Are you up for a challenge?

So you know I love a dresden quilt and I really can't get enough of the wedge shape right now.  It's so versatile and the design possibilities are endless! So, good news!  There's a challenge afoot!

The Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild is sponsoring a new quilt challenge that I am really excited to be a part of. The EZ Dresden Quilting Challenge kicks off tomorrow, June 1 with a 14-day blog hop.

And guess what? I get to be a judge! This summer challenge wraps up at the end of August with judging in early September. Winning quilts will be displayed in the Simplicity booth At Fall Quilt Market. How cool is that?  

The challenge celebrates Darlene Zimmerman's 20^th anniversary designing quilting rulers for EZ Quilting. Quilters are encouraged to use the EZ Dresden ruler to create a traditional or innovative design. They even have a category for mini-quilts if you don't have the time to commit to a large project. Hop on over to the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild website to get all the details including the blog hop schedule and the fabulous list of prizes. Then be sure to enter your quilt by September 6. I can't wait to see your finished projects.  Have fun!

Walking Foot Wednesdays

I get lots of questions about quilting with the walking foot. I love straight line quilting because of the clean, modern feel it gives a quilt and so I do it a lot. A long time ago I did a post called Straight Line Quilting Hints and Tips which is a good introduction to quilting with a walking foot, but since then I've learned so much more and I'd like to share what I've learned in a new series of posts I'm calling "Walking Foot Wednesdays."

I'm thinking about exploring the following topics based on the questions I've gotten from readers and from my walking foot quilting experiences.  Here are my ideas:

1.  Know your walking foot

What is a walking foot?  How does it work?  How does the design and the features of your walking foot support you as a quilter?

2.  Basic Skills

How do I set up my quilting space to create a successful quilting experience.  What about stitch length? Does it matter?  How do I start and stop?  Where do I begin?

3.  It's All About Support

What is the best way to move your quilt through a home sewing machine?  How do I manage a small throat space?  Should I roll my quilt and clip it?  What will give me the best results?

4.  On The Straight and Narrow

How to channel quilting and grid quilt without going crazy. (well, maybe a little bit crazy!)  What are some creative options for those types of quilting?

5.  Linear Creativity

What are some options for going outside of the box with straight line quilting?  What are some tips to help succeed with more intricate designs.

6.  Mad about Matchstick Quilting

 If you love straight line quilting and want to really get your line on, this type of quilting is amazing and totally achievable on your home sewing machine.

7.  Getting Your Curve On!  

Yes, a walking foot can do curves.  Explore some ideas for simple curved quilting. 

8.  Getting Curvier?

Yes we can.  Your walking foot has lots of curvy potential.  

9.  Decorative Stitches

Don't forget about the decorative stitches on your computerized machine.  I'll share settings and some fun options for decorative quilting for a modern look.

10.  Creative Tied Quilts

Have you ever thought about machine tied quilts?  Are there creative options that might work to tie quilts in a new way?

I'm not quite ready to start, but I thought I'd share the idea and see what you thought.  Feel free to grab the button from my sidebar.  I'll try to have a button code for you by next week.

Don't forget that the "Quilting Modern" blog blast weekend starts on Friday.  Be sure to drop by to get the scoop and enjoy a full weekend party celebrating the book.  Katie and I will kick it off with tours of our sewing studios and some hints for working in small spaces and creative storage ideas.

Oh and the winner!!!  Jennifer Lowe...it's you!  Send me your contact info and I'll get Quilt Trends off to you ASAP!  Congratulations!!

Bouncing Wedges

I have to thank Quilt Trends Magazine for doing such a great job styling my "Bouncing Wedges" quilt. The pattern for this quilt is in their summer issue which should be out soon.  The quilt is made with Dan Stiles Mod Squad fabric and some of the solids from the Birch Mod Basics.  Gotta love those solids!  They make those prints shine.

I made the quilt for Cynthia, of Birch Fabrics...actually I made two of them.  Both quilts are still with her in her shop.  I can't wait for them to come home again! Here are both color versions on display at Quilt Market in Kansas City.  I've been experimenting with lots of wedge based designs lately and I'm pretty happy with this one.

The quilting on both of these quilts is pretty intense and I think it adds so much to the design of the quilt.  Those lines are 1/4" apart.  Yikes!  Took me forever, but it was worth it.

I also love that Dan added this great bias stripe in his collecton.  You get the bias binding look without having to cut bias binding.  Gotta love that!

If you'd like my extra copy of Quilt Trends with the pattern for Bouncing Wedges, leave a comment today and I'll draw a winner Wednesday.
Comments are now closed...winner to be announced soon.

Save the Date: Quilting Modern Blog Blast Weekend!

Publishing a book is a long process from initial idea through execution and finally publication.  The process is much like having a baby except with a very long labor.  It's a milestone in my life and an event worth celebrating.  As my wise husband said, "It's time you sit down and enjoy this a bit."  As usual, he's right!

Katie and I weren't much for the idea of a traditional blog tour that stretches out forever and you hear the same thing over and over, so we opted for something a little different.  Each of you have been a part of our journey and we'd like to celebrate with our blog friends, so we're having a virtual party and you are invited!  I'm calling it the 'Quilting Modern Blog Blast!" A team of talented sewers and quilters are attending and we hope you'll join in. You'll find out all the details next week, so for now mark your calendars for June 1 - 3 as party time!

The party starts Friday, June 1 with tours of Katie's and my studios and continues all weekend. So for now, save the date, stock up on your favorite beverages and snacks.  Attire is casual...I'll be wearing my favorite pj's and I'm thinking balloons and confetti poppers might be required at my house.

In the meantime I've made a couple of miniature versions of quilts in the book.  This is a version of the "Add It Up" quilt.

 I had some of the strip piecing leftover, so I made another version of the Fiesta quilt.

These quilts are going to some lucky person in the Chicago area.  I'm having an in person celebration at The Needle Shop in the Bucktown neighborhood very close to where I live.  I'll be displaying quilts and signing books.  Everyone who brings in a book or purchases a book has a chance to take home one of these quilts.  I'm so looking forward to celebrating with my new Chicago friends and meeting new folks in the Chicago sewing and quilting community.  Chicago peeps, Saturday, June 9 from 2:00 to 6:00 is the date and time.  I so hope to see you there for treats, quilts and conversation.  If you haven't checked out The Needle Shop for fabric shopping, it's going to be a treat.  I adore this shop and have added to my stash because of Rachel's exquisite taste in fabric.  They're also the most helpful folks!

Got the dates on your calendar?  I can't wait!!

Awesomeness!

A friend texted me this and I had to share it. I met Elizabeth, Amanda Jean and Cheryl, who I've been blog friends with for years for the first time at quilt market. It's an honor to be listed in the top ten Crafts and Hobbies books with these two books, both simply amazing. We've all come a long way in a short time. If you haven't checked out their books, you definitely should.

It's Also About...People!

I've had a little time to reflect on Quilt Market.  I feel like there is a glow of inspiration and motivation surrounding me that I didn't have before I left for Kansas City.  It's great to see all the new fabrics, patterns and notions, but the very best part of market for me was the people.  It's wonderful to connect with friends, put names to faces of internet friends and get to know them a bit and also meet new people.

People don't know that I'm a pretty shy person and meeting unfamiliar people isn't what I'm best at, but let me tell you, people at market make it easy for you.  Maybe it's because we all have so much in common and it's easy to talk fabric and quilts with folks who love them as much as you do.

My book signing was probably one of the best quilting related experiences I had at market.  Don't get me wrong, it's fun to sign a book, but the people who came were simply wonderful.  Most were shop owners who were willing to share their thoughts on the book and how they sell books and what makes a book that will work for their customers and their shops.  I'm sure I got more out of the experience than they did.

Speaking of people, the team from Marmalade fabrics was a stellar example of quilt market folks.  Tammy is my friend, but I had never met Arlene or Lisa before and they became my posse at quilt market.  They were busy buying fabric for the shop and every time they saw me, they offered me water, to get me lunch, to empty my weighty bag or simply flashed a smile which goes a long way after a very long day.  These are some very special ladies!  I know that they stocked Marmalade with some amazing fabrics.

Thanks for coming by for the giveaway.  The winner of the book is Little Island Quilting and Jenny who like me thinks RK should put out an insert with all the new colors to add to our color cards wins the pins and some other goodies!  Congratulations!  You should have received an email from me.

For more quilt market news, check out Kathy Mack's great market review on the Pink Chalk Studio blog.

243 Pieces of Heaven!

I'm back from Quilt Market in Kansas City and trying to recover quickly and get back to work. I have so much to share. I will say it was a whirlwind. I've never been busier with "Quilting Modern" book business, magazine business, helping friend's with business, Modern Quilt Guild and Quilt Con business and so much more.  As I've said before on this blog, Quilt Market is all about business! I learned so much too!  Thanks to all of you in the quilting community who are so willing to share and help those of us who are newbies in the business.

As I said in the last post I got a quick peek at the new We Love Color book right before I left for market.  My quilt is on the cover and was hanging in the C&T Publishing booth.  It has some signature Angela Walter's quilting on it.  It was great to see it again and see the rest of the quilts in the book in person in the Robert Kaufman Kona Solids booth.  I shared my quilt along with Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson and Weeks Ringle of Craft Nectar at the We Love Color Schoolhouse.  I have to admit it was pretty intimidating to follow those two quilters.  I think my favorite quilt in the book was the one made by Kathy of Pink Chalk Studio and Pink Chalk Fabrics, but it's hard to choose.

Did you know that Kona cotton now comes in 243, yes, 243 different colors.  I picked up a new color card and hung it in my studio first thing this morning.  Talk about inspiration!

They've added 28 new ones and they are super great!  Remember that our friend Tammy at Marmalade carries a whole boatload of Kona colors so be sure to check them out at Marmalade Fabrics!

I have some extra copies of the book and let's start by giving away one of those and some Quilt Market goodies.

Robert Kaufman made some totally cute pins buttons that have the quilts and the designer on them.  They are darling!  So, leave a comment to win letting me know your favorite Kona cotton color.  Tell me why too!  I'll do the random number thing and pick the winners on Wednesday!  Be sure to enter by Wednesday 6 a.m. CST.

More Quilt Market news to come.


Comments are now closed.  Winner to be announced soon!

To Market....To Market

My copies of the We Love Color book arrived yesterday just in time for me to take a look before heading out to market.  My Think Big quilt is on the cover and there are some real gems inside!  I'll be doing a Schoolhouse on Thursday, May 17th with some of the other designers in the book.  Come and join us in Room 2203 at 2:35!

I'll also be doing a book signing for my book,  Quilting Modern:  Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts, on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in the Quilting Arts Booth #1136-38!  I hope to see you there!

Someone had his sad face on while I was packing.  A suitcase might mean he's being left behind and this time it's true.  Though, my hubby will be home, it won't be the same.  Bruno is a ladies' man.

Luckily for the big guy, I've hired a lady for him.  Yup, Bruno will have his own girl while I'm away.  He should have a smile on that face before you know it.  Her name is Julie and she's pretty fabulous.  Julie is Bruno's personal dog walker and new friend.  She and Bruno are going to get along just fine and I'll be happy knowing that he's happy!

For those of you heading to market I sure hope to see you there!  I'm chomping at the bit for a week filled with quilty conversation, new fabrics, and good business.

I'm outta here!

The Traveling Quilts

This is round three of the Traveling Quilts for Dan.  After reading Dan's and Penny's journal entries I knew what I wanted to do.  Like Dan, I love making my own fabric.  Dan made the green fabric and I decided to make some in gray.  Dan also shared a sketch where he had sections of a quilt defined by different shapes and I wanted to make a section that fit that vision.  He also was inspired by the moon and so my section for Dan is my interpretation of the moon rising.

 I followed Penny's lead and chopped one of Dan's circle into two sections.  Yikes, that took guts on my part.  I gripped that rotary cutter and went for it.

 The only thing I did differently than my regular curved piecing is that I stay stitched the cut curve of the pieced section.  I wanted it to be nice and stable and not unravel as I handled it.  Worked like a charm.

Dan sent some extra of the print fabric and I had to use a piece.  I cut templates for a full circle and pieced it.  I didn't want to disturb the print. I love how the almost full moon blends into Dan's piecing.  I wasn't planning to match up the prints, but the cut was so close, I moved the moon over a bit and matched it as best I could.

My goal was to get this done and sent off before heading to Quilt Market.  Yippee.  Now to pack and make sure I have everything on my list!  I have this fear of forgetting something.  It's going to be a busy, exciting week!

Going Old School

I guess I'm an old school girl. I love to be surrounded by the things that inspire me and so I made another inspiration board for the studio. Pretty soon every bit of wall space will be covered with something.

I pieced together some of my last bits of this Jessica Jones fabric and covered a couple of foam core boards that I taped together.  It's the same fabric that I used for my sewing machine cover, my stool and my ironing station.

And then I started to "pin".   Definitely "old school", but it works for me.  Isn't this yellow amazing!  I'm sort of obsessed with yellow and gray right now.  Orange and gray always works for me too.

On Baby Watch!

We're still on baby watch around here, so I might be able to get this one done under the wire. We shall see. I decided on a layout. I used 5 of the 8 blocks I made. I like odd numbers in design. (A landscape architect friend taught me that.)  Babyscape is now a top.

I chose a blue a few shades darker than the blue in the landscapes and then the same pale flesh to use in the background.  I wish I had a darker pink that I liked, but no, so I went with this.  I'm pretty happy with it.  It's about 55" x 65" so it should be a nice sized quilt for laying on the floor for some tummy play.

I had a few additional blocks so I framed one as a wall hanging and quilted it up.  It gave me an opportunity to try out a quilting idea.  I don't think I'll go with that for the large quilt.  It seems to overwhelm a bit.  I need to think about how would be best to quilt this.  I want it simple and clean.

I have one large block that I'm thinking will be on the back of the quilt.  I'm trying to piece together enough of my leftovers.  I love using leftovers for quilt backs.

In other news...did the radio thing....I'll say one thing, it's better than doing TV....no hair and makeup and you can do radio in your pj's!  Lastly, a great review for "Quilting Modern" on the Library Journal website.  It was characterized as "a picture book for adult readers" and written about in the same article as a book by Martha Stewart.  Wowsers!  Best part about that....I remember telling our editor, Elaine, that I wanted the book to be beautiful, and it is.  Thank you Interweave and our amazing photographer, Joe Hancock!  "Quilting Modern" makes a great coffee table book.

Gentle Curves

I finally have a new design on the design wall and it feels so good!  A new friend in Chicago is having a baby (any minute now) and I'm making a quilt for her soon to be little one.  Right now I'm calling it Babyscapes.  I'm trying not to make the blog all book, all the time, but since the techniques in the book are what I use to make quilts it's hard not to.  This is another design that can be made using the technique in the Embrace Your Curves chapter.

 I made individual landscape vignettes for each block.  The fabrics are my favorite brown (cloud9's earth) and my go to pink (kona pale flesh) and a light periwinkle blue (kona cloud).  The frames are one of my go to fabrics to add texture...osnaburg.  Osnaburg is cotton and has a wonderful texture much like linen, but unlike linen is very inexpensive.

I'm still playing with the layout.  It's not quite balanced like I want it to be.  I know I want to color block the quilt.  I wanted to use the brown and pink, but it felt too heavy.  I'm not sold on the pink/blue combo either.  I have another idea I want to try, but I need to get moving on this.

I do love the serene, soft feeling that these blocks create. I think I like it.

One more thing...Katie and I will be on Mark Lipinski's Creative Mojo radio show tomorrow.  Tune in at 4:00 EST.  I have a feeling it's going to be a hoot!

You can call in and join the fun.  It would be great to talk with you, so call in.  I'll be less nervous with a friend on the phone!

Busy as a Bee!

I never expected the flurry of activity that swirls around the release of a book. My email box is overflowing and I'm doing my best to handle it all. I finally got the upcoming events tab updated with what's happening in just the next couple of months. Again, thank you for all of your kind words and support. We've started a "Quilting Modern" Flickr group for those of you who are already making quilts from the book. Dang, you are quick! I've seen versions of Fiesta and Blind Copilot and I've heard from many of you that you are busy making quilts. Yipppeee!! Sew on, peeps!!

"Shattered" is my favorite quilt in the book and my son's favorite. Too bad for him it has places to go and things to do.

 That means I have to make another one for him, a queen sized one for his bed. I promised. I'm on it, Ben! A friend and I tried to do a rooftop photo shoot with a few quilts.

After 100's of shots with most of them ending up like this one...we gave up. It was a windy city day...but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the sunshine and the view from the roof of my building.

Katie has another event coming up in Seattle. Again, if you're anywhere nearby (within a 4 or 5 hour drive) be sure to go out and support her. You'll get to see quilts from her collection and some of the quilts from the book. She made the "Shattered" quilt from the book in another colorway....massive quilt love! Thank goodness that quilt didn't slip into the water!

I'm sewing again...a little at a time and working on protecting my neck and back and keeping myself in shape to continue to be the kind of quilter I want to be. That's a long story for another time.