Tote & Gloat Challenge Quilt 2012

My quilt club, Rose City Quilters, Palmerston North, New Zealand holds an event called Tote & Gloat every year in May. There is always a challenge for members to enter and I try and enter it each year. This year members were each given a fat quarter of a Jason Yenter fabric from the Camelot range. You had to use a 'recognisable' piece of fabric in the quilt and you could buy more.
I was inspired by the graphics on a christmas advert of a tree consisting of lots of swirly designs to create this. I hope Jason would be impressed with how his fabric was used.

I used a lightish green batik whihc had a very subtle pattern for the background and then using just 3 fabrics I created this quilt. As well as the challenge fabric which is around the outside edge and is used for various big circular designs I also used a tone on tone green and a lovely red fabric that had green in it that I think was a very old Nancy Crow design. It just went so well with my challenge fabric. I started by fuisng the large 'flower' design in the upper middle and then added some swirls and loops and then small dots to fill the design in. I decided to quilt it using silk thread and wool batting after reading Diane Gaudynski's book Quilt Savvy Machine Quilting. I just loved using the silk thread and now recommend that everyone try it. My quilting just went so well on the designs and the feathers looked great. At this stage I did a faced binding rather than a standard binding and then added some 'bling' by using a BeJeweller to attac hot fix crystalsall over. I am really pleased with how this design turned out and was very happy to receive Best Machine Quilting.
I also made another piece to enter into the 'Anything Goes" category -

Oops sideways, not sure how to fix that here, will have to go back to the photos and rotate it then re-select it. This is a Lutradur vase using string sewn down over the Lutradur, then painted and then heat gunned with some fusible appliques from the challenge fabric. I filled it with a glass jar so I could place something in it without it falling over. The flowers were portions of the challenge fabric cut out and sewn with metal mesh between. This mesh is wonderful to sew over - you don't even notice that there is metal under your needle. I then attached them to wire wrapped with green fabric for stems. I decided the flowers then needed a little more body and cut a few more applique shapes out which I fused onto plain fabric and cut around. Then I gathered them and attached them to the metal based appliques. The leaves are fused pieces of hand dyed fabric with a wire through the centre. I decided to give them a little more body by sewing along either side of the wire. This was great until I got a little fast and managed to break 3 needles. Going slow is better!! I am pleased to say I won First Place with this entry.
Why not have fun and try some designs that are a little out of the box like I did.
Have fun playing
Dianne

Shop Hop Quilt finished

Yay, I have finished quilting and binding my Shop Hop quilt for 2012.
Here is a photo of the finished quilt

I have used a lovely rich fabric (blue with red and metallic gold) for my feature fabric and teamed it with blue, green & metallic gold and red & metallic gold on a cream splatter painted background fabric. There are the 12 blocks that you will collect at each store and I have added a fused applique in the blue on the cream background as extra squares between and used this same applique in the border. Whilst I realise that this may not be to everyone's taste I have also got some photos of the blocks with plain fabrics between to give you an idea of what it could look like.

These are the blocks with the cream behind them.

This one features the blue between the blocks

The red makes a bigger difference between

And this last one uses the green

They look quite different don't they. These are the 12 blocks that you will get as you visit each store on the shop hop route.There are 6 patterns repeated twice, but I have tried to shift the fabrics around quite a bit so the blocks look quite different.

I decided to free motion quilt a feather design in the alternate applique blocks and then thought I may as well continue with the feather theme so have used that in all the blocks. Anyone wanting these designs can purchase a set from me. You do not have to try quilting like this, I like to use these sampler quilts as places to practice different styles of quilting. You can use very simple straight or wavy lines, quilting 1/4" in from each shape, an allover design etc.

Here are some photos close up, this is the back 

As you can see I took a risk and used a navy thread to do most of the free motion quilting with so it stands out, both on the back and front. I did most of the background quilting in metallic gold or an old gold rayon so you will be able to look closely to see what each thread does to the design.

This is a version of the basket block that doesn't look like a basket

A view along the border

One of the star blocks, shows up the beautiful feature fabric

Remember you have to be registered before 31 August 2012 to participate. Cost is only NZ$45 to receive 12 blocks in your choice of colourway. Each shop will have their quilts featured on the Shop Hop website as well as photos of all in each store so you can choose what you would like to collect.

Do come in and register with me and then advise me of which colourway you prefer.

See you

Dianne

Quilters Friend Shop Hop

The Quilters Friend Shop Hop is happening once again from 15 September to 7 October. I am one of the the shops participating in this fun event which started last year. Register before 31 August 2012 and then join with some friends, visit the 6 shops and receive your blocks at each shop.
Participating shops - Village Books & Crafts, Palmerston North
                             - Quiltworks, Waipukurau
                             - Crafty Pear, Pahiatua
                             - Quilters Lane, Masterton
                             - Sawmillers Quiltery, Te Marua, Upper Hutt
                             - Cherry Pie Bernina, Levin
Pay $45 to register, choose your colourway when we put all the photos up on the website, and collect 2 blocks at each shop. Layout kits will be offered by each shop.
I have had fun making mine. A little different this time, almost finished quilting. A photo willbe up by the weekend.
Come in and register so you can participate and have fun. Make it a girls weekend out.
Dianne

Computer Problems

Hi everyone,
I have not forgotten you but have had some computer issues recently and find it difficult to upload any photos. So I am updating the computer and internet and hopefully will be able to easily upload everything.
Have had some lovely fabrics in store recently - The Spice Trail is a beautiful range in more toned down colours, red, green and warm tan featuring elephants on the border stripe, an all over floral and some tone on tone blenders. Really lovely and they so live up to the name Spice Trail.
The next one is a much more vibrant range featuring hot pink, turquoise, red, green, bold patterns, stylised leaves. Hope to have photos up next week to show you.
The latest Quilt Sampler Magazine has arrived in from the US. This magazine features 10 quilt stores in the US and shows what they do and a pattern from each. A lovely relaxing read with inspiration 'leaping' off the pages.
Do call in and see us if you can. Best wishes to all
Dianne

Wonderful New Quilting Books in Store

We have had some wonderful new quilting books arrive in store direct from the US. Check these out -

The Art Quilt Collection NZ$50
This features a variety of quilt artists and several of their quilts. Ideal to sit and look at to get inspiration. Some techniques are explained so you can try them yourself. Beautiful colour photos all through to inspire you.

Masters Art Quilts Vol 2 NZ$50
I loved Volume 1 and Volume 2 is just as good. A coffee table book - pictures but no techniques, it is great to inspire you to try something or to get colour/pattern ideas from. The pictures of the quilts are beautiful and sometimes you have to just keep looking, or look at a quarter of the book thenout it down so you can absorb what you have seen without overlaoding ideas. A good variety of styles of quilts from several different quilters.

Quilt National 2011 NZ$50
Quilt National is run every 2 years and features very Contemporary Quilts. This book is very tempting and thought provoking. You see a large variety of different styles of quilts that break out from the traditional and stretch boundaries, some you like and some you don't. You need to see them all to discover your style. Another coffee table style book in that it doesn't offer techniques but when you get to making contemporary quilts ideas are what you need and you can absorb so many different styles before coming up with your own.

Quilts With Attitude  Special Price Only NZ$30
This book was such good value, I had to order it in. If you like making foundation pieced designs, especially spiky ones like New York Beauty style, then this book is for you. The books gives you several different patterns and styles to create and sets them all out in an easy to follow fashion.  Check this one out.

Quilt Mavens - Perfect Paper Piecing NZ$30 Special Price Also by the same author as Quilts With Attitude this is another book about foundation piecing and how you can create those fabulous looking spiky designs and curves so easily. Another great buy that I couldn't turn down. Take advantage of these great prices.

I personally prefer to do my foundation piecing using a lightweight sew-in vilene which is only around $3 per metre. You draw your designs on it, sew them adn leave it in. I cannot be bothered pulling out paper so this is ideal, the lightweight of the vilene is such that you do not need to remove it and can quilt through it no problem.

Orange Peel - NZ$45
I really like the books from the US contest New Quilts from an Old Favorite. A particular block is suggested each time and contestants come up with some fabulous versions. This book is no exception. Amazing what you can do with a basic block such as Orange Peel, how this was manipulated to achieve such different looks.

Quilting Line & Colour NZ$50

This book features some very different work by Yoshiko who gets you to think about using line (design wise) and colour (from oyur fabrics) in quite a different way. Her designs are very striking.

$5 discount off this book to the first person in to say you saw it on this blog.

More books on their way from the US so keep an eye on the blog.

Dianne

Wine Country Quilt Show

Does your time just disappear, mine does. I don't know where it goes but certainly I could do with more. But they do say a busy person finds time for lots of things. I just need to remember to write in the blog more regularly.
I was a merchant at the Wine Country Quilt Show end of March. It was held at Pukeora Estate just before Waipukurau. This is the old TB hospital on top of the hill just before you get into Waipukurau which has lovely views. On the Saturday morning we woke to a heavy fog/mist which stayed around until about 10am. Here is a shot of it from my merchant stall with the tops of the trees just poling above it. It turned into a beautiful day after this.

I love the misty look, don't you. Hidden below were vineyards, the river and farmlands. Here is a shot of my merchant stall. I had paid for a lovely big space (check out the view from the windows) and there was lots of people coming through. Thank you to the organisers for a lovely weekend.
Specials - I still have some of the Olfa 45mm blades at only $10 each, I brought in more as they are popular. AND I have the inkjet printable cotton at only NZ$3.50 per sheet now or NZ$33 packet of 10.
Next blog will have all the lovely book specials I have - some lovely craftbooks at great prices.
Dianne

Olfa Rotary Blades special

I sell a lot of replacement blades for the 45mm Olfa rotary cutter. They are great blades but you do wear them out or accidentally go over a pin and nick them, so they do need replacing. Usually they are NZ$12.80 but I now have them at a special price of only NZ$10 each.
Be in quick
Dianne