More completed projects!

Like most quilters, I have quite the stash of fabrics.  Most are fat quarters, some yardage that was purchased just because, lots of pieces that were leftovers from other projects.  Any time that I make a project using from my stash, I feel like it is a freebie, because I didn't spend any money specifically on that project!

"In the Meadow" table runner was one of those projects!  All the fabrics, batting, and threads were in my stash!  Jana Davidson of Turnberry Lane Patterns created this beauty!  I had the embroidery done on this one, I just needed to make the blocks, put it together, quilt, and bind.

This was a workshop project from a Laura Wasilowski workshop sponsored by Decatur Quilters Guild a few years ago. I had it all done, except for a bit of thread work, quilting, and binding.

I felt like it needed some detail between the center and border.  I had used a scalloped rotary cutter to create the edge of the border, but couldn't think of a hand embroidery stitch that I could accomplish that would adequately accent it.  Then it struck me that I could use a heavier thread and machine stitch an accent!

In my thread stash I had a spool of Wonderfil Spagetti thread (12 wt) that I had purchased when Susan Cleveland had taught at our guild several years ago.  It was the perfect color!  It is the turquoise thread on the left.  The middle thread is Superior Threads Magnifico (40 wt), which I used to quilt the border.  The right thread that is crossing over is Superior Threads Kimono Silk (100 wt), which I used to do the echo quilting in the body of the quilt

. Using the Spagetti thread and the double needle on the left, I created a double line of stitching around the scallops on the inner edge of the border.  I felt like it needed a bit more.  I experimented with some decorative stitches, but didn't like the look.  I decided on just doing a zigzag stich in the double line.  Sometimes simpler has a bigger impact.

I was experiencing major tension problems doing the zigzag.  I was using a #100 Topstitch needle.  Despite any tension changes made on the top, I was getting erratic skipped stitches.  Then I remembered that I could change the bobbin tension by threading the bobbin thread through the bobbin finger.  Voila!  That was the answer!

Class with Laura Wasilowski

Last week I had the privilege of traveling southwest (50 miles) to Decatur, IL to take a class with Laura Wasilowski, dean of correction of the Chicago School of Fusing!  I have taken a class with Laura before, follow her blog, and love to stop and say hello when I see her and Frieda Anderson at the big shows!  Laura does beautiful hand-dyed fabrics and threads, which she sells through her webstore ARTFABRIK.

In the morning we were entertained by Laura who presented: Art Quilts: The Musical.  Laura sang, and shared her beautiful artwork!

In the afternoon Laura taught Colorful Leaves.  We were giving 2 pieces of Laura's beautiful hand-dyed fabrics.  Then Laura taught us the principles of fusing, building a fused collage, and design.  Then we were told to sketch a leaf design.  I had decided before going that I would make my design based on a gingko leaf!  As you can see, I really got some creativity unleashed!

Here we are at the end of the day with what I had gotten accomplished!  All that is left is the hand embroidered elements that will take it from ho hum to spectacular!  Laura had advised me that I should use either #8 or #12 Perle Cotton rather than the #5 that I had fallen in love with.

Being the rebel that I am, I went ahead and did an outline stemstitch around the elements with #5 Perle Cotton.  Yes, it was difficult to get through the fused layers, but I liked the heavier, bolder look that it gives.  I need to figure out what embroidery work that I want to do in the borders, then I can quilt it and bind it!

 

 

 

 

 

Jan Krentz workshop

We have been waiting anxiously for 2 years, and now the time has finally come!  Yes, Jan Krentz has come to our guild!

We shared Jan with the Decatur quilt guild.  After Jan was done teaching in Decatur, two of the Decatur ladies, who also belong to our guild, brought Jan to Champaign in time for supper at Panera's!  And guess who got to sit across from her!  Such a warm, and instantly friendly soul.  Instead of being exhausted from a day of teaching and travel, she was a delightful supper companion!

After a fantastic lecture, she opened up her trunks and let us ooh and aah over her glorious quilts!  We got to feast our eyes on this beauty through the entire evening.  This is the reverse side of "Out of Africa"! 

I love this spiral lone star!  All those glorious colours!

I love the extra little star burst in the corners of this hunter's star!  That is tissue lame making the dark arm!  Love it!

I love the free motion couching of the yarn in this lone star!  Jan gave lots of great design tips to make these stars sing!

I am loving the look of these diamonds!  I now own all of Jan's books.  Now, I just need more time to make some of these wonderful projects!

This one reminded me of Laura Wasilowski and Frieda Anderson!

Monet's Water Lilies!  Yes, I am definitely going to have to make this one!  Jan sells a kit to make the water lilies.  Yes, of course, I brought one home with me!

Friday's class was asymmetrical hunter's star!  Out of Africa was the star, and our inspiration!  Jan is a fantastic teacher.  After teaching us how to make templates, she let us loose to work with our fabrics.  She came around to everybody's workstation several times during the day, sitting down and chatting with the student.  What wonderful attention!

Those that read and FOLLLOWED Jan's preclass instruction sheet brought flannel for design walls.  Although I read that, I failed to act on it.  So I did my designing on the stage floor!  I shall know better next time!

Jan spent time with this student and helped her to get her quilt to this stage!  Isn't it glorious!

Here is our class at the end of the day!  We are all smiling because we are so proud of ourselves of all that we have learned and accomplished!

Jan was impressed with my white hair!  She insisted we had to be photographed in front of the dark quilt (there are some glorious oriental prints in there!)  What a great day!  And what great memories were made!  And a new quilting friend!

Oh, I guess you want to see mine!  I went more traditional with my colors, but still used an asymmetrical setting.  I made my blocks 6", so I will have a nice little wall hanging soon!  The green is a Ricky Tims' hand-dyed, and the yellow/orange star points is a Frieda Anderson hand-dyed!  An All-Star Quilt!