Island Batik Ambassador's Needle Paper Scissors Challenge - Part 1

I like all kinds of paper piecing.  Both foundation piecing and English paper piecing.  For this month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge I am again playing with the All a Flutter collection from Island Batiks.  

I decided to do the new Kwik Sparklers pattern from Two Kwik Quilters.  I am sew excited by all the possibilities with the pieces from this pattern.  I will definitely be playing around with it some more!

Here's the first piece I turned.  In the original pattern it can be broken into three segments or just one.  I opted for the bigger piece to better show off the fabric.

Here's me playing around with pieces for color placement.

And the first quarter unit all stitched together!  Karie has GREAT tips in the pattern for how to do this successfully.

Come back Saturday to see the next steps in this project!

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Voting Inspiration

This came across my Facebook Feed and I just had to share.  YES, please VOTE.  But seriously, my first thought was ....QUILT DESIGN!  Happy Monday.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Appliqueing Leather Tip

I have been loving appliqueing with leather lately.  Especially for dots...it doesn't fray!  However, I'm doing a huge leather piece right now and the blanket stitches were looking wonky and it wasn't traveling under the presser foot right.  The stitches were way too close together and as needles leave holes in leather ripping really isn't an option.

What to do? My mom to the rescue!  This is a Bernina 56 foot.  Why is it green?  It's Teflon coated so it glides over the fabric!  It worked like a charm and my blanket stitches looked MUCH better.

You have to be careful when appliqueing leather because the layers can start to separate as shown right in front of the needle in the picture below.  What to do?  Make sure you use a large width.  I usually do 2.0.  With leather, I go at least 2.5 for width.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Doodling Makes Me Happy

I am a doodler.  I have always been a doodler.  I have trouble sitting still in staff meetings.  So what do I do?  Draw quilt patterns!  Duh!  Here's some I was fooling around with during my last day of training.  YES, I was listening.  But I was also doodling....

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Catching up on my Feathered Friends

I've been participating in Helen Godden's 2018 Block of the Month, Feathered Friends featuring birds of Australia.  Here are a few that I've painted.  They still need to be free motion quilted, but they'll get there.

I hope you get to quilt today!

Suzy

Inspired by My Son

This first picture was drawn on my phone with Sketch by my son.  Love it!

Here he is drawing first thing in the morning.  Love him.

He was also insistent that he had to sew before school one day...while still in him pajamas.

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy

Black Fabric Bonanza

I'm working on some secret sewing that required unusual black fabric.  I'm sure I bought more than I'll ever use in the project, but I wanted to have a ton of textures to draw from.

Black striped leather!

Smooth black suede

Black leather with sequins on it!

Black textured satin.

Black velvet

Black taffeta with a burnout on it.

Regular black taffeta

Black satin

Black sheer with sequins.

Sequins!

Larger sequins!

I couldn't resist both sizes...

Now to work on finalizing the design!

I hope you get to quilt today!
Suzy