Friday, September 28, 2012

Flaunt Your Finish - September Edition

"If you've got it, flaunt it."

Mel Brooks is a smart man.  Everyone likes to show off a good finish, right?  Little feels better than putting that last stitch on your binding and then getting to show off that beauty to friends and family, and maybe some people in the blog world as well.

One of the things we've really enjoyed doing in the last few months is sharing our finishes with all of you in our "Finish Friday" segments.  However, we have discussed that as much as we enjoy sharing our pieces with you, we also enjoy being inspired.  So, for the first time we are inviting you to participate in newly named "Flaunt Your Finish.

OKC Modern Quilt Guild

This feature will continue to occur on the last Friday of the month, and we hope you'll link up your finishes with us below after you peruse a few of the finishes from our talented members.  :)

First up we have Robin with her "Trick or Treat" quilt.  This quilt is 9 months in the making.  She began it just prior to finding out she was pregnant.  :)  She's also sharing the baby's first Halloween outfit.  Go on...say it...Awwwwww!!!  She says she still has a lot of quilting to finish before the baby arrives (VERY SOON!!!).  I hate to break this to you, Robin, but work as fast as you can.  Because once that baby gets here you won't have any time at all!  You'll be too busy staring at your beautiful baby girl.  ;)





Next up we have Andrea with her stunning zig zag quilt.  She created this quilt as a wedding gift for her cousin using the backing pattern "Fire Rescue" by Elizabeth Hartman.  It was a well deserved hit with her cousin who declared it her favorite gift ever!!!  What a compliment.  To think...she was nervous that her cousin might not like it.  Psssh!  A variety of patterns and solids were used, and on the back is a Basic Grey Grunge.  She used a combination of straight line quilting in the negative space with an echo quilting on the zigzag using a subtle variegated thread.  I think this is Andrea's second quilt EVER!!!!!!  She's so stinkin' talented!


Thanks so much for taking a look out some of our finishes!  We would love to see some of yours.  The only rules are:

1)  Your quilt must be actually finished.
2)  Your linked quilts need to have been completed in the month of September.
3)  This is not a requirement, but we would greatly appreciate it if you add our link back button to your blog as well.  (The code can be found on the sidebar.)

Thanks again!
-Amanda-


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Coffee Talk "Tuesday": Trina Kubicki

This week we're featuring Trina!  She is the treasurer of our guild (thank goodness we have someone good with numbers and money.  That is so not me!), and she stays really busy these days.  Every quilt I've seen of hers is just gorgeous, and I hope we get to see her at more meetings in the near future as she has a lot of talent for us to oooh and aaah over.  :)  So, without further ado...lets get to know Trina!
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Hi Trina!  Thanks so much for being interviewed.  I'm really excited to learn more about your outlook on quilting, so lets dive in, shall we?  When did you really get into sewing in general?


      Although my mom and grandma sewed, I didn’t have any interest until I was out of high school. I actually took sewing lessons at Fun to Sew in The Village. They were clothing sewing classes. I took two different classes, and while I became proficient, I really didn’t like making clothing. I do still have a skirt I made and actually wore it recently.


It's funny how many people I hear that get into sewing to make clothes and then end up finding other sewing projects to be more their forte.  I can definitely relate.  So, how did you make the leap from sewing clothes to quilting?

My Mom started quilting around 2000 and convinced me to make a quilt. It was a paper pieced quilt made out of all polka dot materials. We actually made it together, but hers was done quickly and I dragged mine out for about 4 years! I think seeing the finished product and everyone’s responses (You made that??) really pushed me into quilting on a regular basis.

Wow!  4 years?  I'm really impressed that you sought out that finish!!!  That is real dedication!  So, it sounds like your mom convinced you to get into quilting?

I wasn’t drawn into quilting, I was pulled by my mom with a lot of resistance and eye rolling. I really didn’t think I had the time or the technical skills to make a full quilt. My experience thus far had been clothing and small things, such as stockings and aprons.

HA!  I think many daughter's can relate to that situation.  So, what drew you into the more modern style of quilting?

The fabric! When I started quilting I used a lot of Moda lines and traditional patterns.  While they were pretty, they didn’t feel very ‘me’. Then I discovered the blog Film in the Fridge. I loved the freedom in her quilts and she links up to great fabric stores. A hop, skip, and a click later and I was in fabric heaven.  And once you find fabric you love, you start looking for a pattern that will work and showcase the fabric and then it just snowballs.

That is a great blog!  It's always refreshing to be able to turn to the world of blogging and find someone out there who "speaks" to you and "gets" you, isn't it?  So, who else in inspires your quilting style?

I of course love the big name:  Anna MarieHornerDenyse Schmidt, and Amy Butler, but I find everyday women who quilt actually more inspirational. Those with no experience that just want to make something they love, something that can be passed down, something that they are proud of.

"Dotty"
That is a great thing about quilting.  That someone can just create and if you can sense the love and inspiration in it then it doesn't matter if it's perfect...it's beautiful.

You mentioned the fabrics drew you into the "modern" movement.  What fabric designers/manufacturers do you love?

I love a lot of the Free Spirit fabric designers:  Anna Marie HornerDenyse Schmidt, Heather Bailey, Dena Designs, Jennifer Paganelli, JoelDewberry……I love that fabric designers have become not so matchy matchy. I don’t want to see the same 4 prints in 4 different colorways. And I love that they are mixing up colors, colors that you don’t think go together until you see them and you have one of those ‘Aww’ moments.

So, when do you find the time to work with all of these lovely fabrics?  When does inspiration strike?

     I usually sew on weekends, after the kids are settled (either in bed or watching a movie). For years me and a girlfriend have tried to get together for craft night on Wednesday. With school in session, it is harder, but we still try to find time! I don’t come up with my own ideas much, I love to steal other people’s ideas. If I had to come up with an original idea, I might never get a project started. I love quilting books because I am very visual and I love looking at Pinterest and our Facebook blog to see what people are making, but other than that, I am not online much. 


I think you'll find several quilting book hoarders amongst our guild members!  (ME!!!)  Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel if you know what I'm saying.  :)  So, what are some patterns or techniques that you have on your to do list these days?

    I took on the task of making new bedding for all our beds. I have finished my two boys quilts, one a queen and one a twin. Currently I am making a full size for my daughter and then I will tackle a king size for my bed. I actually have made one for my bed, but I need the warmth of two in the winter.  Then I will tackle a few things for Christmas…So nothing out of my comfort zone, but plenty to keep my busy.

A king size?  You brave brave soul!  I can't wait to see the finish though!  

Now we get to talk a bit more about your finished quilts.  Which one is your favorite?

I love my quilts like my children, so I am hard pressed to find just one that I am most proud of. (That also makes them harder to give away!!) I love my Dotty quilt, because it was my first and a paper pieced quilt with circles and applique. Maybe that is why it took me 4 years to finish it. My favorite is my quilt using Anna Marie Horner fabrics.  The pattern is called Olivia and it was made for a quilt like that had like 40 different fabrics. I had 12 or so, so I had to covert the pattern to fit what I had. 




And of course...since you are getting the chance to show off your quilty goodness we also need to hear about a mishap.  You know...so we all feel better about ourselves.  

     I am a very haphazard sewer so I always make mistakes, nothing that I haven’t been able to have a “Make it Work” moment. That said, my chicken quilt was supposed to have a nine patch within a nine patch block. Once together it made a chain in the quilt. I made the mistake of using directional fabric (stripes) and didn’t think about it during assembly. There was absolutely no way I was going to seam rip out 90 or so 1” blocks so they got ‘86’d and I added chicken appliqué.  It still turned out well, just not at all like the pattern.



Ah yes, the inner Tim Gunn.  I have one too!  

Now you get to be Tim Gunn and give us some advice.  First off where should we go to find inspiration?  A particular blog or book you can recommend?

  I really only look at one blog, Film in the Fridge. I wish I had more time because there is so much out there. I think I have about every modern quilting book and magazine out there, but I think Liberated Quiltmaking II, by Gwen Marston is great; not so much for patterns, it just expands your ways of thinking.  You can put a modern spin on about any pattern out there.

And finally, what advice do you have to someone knew to the world of modern quilting?

     Just jump in! Find a fabric you love and make the easiest pattern you can find. You will never get better if you don’t try and honestly, you will pick apart your work way more than any person ever will. The pride in the finished product is so worth all the effort and blood, sweat, and tears!

That's great advice, and it's so true!  Thanks again for taking time to chat with me, Trina!  I look forward to seeing that king size quilt in particular!!!











Wednesday, September 19, 2012

September Meeting Wrap-Up

The September meeting was such a nice change of pace for everyone I think!  We met at Jemellia's house and she is certainly the hostess with the mostest!  That girl had fabric cut for napkins, yummy appetizers, a demo prepared...maybe we can just meet at her house from now on!  ;)  Seriously though, thanks for hosting, Jemellia!

Now, down to the nitty gritty...


  1. Events that we have coming up are our booth at the Oklahoma State Fair.  We have some gals who volunteered to work the booth from 2:00-5:00 on September 23rd.  If you'll be at the fair come and check it out!  I know there will be eye candy of the quilty kind on display.  :)
  2. QuiltCon - Looks like we have a good number of members attending and we're still trying to decide who those free show tickets will go to.  Jemellia showed off the quilt top for our Michael Miller Challenge Quilt (we will be submitting this to the QuiltCon Show).  It is looking STUNNING, and her plans for the backing are  spot on in my opinion.  :)  I can't wait to share it with y'all!  We also agreed to participate in using some of the extra blocks submitted for the QC raffle quilt to make quilts for charity.  More details on that to come.
  3. We have our VERY FIRST retreat scheduled!!!  WOOOOOO!!!!!!  So stinkin' excited about getting an entire weekend away from my family to sew!  Members will be able to find more details about the retreat on the Guild's private facebook page.
  4. Christmas Party - We're still figuring out the where and when.  However, it was decided that we will have a handmade swap.  This means you can make something or buy something that was handmade (say at a craft fair) and bring it to the party where we will have a swap.  It does NOT have to be a sewn item.  :)  So, start planning now!
Elections are coming up in November!!!  Please consider taking on a leadership role within the guild.  :)   Officer positions that are open for running are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Committee Chair.  If you are interested please contact our current President, Angela, at okcmqg@gmail.com.  I know any help/interest is welcome!!!  The best way to keep our guild fresh and moving forward is to have people that want to take on new challenges and leadership roles!  :)

We also had a very brief show and tell segment which began with a super fun "secret" project several members of the guild have been collaborating on.  One of our sweetheart of a member's, Robin, is a new Mommy-to-Be and her little baby is due in early October.  So, some of us got together to make blocks for a fun and vibrant baby quilt for her little GIRL!  All of us were so happy to see her happy, with little tears in her eyes.  'Cause, you know...there's nothing better than making a pregnant woman cry.  Wait...that doesn't sound right.  You know...the happy tears kind of crying.  Not the sobbing, runny nose, kind.  Nevermind.  Here's Robin with her new baby quilt:




The little label on the back has the quote: "There's really nothing quite so sweet as tiny little baby feet."

Amanda shared this massive quilt (I believe it is a King size...maybe it was a queen.  Either way it was huge) from one of the Cluck Cluck Sew Patterns.  Those colors are so bright and juicy!  Can a color be juicy?  

 Angelina share this DARLING little Sock Monkey baby quilt.  I love the different blocks and that background has so much depth while still subtle.  But, I would expect no less from Angelina!  This girl has an eye for color and pattern!  :)


Well, that's it for this meeting.  Our next meeting is on October 6th...it's a combo meeting/sew day from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Edmond.  Hope to see you there!

Sew long for now,
-Amanda-

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

WIP Wednesday



You know you're a quilter when...

1. Before a major event or holiday, you can be seen either up at midnight, or in the car on the way to the event, sewing the last few stitches in.


This sweet little Winnie the Pooh quilt is a labor of love for Robin's unborn daughter. Robin just reached the 30-day countdown, so she's working on it every chance she gets! I adore pinwheels for babies...and wait...those 8-point stars in the corners are pretty cool too!




2. The line outside your restroom "stall" during the play's intermission gets longer & longer because you're trying to sketch the complex design in the tile floor because it'd make a neat quilt design!

Crys really likes HSTs (half-square triangles). I have to admit my HSTs need some practice, but I think she's got it down pretty well. This is a really interesting color combination and I'm anxious to see it spread out in all it's glory.



3. Every time your boss wears a particular shirt you have to bite your tongue to keep from asking him if you can have it when he gets tired of it.

I may have mentioned before that several of our guild members are obsessed with into hexagons. They swear to me that they are fun and relaxing to do, but I just haven't bought into that idea yet :) This is another quilt by Crys using both new and old fabrics by Denyse Schmidt. I love this mix of menswear/womenswear fabrics. I see a tie, vest lining, a summer shirtdress...it's a great mix! 



4. You don't mind spending tons of money on fabric to make a quilt for a gift but would never spend that much money on a store bought gift.

There's been a lot of chat this week about bag patterns. Shana was at the mall this weekend and she saw a cute quilted gym bag but didn't like the price. Like a lot of us, she thought "I can make that!" and that's exactly what she's doing. She's started the sides, which will be really cute. But wait, Shana...cupcakes on your gym bag? You're my kind of girl!





5. You go to the pizza place and your four year old pipes up, "Look, Mom, that man's using a rotary cutter on the pizza!"

I don't doubt that someday, one of Amanda L's kids will say that to her! Amanda has been working on this "Little Apple Orchard" quilt for a while now. I'm getting a little antsy because she just keeps giving us little snippets of it and I'm dying to see the whole thing. Made with a charm pack of Aneela Hoey's "Little Apples", the quilt has four "orchards" divided up by color and is English Paper Pieced in the shape of apple cores. Each orchard is tidily closed off by a "fence" of Kona White. The quilting in the apple orchards is done with a White Pearl Cotton. Between and surrounding each orchard is a scrumptious Essex Linen, which Amanda is hand-quilting as well with apple tree branches in a variegated Sulky Blendable Thread. She says, "It's slow going, but doing so much of the work by hand is incredibly rewarding, relaxing, and FUN!"


6. You're making travel plans and one of your first thoughts is if there are any must see quilting stores within a 100 mile radius of your destination.

A couple of weeks ago I went with my sister to take her daughter back to college. And, okay, I was a little disappointed we didn't have time to stop at a couple of the quilt shops I jotted down. I am in the middle of making a photo quilt for a friend's parents celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I've gotten to know them a little over the years as they've come to visit her and they are absolutely fantastic people! It's really a pleasure to be able to do this for them.




7. You purchase fabric and the clerk asks "what are you making?" And you have to answer, "I don't know", "I'm not sure", or my usual "I just collect fabric."

Bri says she's been collecting 30s fabrics for the last few years and is excited to be using them in the Bee in My Bonnet Row Along she's doing. She says clues come out every other Wednesday, so the project is a bit of mystery as well. This is her Row 1 and I have to say I'm curious as to what's next!


8. You leave the house with bits of thread and fabric all over your clothes.

Bri is also working on a fall leaves quilt, which will be a retirement gift for a friend. When I first glanced at this quilt, a few of the leaves looked transparent. Can you see it too? It's almost like looking through the quilt and seeing the ground or trees.


9. You spend more money on 'quilt stuff' than you do on your wardrobe.
Happy Quilting!


Today we're linking up with:  



WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced