Modern Quilt Guild Mini Swap

Last year, I attended QuiltCon in Nashville, TN with my friend, Christine.  I participated in the Make a Mini, Make a Friend Swap and my swap partner and I met at QuiltCon when we exchanged our mini quilts.  Evie made me the star quilt and I made the drunkard's path variation for her--I called it Maple Keys from Canada.

This year, I did not attend QuiltCon in Austin, TX, so I decided to sign up to swap a mini quilt with another quilter by mail.  I received my quilt from my partner, Ann, in Texas a few weeks ago.  I had told her that I liked Frank Lloyd Wright and orange when I filled out my swap form.  I think she nailed it!

Ann motioned she liked quilt designer/teacher Sarah Bond.  I had never heard of Sarah Bond before and set about doing some research to find out more information so that I could make a suitable mini quilt for Ann.  Sarah had done a webinar for the Modern Quilt Guild so I watched that and also googled images of her quilts.  I noticed three common themes in many of Sarah's quilts that I saw online...1.  Flying geese  2.  Curves and  3. Creative use of Striped fabric. I dug around in my stash and found some Kaffe Fasset fabric and a dark gray Essex Linen to use as a background. 

I don't usually design quilts on paper first, but I did this time.  I took a 24" by 24" square of paper and folded it in half diagonally and then folded it some more.  I used a piece of string and a pencil to create the arcs and then filled in the lines for the flying geese.  I used each of the flying geese arcs as a template to paper piece the flying geese. 

Here is the first arc. 

I used the quarter circle in the corner and the plain arcs as patterns for cutting out the background pieces. 

A little curved piecing and I was on my way!

The second and third arcs were completed and added to the quilt top. 

I used some turquoise and gray 28 wt thread for the quilting. 

The quilted arcs are blue and the quilting in the flying geese was done with gray thread. 

Some striped binding finished my mini off nicely. 

I used the leftover Kaffe fabric on the back. 

Here is the finished mini quilt. Ann has received it in the mail and loved it!

I would definitely participate in the Modern Swap again!  Maybe, next year, I will get to meet my swap partner in person at QuiltCon...

A Variety of Projects

I spent quite a bit of time this week working on my Modern Quilt Guild "Make a Mini, Make a Friend" swap quilt and I am very pleased to be finished.  It is ready to put into the mail to my swap partner in Texas.  I will be mailing it after the London Modern Guild meeting in February so that I can bring it for show and tell.  Here is a sneak peek of the backing and binding as well as some of the quilting which I did with my walking foot on my DSM.

On sewing day on Monday, I worked on making a quilt with the neutral swap blocks that I have been making, swapping and collecting for 16 months now with other members of the Elgin Piecemakers.  The swap is finished now and I have divided my 320 blocks into two piles--white, grey and black blocks,  and beige, tan and brown blocks.  I decided to use the white, gray and black blocks for my first quilt with the swap blocks.

 I found some turquoise fabric in my stash--I had a little over a yard.  The goal is to make a quilt using the fabric that I have rather than purchasing more.

I used the design wall to lay out a few blocks to see how they would look.  I like it!  It will continue to grow...it is bigger than this now and I have not run out of blocks or turquoise fabric yet.  I'm aiming for a rectangular quilt, lap sized.

My embroidery has had quite a bit of attention this week.

It's relaxing to sit and stitch, a cup of tea beside me and an audiobook on loan from the library for my listening pleasure.

I think I have used all of the different types of stitches at least once now.

When I am finished stitching, I will soak it is cold water which is supposed to wash away all of the pink lines.

Here is how the picture looks now.

I finally started the scalloped roof today.  I'm hoping my stitching on this part improves with experience!

I will be linking up with Kathy and the other slow stitchers on Sunday morning since I did both binding and embroidery this week.   Have a great weekend.

Sewing This Week

Monday sewing days are very productive!  I had my spinning 4 patch top done to this point before I left home and managed to get both borders made and sewn on by shortly after lunch. 

I had limited blue fabric to work with so that dictated how wide the blue border would be.

I used some of the Kaffe Fassett "Millefiore" fabric that I had leftover from the spinning blocks to make the final border.

Next up, pin basting, and then quilting with my walking foot.  The backing fabric was in my stash.

I even used my bowl cozy at the sewing day at lunch time.  Worked well--I did not burn my hands!

In the afternoon, I made February's Comfort quilt block for the Elgin Piecemakers: a red and White House block.  It's a split level, made with scraps from the red scrap bin!

After building my house, I put my machine away and pulled out my embroidery.  It's so relaxing to add more slow stitches to this picture!  I will be linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers this weekend.

I still have not done that scalloped edge on the roof of the house...soon.

I signed up to participate in the Modern Quilt Guild "Make a Mini, Make a Friend" swap again this year.  The finished quilt is to be mailed out in three weeks.  Ideas for a design have been floating around in my head for a few weeks now and yesterday, I finally put the design down on paper and picked out some fabrics.  This project will be my focus during sewing time for the next little while. Here is a sneak peak.  The big reveal will be after my swap partner receives her quilt.

The Elgin Piecemakers meet next week.  Pat P and I will be making the May Comfort quilt and so I made a sample block --Double Disappearing Nine Patch (pattern by Bill Stearman--used with permission for the Comfort Quilt) using some batiks I had in my stash.  We will be giving each person in the guild two squares of the focus fabric for colour inspiration when choosing fabrics.

I'm heading for the sewing room now to work on the swap quilt!