Flight of Fancy

This is one of my quilts, I called it Flight of Fancy.

It's a gorgeous shot cotton, emerald green and red, so depending on how the quilt is rotated and how the light is hitting it --it looks either more green or more red, as you can see in the photos above.

This was my entry to my guild's challenge this year--for the past two years we've made which ever project we like (starting with about 1m of fabric, adding fabrics as you wish).  I wasn't sure what to make, and then saw Jamie Wallen's video on his Flying Geese Rulers.

Several of us went on a shop hop to Olds, a small town about an hour from Calgary that has 3 quilt shops!  ( I think Calgary has 4).  We had so much fun, and I had my eye out for a gorgeous piece of fabric, and when I found a shelf of shot cottons at one of the stores, then it was hard to pick--also hard because I didn't know who would be winning this project at the guild exchange, and some colors I knew I loved but maybe others wouldn't.

And by then, I had received my Quilters Apothecary rulers, and I set out to have some fun!

I used red threads, and green threads, and two different sizes of flying geese triangles.

 The center 'focus' if you will got some curlys in the center, and the remainder of the background was meandered. 

 The back is a black fabric, which shoes the thread color changes well.  I put hanging corners on 3 corners, so the quilt owner can decide which direction to hang it, or change it up.

 Two layers of batting really lets the quilting show.

 I'm not sure if it made a difference or not, but I matched the binding directions (so cut LOF for 2 bindings and WOF for 2 bindings). 

  Kerri got to take this quilt home with her,  and I got this fabulous Elephant and I pillow by Vicki.  I love it!

I have a plan for this years exchange now.  We're doing a Choose Your Own Adventure type project, with the goal of trying something new or a stretch (new technique, different color palette etc).  

Dorothy's Applique Quilt

I haven't met Dorothy, but her daughter is one of my clients, and she brought me this quilt to finish for her mother.

Isn't it lovely?  I hope I can do work like this when I'm Dorothy's age (who am I kidding?  I don't do hand work like this now LOL)

We decided on a simple continuous curve in the pieced blocks, and a large flower in the setting blocks.

 The applique was outlined (not ditched), which is a faster and thus less spendy treatment, and then echoed.  I think it turned out splendidly.    I did stitch around the center of each flower, as they are too large to leave unquilted.  Aren't those birds great? 

and I added the floral design from the setting squares in the negative space left between appliques at top and bottom center.

The photo of the back shows that there was no ditch stitching in the quilt--and the designs from the borders flowed into the setting squares, so not even between the body of the quilt and the border.  Not every quilt needs ditching.

Thanks Dorothy, for letting me play with your quilt.

Annette's got a new Grandbaby--

Well--in February she had a new Grandbaby, I'm just behind on my posting.  And, it's only relevant here because Annette made her new grandchild a quilt, and, looking at all she had to accomplish that month, decided to send the quilt to me for quilting.

 If I recall correctly, I got it quilted just in time, and she may have even still been stitching binding on the plane on her way to greet the baby.  AND baby's parents, of course--but maybe not---when my Dad became a Grandpa, we (the new parents) pretty much just became chauffeurs.  He'd phone, and say things like "G (my sister's oldest) is coming for supper, can E (my oldest) come too?"  the oldest of the kids was less than 2 at the time--so they definitely needed chauffeurs and attendants, but really, I think our presence was incidental.   

1/4 log cabin blocks...very nice for a baby.

 I love that blue grunge fabric in there.   

And she put a oh so soft butter colored fireside fleece on the back.

Labyrinth

Noreen brought me two Labyrinth quilts at once--this one and her Labyrinth Walk

I loved her choices of Stonehenge fabrics in this quilt.  The labyrinth is very subtle.

this picture below you can see the more beige-y square intertwining with the brown square.

LOVE this fabric on the left below and it's colour variations.  

The split photo above shows the difference  between having the lights on (left) and the lights off (right).  I quilted with the lights off--just the side light from the windows showing the texture, that way I could see where I'd already been. 

Labyrinth Walk

Noreen made this great optical illusion quilt, and we decided to put an E2E design on it.

 I LOVE the fabrics she chose, it looks like it just belongs in my room.

 Looking at it from the side takes away the illusion a bit, and makes it a little easier to see the blocks.

 Standing on a chair to get some distance really helped the 3D illusion appear.

and here's the flimsy as I was loading it on the quilting frame

I guess Noreen likes it, because she didn't bring it back to live on my bed :)

Little Monsters

I had an old a long time acquaintance call to put her quilt in the queue, and it was so nice to hear from her.    This is what she brought me--isn't it fabulous!!

 This is the unquilted flimsy, but just look at all those appliques!  The entire center of the quilt is applique, and most of the borders are too.  HAND APPLIQUE!!  I know, I know, lots of people do it, and do it very well, as C does, but it isn't one of my skills, so I'm always in awe.

and in progress...

I had so much fun quilting this Little Monsters by Don't Look Now quilt.

 Each of the inner borders was different, so they each got quilted differently. 

 I love how this green border turned out --on the back too

C asked for a curly fill between the appliques, and minimal stitching on the appliques themselves, so I only stitched on the appliques that were 3" and bigger. 

 The only ditching is between borders--the other stitching is close enough that ditching wasn't necessary.

 C made this quilt for her nephew, and from what I've heard, he loves it.  There's an extra connection there as well, since how I know C is through her sister, who was one of my university housemates.

 Here's a photo of the full quilt, so you can see all the different borders.  Did I mention how fun this quilt was?

 I love the octopus from the back. 

I have a great job!

Quilts for the Church

As part of the Quilting Ministry at Symons Valley United Church, I quilt liturgical wallhangings, such as Covenants , and also the compassionate quilts made to give to people in the congregation as needed.

We had, at one point a few years ago, built up an inventory, combined with a few years where people stayed relatively healthy, and thus we hadn't had to make compassionate quilts for some time.  When the quilts were all gone, we had to start making again.   These two were needed and gifted almost as soon as they were finished.  So, they have found their homes, and are providing comfort to people as a tangible reminder of the love, hugs and prayers from the remainder of the congregation.

 The compassionate quilts for adults, to date, are all Yellow Brick Roads, and all batik fabrics.  For a very long time, we had leftovers from the permanent banners in the sanctuary that went into the quilts, (and scraps from the quilts that predated the banners in the banners), but we have exhausted that supply now. 

One of the quilters says her husband even recognizes the pattern now, when he sees it.  He should!  I  think we've made about 40 of these. 

 we use a very plain backing, as members of the congregation will sign their well wishes on the back before it is gifted to the recipient.

 I like to quilt these in pairs, as I can get two on the same wide backing.  The quilts usually measure about 49x50 (give or take an inner border) 

This next one is for a child or youth when needed, the last time we made one it wasn't used for 7 years, so we hope to be as lucky with this one, and it can age well in our cabinet.

 The fabrics in this are so fun, and, it  uses bits from the prior child/youth compassionate quilt, so there is that continuity. 

Periodically we gift quilts to the elders (that's a much gentler and better word than Octogenarians--which is hard to determine, since some people age so very well, and we aren't allowed to ask)  in our congregation, unsigned, but able to be signed should the occasion arise.  We want the elders to be wrapped in our love when they are well, having reached such a lofty age, they shouldn't have to wait to be ill as well.  We are working on building our supply of these as well.

and this last little quilt has gone to the Foothills hospital, as part of the quilts my other guild makes for babies in a unit at the hospital.