An evening with PAT HOLLY …..

GALLERY OF QUILTS for Pat Holly and Sue Nickles

PAT HOLLY was guest speaker at our March quilt guild meeting. She brought many of her quilts and talked about her journey from a newbie quilter to award winner. The guild members were able to get and up close and personal look at the quilts. I asked Pat if I could post pictures of her quilts on my blog and PAT said yes. I also should let you know that she showed her newest quilt that will be debuting in Paducah, Kentucky this spring, but I will post pictures after that time.

applique challenge

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Amish style quilt- early

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This is one of Pat’s earliest quilts. At the time she was doing everything by hand including the quilting.
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hand quilted – early quilt

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PAT specializes in miniature quilts. She uses fused applique techniques in most of her quilts. She also started using stitched background using the decorative stitches on her domestic machines. She does FREE MOTION QUILTING on her miniature quilts, but her sister Sue Nickles does most of the FMQ on the big quilts.
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Australian art challenge

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I hope I will be posting more pictures in the future… so stay tuned.
Happy Quilting,
Nonnie

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http://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com/ Nonnie’s Blog

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast

Links for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

email me at: nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com

 

Sewing on Codeine

Mistakes in math

Here are my flying geese. I am making a baby quilt with my blocks. The first time I calculated the number of geese I would need I underestimated by half. I had to make more geese. I have had a severe cold and been taking codeine cough syrup, so my math skills took a total decline. I also sewed several flying geese backwards, putting the background geese on the bottom instead of the top. I had to rip it, rip it, rip it. Because of the size of the scraps I am using I cut each patch individually. I used Bonnie’s method of cutting my patches using the angle rulers. This time it went easier since I have figured out how to piece the patches easier.

My recommendation do not sew on strong medication.

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Over View of panel – FMQ

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Over view of FMQ Panel… Now for the borders….

LEFT HALF

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Panel’s left in detail….

Right half of panel

RIGHT half of my panel, in detail. I am getting closer to the end. I hope to have it done by New Years when we go see the family.

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Nonnie’s Flicker Pictures

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Products I use and love

I am going to start reviewing some of the products I have bought and used over the years. I will probably throw in a few rants along the way too.

TRANSDOODLE  TRANSFER PAPERS

transdoodle transfer paper from mysty fuse company

http://www.mistyfuse.com/

Recommended by Patsy Thompson in her DVDs about FREE MOTION QUILTING,  Machine applique  ( Vines and Leaves 2)   I have been playing with some machine applique and like the ability to mark the quilt and wash out the markings.  This  method is similar to marking your dress fabric with marking papers but the markings are temporary.

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Ricky Stable Stuff and  Wash away Applique (fusible)  Freezer paper

http://applewd.com/supplies/WashAway.html

BETH FERRIER WASH AWAY APPLIQUE FREEZER PAPER… great for other techniques too.

http://www.rickytims.com/online-store?page=shop.browse&category_id=26

RICKY TIMs STABLE STUFF …. used for paper piecing, bobbin work and marking a quilt.

I often use these items interchangeably.  The Wash-Away is fusible but Ricky’s product is not it is also less expensive.  I like using them in paper piecing projects along with the applique.  I hate tearing paper out and this stuff can get left in the block/ quilt.   When you wash your quilt it softens and disappears… leaving at most a fine pellon like fabric behind.  I have also used these products in bobbin work.  And when I made a christening quilt I used them with wash away thread to mark the quilt for free motion quilting.   All of the lessons on how to do these techniques came from Ricky Tims’ Grand Finale DVD and THE QUILT SHOW.  I have all of those DVDs.  I like the show because I learn so much and love to play with the new and interesting techniques.

http://www.thequiltshow.com
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Roxanne marking pencils with Clover pencil sharpener

curved tip snips for FMQ

Roxanne Chalk base Pencils and Clover Sharpener

I was introduced to this product during a FMQ class with Sue Nickels.

http://www.sue-nickels.com/index.php

http://www.sue-nickels.com/store.php?cat=4

Both products have been shown to be very useful.   The pencils are a silver but I think they come in other colors.  They are
chalk base and allow you to mark quilts through stencils or free hand.  Once again a wash away product.   I find since I am doing more free motion quilting and small experimental projects I use these pencils more and more. The sharpener makes a nice point and works better then all the other sharpeners I have use. My biggest problems is to keep the sharpener to myself. The family tends to “borrow” them.

I also liked the Eazy Cut snippers I bought from Sue Nickles.  I found them very handy when FMQ as we used the pull up the bobbin thread then stitch tiny and begin your motifs.  I would then cut off the tails of the threads.  The tips are curved so they are less likely to snip your fabric.  They are easy to use.

 
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Superior THREAD HOLDER

https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop

https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop/

Metal Stand

This is the one I have but it no longer has the metal pin that holds the thread in place.  It kept falling out until one day it was lost.

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https://www.superiorthreads.com/shop/product/superior-thread-holder

Plastic thread holder I want

THIS is the one I plan to buy….

LETS FACE IT … I am a sewing notion junky I buy them all and try them out.  Good for you cause you can just take advantage of my experimentation and buy the things I recommend.   I will also let you know what I actually hate and found the product did not live up to the hype.  Maybe I can save your money for you.

Happy Quilting,

Nonnie

PS ONCE again I am fighting with the formatting for my blog. That is why you get the funky little ****** !

Night of frustration … it pays to follow directions….

Could not maintain the alignment

I had a very frustrating evening trying to make the flying geese units for this EASY STREET MYSTERY QUILT. I have not made individual flying geese in eons. I usually use the method Elenore Burns taught in her FLYING GEESE book. I just do not know how to get the 2 x 3-1/2 inch blocks using this method. I wanted to use the rulers because I had the pretty indigo STRIP IT fabric and I wanted to take advantage of the fabric to make my quilt.

The first problem I had was getting the correct cuts using the EASY ANGLE RULER. I thought I understood the video but after a few cuts I found out I did not. I went back to the video and re-cut some patches. Most of my previous patches were salvage with some sliver cutting. I found I had difficulty lining the engineered pieces and getting them sewn straight. The bias edges kept shifting and getting out of alignment so I ended up pinning after awhile. I also went back to the directions and found I had sewed the left wing first. The second set of geese sewed easier when I followed the directions and sewed the right side of the triangle first.

I could not decide which way to sew the geese when I started sewing my patches.. DO YOU START SEWING FROM THE POINT TO THE FLAT SIDE or DO YOU SEW FROM THE LONG SIDE TO THE POINT OF THE PATCHES. I found when I sewed from the point the alignment shifted and I got a jig jog in my patchwork and the sides of the geese were crooked. (See pictures ) I went back to Bonnie’s photos and watched how she set up and sewed her patches. I think the last three patches worked out better. I guess I have some un-sewing to do.

The first of the geese I made with the Easy Angel and Companion Rulers

Question on pressing:

I usually press to the dark, but with these flying geese the patches want to lay toward the sky (lighter fabric) … They just lie flatter. When you press your geese do you press to the sky or to the goose.

Thanks for any answers,

Nonnie

JUST IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING… I WILL CONQUER THESE PATCHES… I WILL NOT LET THEM DEFEAT ME. I JUST MIGHT HAVE TO TRY A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE. I do wish I had read BONNIE’s post from today where she showed other methods of making the geese.  I have not been printing out the directions but I will do so from now on.

DUH!

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Pod cast link for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

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Nonnie’s Flicker Pictures

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BOREDOM gets me into trouble every time…..

It all started with boredom. So I started to sort and cleanup my stash. Came across a big box of fat quarters I had purchased when I started quilting in 2005. It was a rainbow assortment of all kind of fabrics I bought when I did not know what I was doing. Perfectly good QUILT SHOP QUALITY FABRIC, but not to my taste or style any more….. What to do, what to do.  I decided on scrappy quilts.  I would cut up the fabric into useable sizes ala BONNIE HUNTER and / or SCRAP THERAPY.   But that did not sound like fun.

Another idea!  I have a bolt of Kona White!  I have just been on Pinterest and saw picture of a beautiful antique thousand pyramid quilt.  I have always wanted to make one of those kind of…… I have my own idea about what is will look like.  I wanted more white space in the quilt.  Plus I want to find a way to make the pyramids float more across the quilt.

PYRAMID QUILT TUTORIAL…. but this is NOT THE WAY I AM MAKING MY QUILT.

My rules:

ONLY fabric currently in my stash can be used.  I will cut 8-1/2 inch strip off my fat quarters and sew 2-1/2 inch on each side, then cut off the triangles from the strip set.  I should be able to cut three triangles for each strip set. ( Pictures to be posted someday, maybe …..  Who knows maybe with a pattern.) The triangles would then be put aside and sorted into colors.  RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE …. based on a rainbow and a box of my favorite crayons.

SETTING:  RAINBOW STAGGERED ON THE DIAGONAL

I will devise my own method to make the blocks and hopefully have them float within the field of white.

 All cut away scraps will be put into a scrap bag for MILE A MINUTE / CRUMB / GIBLET & GRAVY blocks before I can sew on my pyramid blocks.  HOPEFULLY,  I can tame the scrap monster that lives in my house.  I use to make these blocks for charity donations but I have been very lax about that recently. But I did a number of these blocks on BLACK FRIDAY SEW IN day and they are in the mail.  I am in the process of taking pictures about making a MILE A MINUTE / CRUMB / GIBLET & GRAVY block using foundation for pasting so stay tuned…. .

….. BONNIE HUNTER uses similar technique and has a tutorial here ………

Getting back on topic, here is a EQ 7 rendering of the quilt that is floating around in my dreams :

RAINBOW PYRAMID using my STASH ! (DIAGONAL SETTING)

WELL THIS IS ALL FOR TONIGHT,

HAPPY QUILTING,

NONNIE,

http://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com/ Nonnie’s Blog

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Pod cast link for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

JOIN me at GOOD READS

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THE call is out for  QUILT BLOCK DONATIONS NEED FOR SANDY VICTIMS AT QUILT GALLERY… I have sent out a set of 12 blocks for their quilt and am working on another set.  I send enough blocks to make a queen size quilt.  My blocks look a little different but they are framed in black and enough for an entire quilt.  I have even sent an assembled quilt ( UFO) top to their organization.

Here is the link. ….. DONATION BLOCKS FOR SANDY VICTIMS AT QUILT GALLERY….. CAN YOU HELP ???? 

Modern QUILT GUILD call for donation quilts…. Information on this web page.

IF you GOOGLE, QUILTS for Sandy Victims information for groups / organizations will pop up.

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SLOW going on my FMQ

IT has been really slow going with the FMQ I have only been able to work on it an additional hour or two. I hope to get time to work on it tomorrow. Right now I am editing another podcast. I have finished the CRAFTSY class BEYOND BASIC FREE MOTION QUILTING with Ann Petersen. I learned a lot from Ann’s class and applied what I learned to this project.

Close up of MACHINE tacking method.

IN these close up pictures you can see a MACHINE TACKING METHOD. Quilters have hand tacked quilt tops for ages. I did similar technique, but using machine. The batting says that the quilting can be 10 inches apart. I did some thread painting or free style embroidery which tacked the quilt top. I think it added details to the top but maintained the lightness and puffiness I wanted in the baby quilt. I opted not to do continuous line quilting as I felt the quilt was getting over quilted. I feel the free style tacking added to the design of the quilt panel by adding cute details. I still have half of the quilt to FMQ, and then add borders to get it to the needed size….. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

CLOSE UP of the FMQ details

and then……

Captain America went trick or treating in the rain, sleet and snow… nothing will keep him away from his CANDY.

Captain AMERICA came to trick or treat… but it was so cold he had to have winter coats and hats on….. He changed his mind endlessly all day Halloween cause he could not make up his mind which SUPER HERO he wanted to be… Iron man, Superman, Bat Man ( never Robin) or Flash. He put on all the costumes and kept changing all day long. My hubby took the pictures as he walked them around the neighborhood this year. I stayed home where it was nice and warm.

Happy QUILTING,

NONNIE

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Nonnie’s Flicker Pictures

So many quilts to see…. so many to love

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I arrived at 9 am. Although I drove to Grand Rapids on my own, staying with my niece, I kept bumping into guild sisters. Every time I looked up it seemed I ran into someone else. It is fun sharing a passion with others of liked mine.

**** http://eveningstarquilters.blogspot.com/ **** Evening Star Quilt Guild ****

It was a delightful day. I got to talk to Bill Kerr and Alex Anderson several times as I wondered around the vendor booths. I was very good and refrained from buying any fabric ….. but I was not so good with books and notions. Found several I have wanted but had not yet purchased.

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If you want to see another GREAT quilt show, YOU should visit the :

QUILTS ON THE GRAND

OCTOBER 5 THRU 7TH

DELTA PLEX ARENA

2500 TURNER AVE. NW

GRAND RAPIDS, MI

FRIDAY 10-6 / SATURDAY 9-5PM / SUNDAY 12-5
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I have visited this quilt show the past two shows and always come away inspired. It is well organized, eclectic in the quilts, antiques, Repros. contemporary styling and even modern. Last year I took over 400 pictures. I also liked that they had DVDs of the show available. Frankly, as delightful as the AQS show was I think QUILT ON THE GRAND QS is better.. more quilts, deserve and better food.

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FMQ a simple panel

A girlfriend of mine started to hand quilt a simple Autumn fabric.  After an hour or sew of stitching she decided that she did not like it and stopped.  She recently asked ( CONNED) me into finishing the project since she learned I had just learned how to free motion quilt.  So here are my pictures.  I plan to do a critique of my quilting after the pictures are posted……………

The panel is pinned on a bedroom door but it is crooked. I also noted there is a problem with the borders not laying flat. I do think once the dowels are in the place it will look better. I am not sure why the quilt does not lay flat as it was squared up. I think it might be the way the the binding was applied. I tried a new technique and I do not think I was successful.

 

 

 

This is a picture of the top of the panel. I did some thread painting on the top border using techniques taught by PATSY THOMPSON. I have all of her DVDs and took a class from here a couple of weeks ago. I learned a lot from her, but that is a future blog and podcast.

 

 

This is the center panel of the quilt. It is actually where I started quilting. To me it seems backwards to me to start at the center of quilt when you are just learning how to quilt, because that is where MY worse quilting is.

 

 

 

 

I repeated the thread painting motif that is on the top of the quilt. Initially I actually FMQed the motif in black thread on the black border. I later quilted over that FMQ in green and orange thread which actually showed up. I did this because I knew I needed some quilting on the border but I did not feel confident in my quilting. After I did the initial black quilting I decided I was being a coward and requilted using colored thread you can see. It actually came out pretty good and I will be doing more of it in the future.

 

 

I will be posting more information about my workshop with PATSY THOMPSON in the future. SO STAY TUNED.

HAPPY QUILTING,

NONNIE

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Nonnie’s Flicker Pictures

Playing with EQ 7 to design a border for a quilt –

 

 

 

 

 

I saw this border on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/pin/74731675037465272/ … BORDER ON PINTEREST )   I am including the link to the PINTEREST picture because I do not think it is KOSHER to lift a picture without posting the link and I have not followed the links back to the original blog. I have seen similar borders and want it for a quilt I am working on. I am going to test it out on a baby quilt and it works use it on a bigger project.

 

I kind of changed the block to a rectangular shape. ( FINISHED: 7 inches WIDE by 4 inches block.) The sewing of the block is easy but what I found hard was to balance are the colors to form the pattern. The placement of the light, medium and dark fabrics. All the colors blend into each other. If the light (medium or dark) fabric goes the wrong place it throws the pattern off. I thought I could use a simple fast sewing technique (similar to sewing half square triangles.) but the colors often end up in the wrong placement. The blocks for THIS pattern have to be balanced and in the same / correct placement in order to form the X-pattern. Getting the placement of the colors was the hardest part as I wanted it to blend into each other in what my daughter called R.O.Y.G.B.V…. rainbow colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Each block’s colors will depend upon the next blocks color. My design wall will be used to plan the color placement.

 

 

Here is my first attempt at the designing the block. I used mono-chromatic color placement. I also tested gray-scale to test my placement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I later tried making a scrappy border in E.Q. I am still trying to get my scraps to behave nicely with each other. Each time I make a leaf I try to put aside fabric to make the border. Sometimes, I do not have the right color for the blending process but I think by the time the quilt is finished it will be worked out.

Happy quilting to all,
Nonnie
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Pod cast link for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

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Plagued by Uncertainty

Plagued by Uncertainty

I have made several blocks for my husband quilt. ( Of course the blocks are at home and I am not, otherwise I would have better pictures to show. I do hope to post more pictures later.) I brought fabric to the retreat I am at and am now plagued by indecision. The background fabric I had purchased is not MAKING ME HAPPY. I am beginning to think it is too dark. I bought it a couple of years ago with my husband’s help. ( Long story, can I say LESSON LEARNED and I will never do it again!!!) He picked the color and later painted the walls in the master bedroom to match. Since then I have had frequent hints about when I am going to finish HIS QUILT.

I have made several blocks but have not gone too far in making the blocks that I feel I could still change my mind. I am posting pictures of the original inspiration quilt and a magazine picture of the pattern that I was able to come up with. You will notice the fabric I have posted is much darker (medium value butter scotch) than the fabric in the inspiration quilt (mottled buff / beige.) I have seen fabric close to the original fabric, just not very mottled. I HAVE NOT BOUGHT IT, YET ! For the leaves and boarder blocks I am planning similar but not the same colors… mostly darks and medium darks tone on tone, small scale prints. I think very similar to the original colors and I have many fat quarters and left over fabrics suitable for these blocks.

This fabric was purchased by my husband when we were on vacation and he came to get me out of a quilt shop. I had been trying to decide between two bolts of fabric. He came in, saw what I was doing and voted for this one. I did not realize at the time how much darker it was compared to the fabric I was planning to use for the focus fabrics. Now I am trying to decide if I should rethink the original plan use darker focus fabric. Or should I get the lighter background fabric as I think it would look better. The lighter fabric would still look good with the walls as it is a light version of the wall colors.

Picture I have posted in an earlier blog post but it shows some of my original fabric selections.

Part of a block being made, here is where I stopped, as I am not liking the background color. Other colors chosen will be various brown, greens, blues, reds, orange, rust, plums and pale yellows … very similar to the original colors.

This is a copy of the original quilt magazine that inspired the raffle quilt made by my guild. My husband saw it and loved it…he bought $20 of raffle tickets…something that he had never done before. You can see the back ground fabric is plainer and more cream / buff color. Original pattern was throw size, the raffle quilt below was queen size.

This is the picture of the RAFFLE QUILT my husband fell in love with. Again with the softer, plainer, cream/buff fabric. YES, I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH MY HUSBAND, but I have to come to my own design decisions. I will be making a KING SIZE quilt and the boarder blocks will be from OH MY STARS QUILT ALONG as I like them better and can hardly wait until I get to that part of the quilting.

OKAY my questions to you are: I want detail explanation of what you think and why. Please no simple one sentence answers as I want this to be a conversation / discussion not just I want to be in on the give away. Random drawing of posted comments. Cost is LITTLE / no object this will be an heirloom quilt.

1. Should I go with the original background fabric … I would probably have to chose darker fabrics from my stash to do the focal patchwork leaves and blocks.

2. Should I go with the cream/ buff background fabric I would then be able to use the original brighter fabrics for the blocks.

3. The real problem, should I honor my husband’s selection of fabric since he is not a quilter and has little or no understanding of making a quilt or should I go WITH my own intuition that a different background would make a better quilt. Knowing him he just wants the quilt done and would not really care about the fact I change my mind and went with different fabric. He would be a little peeved to know I would be spending more money for new fabric since I have so much fabric as is….. BUT WHAT HE DOES NOT KNOW WILL NOT HURT ME or HIM!

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GIVE AWAY!

I have a new copy of Quilter’s Academy Junior Year, by Harriet and Carrie Hargraves to be given away.

I have a slightly used but in really good shape ( I bought a duplicate) copy of EASY MACHINE QUILTING, 12 LESSONS (domestic machine, FMQ) edited by Jane Townswick.

Drawing WILL be the end of June or the first week in July and will be posted on my blogs and announced on the podcast. I do not use random generator. I put names in a hat and my grandson draws the name out.

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TO enter post a comment here on WORD PRESS , on POD BEAN or email me at Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams. Be sure you are not a NO REPLY commenter because I will not have a way to reach you for your prize. You will have to check back for the announcement or listen to my podcast ( preferred by me) for the announcement of the winners.

Happy Quilting,

NONNIE

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Word Press Blog

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Pod cast link for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

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Nonnie’s Flicker Pictures

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Looking at the Quilting… looking for inspiration

UPDATE APRIL 17, 2012: WORD PRESS site must be undergoing some kind of maintenance, as it will no longer load pictures. I am moving my blogging and pictures to POD BEAN FOR NOW. How long this will continue I do not know. Frankly, Pod–bean has become so much easier to use…. I just might stay there. I will be posting new announcements of POD CASTS here… but sadly no pictures.

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast

Nonnie

MORE PICTURES WILL BE COMING WHEN WORDPRESS AND MY COMPUTER STOP FIGHTING…..

Quilt by Ruth McCormick

ART QUILTS, THREAD PAINTING and FREE MOTION QUILTING DETAILS

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast

YOU can find more pictures on my Podcast blog since I ran out of room here!  I am also adding my TWO CENTS about what I think about some of the pieces.  AS you know I have an opinion about just about everything.

These pictures were viewed at THE OAKLAND COUNTY GUILD QUILT SHOW. This group of pictures detail the thread paining, embellishments of a series of art quilts. Several of these quilts are from a challenge using MASTER ARTISTS as inspiration for the pieces. (Georgia O Keefe, Van Gogh, Frankenhaler, Klimpt, Hokusair, and Hunderwasser.) These quilts will be going to exhibits in Europe as part of an exchange.

This portrait used surface embroidery to add texture and highlights to the surface.  I think the big stitches were used in lieu of  quilting as I do not see any free motion quilting on the piece.  I would think if a piece was quilted the embellishing embroidery would have to be added after the quilting was completed otherwise the FMQ would interfere with the embroidery.   I am not sure if that is the way it is done,,, but it would probably be the way I would do it.  I do not think I would bring the stitches to the back of the quilt but travel through the batting from section to section.  

This style of FMQ was called angles by Patsy Thompson on her DVD.  She talked about how the sharp angles added energy and edginess to a piece.  I think the jagged zig zag angles and the sharp flame like FMQ on this piece added contrast to the softer circles and spirals of the applique motifs.

I know this was one of several quilts made after the style of Georgia O Keefe.   The free motion quilting (FMQ) adds details to the flower petals.  Thread and fiber was used to embellish the centers of the flowers.   The FMQ in the background maintained the vertical movement of the stalks and leaves of the flowers on the left side of the piece.  The quilter mimicked the background fabric with circular flowing patterns.

What can be prettier than a lily in full bloom and this lily was skillfully executed.  The in person viewing shows that this is a fused raw edge layering of colors form the bloom.  Variegated threads was used to accentuate the petals and leaves.  I like the upward movement of the FMQ when it mimics the flower growth.  

It is difficult to see in this post  but when seen in person or  in the original photo where I could zoom in I could see the raw edge applique used in this piece.   The FMQ follows the movement of the fused applique pieces adding texture by heavily quilting some areas of the quilt and leaving some area softer expanded with the batting. 

I think this was one of my favorites of the pieces… but then I am a sucker for POPPIES.  This quilt has a lot of visual impact and I do not know if it can be seen in his picture but each petal seemed to be of a different but closely related values the darker in the back of the flower.  I am assuming the fabric  was  hand dyed  and the gradation and use of the fabric was effective in creating depth.   FMQ mimics the veins and details of the petals and leaves.  I  liked the scattered  “pick” stitches in the background using  variegated threads to quilt the background it provided interesting texture.  

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My grandson loved this piece when he saw it on the computer while I was resizing the pictures I took at the quilt show.  He called it LOLLIPOPS.  I have a feeling I will be trying to do my own rendition of this piece, in the future.   I feel the quilter successfully combined free motion quilting which mimicked the over all pattern of the quilt and embroidery embellishment that adds to the texture of the piece.  

 

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OAKLAND CO, MI Quilt Show 4-14-2012

part ONE: RHYTHM HOMEWORK

IF you want to read the blog post or listen to the podcast that inspired this homework post, you can just use the links below. I have obtained permission from MS Fallert to use her quilts in this post. I do not possess any quilts that would be good illustration of the different aspects of RHYTHM and since I always admired MS Fallert work I requested permission to use pictures. I feel the majority of her quilts are rhythmic by the nature of her subjects, her use of color and value and the skill of her workmanship.

I also have permission from Jaye and Sandy to use their blogs and podcast as a basis for the posts on design.

Quilting for the Rest of Us Podcast for the RHYTHM discussion.

Design Series : Rhythm by Art Quiltmaker Jaye

RHYTHM:

“Intervals at which related element occur throughout a piece of art” (Liz Berg handout entitled Principles of Design from “Design the Abstract Quilt” class)

Visual rhythm is created when elements repeat in a sequence in a design. The repeated elements are often shape or color motifs … rather than simply repeating the elements to create a pattern. They act as a series of beats that ‘speak’ to one another.” (Aimone, Design! A lively guide to design basics for artists & craftspeople, pg. 112-113)

“..rhythm involves a clear repetition of elements that are the same or only slightly modified.” (Pentak & Lauer, pg. 100)

In the quilt CHECKS AND BALANCES, Ms Fallert. repeats the shape and movement of a gymnast’s or dancer. The girl’s movement across the quilt causes a rhythm over and above the shapes in the quilt. There are faint shadows of dancers on the background echos what is occurring in the foreground. I do not know if these shadows are the results of manipulation of fabrics or the results of thread painting or quilting on the quilt top. The quilt evokes the thought of music with a loud and rhythmic beat. The interplay of the colors brings to mind the flashing and dancing of lights; I my mind’s eye the dancers move right off the quilt.

Rhythm is “the repetition of a regular pattern, or a harmonious sequence or correlation of colors or elements.” (Art+Quilt by Lyric Kinard, pg. 80)

“Visual rhythm involves the movement of our eye from one element to the next in a regular pattern.” (Art+Quilt, pg. 80)

“In visual art, refers to the movement of the viewer’s eye across recurrent motifs.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg. 1)

“repetition of an element creates visual rhythm.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, pg.15)

In this quilt the dancer’s movements repeating across the quilt evoke a regular pattern, you can anticipate the next movements in the dance.

The colors used in this quilt are pretty much along one another on the color wheel… the yellow to green to blue to purple to pink/red resulting harmony across the quilt. Each individual color relates well to the other colors in the quilt.

The repletion of the dancers creates a visual rhythm as they dance across the quilt.

THIS SIMPLE COLOR WHEEL ILLUSTRATES THE COLORS FOUND IN THE QUILT. You will note they are all next to each other and blend well together, none of the colors clash against each other. The colors are not jarring but rather soothing without being boring, changing and shifting to suggest and echo the movement of the dancers and the shapes within the quilt.

This is part one of several posts about rhythm. I have several other lovely quilts by Ms Fallert that I have selected to illustrate RHYTHM. I hope you enjoy my efforts if you disagree or have any different ideas please post them here.

Happy Quilting,
Nonnie

http://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com/ Nonnie’s Blog

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast

Links for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

email me at: nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com

pt 1 FREE MOTION FINISH baby quilt

I finished the free motion quilting on my daughter’s baby quilt. I am in the process of sewing on the binding. First think I should say is that I should have taken better notes while quilting and this blog post would not be such a mis-match of random comments. Several things happened while I was FMQ but I can not remember the specifics. I hope to do better next time. I am not including the overall picture of the quilt on this post as I plan to post a part 2 to this blog tomorrow.

DETAILS: In the sky I used a pastel blender thread that matched the background but also had areas of blue, pink and yellow. For the green border I used a wonky swirl pattern because I learned when I practiced without marking my swirls were wonky… so I went with that. I used black thread to follow the pattern of the black and white zebra print. If I wondered into the white area with the black thread it looked planned, even if it was a mistake. I had tried the white thread to quilt the white striped but it looked horrible if I wondered onto the black stripes.

Nonnie

top of quilt details

Things that go wrong when you FREE MOTION QUILT:

Always check the thread path when you thread your machine. My thread would break several times while quilting. I finally figured out the thread was getting caught on the lip of the spool causing excessive tension to the point of breaking the thread. Once or twice the spool would jump off the thread stand and get hung up in the top part of the holder. Threads should be free flowing so check your spools for any crevces where the thread can break. I use thread I have even if it is older as long as the color is what I need. I do not have trouble with the thread fraying or breaking as much as I have trouble with the spools. I get around this often by loading a bobbin with the thread and using it on the verticle spool pin.

bottom half of the quilt

TENSION MISHAPS / COMMON SENSE SHOULD RULE, BUT IT DOESN’T:

I have been reading, studying and viewing the DVDs of all the best FREE MOTION QUILTERS around. But some of their tips did not work. I finally called the shop where I bought my machine and got their recommendations. My best advise is KNOW YOUR MACHINE. READ your manual, take the classes at the shop where you bought your machine. Not possible check out the blogs of quilters who use your machine and do work you admire, ask questions. Most quilters will try and answer your quilters. There are a lot of forums or yahoo groups with people who use your machine and they will usually help you. I followed the advise of my quilt shop and Sue Nickles who also used my machine in her project and my FMQ IMPROVED!! When I had taken Sue’s class I had written notes in the fly leaf of her book and I dug it out and reviewed it.

MY ADVISE IS KNOW YOUR MACHINE AND PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

border details

TENSION AND THREADS:

When I started my FMQ adventure, I put 60/wt 3 ply thread that is very fine but very strong. Regardless of how I adjusted the tension the bobbin thread would come to the top and ladder or make bumps. I had wanted the bobbin thread to match and blend with the backing fabric but that looked horrible on the front of the quilt. Every bobbin stitch could be seen as little bumps or pin dots. Matching the threads to the top worked much better. There may be a way to accomplish what I wanted to do but I do not know what it was. I plan to review all my DVDs again befor I do my next FMQ project.

MASTERING THE MOTION OF YOUR QUILITNG MACHINE:

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE… I tried each of the different motifs before I put them on the quilt. I improved only after practicing. My motifs are still kind of WONKY, but by the end they all looked better.

SUPER SLIDER HELPED! I have a super slider that allows the quilt to move easily on the surface. I always concentrated on the small area under the needle. I made sure my quilt would allow movement and would not get hung up. If there was tension from the weight of the quilt I noticed my motifs looked worse.

Finger Cots or Gloves helped me move the quilt easily with just light pressure. I found I liked the gloves better as my rings kept sliding around when I wore the finger cots. I have never taken my rings off so I either have to tape my rings or wear the gloves. I had not problems with my hands getting hot so I ended up wearing my gloves. YOU HAVE TO FIND WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.

I had a blast learning and doing FMQ and plan to continue on this adventure. I am already planning my next project. I do think I OVER-QUILTED this baby quilt and in the future I plan to avoid doing that< especially for baby quilts.

FYI: I plan to podcast as soon as I get my voice back. I started an episode but now have a rip roaring cold and lost my voice. I may just post short episodes as I have several topics I want to discuss but they do not go well together. We will see.

HAPPY QUILTING,

NONNIE

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Surfing the Internet: A few finds

I am planning to post some favorite Internets sites here…of all kinds of quilty goodness. I will be re-posting and adding here… or that is the plan. BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TO SEE WHAT I HAVE ADDED.

Vicky Welch, Field Trip in Fiber:

Vicky often post interesting information about COLOR THEORY as she is a fabric dyer. She is also working on a COLOR CHALLENGE. If the quilters around here need hand dyed fabric, Vicky is who they order from. Her stuff is wonderful.

Find her at:

http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/field_trips_in_fiber/color_theory/

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PINTREST

I love PINTREST! I am posting pictures of my pictures… so much easier. I plan colors for projects. Just finding stuff I really enjoy. Pictures, Pictures and Pictures. Loving it. Spent time with my initial set up but now I just play there in the darkness of the night. I have been posting pictures of my quilts and quilts made by friends and found on the internet… WONDERFUL QUILT INSPIRATION IN ONE PLACE.

BACK LATER, I am actually quilting today.

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TWITTER !!!…
Of course…Instant messaging where I connect with Quilty Friends and Family. Lots of post from national quilters and great quilty inspiration. Love it come and join me.

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FREE MOTION QUILTING : PRACTICE PIECE

PRACTICE FOR FREE MOTION QUILTING

I have been trying to get some actually quilting instead of being a fake/ wanna be quilter. My daughter and I pinned some practice pieces to use for me to practice my FREE MOTION QUILTING. My daughter made this quilt from a panel, this is the first time she got her quarter inch seam allowance correct. The panel lies flat. She has design a cute little quilt picking out the fabrics on her own. I am very proud of it; but now she wants me to free motion quilt it. And now I AM AFRAID, I have only played with FMQ before, WHAT IF I AM NOT UP TO THE TASK. WHAT IF I RUIN this little quilt?

My DD says just go for it… do what you can, the baby won’t know or care. What advice could you give me to FMQ this project?

Happy Quilting,

Nonnie

http://nonniequiltingdreams.wordpress.com/ Nonnie’s Blog

http://nonniesquiltingdreams.podbean.com/ Nonnie’s Quilting Dream Podcast

Pod cast link for Nonnie’s Quilting Dreams

JOIN me at GOOD READS

email me at: nonniequiltingdreams@gmail.com

Ricky Tims Rhapsody Quilt

Have you ever looked at a quilt and thought to yourself this is the quilt I want to make. This is the quilt that would be my master piece! This is the quilt that NEEDS Ricky to come to my house and draft for me, cause I could never get the top to lie flat! These are the thoughts that race through my head when I see one of the complicated Rhapsody quilts at a show, on line or in a book. I know how hard it can be to make cause when you deal with curves THINGS HAPPEN. The series of Rhapsody books that Ricky has published are the bane of my existence because they make me think that my dream is possible. Then again they might be my salvation as they can show me the way to achieve my dream.

Ricky Tims’ Rhapsody Quilts by Ricky Tims
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Ricky’s books and DVDs and was buying them even before he started THE QUILT SHOW and knew who he was as a quilter. I always fall in love with the pictures on the front cover and then I love the pictures of the gallery pictures. Ricky has detailed the process of how make your own RHAPSODY QUILT. I love his own quilts and the quilts of his students.

YES I AM A QUILT SHOW JUNKY !!!! Ricky showed how to make a Rhapsody quilt on the series.

PIN-LESS PRECISION CURVED PIECING

APPLIQUE

HOW TO DESIGN APPLIQUE

UNDERSTANDING THE DESIGN -

GOOD DESIGN VS DESIGNS THAT WILL FAIL

USING STAY STITCHES

SEWING CIRCLES

ADD this quilt to my dream list!!!

NONNIE

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New Expressions by Debbie Mumm

Debbie Mumm’s New Expressions by Debbie Mumm

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2006


Ms Mumm has written over 50 book. I have made several of her patterns as projects from several of those book. She calls her patterns contemporary, others call it home dec. She has a pre- Modern sensibility. Very geometric. I made several projects from this book for door prizes for my daughter’s wedding shower. They were well received.


I do think my appreciation of today’s Modern Blocks and Quilts started with her books. I love geometric and simpler piecing style of quilts.


What I DO NOT like in her books was the color way…. olive/ gold/ browns. I felt I was back in my mother’s house in the late 60s and 70s… we had alvacado (same as olive) and gold appliances…yuck!!! I also do not care for her style of applique… very folk art. I did make some of her projects as door prizes as I know her style was very popular in my home area.

Nonnie

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Wheel of Mystery by Helen Marshall

Wheel of Mystery Quilts: Surprising Designs from a Classic Block by Helen Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2006

Block size is 7-1/2 inches in most of the quilts shown. Templates included in the book are scaled to achieve this size block. I ordered acrylic templates from John Flynn’s company to make my blocks. My quilt group shared the cost of custom templates.

Ms Marshall is from New Zealand, and the style of these quilts are reflected of her homeland. From the little I have seen of Australian and New Zealand quilts they love color and busy fabrics. This is what you will see in the book. Ms Marshall has detailed instructions for how to construct this type of block since you will be doing a lot of curved piecing.

There are several different setting for these blocks: Attic Window, Lattice, secondary Melon blocks and Circle settings. A number of templates are included in the back of the book. Value and color placement dictate how quilts achieve their looks. Many of the fabrics are fussy cut to achieve a specific look to the blocks. (I use a layering technique in order to save on time, fabric and cutting when cut out my blocks.) A design wall is a must for most of these quilts / blocks.

Nonnie,

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