A great idea

I just had to share this super fantastic idea I found over at The Crafty Cupboard.  Do you ever attend workshops where an iron is needed and they say, 'will provide 4 ironing boards to share'?  I love my fellow workshop quilters, but I do detest waiting in line to use the iron.  I do have one of those mini ironing boards, but I swear mine is only 3" wide.   

My problem is now solved, thanks to this fantastic tutorial.  It uses a tv tray!   How brilliant is that?

I used a heavy canvas fabric from Ikea to cover it.   Then I really got thinking.... every holiday I bring out these tv trays to hold the excess food that won't fit on the table due to all the company I have.   It is always a pain as only salads and buns can go on there, but now because of the insulated batting, I can put anything on there.   Wait, if I am worried I may get a spill on my fancy workshop ironing board, I am just going to put a seasonal placemat on the top so I am super stylish and preserving my board!   

So when you see me at the next workshop, don't worry I won't be holding up the line waiting for the ironing board!

One last thing, it took me 23 minutes to make, and 9 of those minutes were spent finding my husband's staple gun.

What do you think?

Postcard Challenge

Quilting Arts magazine had a challenge called 'Staycation', where you had to make a postcard reflecting what you did at home this summer.   I started with some hand dyed upholstery fabric.   In this picture you can really see the fabulous texture.   I cut out the parts that I liked the best.

I sewed them together and then did some free motion quilting around the outside and a couple flowing lines in the middle.   

I spent the rest of the time beading.  When I finished beading I applied Timtex and a back layer and stitched around the outside.   I will pop it in the mail and hope it gets there on time.

A Little News and a Cool Site

There is a show called Quilt National.  Some say it is the cream of the crop of quilting in North America.   I have been working on my  entry  for it like crazy.   It is due Friday.   I have had 2 years to get it done.   I started on Monday. They accept 80 out of about 1,000 entries.  They don't let you show it at all.   Anywhere.   So, I am writing this with a huge smile on my face.   It is all true, and no I am not completely delusional.  I fully realize I have no chance of getting in. But, and a big giant BUT here, when I do  (and we are all going to pretend that someday I do), I want to be able to say that I have been diligently trying for the last 32 years to get in!

Go and check out the site, they show the winners for several years.  It is a feast for the eyes for sure.   I will tell you this, I was using a hammer and nails to prepare some of the embellishments for it.   As soon as I get my rejection letter, I will post it.  Until then, you can just wonder away as to what I was doing with those tools=)

On another topic, I mentioned before that I signed onto the national Board here in Canada called Canadian Quilters' Association.   I started in May and can honestly tell you I am having the time of my life.   One of my tasks is to help look after our brand new blog. It showcases great quilt teachers, fun tidbits and some breathtaking quilts.   Today there is a fantastic way to download tutorials using a site I was just told about.   

Go and check it out, and by all means, if you are so inclined, hit that 'follow' button.

Now fingers crossed I finish my entry in time!

Found at someecards

New 3D Art Quilt with Tutorial

Remember I teased you with this picture:

I can now show you the whole quilt.   There is a funny story about this one.  Pellon needed something using their product 'Fabric Magic' by the end of a week, for a promotion with a huge company.

I was emailed, but was leaving in middle of said week.  Not wanting to let Pellon down, and knowing the product made fabric go 3D, I decided to try. At 5 pm I walked into my studio with no idea whatsoever in my head, and having never used the product, I got started. At 10 pm I skipped joyfully out with this.

Now to clarify this NEVER happens to me, that an idea hits, no kinks happen, well, other than restarting the project halfway through.   That was when the really big brainwave hit, and then I got petrified I didn't have enough of the Fabric Magic left.  The fabric used is 'Apple of My Eye' by The Quilted Fish.

The tutorial is here.   The great news, Pellon loved it and is going to use it for promotion...more on those details later=))

What do you think?

P.S. My friend Nina Marie is doing a link up Friday, drop by and check it out.

Back to School = Back to Reality

If you are like me and still have kids in school, or if not,  imagine a summer filled with playing, sunshine and happiness.   Then imagine a dark cloud moving in called 'School' and life is filled with tears, lunches and  homework. Maybe I am exaggerating slightly alot, but regardless the days of no schedule are over for ten months.

On the positive side, and there always is one, I can GET BACK TO QUILTING!  You have been so great to stick by me, as I know my posts border on sparse this past summer.  Now I am ready to roll out the quilts, find new ways to 3D embellish and maybe even do a bit of teaching along the way.

This weekend I spent time working on two different quilts.   One was hand applique... OH MY GOODNESS that is tedious work.  If you are a hand quilter, you really, really need to give yourself a pat on the back.  Heck, go buy yourself something chocolate.  You deserve it.

The other project, albeit hand work, but not quite so insane, was stitching my felted pieces.   Finally this weekend I had a brainwave and figured out how I was going to turn this into a quilt.  It took the right piece of fabric and two years of sketches, yes I did say two years.   I could just never get the design to look like what I wanted it to.

I even visioned using it in a piece of wearable art... but the thought of sewing them together and then cutting off the pieces that didn't fit into the pattern made me too sad.

Now I am really excited with what I think may work.   We all know what you have on paper does not necessarily turn out like that once you try and make it into a quilt.  Well, that is what happens with me.  How do you get a new quilt started?

Quilting Arts Challenge

I have decided to try and enter more challenges this year.  One that came up is the Quilting Arts challenge.  I am an avid subscriber to their magazine and enjoy all the different opportunities they provide in their magazine.     This challenge is to produce an ATC - artist trading card.  The theme is 'What's In Your Heart' and it must be 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" and it will be swapped with another.

I have never made a quilt that size before.   I do know they like embellishments on their challenges, so I raided my kids tool boxes for unique embellishments.   Don't even ask if they are 3D, you know the answer=)

I started by cutting and stitching, recutting and more stitching.  I cleaned up the edges too.   How do you finish a quilt that size?  Please tell me that you don't actually bind it?

Then added my bling.

What do you think?   It is copper wire and copper looking beads that are attached to it.

Playing With a New Product

I got an email last week from a colleague asking me about using Fabric Magic by Pellon.  I had a package here, but did not have a chance to open it till then.    Have you heard of it?  It is a brand new product of Pellon's.  Here is what they say about it:

Picture from Pellon

I decided to give it a try.  The material is like a thin plastic that you can trace onto, and then sew to the back of your fabric.   

It is set by steam from your iron.   You hold the iron about an inch above the Fabric Magic and it shrinks it up.  Although it doesn't look like the plastic is changing shape at all, wait until you turn it over to look at the fabric!   Total shrinkage.

The more quilting or stitches you make in it, the more it shrinks up.   If you sandwich batting between the fabric and the Fabric Magic, it gives it even more of a 3D look, and we all know how I like my 3D embellishing!

Here is a little peak of a project I have made.  I can't reveal it yet because there is some exciting news to go along with it, but just to keep you interested....

Cupcake Pincushion Tutorial

Riley Blake Fabrics has this fantastic section on their website where it is all pincushion tutorials!
How totally fun is that?   What a fantastic gift to make that special quilter in your life.  In my case, I would probably just make one for myself.  Kidding, okay not really, I guess I would probably make one for my mom too.

Why am I telling you all of this?   I made a special pincushion for Riley Blake's tutorials.
You can see all the instructions here.

Don't you just want to go right out and make one?  I had to satisfy my sweet tooth and my cravings for embellishments while making this pincushion.   How did I do?

Charity Quilt Meets Ric Rac

I must confess, I don't have an iron at my vacation spot.   I am looking for one!   You will just have to bear with me and my wrinkles in my latest charity quilt.   I still had to add the center of my flowers, but realized I couldn't go crazy with embellishments as this quilt is headed to a child with long term illness.   Yet it still needed a bit of bling!   I grabbed some bright fabric and some soft cotton ric rac and here is what I did:

All that is left is a little work on the borders.   What do you think so far?

Winner and Newest Quilt

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner, I went out of town for the weekend.
Here is the lucky gal to win the FQ bundle:
 Bonnie58 said...

Hi Jackie. We call Saskatoon, Sask. home. Red licorice is my downfall, fresh, old, or inbetween - it's all good...... Love the quilts and a Great giveaway.

Now, I gave a great deal of thought to all your comments regarding my strip piecing quilt, and Dana said this to me:

 Dana Gaffney said...

The last (and only) time I made a strip quilt I felt like it needed a little something, so I appliqued big funky daisies,

So I did this:

I am still not done. I am going to use more of the blue/green strips on the borders, that are in the stems and leaves.  The center of each flower is not complete as I have to embellish it some way.  It can't be with hard embellishments, as this quilt is going to a child with a long term illness.   I am thinking ric rac=)

Stay tuned.