Hey Gang, we’re playing with color! Join us for our Color Inspiration Challenge, inspired by Anna Maria Horner. Since so many people are social distancing and sewing at home, here’s another o…
I don't know about you; but if you are the leader of a quilt guild it can be taxing sometimes to find icebreaker-style activities and or...
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
QUILT GAME, Instant Digital Download, Printable Get to Know You Game, Quilty Cobb Quilt Guild Games, Tell Us About... Quilt Game, Retreat Activities, Quilt Guild, Digital Download, Printable, Quilty Cobb Get to know your quilt group. Super fun ice breaker activity. Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product. Available in PDF & PNG
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
Swap Fabric Placement Challenge June 2022-November 2022 We hope all members will take advantage of this challenge to learn more about how Value, Contrast, Volume, and Scale of their fabrics affect the appearance and, perhaps, success of a quilt. Guidelines: Participants will select ONE of the three quilt blocks presented by the Challenge Committee- Easy, Moderate or Advanced. These can be found in the member drive in the Swap/Challenge folder or you can right click on your selected block below. Then save to your device. Then, taking the four fat quarters from our Inspiration Swap OR four fat quarters of their choice, make THREE (or four, if desired) of the block pattern selected from those four fabrics but SWAP the placement of the fabrics in each block. These can be found in the member drive in the Swap/Challenge folder or download from above. These blocks will be due at the November meeting where we will showcase the results for all to appreciate. Blocks may be presented unfinished OR finished as desired, e.g. table runner, mini quilts, charity quilt. This is not a competition, but there may still be prizes! Below are instructions on piecing quarter square triangles. These are also located in the member drive or you can save to your device by right clicking the image and choosing the save option.
Creating Great Guild Programs I’m often asked how to make guild meetings more exciting by offering programs that get everyone involved. The Programs Committee for my Guild came up with a fabulous idea and I’m sharing it here with you. This challenge could be used by a Modern Quilt Guild OR by a Cottage Group … Guild Program Ideas: Challenges! Read More »
The 2017 Diablo Valley Quilters Guild show was recently held in Walnut Creek, California. Here are some of our favorite quilts! Note : For...
2015 Opportunity Quilt by the Carquinez Strait Stitchers DK Quilt ...
Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
Quilt Guild Challenge, Idiom Quilt Challenge, Quilt Retreat, Quilt Club, Printable, Digital Download, Quilty Cobb Great challenge for quilt guild or retreat Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product.
Add life and connection to your quilt guild meetings with these 14 helpful ideas. Just in time to plan your 2024 program.
Book me for any guild, quilt shop, or retreat lectures and classes. Learn more about me and my journey while we make something together.
Michigan Quilt Guilds - MI quilter groups listed by city so you can find a quilter near you. This information is direct from guild members.
Saskatchewan Quilt Guilds - SK quilter groups listed by city so you can find a quilter near you. This information is direct from guild members.
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
If you haven’t discovered for yourself yet, you’ll find that quilt guilds are a place where you can learn from and encourage one another.
Here is a page full of ideas for games and activities that you can do at your quilt guild meeting. Your quilting group will have fun!
Looking for guild activities and games that are actually enjoyable? Look no further! Here is my list of favorite games and activities for quilt guilds to enjoy!
Looking for guild activities and games that are actually enjoyable? Look no further! Here is my list of favorite games and activities for quilt guilds to enjoy!
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
January 2014 is just about history... and my area south of Houston is experiencing some very inclement weather. It's not often that we hit 24 to 28 degrees! Schools are closed, businesses are closed, and roads are closed. To me, this sounds like the PERFECT day to hide out in the sewing room! First of all, I want to do a big shout-out to Pat Sloan, one of my favorite people. At the end of this blog (because if I give you a link now, you may not get back here to finish reading it!), I'll share a link where you can go and listen to Pat interviewing me on her online "radio" show. She interviews lots and lots of quilters - you may find yourself sewing while listening to the stories of a whole lot of them. If you read my December 31 post, it started off with a picture of the quilt that my youngest grand daughter had quilted. Daisy has not lost her enthusiasm for learning about quilting. Daisy calls me GiGi (the acronym for Grandma Garman) in the "story card" below that she gave me, telling about my trip to Tampa last year to teach several workshops. Of note: the bottom square has Daisy's polka dot quilt! We should all be working to inspire the youngest generation, so that they can experience the same joys that we do as they grow. I want to show you a nifty little trick that you all may want to use in the future. My friend, Jerrianne, had finished making her modified Mary Mannakee quilt, which will have nine blocks and a border of flowers and vines. When she finished assembling the blocks, she started working on the borders... and read my last blog post. Here was her quilt, at that point, when she showed it to one of the bees we go to: And here was a picture of the quilt, shown in my last blog post: And what did she see when she saw that blog? She saw that the top right and center right blocks fought for attention with the similar cheddar flowers. Hmmm... she hadn't seen that until she saw a photo. We might all learn from that: if we take photos of our quilts and look at them, we might notice something that we want to change. Jerrianne printed out the picture from the blog... And she cut the photo apart and rearranged the blocks, as shown below. Then she "made" a new photo of the rearranged blocks and was much more pleased with the results. She only had to undo a few seams, but it saved her from being disappointed if she had not noticed those blocks together until after the quilt was completely finished. I think I may start taking more pictures of blocks, laid out, to see how they look. I don't generally use a design wall when I make my quilts; my walls are all full of paintings and windows and furniture! So here's the "rearranged" photo. Can you see how the orange flowers are more balanced with this arrangement? It's a great way to test the layout of an assortment of blocks. The next bunch of photos are all quilts that hung in the 2013 Quilt Guild of Greater Houston. I had the pleasure of judging this show and the quilts were fabulous; I showed some of them last year, but here's some more of the quilts. In preparing these photos for the blog, that happiness that comes when you see a bunch of pretty quilts... came rolling back! The QG of Greater Houston is 500 members strong, so they have a wonderful base of quilters who submitted quilts for their shows. This quilt, Pineapple Madness (102 by 102 inches) was made by Karen King and quilted by Hannah Lee. The design was based on Gyleen Fitzgerald's Trash to Treasure ruler. The quilt took many hours and careful planning -- and surely Karen's sister, who was gifted with the quilt, can appreciate how much Karen cares about her. It has such wonderfully vibrant colors in it! In this close-up picture, you can see the quilt has wonderfully vibrant colors in it! This was among my favorite quilts in the show. Cabin in Blue Light (76 by 76 inches) was made by Barbara Jensen and quilted by Kathy Colvin. It was Barbara's first large quilt, and was based on a quilt she saw on the cover of a Quilter's Newsletter magazine. With no pattern, Barbara had to do some math to make her version. Barbara's use of a central blue square in each log cabin is perfect, to me; the traditional red square would have been lost in all of these fall colors. Barbara gives Kathy credit for making this quilt "shine." The quilting certainly adds a wonderful softness to the hard lines of the cabin logs. In another "blue" titled quilt, Blues in the Night (84 x 108 inches), geometric shapes reign! Tim Nash made and quilted this, his fourth quilt. His three previous quilts were all charm pack quilts, so he said he was getting bored with squares. In his own words, "Yikes! Was I in for a surprise." His piecing is wonderful - as is the use of different fabrics in each block. I love scrappy quilts with many different fabrics, and this quilt had a challenge: it is often difficult to make blues "cooperate." It is often said that all reds go together, but it's not so with the blues... unless you are Tim, who mastered them in this quilt. Doris Fleming made Rose Garden for Wendy (82 by 104 inches) for her grand daughter as a gift and tribute recognizing her accomplishments and high school graduation. I love when quilts have personal meaning to them; it makes them extra special and I'm sure Wendy will more than love this quilt. The design is from Marti Mitchell's American Beauty; the quilt was quilted by Cathy King. The soft colors of the fabrics used in this quilt are given life with the addition of a rich pink and a sweet green fabric. When Doris made this quilt, she liked the fact that each block was different, making it more interesting. Look at the close-up of two of the blocks. Pineapple Swirl (63 by 63 inches) was made by Pam Tedeschi, Teresa Darr, and Connie Brown. Teresa quilted it. The design is a pattern from a Trash to Treasure workshop by Gyleen Fitzgerald. The three gals shared fabric scraps in the workshop, creating one quilt. This is an unusual setting for pineapple/log cabin blocks; it's really nice. Betty Rivers made and quilted Right Direction (50 by 50 inches). The design came from a Judy Mathieson class at the International Quilters Association show in Houston each Fall, and from some "rejected" Snail's Trail Scrapaholic Trade blocks. Together, the blocks seemed to, "point in the Right Direction," according to Betty. I believe that the genius in this quilt is combining those blocks. It certainly is not an intuitive combination (to me), but it works so well, as does the choice of colors. Teresa Darr's Perspective - No Glasses Required (24 by 24 inches) is small... but the choice of such boldly contrasting solid fabrics made a big, dramatic statement. The piecing on this quilt was perfection-plus. Teresa's design was inspired by a wallpaper design. She experimented in creating "the illusion of depth with a minimum of color and shape." Teresa quilted the quilt herself - and the back of the quilt is a treat with its knife-edged facing that includes mitered corners - all in the same contrasting colors used in the face of the quilt. Oh my - there were so many favorites in this quilt show! Here as another one, Cherry Pie (51 by 56 inches), made and quilted by Jackie Hillman. I had a delightful conversation with Jackie about her quilt. She developed a unique method for making flying geese -- and then discovered that she could make pies with this "split flying geese technique." She found a cherry pie panel that she used in this quilt..... and then knew that she had to make this cherry pie quilt. The "1950s" shade of red and green together made this quilt so pretty. Here are some close-ups of various parts of this quilt; it was one of those quilts that simply put a smile on everyone's face. Look at Jackie's use of rick-rack for the top of the pie crust. That was absolutely a genius touch! In fact, the whole quilt was genius - from designing the pies to stacking an assortment of pies, to the fabrics chosen for all of the pieces, . Check out the border in this photo; Jackie's husband helped her design them. But there was yet more to see - this is a quilt that "kept on giving." Once me and my friends started studying the quilt, we noticed much more. Here, you can see that the quilt has a knife-edge binding. Those are not always the easiest bindings to put on a quilt, and this one was very well done. But wait! Wait! There's more! When we flipped the top back to see what other surprises there might be, we found... more surprises! Jackie used her scraps and leftover blocks in the quilt backing. This quilt was just a beautiful experience to see. Gerry Bosworth both made and quilted Fractalled Pinwheels (48 by 48 inches), below -- as well as designed it. This was the fifth quilt Gerry ever made; I'd say she deserves applause for everything about it: the design, the fabric choices, the piecing... it was a fun quilt to see. Gerry made the quilt with her old Kenmore sewing machine, which has since been retired. She says she will eventually come back to this theme. I like the idea! Betty Rivers created Circles of Life (55 by 56 inches) using the Heartland Wedding Ring Templates. The center blocks were from some old class samples made in 1997. With a knack for creativity, Betty finished this old UFO by adding new rings with less contrast and fewer parts - and she then added interesting and complex textures to the space left: the open areas are all quilted with different quilting patterns. It's a quilt that requires a second look; that's the kind of quilt I enjoy seeing; it's as if a quiet surprise sneaks up on you as you look at it. To top it off, Betty used a neutral plaid for the binding, that served to add to the overall look of the quilt. Paisley Pinwheels (23 by 23 inches) was made and quilted by Debbie Ingram. The design came from the Jo Morton Little Women Club. Would you believe that there are 38 different fabrics in this quilt? The pinwheel stars are each made of a scrappy assortment of different reds and tans. When Debbie got to the border of this quilt, she had barely enough for it. Luckily, she had just enough! Do you remember the old granny square afghans that were made back in the 50s and 60s? I do - and this quilt, Modern Granny Square (68.5 by 68.5 inches), reminds me of them. Susanne Purvis made it as a "quilt along project" led by Jennifer Jenkinson. The oversized Granny Square quilt has a modern feel to it, per Susanne. Linda Beiswanter added to that feel by machine quilting oversized flowers in the blocks, and a large feathered vine in the border. Sharing Squares (30.5 by 30.5 inches) was made by Susan Penny and Barbara Barrett, and quilted by Susan. The design came from a simple block exchange between friends. I love the bright vibrancy of this quilt! Martha Matiuk created First Stop Paris! (60 by 60 inches) using a Trip Around the World design. The quilt was part of a challenge issued by her bee: make a black and white quilt... and you can add only one other color. Obviously, Martha chose red as her additional color - and it works well in this quilt. In this close-up, you can see that there are, indeed, a wide variety of fabrics that went into making this quilt. Her choices were grand. Pam Tedeschi made Love, Love Red (38 by 38 inches), using the book Simple Contemporary Quilts by Valerie VanArsdale Schrader. I love the wonky look of this quilt. Doesn't it make you want to do something fun?! Marsha Hennigan made Fiesta Lone Star (47.5 by 47.5 inches) and quilted it herself. This quilt was started during a class with Jan Krentz. The colors she used were chosen to celebrate her time in the Texas Hill Country. The name of this quilt was a surprise to me: The English Garden (56 by 56 inches). Paper pieced by Alice Sadeghpour and quilted by Cathy King, the Judy Niemeyer design was given an entirely different look when Alice jumped at the opportunity to use Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Alice's choice of fabrics and their placement is very well done. Congrats to her on making this gorgeous quilt! This quilt, unfortunately, did not photograph well - sometimes my little camera fails me because the quilt is too large or too far away or doesn't have enough light or has too much light. In any case, the picture is still worth showing to you. Yellowstone Revisited (85 by 76 inches) was made by Debbie Wolf and quilted by Debbie Kendall. The applique designs are from Quilting the Great Outdoors by Debbie Field. What I loved about this quilt was that the centers of the log cabins are all printed photos on fabric that were purchased on Debbie's trip to Yellowstone. Debbie says, "The Log cabins were very busy and needed applique to tone them down." I would say that Debbie made some great choices. The use of photos in the log cabins was not something I'd seen before, and I love surprises like that! Here's a close-up of one of the log cabin centers. Think how many memories this quilt contains! I would think that Janice Schindeler had a lot of fun making and quilting My Friend Ann Loves Cats and Tea (70 by 78 inches). The inspiration for this quilt was a "hootchy story quilt class" taught by Mary Lou Weidman. Every year, Janice's friend, Ann, visits and they take a quilt class. This quilt was started in one of those classes to keep Janice company between visits with her friend. Look how FUN this quilt is!!! Speaking of friends and quilting... The Quilt Show, Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims' online quilt community, helped when Debbie Wolf decided to host an international exchange of half-square triangles. With help from a lot of others, she managed, recorded, and redistributed over 250 thousand half-square triangles that 600 quilters mailed to her. Phew - I'm worn out just thinking about how much time and effort went into that project!! But look what Debbie did with her share of the half-square triangles; she made Oh, The Places They've Been! (80 by 100 inches) and had Jane Plisga quilt it for her. The design was based on patterns by Mountain Top and Sweet Sixteen by Laundry Basket Quilts. Rhonda Dort made and quilted Christmas Stars (60 by 74 inches). The top was made in 2010... and quilted just a few days before the quilt show opened. How is that for "in the nick of time" or finishing a UFO, finally?! The quilt is an adaptation of the 54-40 or Fight block. It's a favorite of mine and Rhonda did a beautiful job making the quilt - and quilting it. She quilted the border with some wonderful swags, making them almost look like trapunto had been used. The border print used between the center and the outer border was a great choice. Timothy was made and quilted by Jane Plisga using a Wheel of Mystery kit from John Flynn. She made it to honor her brother - and had fun doing curved piecing. Not many would agree that curved piecing is fun - but once you master a couple of blocks, it gets so much easier! I have always loved this block and scrappy quilts, so this quilt caught my eye. The use of feathered vines and cables in the border was a nice touch - along with the tiny piping at the quilt's edge. Here, you can see a close-up of some of the blocks in the quilt. It's amazing, isn't it?! Here is another quilt that was dramatic because of the color choices: black, white, red, and gold. Made and quilted by Teresa Darr, Cat's Game (48 by 48 inches) shows a game of Tic Tac Toe where nobody wins - a "cat's game." There is no outer border on this quilt, by the way - that's just the black background I put behind photos so that the quilt stands out. This quilt was very striking! Texas Bluebonnets (26 by 26.5 inches) was made and quilted by Cheryl Moncrief. She used a Melinda Bula pattern, and fused and thread painted the flowers onto a pieced background design. To finish the quilt, Cheryl machine quilted the quilt with silk thread. Silk is a very fine thread and seats itself quietly into the fabric when used to quilt a quilt. Melinda is one of my favorite quilt designers - I keep trying to take a class from her at the Houston quilt festival, but they seem to fill instantly when registration begins. Barb Paliatsos made this quilt because she wanted to piece some complex blocks. The blocks in My 30's Sampler (69 by 85 inches) have between 53 and 152 pieces. Barb designed the setting and borders to complete the theme - and Jodi Canter quilted the quilt. I like these blocks - they are each basically a set of four blocks set inside of a bear paw block that is sashed. Here's a close-up of the block - you can see the bear pay block here, along with the four mini-blocks in the "paw" portion of the block. The edge-to-edge quilting was a nice choice for this quilt. This quilt, entitled happiness (73-3/4 by 95-1/4 inches) is appropriately named! Made by Susanne Purvis and quilted by Linda Beiswanger, the quilt was based on a design in Kaffe Fassett's Kaffe Quilts Again book. The bright colors in the "S" block are definitely happy ones! Zinnia (26.5 by 24 inches) was made and quilted by Kelley Bennett, in a class taught by Melinda Bula at the Houston quilt show. The zinnia is raw-edge fused with lots of beautiful thread-painting to make it come alive. Someday, I'll get into Melinda's class and then I'll be posting my own Zinnia! Last but not least, here is a photo of one of the information pieces that the Greater Houston Quilt Guild had laid out for viewers to see, along with plenty of information and samples of their comforter or community service quilts. I thought I would share it here because buried in the write-up are some good ideas that I might pass along to my own guild -- like tying some quilts instead of machine quilting all of them. We are shy a few machine quilters when it comes to keeping up with the quilt tops that have been prepared in our guild - and some of the quilts would look quite nice, tied. Also, I like the idea of suggesting that guild members donate a quilt in their own birth month. After all, we each have much to be thankful for... and paying it forward is an honorable act. Well... we're at the end of this month's post. I didn't share anything about the projects that I've been working on, but I promise you: I've been stitching like crazy, learning new techniques, designing new quilts, and more! I'll have plenty to show you when I have TIME to show you!!! so, before I close, two more things are in order. First... do you remember that this blog post started with a reference to Pat Sloan and her "American Patchwork & Quilting Radio" show? Well, here's a link where you can click and go to her web page... look for our discussion on January 20, 2014. Pat is a hoot and so much fun, as you'll see - she makes me laugh! http://www.creativetalknetwork.com/ Once you're there, ignore the fact that my name is spelled wrong (it is Garman, not Garmen), scroll down to where you see me holding one of my granddaughters and click... and listen. You can listen on your computer, subscribe by iTunes (search American Patchwork & Quilting), or download to a player. Also, ignore the ads that show some of my patterns available from Quakertown through Amazon.com -- neither of them carry my patterns so don't waste your time or money there! Second, and finally... thank you all so much for your kind words and support. I work hard to design quilts, make patterns, inspire and educate quilt makers everywhere, and make all of you love quilting as much as I do. I really appreciate each of you - those who read my blog, who buy my patterns, who send simple little notes of thanks... you're the best! Until next month.... happy quilting! Sue www.comequilt.com (c)2014 Susan H. Garman
Welcome to my Gallery of Quilts! I hope you like what you see. If you have any questions please feel free to email me because I am always willing to answer questions or be of assistance. 81 The Giant Monstrosity by Karen H 2014 Pattern available on Craftsy Good Golly Miss Mollie by Karen H 2014 Tea Dot by Karen H 2017 Butterscotch Ripple by Karen H 2013 Hexagreens by Karen H 2009 Maple Leaf by Karen H 2007 Ausiegons by Karen H 2009 Where Fiddleheads Grow by Karen H 1998 30" x 30" Quilting Bees by Karen H 12 1/2" square Pattern available on Craftsy Lazy Punk by Karen H 2013 (you can follow how I made this quilt by going to Tips and Tutorials where I've added links to each step) Lazy Girl by Karen H 2016 Counting on Jack by Karen H 2016 A Pound of Stars by Karen H early 1980s Mom's Flower Bed by Karen H 2011 Loopers in the Sky with Diamonds by Karen H 2005 Orange Crush by Karen H 2013 (Free pattern available on Craftsy) Centre Ice by Karen H 2013 Brick Bungalow by Karen H 2011 Baskets and Nine Patches by Karen H 2013 (Pattern available on Craftsy) Cherry Blossom by Karen H 2013 (Pattern available under Craftsy) To the Nines by Karen H 2012 Stars in the Loft by Karen H 2002 86" x 95" Flora and Fauna, Parts of the Garden by Karen H 2008 28 1/2" square A Challenging Year by Karen H 2004 28 1/2" square Chops' Pick by Karen H 2011 Red Maples and Berries by Karen H 2012 20" x 9.5" Inferno by Karen H 2011 5" x 7" Wrenches by Karen H, 2011 4" square Owl at Night by Karen H 2012 35" x 35" Owl at Night Close-up Bed Bugs by Karen H 1995 Bed Bugs Close-up Theses Are A Few of My Favourite Things by Karen H 1997 Dear Jane by Karen H 2000 Butter Cream by Karen H 1998 There's a Snail in Grandma's Flower Garden by Karen H 2004 Persian Tiles by Karen H 1998 14" x 18 1/2" Tumbling Blocks by Karen H Wagon Wheels by Karen H 1987 (this quilt was English paper pieced because I didn't know how else to construct it) Pickle Dish by Karen H (early 1990s) (this quilt was English paper pieced because I didn't know how else to construct it)
This is a really fun activity to do every few years in place of having an outside speaker come and give a lecture at your quilt guild meeting. Members
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
During Utah Quilt Guild's Quilt Fest, I was able to do some sewing for me! I signed up for some sewing classes that looked like fun and treated myself to a day of me-time! One of the classes I signed up for is called Tsunami. It is a cool quilt pattern made by Deonn Stott, and she was our teacher!
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
I finally joined a guild, the Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild. I went to a meeting in January and it was great sharing a common interest in quilting, seeing other's projects and hearing quilting tips. I made myself a name tag :) I got the paper pieced pattern here. I have a MQG name tag board on Pinterest. I included all the things I love: paper piecing, hand embroidery, Heather Bailey, American Jane and Heather Ross. I wrote a new quote on my chalkboard for Valentine's :) I smile every time I walk by!
Here are some more intriguing quilts from the weekend of March 9-10. As you can see, a wide range of styles and techniques were on display....
Earlier this year, some of our Tasmanian MQG members got together at one of our sewing days and started putting blocks together for our raffle quilt. One of our very dedicated members (my friend Lauren) then put the rest of the blocks together. We worked together to piece the top - and then it was handed over to me for the quilting (which I finished back in April). We made this quilt using a bundle of Kona solids, and Carolyn Friedlander's fantastic Aerial pattern. The blocks are all paper pieced, so it was the perfect choice for a group quilt in terms of making sure the blocks were all the same size. It went together like a dream! It took me a while to decide how to quilt this one, but I knew I wanted to keep it fairly simple since it's such a dynamic and complex design. I ended up deciding to quilt in the ditch in all the seams in each block, and then chose one colour within each block to do some free motion organic straight lines. I think it works really well - the texture is really lovely without distracting from the complexity of the blocks. I used coordinating Aurifil thread for all the quilting - my healthy thread stash certainly came in handy ;o) How to quilt the borders had me stumped for a while - but I ended up extending out the 'fractured' lines within the blocks, and then filling in the spaces around them with some swirls and a couple of feathery designs. It wasn't until I quilted the last border that I discovered what I should have done across the whole border - rather than extending the line and echoing it at an angle on both sides (as in the photo above), it looks much more effective where I've just echoed one side (as in the lower area in the photo below). I'm still really happy with how this one came out, but it was a really great learning experience and has given me ideas for how to quilt future projects :o) We are currently selling raffle tickets for this quilt, and the winner will be drawn at the Craft and Quilt Fair in July. The money we raise will be going to a support a sewing program at our local Women's Prison. I am thrilled that we are supporting this program - I know so many people (including myself) who have found sewing and quilting to be amazing therapy when going through difficult times in life. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact us at tassiemqg at gmail dot com. xx Jess PS stay tuned for my MisDirection pattern release later this week! I can't wait to show you my amazing testers versions.
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
We were recently nominated to be chairs for the raffle quilt committee of our local guild, The Empire Quilters Guild. The guild makes a group raffle quilt each year to raise money for the quilt show they hold every other year. Last year they used Tula Pink’s 100 Modern Quilt Blocks, and almost everyone that [...]
Hi! This is Wendi, and I am the project manager for our Q2 community outreach quilt. Once again we've agreed to make a quilt for Fisher House of the Emerald Coast supporting their silent auction and gala, a major fundraising event which benefits military and military families during times of medical need. The vision for 2017's quilt is a bed of roses - literally! The blocks are improvisationally pieced roses inspired by Corey Yoder's Newtown Auction Pillow. Corey used a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) method, but our roses are going to remain unquilted until the top is put together. Using the method below, you may create roses any size between 6" and 18". As you can see, these blocks are not square, so you will have estimate their size. They can be any color that you might see actual roses growing in a garden, although you might wish to stay away from white, since our background is going to be low volume on white. The blocks are super scrappy, but try to stay within one general color family - reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, etc. It's ok if your fabrics have other colors in them, but the fabrics should "read" your primary color. So get out your scrap bag and let's get started. Choose a small scrap of yellow or orange for your center. Since my block is going to be orange, I chose yellow. If your block is square, cut some of the corners off so that it is NOT square. I like to start out with 5 sides. Choose the fabric for your first strip. It should be between 1" and 2-1/2" wide and slightly longer than the side of the center you intend to attach it to. You may use solids mixed in with your prints, but please do not use all solids. I generally start with narrower pieces and gradually add wider strips. Remember that you will be trimming the width frequently, so try not to begin with extremely narrow pieces. Tip 1: Since the pieces in my scrap box tend to be very wrinkled, I find it helpful to press each piece before I sew them together. You may use starch, but I find that a light sprinkling of water or steam works well. Tip 2: Since some of your edges will be on the bias, be careful not to stretch too much when you stitch and press. Tip 3: Be sure to use a 1/4" seam. Seams that are too narrow tend to fray and pull apart, and we want our quilts to have quality construction. Sew the two fabrics together. Press the seam away from the center. Trim off the excess. Trim the other side. Try to avoid 90-degree angles. Repeat the process on another center edge. Stitch. Press. Trim. Trim the other side. Repeat, building your rose "log-cabin style", adding a new strip to the next side in order, although it doesn't matter if you build to the left or to the right each time. Stitch. Press. Trim. Here, I trimmed off the 2nd strip so that it was at an angle. Be sure to leave more than 1/4" all along your strip for your seam allowance. Trim the other side and cut your strips at different angles each time to give interest to your "rose." Repeat the entire process - Stitch. Press. Trim.... working your way around and around your "rose." Trim off odd corners and try to avoid 90-degree angles and straight strips. If you notice that you have a "corner" approaching 90-degrees, cut it off. As your "rose" grows, this will create a number of new "sides" to your flower. Keep adding rows... Pressing... Trimming... Avoiding straight strips and 90-degree corners... And "grow" or "build" your flower... Around and around until you are satisfied with its size... Give it one last trim.... Until it makes you happy. I try to balance the colors to avoid all the darker fabrics being on one side, but honestly, no matter how you put them together, these "roses" are pretty. If you have any questions, give me a shout!
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
Here are some more intriguing quilts from the weekend of March 9-10. As you can see, a wide range of styles and techniques were on display....
52 of my favorite modern quilts from QuiltCon 2024.
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
On Saturday, June 2, we attended the Wine Country Quilt Show , sponsored by the local quilt guilds from Petaluma, Sonoma and Santa Rosa, C...
I was stoked when I found out that Quilt Market attendees could also see all the beautiful quilts on display for the International Quilt Festival which opens this weekend. I was able to take pictur…
Author: Rebecca Greco
