Shine: The Circles Quilt, finished

November 13, 2016June 26, 2019 Elizabeth E.33 Comments

Shine: The Circles Quilt
Quilt #170

This quilt finally finished, I took it out for a photography session with the help of my husband.

I started sewing the first block in June of 2014, and finished the top a year later. The quilting was finished at the end of September, but it wasn’t until now that I could get time to take it up to our university’s Botanic Gardens to get some photographs.

My husband’s favorite block. As some of you know, many of these blocks were inspired by art in a church in Slovenia, as well as designs from our travels. Most of the patterns and accompanying tutorials are free on this blog, found *here* as well in a tab labeled Shine: The Circles Quilt.

This shows the quilting. I was trying out double batting (polyester with wool), and found it was a challenge to move the heavy quilt around on the machine. It took me nearly 4 months to quilt this thing, as I was hobbled with a shoulder injury. But I was able to finish it!

As I quilted, I thought a lot about my brother-in-law Tom, who passed away a little over a month ago. He maintained a beautiful small garden in his backyard, and so in one of the corners I quilted in a flower in his memory (shown below). Many offered advice and help while I was quilting: thank you, everyone.

detail of quilting from the back

This closes a chapter in my life. Lovely to see you here, Shine!

Quilts

New Quilting Machine

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 Elizabeth E.15 Comments

So here’s a short story: This all started two years ago when I test drove a Bernina FancyPants Machine during one of my Road to California classes. That thing could do everything but cook dinner, and I pined about it for a year. I love my current Husqvarna Quilt Designer machine, but it is coming up on it’s 14 year-old birthday and one morning, I woke up with an unhappy touch screen. Horrors! and so the intensity of my search increased, or at least the anxiety of wondering when my machine would conk out on me. Then I took a domestic free motion quilting class with David Taylor this year at Road to California and at first, I was unhappy that we were working on Handi Quilter’s Sweet Sixteen machine–what? No teensy weensy harp space of my regular domestic? But the techniques are the same, so I took to this machine like a duck to water.

Now I needed TWO machines: one to replace my aging Husqvarna and this new Sweet Sixteen quilting machine. But I only had resources for one. After some time to think about it, I decided I could prolong the life of my Quilt Designer if I took the quilting tasks off its back. One afternoon last week, Richard of Quilter’s Cocoon toted this up to my guest bedroom, set it up for me, gave me my first lesson (so happy I’d had the day with David Taylor to augment what Richard was teaching me), and I was up and running.

Except I wasn’t.

I didn’t touch if for two days. Scared? Excited? Thinking I was out of my mind? All of the above? But I finally put together a mini quilt sandwich and went to town, trying out new stitches, using the two rulers I’d purchased, taking it out for a test drive. Notice how all four corner blocks are different; I was having fun. No, I don’t name my machines (but know a lot of people do, and invariably it’s always my childhood nickname of Betsy — which explains why I don’t do it) but we do refer to it as the “quilting machine,” to keep it distinguished from my “regular machine.” (By the way, the pattern for this quilt — Ribbon Star Beauty — will be up on Craftsy later on this week. It’s a fun little mini that sews up quickly.)

My daughter has a new shop in her small town of Kingman Arizona, The Farmhouse Kingman. I plan to send this to her so she can use/sell it in her shop. If you drive through Kingman on your way to somewhere else, stop by and see her. She’s in the old section of town, with a cute shop of fun farmhouse decor items.

And that’s the whole story. Now back to quilting.

Classes · Sewing

Teaching Schedule through Late Summer

March 7, 2016March 2, 2016 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

I’ve signed up to teach a few classes at our local quilt shop, The Quilter’s Cocoon, and thought I’d let you know about them. The first three are mini quilts, where you learn a new skill with each one. There’s a discount for signing up for all three. Then in June, I’m teaching the Wonky Baskets quilt, to use up a lot of scraps. July’s class is Machine Appliqué, making an originally designed Lollypop Tree block (pattern included in class) in either Christmas colors or summery/spring colors.

Finally, we’ll finish off with Beginning Machine Quilting, using your domestic sewing machine. Hope you can join me for one or all!

April 19, Tues: 10:30-2:30 Rolling Rainbow Star

This brightly colored mini quilt is where you’ll learn about the color wheel and how to piece Y-seams (easily). Class materials fee is $2.00. I’ll be teaching a series of three mini quilts. It’s $30 for one class or $75 for all three. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

May 3, Tues: 10:30-2:30 Spectrum

This mini quilt is composed of multiple Kaffe Fasset fabrics, all done by hand with English Paper Piecing. Class materials fee is $10 (pattern included). You’ll learn the basics of paper piecing, and some tips in working with the color wheel. I’ll be teaching a series of three mini quilts. It’s $30 for one class or $75 for all three. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

May 17, Tues: 10:30-2:30 Home, Sweet, Home

This fun neighborhood centers around a town star! Pick up the cutting directions when you pay for the class, and come with all your pieces cut. We’ll talk about how to get the perfect points on a half-square triangles and snowball blocks. Cost: $35. Class materials fee is $10 (pattern included). This is the third in a series of three mini quilts. It’s $30 for one class or $75 for all three. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

June 7, Tues: 10:30-4 p.m Wonky Baskets Quilt

A scrap-happy quilt with wonky baskets. You’ll need one short ruler to help you cut the sides and one long ruler (to cut the bias), but other than those two things, it’s wonky happiness! Bring a collection of scraps (more info on class handout, available when you pay) and we’ll sew sew sew all day long. Instructions for the borders will be handed out at the end of class. Class cost: $45, at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

July 16, Sat: 10:30-4 p.m Christmas Treat

This Christmasy wall hanging can also be made in spring colors in Kaffe Fasset fabrics. (See below). In this class we’ll talk about combining fabrics, freezer-paper machine applique. Instructions for the borders will be given out in class, in case you don’t get to them. See class supply sheet for more information. Cost: $35. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

Spring version of Christmas Treat

August 27, Sat: 10:30-2 p.m Beginner’s Free-Motion Quilting

If you know your machine well, and are ready to finish off that stack of quilt tops in your closet, this is the class for you. I can not do tech-support for your machine, so make sure you are familiar with the basics of your sewing machine, have a free-motion quilting foot (see your dealer if you are not sure) and are ready to learn how to quilt with your domestic sewing machine. Cost: $35. Class materials fee: $15. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

–OR–

Sept. 8, Thursday: 10:30-2 p.m Beginner’s Free-Motion Quilting
If you know your machine well, and are ready to finish off that stack of quilt tops in your closet, this is the class for you. I can not do tech-support for your machine, so make sure you are familiar with the basics of your sewing machine, have a free-motion quilting foot (see your dealer if you are not sure) and are ready to learn how to quilt with your domestic sewing machine. Cost: $35. Class materials fee: $15. I’ll be teaching at Quilter’s Cocoon, in Riverside, California (951-351-0346)

Quilts

Colorwheel Blossom–Blogger’s Quilt Festival

May 15, 2015May 17, 2015 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

Colorwheel Blossom, 48″ square

Welcome to the Blogger’s Quilt Festival! I’m entering ColorWheel Blossom in the ROYGBIV category of Amy’s online contest.

The original finished blog post is *here.*

It took me forever to find the right colors for the center of the blossom, and I haunted several quilt show booths, combing through their Kona Cottons to find just the right shades, then visited Purl Soho–Irvine to get the right inner petal shades. I appliquéd it to the white background, and then it took me several months to get up the courage to quilt this. I settled on a curvilinear emphasis in the middle field and an angular emphasis in the borders.

It now hangs in our hallway right by the front door, a rainbow greeting all our guests, lighting up our home.

Thanks for stopping by to see Colorwheel Blossom. Be sure to head back to Amy’s Blogger’s Festival to see the rest of the quilts, and to vote for your favorites! Voting begins May 22nd for each category, as well as Viewer’s Choice.