Flaunt Your Finish: March 2014

Many of us around the country have experienced a long, cold and wacky Winter. We're finally showing signs of Spring in Oklahoma and here are the projects that have "sprung up" this month from a few of our members.

Join us at the bottom of this post and Flaunt YOUR OWN Finish!

This bag just hints of sunny days! It is the Super Tote Bag by Noodlehead that Debbie made for her friend in Portland.  She used Violet Craft's fabric showcasing... Portland bridges, of course! Debbie says it is a really nice pattern and gives it a big thumbs up "...as there were no four letter words involved like there are with some bag patterns!" That's enough of an endorsement to get me to try it!

I love to see the "non-quilty" projects our members make. Ann took a free basket weaving class that she signed up for at the Winter Quilt Show back in January. The Basketweavers Guild of Oklahoma sponsored the class. They meet the second Saturday of odd-numbered months at what we locals call,  "The Cowboy Hall of Fame". This is a 7-inch napkin basket she made. "They were a really great group and there are even some quilters among them!" 

Ann has also been busy being a new Grandma!  Ann and her daughter-in-law went shopping for quilt fabrics on March 6th. Her due date wasn't until mid-April, so Ann had PLENTY of time. Wrong! Little William decided he'd arrive 4.5 weeks early on March 9th! He was pretty tiny and went straight to the NICU. Grandma had to get sewing! "Thanks to inspiration from Jemellia who smushed my choice of Granny Annie together, my new moniker is Gannie. LOVE IT!" So...Ann got the quilt done in a few days. Heather (the mom) even slept with it to put her scent on it for when William came home. She found the design on Pinterest and added a strip of pieced chevron. Oh, and that ombré backing is just too delish!

"But this is how the quilt looks best. He came home after two weeks in NICU."

William also needed some help keeping his head warm. Time for Gannie to bring out the knitting needles. "This is one of the hats I've made. The others were crocheted. Even made sure he had an all-green one for St. Patrick's Day!"

And if that wasn't enough....Ann's friend created this pattern and taught the class out at Threads of Tradition in Yukon, Oklahoma. Ann made this Star Pillow out of fifteen 5"x 5" squares. "Yup, it matches last month's hot air balloon! It's a fun process and relatively quick." Pattern available at Threads of Tradition.

So, then...Ann decided she needed to try one out of mini-charm pack squares. She machine pieced it but had to come back with a little hand reinforcement/correction. Ann says she could picture filling one with crushed walnut shells to use as a pincushion.

Agnes is definitely ready for Spring! Here is a fast little Easter/Spring table runner she improv-pieced from the remnants of her Spring banner from last month. 

"We dyed the eggs-on-a-stick with the kids over the years, and they are the perfect decoration together."

Those of us that were in the guild when Robin had her baby will be surprised to see how much she's grown! This is the first quilt Robin has finished since her daughter was born. (We totally understand, Robin!) "It was originally intended to be a charity quilt, but now I'm having trouble giving it up! I love the way the purples work together (it's all from stash), and I never could resist a good Halloween fabric. Apparently my kiddo agrees, because she wouldn't let me take it outside without her!"

And Melissa made this cheery birthday quilt for her youngest daughter who just turned eleven! It's all flannels, mostly from Ann Kelle.

I've become obsessed with zippered bags. Yeah, I know ya'll have been doing them for awhile. I just never needed one, two, three...okay, four! until now.

Now it's YOUR TURN to Flaunt Your Finish. Link up your blog or Flickr page below.

Thanks for joining us! Check back the first of April for "A Monthly Dose of Inspiration"!

Meeting Recap: March 2014

We’ve hit the big 5-0!

50 members, that is. Here’s a BIG WELCOME to our new members and a heartfelt “thanks for sticking around” to our returning members. Our growth is exciting!

We have SO MUCH going on! If you miss a meeting, there are many ways to stay informed:

1. Read our monthly newsletter. If you are not getting our newsletter by email, please let President Ann know;
2. Peruse this blog. Dates at a glance are on the side bar to the right. For more details, make your selection from the many topics on top menu bar; and
3. Check in on Facebook. There’s a lot of fun, casual conversation that happens on Facebook.

MARCH MEETING RECAP:

For our March meeting, Teresa (Midnight Latte Designs), Jemellia (JemJam), Elizabeth (Pieceful Life), Candace (Saltwater Quilts) and I  (Leslie Unfinished) sat on a panel for a discussion about blogging. Amanda L. (The Cozy Pumpkin) was our moderator as we shared why we each began blogging and the techniques we’ve used to gain followers. Click MEMBER BLOGS on our top menu and discover blogs created by OKCMQG members. If you have any questions about starting your own blog, I know any one of them would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

One of the best things about having 50 members is MORE Show & Share! It moves pretty quickly, and I try to jot down the inspiration and ideas behind the project in between photos…but we had a lot to share this month and so my comments are short…and hopefully correct :) Such a nice complication to have!

Bri was participating in a Stash Bee and used up some of her odds & ends for this cute quilt.

Elizabeth A. used scraps from a quilt she made for her 5-year old daughter to make this wall hanging for her daughter’s room they are redecorating.

Kristine showed us this paper pieced dinosaur she received from Tartan Kiwi. 

Kristine also has a head start on Christmas! She completed this needlepoint stocking.

Elizabeth R. has been participating in a Scrappy Trip Along. She's hand-quilting with big chunky stitches.

A week or so ago, Audra posted on Facebook that her husband announced “So and so just had twins, can you make them two quilts?” Oh, yes, she can!

Agnes is presenting Fabric Printing at our April Meeting. She brought this teaser along to get us excited. It was printed using a potato and a “plastic thingy I found on the floor”.

Agnes also made these “mats” for lack of a better word from small scraps of fabric and then densely quilted them. The idea could be used many different ways.

Laura J. tested a pattern from Laura Burke and I’d say it was a great success!

Laura J. also was the only one to complete a top with our 2013 Block-of-the-Month series. Yay Laura!

Karen used pre-cuts (a jelly roll and a charm pack) to make this lovely quilt. I’m a big fan of this fabric line too! (Comma by ZenChic)

It’s true that Modern Quilters don’t have to be modern all the time. Rebecca was asked to join a more traditional challenge group that made use of lots and lots of half-square triangles. Congratulations Rebecca, for being the only one in the group to complete a BIG quilt top!

Ever wonder what you can make with those mini-charm packs? How about a Plus Quilt like this one that Angie made? She used about 5 mini-charm packs.

If you’ve been keeping track…Angie has been sponsoring a Big City Bags Sew Along on her blog, Sewing With Squeak. Here’s the latest bag!

Becca made this lovely French Rose quilt for her daughter. The roses are layers of “raw edge” flowers sewn on.

Shana completed this curved quilt top. When completed, she’ll donate it to a not-yet-decided-upon charity. So nice!

Whew! That was one of our biggest Show & Shares yet. We hope you’ve found some inspiration or motivation to complete your own projects. Remember to check with us at the end of the month for Flaunt Your Finish, where you can show off YOUR completed projects!

A Monthly Dose of Inspiration

Every month we are going to share some of our members' flickr pictures to provide a little inspiration and eye candy.  Everyone seems to be suffering from spring fever these days so here are some fun and colorful projects to get your creative thoughts flowing...

1. 36 patch signed copy, 2. Paper pieced star, 3. Tiny pouch/eyeglass case, 4. 2013-10-17 10.40.55, 5. Regan1, 6. HeartPinCushionQC, 7. Quick Curve Ruler 4-patch, 8. Star Quilt, 9. Red and White, 10. Madrona Road Front, 11. Pin cushion basket, 12. IMG_1457

Here's to spring sewing!  Spring cannot get here fast enough!  

Flaunt Your Finish: February 2014

Live! From New York...

it's

!!!!

Yes, I'm actually writing this from New York City! Wouldn't you know, I'm in between exhibits at The Art Quilt Gallery in New York, the only gallery in NYC devoted to contemporary art quilts, but my OKCMQG pals sent these lovely projects to share for February's Flaunt Your Finish!

If you don't know the drill, your project must be completed in the current FYF month. If you have a project you finished in February, link up your blog of Flickr page at the end of this post. And if you're not quite sure how to link-up we'll have a How-To at the end of the post as well.

The Finishes:

Ann completed these two projects (with minutes to spare!) for her daughter-in-law's baby shower. "Their nursery theme is hot air balloons. I had in mind to create a soft sculpture right after I heard that was her preference. Tom helped me with shaping the pattern. The rest I improvised along the way. One of my new favorite lines, Zen Chic Barcelona complements her linens choice. 7" balloon diameter." 

and also a mini by Ann:

If you're a Doctor Who fan, hold onto your hats. Melissa made this Tardis quilt for her daughter's friend that is getting married in March. "The engaged couple are both over 6 feet tall, so they really appreciated that the quilt was so LONG!  A special shout out to Ann for making the wording block that she printed onto fabric for me :)"

Just returned from Budapest, Agnes' mini is inspired by the luscious spice hues of Kaffe Fassett's shot cottons. "The portals symbolize the opportunities we have in life and our hard decisions on choosing one, or the other." On permanent exhibit at Je's Bend.

Agnes also designed and made this cute and happy seasonal Easter banner for the home where her mom currently resides in Hungary (hence the Hungarian word for "Spring" on the bottom).

Elizabeth made a baby quilt for a baby girl.  The dad-to-be has been a friend of her son's since they were babies...."their family is very special to our family. The mom-to-be is decorating the baby's room in brown and white. I am not making a quilt for decoration, I want it to be used. However, I still wanted to try to make something in colors that she would appreciate."

Elizabeth used Kona snow (not bright white) and various browns from her stash. The backing is a pop of color from Amy Butler's Love called Sunspots for Rowan.  She machine quilted using her walking foot along the zig zags, and added a final touch of fuchsia hand stitching.  The quilt measures 33"x 50".

Something we all probably need to improve upon...Listen! made by Teresa, was inspired by Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s word challenge last January. "The mini quilt was created for one of my endorsers to highlight my artistic style and as a thank you -- she chose the word." It is watercolor, and embroidery on quilting cotton.

This bag by Angie is part of the Big City Bags Sew Along she's hosting. The pattern is the GoGo Bag from the book Big City Bags by Sara Lawson. Fabrics are VeloCity. "I added an extra pocket and a key clip to the inside to help keep me organized. It was my first time using ByAnnie's Soft & Sable and it is amazing!!"

That's it for the OKCMQG members. Now it's your turn to Flaunt Your Finish. Here's how to do it:

How to link up your blog:

1. Write a post on your own blog with photos of your project and publish it.
2. Since you are linking up a specific project and not your blog in general, click the title of your post so that the URL (the web address) in your browser is the link to your post and not just to your home page. Highlight the URL and copy.
3. Go to the site and specific post hosting the link up. At the end of the post there will be a link that says something to the effect of: "Click here to enter"..."Link up here"..."Add your project"...etc. Click on that link.
4. A window will appear and depending on how the link is formatted, you may see a variety of options. There will be a spot for your URL. That's the URL that you copied. The direct link to your post. Paste it into the appropriate box. You may also be prompted to enter your name and an email.
5. You'll be asked to choose a photo from your blog. Choose photos from "the web" and your photos will appear. Select and crop as desired. After you're done, your link will appear at the bottom of the post!

Thanks for sharing your Finish with us! Grab a Flaunt Your Finish to add to your post and share with others!

Coffee Talk "Tuesday": Ann Solinski

This week we're featuring Ann, our new and fearless leader! She has some exciting ideas to lead us into the New Year with style. Ann is an amazing quilter who is very interested in all things modern. I haven’t had the chance to sew alongside her but I think he has some amazing ideas inside her head and is always up for trying out new techniques. So now we must get to know the OKCMQG new president!

Hello Ann! It’s so good of you to sit down with us so we can get to know you a little better. I’ve read your blog Annotations: A Paper Trail… and I’ve always wanted to get some insight into your background in quilting, how long have you been sewing in general? What was your first quilt like?

My mom first started me out on her Featherweight back when I was quite young. I still kept sewing in spite of junior high school home economics classes. Although I needed to improve my craftsmanship, ‘keeping back with the rest of the class’ was spirit numbing. For my first quilt I bought Hancock Fabrics St. Jude Quilt of Dreams fabric (2005) and finally designed and made it from December 2010 - January 2011and it’s all hand tied

That is an innovative first attempt! I like how the stripes of the fabric are all different directions; it gives it a defined edge. So I’m guessing that was when you first began quilting?

Yes, since December 2010. It’s one of those creative outlets I always wanted to tackle. The first quilt I made was from fabric I’d purchased several years prior with no real plan. It was a great first attempt and set the tone for the way I design my quilts—on computer!

That is 4 years of quilting! Using your own pattern to begin with is pretty bold. I bet you’ve learned a lot in that time with the way you’re always up for new ideas. What drew you to modern quilting as opposed to a more traditional or classic style?

The first design that really got me excited was the V & Co. Houndstooth quilt and Elizabeth Hartman’s Tokyo Subway quilt. I was drawn to the strong graphic elements and contrast. When I started falling in love with/collecting fabric again in late 2010, I noticed a definite preference toward graphic prints as opposed to the more delicate, historical ones. I think I was a modern quilter destined to happen! As much as I like the tight precision of a traditional pattern, large expanses of negative space with beautiful quilting excite me more and more these days. I think it’s mostly because less is more and a whisper is louder than a shout.

I know how you feel I love the modern prints and collections. The negative space reminds me of some modern art. And the patterns that modern quilters come up with are very inspirational and exciting! Who inspires you in the busy world of modern quilting?

I’m pretty happy with Elizabeth Hartman’s Oh, Fransson! Blog and Almost any book by Angela Walters would make me happy. Watching her do free motion quilting on PBS, it looks so effortless and her books instill the same kind of confidence.  I’ve not yet searched too far and wide, but I’ll investigate more this year!

I’m sure your fellow guild members can offer some help with that! Like the book show and tell we had last year. How about some of you favorite fabric designers? Whose fabric inspires you to design?

My two favorite fabric designers are Brigitte Heitland (Zen Chic [Juggling Summer, Comma; Barcelona; and now Sphere]) and Carolyn Friedlander (Architextures & Botanics) and I am also partial to most of the patterns in the Parson Gray lines because they work great for stronger, more masculine themes. Again, it is the strong graphic elements, along with bold color palette, that inspire.

I understand you have come up with some of your own modern masterpieces! What is the quilt you are most proud of out out of those you have created?

My Comma Herringbone (by Zen Chic) Herringbone is my current favorite. I like it on several levels—it used up the two charm packs I already had, it was my first half square triangle quilt, and it was something I saw online that I put my own spin on. Laying in the background color as the end, on an angle, in Photoshop, to me, is what ultimately ‘makes’ this quilt ‘mine.’ This quilt is made with Zen Chic Comma and Bella Solids and is my own HST design which was quilted by Wendy Wells

I know that your quilt got a lot of ganders at the winter quilt show at the fairgrounds in January. You must be proud of it! When do you find time to design and sew all of your works of art? When are you most productive?

I am a long-time night owl. It’s my natural state. I’ve been up more often earlier in the day lately but I’m pretty sure it’s a fluke and I manage to get busy before I have a chance to get creative. My ideas seem to hit me mid-evening, but once one takes hold of me, well—that explains being up late nights!

With a mind for trying new patterns and techniques what are some quilt patterns or styles you hope to challenge yourself with or that we can expect to see from you in the near future?

I can imagine enjoying an Airship/Steampunk (Jen Kingwell) pattern. I also have another layer cake and ‘solids’ ready to try another Improv Curves quilt. I’ve also toyed with the idea of a jelly roll race quilt, but already know I’d put quite the twist on it. My other future project will be a pixel quilt. I took the Craftsy class by Caro Sheridan and totally embraced the process (by the way, I love spreadsheets!). Spontaneity is lots of work for me and the term ‘random order’ makes me twitch.

Sounds like you like ordered chaos or careful randomness [insert oxymoron here]. I too have trouble randomizing my quilts. I have a hard time figuring out how to thoughtfully randomize and make it look carefree. Do you have any closing advice for someone new to modern quilting?

Look at lots of examples and decide what speaks most to you. Design toward that and let it take you where it wants to.

That is great advice, do some research into the world of modern quilts and get inspired! Thank-you for taking the time to give us an introduction into your process and letting us get to know you a bit more. I’m sure we would all love to see the quilts you create and relate to your experiences as we move into the New Year!

Guild Meeting Wrap-Up: February 2014

We had a great meeting Monday night! We had old members, new members, members that joined at the door, soon-to-be members...just a great group!

It was our pleasure to have the charming Randy Coleman, of Randy Coleman Photography, as our guest speaker. With his great sense of humor, Randy gave a few tips on how to take better photos of not just our quilts, but our family as well.

Randy's Tips:
Light. Open the drapes, pull up the blinds and let the natural light in. Place your subject in the light streaming in and perpendicular to the window. Light from a north-facing window is best and it will keep your colors true.

Shadows. Shadows add interest. If you try to photograph a quilt in full sun the details become washed out. Instead, keep the sun behind the subject or to the side to create subtle shadows that will show off all that quilting!

Rule of Thirds. Imagine a photo as a 9-patch quilt block. Instead of placing your subject in the center block, picture the imaginary seams going right through your subject. That's the Rule of Thirds. A photo is more interesting when your subject is not dead center.

Show & Share

As a Modern Quilter, the Rule of Thirds is a great concept to understand. Becky's star quilt is a great example of how to use the Rule of Thirds in quilting. Sure, it still would have looked great with the star in the center, but it's much more interesting (and dare I say "modern") with the star to the side. 

Teresa showed us her work in progress. The quilt's name is Luna Cottage and was commissioned by one of her endorsers, Kreinik Manufacturing, to promote their Glow-In-The-Dark threads. She used ink and fluorescent crayons, so that under UV light the quilt will light up with the threads! It will be used at the trade shows in their booth.  This quilt introduces - BooBoo, a new fuzzy critter that she created and will most likely use in future quilts and illustrations.

Teresa quickly worked on her quilt. Here's a portion that glows!

Angie showed her cute cat heads mini quilt. What a great way to use your scraps!

Shana is ready to quilt her Valentine quilt top!

Several of our members have been making "LOVE" minis from a free pattern on Sew Mama Sew.

Mandy's vibrant love mini:

Elizabeth's mini featuring the 2014 Pantone Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid:

Shana's mini in Valentine fabrics:

Jemellia's groovy mini:

And Jemellia's second mini:

Regina's mini using sweet sherbet colors:

Audra's mini in Springy watermelon colors:

Shirlene's mini in Valentine red and pink:

And Agnes' artsy mini:

Whew! That's all of them. Thank you ladies for sharing the love!  Join us at the end of the month for Flaunt Your Finish to see these quilts...and more...completed!