Lucky Boots Gifted today

I am so excited.  Each December in my friendship group, we draw secret pal names for next Christmas. We make whatever we want them to have.  It's so fun planning and making something for someone and actually keeping it a secret for 12 months....  Today late morning, I will present this uniquely designed art piece for Indiana-born ( thus the sunflowers), would-be cowgirl ( thus the boots)  to friend Janmarie Halliday who happens to also love the color turquoise.  She's getting a long awaited sewing room within the month and she just might need an art quilt to display.  So... this is designed for her... painted with pigments inks.. and quilted.  All the luck from the horseshoe door hinge is going straight to the foot of her lucky boots.  Hope she likes it!   I'd love to have those boots myself!

In beautiful AUBURN, CA- 4 nights lodging, 11 meals, and 4 days class with Patt

The very progressive Whistle Stop Quilt Shop (' love their name)  has invited me  to teach a 4 day Painted Quilt Art Retreat in  beautiful Auburn California. Might be a good Christmas gift to self to sign up. I love this retreat format as students can come home with a completed project... (YEAH!)   Take a look and all have a wonderful Holiday... Me?... I'm sneaking off to Hawaii. Good Idea huh?!

PAINTED QUILT ART with Patt Blair 

Dates:  April 18, 2016 - 
check in 2p.m. to April 22 - check out 10a.m.

 paint one of my drawings ( example) 

or work from www.pattsart.com EZ drawing Button 

(actually tracing) to have an original subject you want! 

Location:

Mercy Center Auburn

535 Sacramento St.

Auburn, CA  95603

Fee:  $575 - includes 4 nights lodging, 11 meals & 4-day workshop

Sponsored by Whistle Stop Quilt Shop

Prospective students can contact us as we have the retreat contract, payment info, and supply list, etc. 

 For contract with the venue .... Initial Registration thru Whistle Stop required by 12-31-15

click here to go to their website and give them a call if interested. 

 Owner - Suzanne Maguire

Whistle Stop Quilt Shop

13342 Lincoln Way

Auburn, CA  95603

530-888-1882

www.WhistleStopQuiltAndSew.com

Last minute hostess gift- HOT pad

Years ago there was a trend of this design ( sons batting) to serve as a coaster. For some time I have used this design as a large hot pad or even pot holder, filling it with 2 layers of batting.
It's nice to give a pair as a gift... I've done many in Christmas fabrics too....

 It does require 2 complimentary fabrics. A half yard each of 2 complimentary fabrics can make up to 4 9" hot pads ( or pot holders for those that still cook) ;-D
So...  here's the required supplies to make 1 heavy duty hot pad :
5  9" squares of fabric compliments.. I used 2 of each fabric ( Black and Black/Green Batik) for the top, and 1 black for the back.  I have an appx. 4 x 6  optional scrap (black/ green) that I will explain later... and 2  9" squares of cotton batting... ( I had some black scraps so am using  that but the neutral color is fine as batting is not seen but perhaps sightly where 4 double fold triangles come together in the center  top side of the finished piece.  (example bottom right of pic below.)

Begin by matching up (right side out) opposite corners of 4  9" squares ( 2 of each compliment fabric) , ending up with 4 right side out triangles. IRON the triangle! 

Set the 4 triangles aside while prepping the next part. 

Stack 2 layers of batting on top of which I placed the 4 x 6 scrap of batik.( This piece of scrap will eventually ( when all is complete) be directly beneath the 4 doubled over triangles that will add shortly.

Stitch the scrap to the batting by sewing 1/4" around all four sides.

Flip over batting to batik side down in prep for next step.

You'l now begin placing the right side up pieces of fabric. First place  atop the batting... the right side  up of backing fabric square.

Now we will begin the layered  'weave' of the 4 right side out traingles.

First one with raw edge point matched to the top left  outside corner.

Then  working clockwise a compliment fabric to the right top corner.

Now the match to bottom right.

Then to Bottom left. 

Carefully 'release the top half of the hidden batik from below the black corner at the left. 

Lay in carefully atop the fourth added black triangle and you'll be ready to sew the thing together.

Before sewing all layers together... you will need to lower the amount of pressure on your pressure foot. Read on!

 

 Remember that there's alot of layers on this piece. ... Essentially four layers of fabric on top, 1 full square layer beneath the four triangles, and 2 layers of batting!  EEK!   All thats left to do is secure these several layers together ( next step) and then turn things inside out. 

As your sew around the outside edges, make certain the corner points stay lined up.  Pin if needed.

All sewing done and we are ready to turn this inside out though  to make the end result a bit less bulky at the finished corners, you may find it helpful to snip away a wee bit of the four corners of batting and triangle tips 

Turned right side out now... press with the iron and prepare to give away. 

This looks a bit more complicated than it is....  I can easily cut, stack, sew, iron,  thus finish 2 in less than an hour. Happy holidays all. 

Table for the Holidays

 I'm a sucker for panels (though like many use but a few purchased)  and this one caught my eye a year or so back...   Sooo festive. This makes a nice table holiday cover and a chance to play and "experiment with quilting motifs". So that's just what I did here on this 42" wide panel..

 

I loved all 3 dramatic images. The central wreath was loaded with a calling for simple outline quilting much like needed to show off  applique. A more simple cross grid in wreath center gave the eye a place to rest.. and plenty of free form Victorian feathers surrounded the central image on all three  panel segments.

Peace on the left... oh how we need peace in our world.

and joy on the right. These 2 cardinals are gorgeous.  Kudos to the designer . 

 Love the text of twigs and berries.  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ! 

Someone will get this this holiday but don't know who .. yet! 

UPDATE... Last evening one of  our group of quilt friends  had dinner and drew numbers in one of those Silly Santa select and steal exchanges. Quilter with the  drawn from a plate number 1 got this piece and  kept it. 

Click on photos for enlarged views.

5 Day Quilt Camp w/ me in Arizona.. January 25-29, 2016

Getting Ready for 2016's Quilt Camp in the Desert... 
What better place to spend a week this January !  

A wee bit of self promotion before the holidays go full out.... Hope some can join me!

101: Painted Quilt Art - Patt Blair - January 25-29 

This class is perfect for those that don't draw, don't paint, but want to anyway. Bring an enlarged photo tracing from one of your own photos or chose from one of my ready to go contour drawings. To create your own drawing, go to pattsart.com and click on EZ Drawing button. (Also See Patt's Ready To Go 18 x 24 Options viewable at www.pattsart.com via the button titled Workshops shown at near top of page) You'll paint using TSUKINEKO fabric Inks and special stick applicators. My job will be to make you successful! ☺ Quilting Segment Description: Using your already finished top, we'll first review what quilt lines convey what messages. You'll then create a quilting plan for your piece. Finally, you QUILT to your hearts content. Note: should you prefer to keep painting yet another project (many do!), that's fine too

Cost: $ 625.00
Painted Art Quilt - 5 days

Use your Photo or one of Patt's

Quilting in the Desert

www.quiltcamp.com

480-874-3411

click here  to go to  http://www.quiltcamp.com/module/class.htm?classId=81768 for class details including supply list 

 and

 click here to go to http://www.quiltcamp.com for registration information. 

Quilted At Last

In the summer of 2014, friend Laurie and I came across a darling quilt in an Arizona shop.  The pattern set is called "A Bit of Bliss" though we call it the Friends quilt. Pattern is pricey ( each block a pattern) and was designed around using pieced backgrounds off fat quarters.  I must admit... it wasn't an easy pattern to interpret.  Several of my groups members wanted to make it as it was pretty danged cute.  Being the type that rarely follows instructions, I changed several blocks that better fit what brought me bliss... ;-D.  (notably missing are the current Mr Bond... 007,  Baileys and Coffee, and an orderly sewing room.)
  My heart in the center left is an appliqued heart rather than the pieced one in the pattern.  My house on the top row, eliminated the intended pickup truck and planted a funky flower garden plus added stained glass windows in the house.     On the lower half of the quilt, I substituted one block for a 1960s-type portable radio that I might have listened to while taking a bubble bath in the adjacent block, and finally... if I were having a pot of tea, I'd like to have that high tea sweets platter shown on bottom right.
As always... the quilting is a mind game for me.
. I want to make blocks different for interest... but not too different.
. I want the quilting motif to enhance/support the blocks 'story.'
. and I want motifs to occasionally be repeated within the quilt.
So here goes... click on photos for enlarged views.

This is block 1... THE one that first drew me in.  Such happy playful birds thus the free flowing loopy quilting hopefully says that too.

The quilting on this 'happy house' is simply a wavy sky. 

Coffee with a friend screams of happy hearts .

My polka dot purse is surrounded with like  circle 'bubbles.' 

Free flowing McTavish-like flow surrounds this happy heart. 

Free and loopy teardrops repeated 

Big swirls follow the 'plume' of the hat. 

                                            McTavish-like background for kitty 

                                             
                                                    and tea

Circle Qs for the flower cart and bubble bath. 

and num num... happy hearts for the sweets tray. 

                                             'Had to go with radio 'waves' here.

so... now to bind... !  

Beginning to Look Like Christmas

One of my favorite days of the year...  my Church's Christmas Celebration for Women... A morning of brought in gift shopping from all parts of the world.... all supporting women in business, a wonderful luncheon, and a speaker that brings thanks and hope. If that wasn't enough... two of my dearest friends will join with me.
Friday night was free... so a small token gift for each friend was made.  These are oversized kitchen hand towels to hopefully brighten their holidays.  First linen towels made... EZ beazy.  Then lazer cut applique added and stitched.  I'm not wrapping... just plastic bags to keep 'em clean and folded.

                                                                 and

                                  lazer applique by Urban Elementz.