machine quilted.

 Retro Dots and Dashes by Kay Simard

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver MQG

Kay states that her quilt was "inspired by 'Retro lines of black and white' by artist Wen Wen".  Her personal challenge was "to maximize what was provided in order to fulfill the design inspiration".  Her techniques included applique, paper piecing, machine piecing and machine quilting.

detail of Retro Dots and Dashes by Kay Simard

Kay quilted long fluid lines to contrast with the non-organic face design.  These long curved lines provide contrast and yet also adds balance to the overall quilt.

A few more favorites:

Lucky Day by Cynthia Frenette

Mission, British Columbia, Canada

Fraser Valley MQG

Cynthia was inspired by candy colored rainbows, happy rain and or course, candy!  It looks like a fun new board game to me. Let's play.... Fun to discover that Cynthia is a designer for Robert Kaufman fabrics, among other amazing talents!  Click here for her website or here for her blog.

Slashed by Dana Szucs Hayden

Burleson, Texas

Fort Worth MQG

Dana says this is an original design inspired by the Twisted Spokes carpet squares from FLOR.  Click here or here to see a few images of the carpet squares.  Lovely quilt, even more so after seeing the inspiration blocks of carpet.  Dana also has a blog, http://sea-sew.blogspot.com/, with links to her Pinterest and InstaGram.

 Swan in the Water (Justin Nozuka) by Kristyn McCoy

Ilderton, Ontario, Canada

London (Canada) MQG

Listening to Swan in the Water provided the inspiration for this colorful quilt.  Kristyn arranged her colors to resemble the rainbow reflection as the setting sun hits the water, with the tiny white swan caught in the midst of it all.  Be sure to check out Kristyn's blog, Melon Patch Quilts, at http://melonpatchquilts.com/.

The Light of May by Krista Hennebury

North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver MQG

Krista explains that "in Vancouver, the May sun rises with a warm pink and yellow glow.  In the evening it sets over Vancouver Island, casting a grey light over my spring garden.  This quilt represents that morning and evening light."  She pieced this quilt using her "Improv Under the Influence" technique.  It is an original design.  Be sure to check out her blog PoppyPrint at  http://poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com/ and she's a published author, too.  Her book Make it, Take it is available here.

The New New by Amy Anderson

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville MQG

Amy says "What always strikes me most about spring are the vivid and varying greens from the new leaves, grass, and plants emerging.  Sky, sun, leaves, flowers, and a chance for new beginnings.  Semi-improvisational piecing stitched into this original design."

***     ***     ***     ***     ***

Third place winner of the Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge is:

Passages by Patty Simmons  

Lee's Summit, Missouri

Kansas City MQG

Patty says her inspiration for her quilt is both the beauty of the Gee's Bend quilts and the work of Lisa Call.  "Passages reflects the soft movement throughout a structure and the boundaries that we oftentimes self-impose" states Patty, who "enjoyed the improvisational piecing and quilting, moving through and running into boundaries."  This is her original design.

* * *    * * *    * * *    * * *    * * *

Second place winner of the Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge is:

 After Dinner Mints by Paige Alexander

Picken, South Carolina

This is an original design that Paige created while working within the size restraints of the Spring Couture charm squares and jelly roll strips.  She used the Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful.  The curved squares and pastel colors reminded Paige of after-dinner mints, hence the name. 

First place winner of the Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge is:

7 Up by Debra Jalbert

Clermont, Florida

Orlando MQG

This quilt won the honor of First Place in the Michael Miller Spring Cotton Couture Fabric Challenge for the Modern Quilt Guild.  It is an original design created by Debra using her own pattern which she calls "2 of 2".  The diagonal curve of the quilting is a lovely addition to this quilt.  Be sure to check out Debra's blog Made of Honor Quilts at http://www.madeofhonorquilts.com/

QuiltCon Group Quilts

I have always enjoyed the camaraderie and creativity that shines through with successful group-produced quilts.  Much to my delight, I found five group quilts from QuiltCon 2015 that are new favorite.  Here they are:

 Faraway Fields - Full Circle by Jules McMahon

inset circle blocks pieced by: Cheryl Arkison

quilted by: Heidi Bruce of @goneaussiequilting

Sutton, New South Wales, Australia

Canberra MQG

Jules began this quilt by piecing the improvised blocks in a Denyse Schmidt class at QuiltCon 2013, then added the inset surprise circle blocks pieced by Cheryl Arkison.  

 detail view of Faraway Fields - Full Circle

The creative free-style quilting by Heidi Bruce add the finishing touches to this modern quilt.  Faraway Fields - Full Circle was started in Austin at the first QuiltCon in 2013 and returned to Austin to be on display in the second QuiltCon in 2015.   Jules holds the title of "QuiltCon attendee who traveled the farthest!" and here is her letter to MQG members, as she is currently on the board.

 Improv Pods by Jessica Levitt

pieced by: Robin Buscemi and one other Central Jersey MQG member

Bridgewater, New Jersey

Central Jersey MQG

Jessica states that the three main blocks were made by members of the guild as they practiced Denyse Schmidt's improvisational piecing technique.  These blocks were donated to the guild's charity efforts.  Jessica designed this original composition to be simple yet quirky so as to calm the complexity of the pieced blocks.  Proceeds from this sale of this quilt (I am guessing it may be a raffle quilt, unless it was successfully sold during QuiltCon?) will all go to charity.  The quilting is spectacular on this quilt too, an additional touch of beauty.

 Percolate by Emily Cier

pieced by: Kathy Del Beccaro

quilted by: Angela Walters

Seattle, Washington

Seattle MQG

Directly from the description on display at QuiltCon:  These look like triangles, but they're really ripples on a pond.  Or a rainstorm.  Or drops streaming down a window.  Or a shattered ice sheet.  Something to do with water.  Definitely water.  Or maybe glass?  Well, your call.  We just make the shapes, you get to interpret.   This is an original design, machine pieced and machine quilted.  Simply lovely, whatever aspect of water or shattered glass it may represent.  This pattern is available for purchase here.

 Playing with Little Bits by Rose Daley

pieced by: Anna Levengood, Jill Safford, Jessica Skultety, Jessica Levitt, Robin Tillsworth, Rachel Singh, and Elizabeth Timmons

Columbia, Maryland

Baltimore MQG

This playful quilt was created during the Mid-Atlantic MOD 2014.  Each of the quilters created their section prior to the weekend, using low volume fabrics then adding pops of color.  During the retreat, the participants added their individual sections and pieced additional elements to create the finished quilt top.  The design was a true collaboration of the quilters listed above, and the quilting was inspired by Jackie Gering's Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot.  Techniques used include machine piecing, paper piecing, improvisational piecing and machine quilting.  This quilt won First Prize in the Group or Bee Quilts category at QuiltCon 2015.

UFO Challenge by Heather Grant

pieced by: Corinne Sovey, Beth Chinderle, Jill Ivie, Emily Thompson, Christi Carew, Mary Anne Williams, Angela Milliman, Gina Pina, Kim Place (Austin MQG Executive Board 2013-14)

Austin, Texas

Austin MQG

This quilt was pieced by the 2013-14 Executive Board of the Austin Modern Quilt Guild to be a prize for the guild member who completed the most number of UFO's in the year 2014.  What an excellent reward for some lucky member!  I love the different sewing elements in each block from the spool of thread to the zipper, but my favorites are the three different sewing machine blocks. 

This quilt is inspiring me to make my own quilt,

featuring the different sewing machines I have sewn with ... dare I admit...

... perhaps even a different block for each of sewing machines I own?

This UFO Challenge quilt is an original design which used these techniques: hand appliqued, paper pieced, machine appliqued, improvisational piecing, machine piecing, machine embroidered, and machine quilted.  

I can't believe I just found this blog post (click here) about the very quilt that is already germinating in my head.  No worries, mine won't look like Cheryl Arkison's here!

Modern Traditionalism

Time to share some favorites from QuiltCon -- these are from the Modern Traditionalism category.

Grand Pineapple - Dichotomy by Allison Lee

Raleigh, North Carolina

Allison was inspired to use all 75 colors of Denyse Schmidt's Free Spirit solids and created this lovely quilt as a result.  It is her original design which was paper pieced, machine pieced and machine quilted.  It is large and gorgeous!  Allison posts tutorials here: http://thego-goquilter.com/, has her own website here http://quiltdesignatelier.com/, and her blog begins with a post on coming to QuiltCon, click here.

Gypsy Wife by Catherine Mosely

Cameron Park, New South Wales, Australia

As soon as Catherine saw this pattern, "Gypsy Wife" by Jen Kingwell, she knew she had to make it.  She did adapt it by turning strips into stripes and using only solid fabrics.  Such a striking visual!

Fifty Shades of Geese by Patricia Roche

Chandler, Arizona

Patricia stated that her quilt, Fifty Shades of Geese, was her experiment in putting flying geese blocks into a modern setting.  She used a wide selection of Kona solids and played around with mixing 'geese' and 'sky' colors, topping off the quilt with some lovely long-arm quilting, completed on her Gammill.

 detail of Fifty Shades of Geese

 Improv Double Wedding Ring by Natalie Sabik

Attleboro, Massachusetts

Inspired by the traditional double wedding ring pattern, this quilt was pieced using improvisationally pieced work.  Natalie broke down the components of the traditional pattern, pieced each component individually, then reassembled into the overall funky quilt.  She also creatively flipped the focus of the quilt, using color inside the rings of the pattern and making the rings meld into the background.  It is a fascinating refocus on the use of negative space.  Wonderful job Natalie! Click here to learn more about Natalie's philosophy of piecing her original quilts - scroll down until you spy this quilt or read all of this post.  Her blog is https://greenleafgoods.wordpress.com/ Greenleaf Goods.

 Sunrise, Sunset by Katherine Dithmer

League City, Texas

This quilt is a fun play on the traditional Lonestar quilt pattern.  Katherine made two lonestars, one in cool colors (blues, purples, greens) and a second in warm colors (reds, oranges and yellows).  They are then set such that one star is rising while the other is setting, hence the name Sunrise, Sunset.

Under the Sea by Barbara Cline

Bridgewater, Virginia

This intriguing original design was created using only two different triangle blocks.  Simply by changing the color placements and rotating the blocks, one can make star designs, pinwheels and diamond chains.  I enjoy Barbara's creative setting and her wonderful use of color.  Fabulous job!  Barbara comes from a quilting family and features them on her blog.  I enjoyed her recent family reunion-retreat (click here),

has made her own button featuring this quilt of hers, and has a book, titled Diamond Chain Quilts, published detailing how to make this smashing quilt.  Barbara's blog is http://quiltingal.blogspot.com/ Quilting Gal and her website is http://www.delightfulpiecing.com/ Delightful Piecing.

Modern Amish II by Mickey Beebe

Santa Cruz, California

quilted by Toni McAuliffe

Mickey made this quilt for the Amish: the Modern Muse exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.  Her inspiration was a specific Roman Stripe quilt in the collection of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.  This is the second quilt in a series, in which Mickey added a white background and pared the design down into this modern essence, her original design.  Mickey does not have a blog, but has made award winning quilts and designed fun patterns.  Click here for one of them.

Steps by Carrie Strine

Forest Hills, New York

Carrie states that Steps is her interpretation of a traditional Courthouse Steps quilt.  She played with the interactions of color, discovering that when viewed from the right distance, there is a connection between the traditional patterns and digital imaging.  Her original design is machine pieced and hand quilted.  I wonder - do you see any images appearing after staring at this quilt for a little bit? Click here for her photo on her blog, or better still, check out her website at http://www.carriestrine.com/

Sunset by Corinne Sovey

Austin, Texas

Using the traditional Rail Fence quilt pattern, Corinne played with colors to mimic the setting sun.  She added another dimension by using various colors of thread in her matchstick quilting. Corinne hs posted this tutorial on the making of this quilt.  Click here to see it, or here to follow her entire blog, http://mustlovequilts.com/  Must Love Quilts.  Amazingly, Corinne began quilting three years ago.  Quilt on, Carrie!

Wavelength by Lee Heinrich

Mequon, Wisconsin

Lee clearly had fun with this twist on the classic Grandmother's Two Patch block.  Rather than using a standard grid, she repeated elements to create a radiating, explosive feel.  Her use of color emphasized the explosiveness, while the use of scrappy black-and-white prints in the background added an extra chaos. I've discovered that Lee has a blog, Freshly Pieced, and that she had more quilts in the QuiltCon exhibit!  Click here for her post on her four quilts in QuiltCon or follow her blog http://www.freshlypieced.com/ Freshly Pieced.

Woodcut by Holly DeGroot

Iron Mountain, Michigan

Holly stitched this quilt for the Modern Solids Challenge, organized by FreeSpirit Fabrics and Coats & Clark to promote Denyse Schmidt's Modern Solids.  The challenge was to use a box of the solids to create a 60" x 60" quilt inspired by a traditional quilt design.  Holly was inspired by the traditional log cabin block with incorporated half square triangles, reminiscent of a traditional scallop quilt without the curves.  She used foundation paper piecing, set the blocks on-point while using a white background and finished it with machine quilted straight lines.  The final quilt reminds Holly of rows of trees in a forest.  I agree -- I see a forest of uniquely colorful trees too.  Bonus: click here to see Holly's photos and description of making this quilt, or here to see it's earlier stages of creation, or here to see the box of solids before they were stitched into this quilt.  You can see more of the quilts on InstaGram (IG) under the hatchtag #modernsolidschallenge. You may enjoy following Holly on her blog Bijou Lovely, http://www.bijoulovelydesigns.com/

#quiltcon, #moderntraditionalquilts

Doll quilt in progress

I'm learning that making a small version is a fast way to try a technique.

This month for A Lovely Year of Finishes, I promised to make at least one doll quilt from my friend's sweet granddaughters using these selection of purple and green fabrics.

I pieced two tops, but along the way decided that I wanted to make one bargello quilt.  I had read the directions for making a bargello quilt several times, but have never made one, until my false start before this one (to see that click here).  Then I thought I would give a simple description of how to make a bargello quilt.  Here goes:  I selected a nice range of purples and greens to coordinate with the multi-color prints originally selected by Gracie.  More fabrics (both greens and purples) were added and arranged to create a nice wave of color.  Using my rotary mat, cutter and ruler, I sliced my fabrics into strips 1 3/4" wide, with the two multicolor strips each being sliced wider, 3.5" and 2.25".

I arranged a pleasing order, from light to dark, starting with green and shading to purple with a few multi-color prints sprinkled in.  Next, I stitched the strips together in the order of my layout.  After pressing all seams to one side, last of all I stitched the outer two strips together to make a tube.  I like to call this piece a "tube-strata".

The next step is to slice the tube into several varying widths.  Carefully align the tube on your cutting mat and slice.  My slices ranged in size from 3/4" to 2" wide.  Cut as many as possible from the original tube-strata.

The next step is trickier.  Carefully separate each loop (fabric ring) into an open strip again.  The tricky part is that you open these at different seams.  I was planning the wave pattern as I separated each loop of the sliced strata.  Narrow strips show a steep incline/decline in the wave, wider strips make the wave more of a curve.  I arranged the strips below as I opened each one.

 

Last step is to carefully stitch each row together.  I started with the two to the far left, stitching them first.  Be sure to nestle the seam allowances, pushing the seam allowances on every other strip to the opposite direction so that they nest and snuggle together nicely with the seam allowances on the previous loop/strip.

The above view of the back side of the top shows the seam allowances nestled in the alternating directions.  Below is a partial view of the finished quilt top.

Voila, the full finished top!  It is a tad narrower than the doll bed, so I will either piece one more row to add to the right side, or I will add a simple border.

This is one of three three doll quilt tops that I am making.  It was fun to make in the bargello fashion, creating my own wave pattern.  I hope you can follow these steps easily and make your own bargello quilt.  You can make mini quilts, mug rugs, placemats if you do not need a new doll quilt.  Or slice wider and longer widths of fabric to end up with a larger quilt.  I may make a larger sized bargello quilt one of these days.  But for now, I must decide first how to quilt this one ..... any suggestions?

This is my completion of February Lovely Year of Finishes challenge!  I've pieced three doll quilt tops -- hoping to finish them eventually -- but my challenge was to get at least one top complete, which I have done.  Click here to see the others who have completed their February goals and posted links.  I am linky #116.  On the Goals for February page, I am linky #115.

getting started

My friend Gracie has asked me to make three doll quilts for her granddaughters and I am especially pleased that they will go with the handcrafted doll beds made by Dennis, the proud grandpapa, for three American Girl dolls?  (hint: I'd love my own American Girl doll one day ....).  

Gracie and I selected fabrics for the quilts (she had told me to use any color scheme! yikes! far too many choices, so I made her narrow the field).  We combined our shopping trip in early December with an afternoon watching her granddaughters dancing in the Nutcracker Ballet - a marvelous performance!

 

Even with the fabrics to play with, I remained stumped for several weeks deciding on a design for the long narrow quilts.  I pieced one in diagonal rows, similar to the first step of the scrappy trip around the world method taught by Bonnie Hunter on Quiltville (be sure to look at her website: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/). Here is the first quilt top.

Even before I finished piecing this top, I realized I wanted to try a bargello pattern! Bargello directions are similar: piece strips together, stitch into a tube, then slice and restitch.  This was a spur of the moment decision made after the tube was stitched (which I like to call a tube-strata).  Here is my quasi-bargello quilt top:

Both quilts are long and skinny to match the dimensions given by Gracie, and neither really look or feel very bargello-y.  Stay tuned, I plan to try making a 'real' bargello quilt soon -- and I will take time to plan the fabric layout more carefully!