A New EPP Project and Classroom Inspiration!

I preordered a new paper piecing pattern a few weeks ago and it came in the mail this weekend.  It's called Brimfield Awakening and I just love it!  I'm going to do it in black and white prints!

In my classroom this week I found...

A fun tissue box!  Think quilting pattern here.

A gorgeous hijab on one of my students.  Another great pattern.

And okay, these might not be on a quilt, but aren't they fun.  They're "dragons" though they look more like snakes.  It was so fun!

I hope you get to quilt today!  (And I hope my brain teaches well today....48 hours until I leave for IQA Houston!  I can't wait!  Will I see any of you there?)
Suzy

I Wish You a Merry Quilt-a-long Block #6

As I was working on this block I realized that I'd made all my blocks applique with no piecing.  So I decided to adjust my angel to make her fit a full size block.  An all applique quilt this will be for me!

I was thinking about this angel and I decided I wanted to add some more leather to this quilt as my first block already had some.  You can't have it in one block and not in others.  So I used a brown leather for her hair.  I love the texture it gives.  This is the original hair from the block and I just love it's quirkiness.

I also added leather to the bottom of her dress in a scallop.

Her belt is also leather though it is hard to tell in this photo.

Her wings are also made out of the same metallic leather as the waistband and scalloping. 

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Quilting Vintage Part 4

When I last wrote, this was as far as I'd gotten with my quilt.  I discovered a problem when I got to the satin.  I used various marking tools on a test piece of fabric and discovered that you can't mark satin as when you get it wet it causes a problem.  My hubby suggested I try my iron off pen.  Unfortunately that leaves a wet line too and it didn't go away when I heated the satin!  So...now what???

 I knew I wanted to mark something....here are some ideas I went through.  The LOVELY copy and laminating lady at my school saves all the extra laminating pieces for me to use for drawing quilt ideas.  It's how I test things...

So, how did I get here?  My friend Lori had the answer.  Doctor paper.  It's the paper you sit down on at the doctor's office. Essentially, really thin tissue paper.  I have a roll I've had for years.  Golden Threads paper works well too.  You mark what you want to stitch on it and then you pin it to your quilt.  Then you sew through it and since it's so thin it's easy to rip away.  YES, I did have to pick out some tiny pieces with a tweezers, but since there was no other way it was worth the effort.  There were only a few.  DO NOT mark complex designs with doctor paper or you will have a ton of tiny pieces to pick out.  Ask me how I know....

Here's the tracing and very careful pinning.  Fortunately it's translucent so  you can see through it okay.

Then you sew on the lines.

Here's what it looks like after sewing.

Then you carefully rip away the paper on the outsides.

Finally, carefully pull off the small strip.

And the final results after all the paper has been removed.  Now to fill in the areas.  Come back in two weeks to see what's next...next week I'll be doing a fabulous Free Motion Friday post from Houston at International Quilt Festival!  I can't wait!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik's Leah Day's Heart Medallions

I love all things batik and especially my Island Batiks!  Leah Day has curated a Quilty Box this month that includes her new heart medallions for Island Batik!  As an ambassador, I was lucky enough to receive four of Leah's heart medallions in purple.

What to do?

A table runner seemed the obvious choice.  I must admit that I haven't finished the binding yet, but the rest is done!  No one's perfect after all.  I trimmed down my medallion panel and then added a blue border.

One of my learnings for this project was to play with 12 weight thread.  This thread is Spaghetti thread by Wonderfil.  I used a 50 weight Aurifil cotton in the bobbin.  I had to adjust the tension a bit, but it worked wonderfully.  I simply outlined all the medallions with the thick blue thread to make them stand out even more.  I went for an easy stipple in the background.

For the thin blue border I quilted a heart like pattern in a 40 weight Aurifil thread.  Three different weights on the same quilt.  And so much fun that now I want to buy more thick threads....and Houston is in a week...I'm in trouble already!

Is anyone else attending Houston Festival?  I'd love to meet you!

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Doodle Inspiration

Some doodles from last week.  Doodling is great for exploring ideas!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Island Batik Ambassador's Creative Borders and Bindings Challenge #2

This month I was inspired by two different kinds of binding.  For my second project I made a snowflake that was a pattern in the second volume of Quilter's 100 Blocks.  I used a charm pack plus 2 half yard cuts of the Winter Moon Island Batiks from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I couldn't resist the purple and blue holiday fun!

I'd been wanting to try a binding that varied in width.  I had a theory about how to accomplish it and it worked!

Here's my top before layering.  This was all paper pieced.

I fussy cut a deer head from one of the fabrics to put in the center where the 6 points didn't match up very well.  I love to fussy cut.

Ooooh....all the fun Aurifil choices!

I carefully stitched around the antlers and head to outline the deer.

I made a bubble stack in this star point.

And the final quilt!  It was so much fun to make.  I was trying to come up with a fun quilting pattern for the background, but instead decided to stipple it because stippling looks kind of wintery.

And the back.

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Enter if You Dare Blog Hop!

I LOVE Halloween quilts.  I buy more Halloween fabric than Christmas fabric!  So when Marian at Seams to be Sew let me know about this hop I couldn't wait to join.

Every year I do a pumpkin art project with my students at school (I teach third grade).  We make symmetrical pumpkins.  As I hung them on the wall this year, it occurred to me that they would make a great quilt.  So I got started!  I pulled my favorite orange Island Batik fabrics of course!

I cut the orange pumpkin to go under the black (1/8 inside the outside line on that side).  Then I used the fusible paper from the black to help me align the eye and eyebrow pieces.

I cut out the back of the fusible behind the big orange piece so it wouldn't be too stiff.  This orange is from Island Batik's new Pumpkin Patch line!  I just love it.

Here's the black half before cutting.

The final pumpkins!

The top is done!  Ready to layer.

And it's quilted!

I had fun quilting pumpkins and swirls in the border.

I also had a blast with one of Marian's Halloween Faces for "The Challenge".  This is about 8 inches square and so much fun.  Who doesn't love a one-eyed lime green creature?  Her directions were great and easy to follow!

Giveaways For This Hop…

The Fat Quartershop is offering a $75.00 gift certificate
You can enter daily for this blog hop by visiting the various blogger’s social pages.
Runs Whole Event, but Daily Requirements Change

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Timeless Treasures
has a bundle of fun fat quarters each day for you.
Each bundle is different in the range of fabrics and size.

Today’s Bundle Is:There is a shipping cost for each bundle, they will all ship Priority mail at a cost of $7.19

Shipping Rate is for USA/Canada
International Rates will apply otherwise.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Giveaway Each Day, – Each Giveaway Runs 2 Days.

AND don't forget to check out all the other blogs on the hop!

Wednesday, Oct 18 Just Let Me Quilt Quilt Doodles Tea Time Creations	Thursday, Oct 19 Tweety Loves Quilting Patchwork Breeze Quilt In Piece Ms P. Designs USA
Friday, Oct 20 Creatin’ in the Sticks Maria Magdalena Living Ideas Adventurous Applique and Quilting  Just Because Quilts	Monday, Oct 23 Bumbleberry Stitches Elizabeth Coughlin Designs Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc. Pumpkin Patch
Tuesday, Oct 24 Words & Stitches Seams To Be Sew Moose Stash Quilted Delights

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy