Here’s my entry for the 3rd Blogger’s Quilt Festival, brainchild of the ever awesome Amy of Amy’s Creative Side. What I love about the focus of this festival is the emphasis on what the story behind the quilt – such a neat way to encourage folks of all skills to join in, because there are no “quilt police” whipping out their white gloves to scrutinize if your bobbin thread ever got pulled to the front! (Here are my other entries from festivals past.)

This quilt was the 1st one I designed totally by myself. I had fallen in love with fabric dyeing, but I wasn’t able to do lots of dyeing as I didn’t have a dedicated dye area. The beginning of my journey towards becoming an art quilter started with this quilt – with the ability to (mostly theoretically at this point) dye my own fabric, I was beginning to want to have total control over every aspect of the design. In love with Amish quilts at the time (well, I still love them…) I took the traditional square within a square pattern and turned it on it’s side. I’m pretty sure I had just learned how to paper piece, which was a great help with all those little points. After I made the 9 blocks, they sat on my design wall for a LONG time, I was waiting for the perfect way to set them. When I finally figured out how I wanted to set them, it took awhile for me to get up the nerve to to it, what with the set in corners and all. Plus, I had to learn how to dye black!

After the top was done, I was so happy with it I was scared to quilt it for fear I would mess it up, so it languished for years. In the meantime, I learned how to free motion quilt from Melody Johnson and then practiced, and practiced. With a move to a house with a basement laundry, I also got to do a lot more dyeing. So much so, that at some point, those fabrics in the quilt didn’t look so fabulous to me anymore. So, combined with my increased skills in free motion machine quilting, it was much easier to layer up the quilt and put it under my Bernina!

As with everything I quilt nowadays, I do very little marking on the top – I MAY have drawn a curved line for the backbone of the 4 feathers in the gray triangles, but that’s about it. Geesh, I wish I’d been blogging years ago, all these details wouldn’t so fuzzy!

What this quilt represents to me is my growth as an artist. It’s proudly displayed in my living room, juxtaposed with another large quilt that represents another huge leap for me artistically, Lollipop Flowers.

Blogger’s Quilt Festival – Out of Square is a post from: Candied Fabrics

Here’s my 3rd piece, that I just BARELY had time to finish:

I was so crazed getting this done, my hubby  joked that this was the art version of the foodtv show “Chopped”! There will be more bird houses in my future.

Here are all 3 of the pieces together. Part of me hopes that they all come home so I can work on better photos – the other part of me hopes they SELL at the show!

Thanks Amy!

My Final Piece in the Bird/Home Series is a post from: Candied Fabrics

So I grabbed some scraps from making the tree and built a nest in a bigger tree branch:

Again, apologies for the quality of the picture (ah – those moire patterns – I can’t figure out why they happen sometimes and not others, and the fix in photoshop is way long fidgety and not perfect…usually I just re-shoot, but did NOT have that option).

And don’t forget the Blog Baby Shower for Lindy Turner! Lindy of Crafted By Lindy is having baby #2!! To celebrate, we (me, alamodestuff and Smidge Box) are having 3 days of giveaways!!

I’ve got a tutorial and give-away scheduled for Thursday, but today, alamodestuff is having a giveaway hosted by Tracy at Sea Find Designs! This gorgeous necklace can be yours!!

Genuine sea glass… RARE lavender /amethyst from Newport, RI. Cut heart…. Eco Love…. Amethyst swarovski crystal. Sterling plated teenie ball chain!

How to enter:

1) Visit BOTH shops, Crafted by Lindy and Sea Find Designs.

2) Choose 1 favorite item from each shop and come back here and comment (must comment on 1 item from each shop).

3) Be sure to leave contact info!

Additional entries (4 possible entries in all):

• 2 additional entries: you can enter this giveaway on all three sponsor’s sites! Enter once at alamodestuff, then comment here and at Smidge Box for 2 more entries! [All three blogs are on different time zones. If their post isn't up yet, please visit them again later.]
• 1 additional entry: follow alamodestuff, tweet, or blog about this giveaway and receive 1 additional entry. For this one, comment back at  alamodestuff.

One winner will be chosen randomly (random.org) at midnight tonight (March 10) EST. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning (March 11).

Thanks Kim	Thanks Amy

The second piece in the series is a post from: Candied Fabrics

“Larsen Window” (20″ x 24″)

To remind you, my original thoughts about this piece broke down into 4 main points:

• Window = grid
• Outside -> Flowers -> Botanical Sketches
• Incorporate “Lillian’s Fabric” (the forest green with the blue veins)
• Choice, trying out different options – make the sketches moveable

To make these moveable, I fused small bits of fusible veclro to the back of the quilts and the fabric mounted around stretcher bars.

To encourage moving, I made 2 extra (which can be stored on the back with more velcro, or displayed elsewhere).

I finished this on Sunday, and Steve came by Monday to pick it up (which explains the slightly lopsided pix – I didn’t have time to take a close look at the pictures until it was out of my hands). He gave it to Lillian the next day, and heard from him on Wednesday:

Lillian loves it.  Great job! Complete and utter surprise. It is now hanging in our bedroom until she moves into her new office [which is also windowless].  Lillian has already arranged some of the panes to suit.

I am so thankful that this worked so well. I’ve been wanting to figure out another way to display some of these sketches and haven’t had time to focus on it. I’m so grateful that I had triple motivation to make the germ of an idea turn into reality. Thanks Steve & Lillian!

One of my long term goals since the inception of Candied Fabrics 2 and a half years ago has been to have people be so inspired by my work that they ask me to create an art quilt just for them – and I’ve had the honor to complete not 1 but 2 in this month! Here’s hoping this is the start of an awesome trend in this new decade of ours!

And, as always, thanks for dropping by, reading my blather and sending awesome comments my way – they really buoy me up when I get down. It’s great to know I’m connecting with a few souls out there because of the me I pour on cloth and then cut up and rearrange for my visual enjoyment!

Botanical Sketches Commission Quilt Complete! is a post from: Candied Fabrics

Here’s an extra Daisy – I actually made this one 1st to practice:

Friday – the big reveal, how I put it all together!

Botanical Sketches for Commission Quilt Completed is a post from: Candied Fabrics