A Sneak Peek at Gilded

Most of the time I have two different types of quilts I work on.  Quilts for my blog and quilts for show.  However, once in a while a blog quilt ends up being a show quilt.  That is the case with Gilded which will be in it's first show at MQX Midwest in September.  Here's a sneak peek.

I had a lot of fun.  There are about 50 different fills on this quilt which are all featured in my new book which you can check out here.

I call this one Filigree.  I love the dainty detailing inside the feathers. 

Aren't these flowers fun and modern?  

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

A Protective Sleeve for my Chromebook

Our school district gave all the teachers Chromebooks to use at school and at home, but we did not receive cases or sleeves.  My fellow teachers were ordering cases today and I realized....I could make one!

I had this quilt that I'd started quilting.  It was never going to get finished.  I've given up and moved on, but man do I overpin!  Oh well.  It has been sitting like this more at least 5 years...

Here's the Chromebook I needed to fit.

I cut it up.  Yup, I did.  I knew it would never get finished and this way I get to enjoy all the stitching I did do.

I then put in a zipper.  That was a challenge with a double batted quilt...

Done!  It's not perfect, but neither am I and it's still useful.  I'm quite happy....now....will the Chromebook fit???

Yup! And the chord too.  One happy camper!

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Flower Inspiration

I can see these dark purple lines as quilting!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Futuristic Flowers Part 3

The next step in the process is picking the threads for the blanket stitching.  I use Glide thread for this because it's so shiny!

Here you can see that I've done my stitching around the circle.  I decided to match the paint color on the inside instead of the purple fabric.

Here is that flower with the velvet stitched down.  It's the red fabric.  I used a larger size blanket stitch so that it would go a little deeper into the fabric.

And the flowers are all blanket stitched!

This orange ring is leather, I also used a larger size blanket stitch for this flower.  I love the diamond weave to the silk. 

This flower is dupioni silk with peach and purple pain in the oval and circle.  The ring is leather.

The stems and ovals on the stems are leather.  The bottom leaves are velvet.  The top leaves are dupioni silk with purple pain underneath.

More coming soon!  Wait until you see the vase they go in!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Filling Rectangles with Feathers 2

It's the last in my series about filling spaces with feathers.  These spaces were all bigger and I think they're my favorite.

I started this one with a line down the middle of the rectangle with circles in a few spots.  I then feathered the inside of the circles and then the outside spaces.  It's different and fun.

For this one I made a very curvy spine.  I like the way the feathers go back and forth.

For the last one I did a spine with eye shapes. Then I filled the spine with feathers and the outside too!

So what did I make with all these feathers?  A piece for a challenge from Hobbs Batting!

I made strips with some of my favorite turquoise Island Batik fabrics with fusible on the back.  Then I constructed this top and filled it with feathers.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop!  A few weeks ago I made a Christmas Flamingo that a lot of people really enjoyed.  We decided her name is Noelle.  And here she is in all her glory.

Here are a few pictures to show you the detail work I did on my flamingo.

I stitched around the outsides of all the pieces like this:

Here I added the string for the Christmas lights.

Here's a closeup of her head.

To get the pattern drawing click here.  Please be sure to share your finished creations with me!  I can't wait to see a flock of flamingos.

Please come join my Facebook Group - Machine Applique Adventures!  I post links to all my blog posts, inspiration, and all things quilty.  And be sure to stop back to my blog for new posts on Mondays (inspiration), Wednesdays and Saturdays (projects), and Fridays (machine quilting).

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Check out all the other amazingness on the hop:

Monday August 20

Just Let Me Quilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Days Filled With Joy

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Quilt Fabrication

Tuesday August 21

Life in the Scrapatch

Songbird Designs

Sew Many Yarns

Samelia's Mum

Vroomans Quilts

Wednesday August 22

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Creatin' in the Sticks

Just Because Quilts

Hazel's Daughter

Adventurous Applique and Quilting

BeaQuilter

Thursday August 23

Words & Stitches

Patchouli Moon Studio

Something Rose Made

Sew Golden A Chance

Clever Chameleon

Friday August 24

Seams to be Sew

That Fabric Feeling

Selina Quilts

Quarter Inch Crafter

Yanicka Quilt

MooseStashQuilting

Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop starts TODAY!

Lots of inspiration to be had this week with the Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop!  Check it Out!  I'll be back on Wednesday with my freebie :)

Monday August 20

Just Let Me Quilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Days Filled With Joy

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Quilt Fabrication

Tuesday August 21

Life in the Scrapatch

Songbird Designs

Sew Many Yarns

Samelia's Mum

Vroomans Quilts

Wednesday August 22

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Creatin' in the Sticks

Just Because Quilts

Hazel's Daughter

Adventurous Applique and Quilting

BeaQuilter

Thursday August 23

Words & Stitches

Patchouli Moon Studio

Something Rose Made

Sew Golden A Chance

Clever Chameleon

Friday August 24

Seams to be Sew

That Fabric Feeling

Selina Quilts

Quarter Inch Crafter

Yanicka Quilt

MooseStashQuilting

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Futuristic Flowers - Part 2

In addition to all the interesting textiles, I decided to add some Lumiere Metallic Paint to my project.  First step.  Add some paint to red suede.  It worked great and ended up kind of like patent leather.

Then I added some black and gray (4 shades) orange peels around the gold paint.  I absolutely love the way the pot turned out!

I also left some holes in my flowers and leaves for paint.  Here you can see the areas I needed to paint drawn on my background fabric - a black chambray denim.

Finally, I put down all the pieces.  Now for stitching......come back next week to check it out!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Filling Rectangles with Feathers Part 1

I am having such fun playing with feathers.  For this first rectangle I went for a classic curvy wreath idea.  The central feather on the top got extended.  I'm not sure I'd do that again, but there's a reason this shape is a classic!

Yes, this one is square, but I forgot it last week!  I did a big curvy s shape and then feathered it.  I love the way they flow.

Here's the first long rectangle I tried.  The spine has curls, but they come off straight from the curl before instead of in a curve.  I'm not sure I would do that again.

This last one I love!  I did a curvy spine, but it's off set.  The center of it is definitely on the right.  I like how that gives it a different feel than if it was symmetrical and in the center.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Futuristic Flowers - Part 1

I am having a lot of fun using non-cotton materials on my new project.  I decided not to use any traditional quilting cotton in this project.  I'm using silks, leather, chambray, and velvet.  The chambray is the background.

The three flowers below are each different.  Shier big shapes are all silk  The middle is dupioni and I'm not sure what kind the other two are, but they are beautiful.  The two circles on the left are leather and the one on the right is velvet.

So....how do I make these materials workable?  Terial Magic.  It's amazing stuff.  It makes things stiff as cardboard and easy to use.  I find that I can apply Steam a Seam fusible to all the materials except the velvet.  

For the velvet I use a light box to draw the shape right on the back.   Then I use a fine line of Elmer's School Glue.  I stick it where it needs to go and then iron from the BACK side to set the glue and make it stay put.  It works like a charm.  I also set the fusible on the leather pieces from the back because it would take too long for the heat to go all the way through the leather.

Come back Saturday for some more on this Futuristic Flowers project!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Flowers from a Walk with My Dad

My father and I took a walk along the Minnesota River last weekend.  Here are a few pretty wildflowers.  Enjoy!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

My Houston Auction Quilt

Once again this year I was asked to make a quilt for the small quilt auction in Houston for the International Quilt Festival.  I decided to make it match one of my quilts in the show, Dotville.

So this is Dotville Jr!

I had a blast playing with dot fabrics again.  Making mushrooms and trees.  My son was so inspired that he made one of his own.  But his is a mushroom house LOL.

Here's the back.  I love that you can see all the quilting.

Goal for the day.....get the binding on and sleeve attached.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Free Motion Friday - Filling a Square with Feathers

Lately I've been playing with filling squares and rectangles with feathers.  I was working on a secret project.  Don't worry.  I'll show you soon.  As part of this project I was filing squares with feathers and I decided to try filling them each differently.  

I started by drawing a spine and then filling the space around it.

The top image was started with a V shaped spine.  The middle image with a curl for a spine. And the bottom image a shallow curve for a spine.  They all work but definitely give a different feel to the spine of the feather.

For the last two squares I used a very gentle curve and then using a feather as a spine.

So....if I was to do it again, which would I choose?  I like all of them, so I suppose it depends on what shape I want to emphasize.  Until next week when we'll get into rectangles!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy