WiP Wednesday #47

Well, it's been a great ride, everyone! Thanks so much for dropping by, and thanks to everyone who has participated in this series. :) I did the first WiP Wednesday on March 14, 2012, and this is the last one for me. Thanks for the wonderful experience.

Since it's the last one, I'm going to showcase everyone who joined in last week. Our team has the most creative people!

Thanks to Cynthia Brunz, from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework. She's been working hard on finishing UFOs and has made wonderful progress.

You can click on the image above to see more of her work at her blog, or visit her Etsy shop here.

Last week Lyn, from What A Hoot shared several projects she has in the works, including some upcoming hand stitching on this gorgeous beast:

Click on the image above to visit her blog.

And then there was Ann's Quilt N' Stuff. She made the world's most gorgeous scarf using left over thread. Ann, you are my scrappy hero! Check this out:

You can visit Ann's blog by clicking on the image above, or see more of her work in her Etsy shop.

Char, from Cloth Stitched chimed in with some adorable mugrugs. (I'm also jealous of her embroidery scissor collection!) Her work is sweet andbeautiful.

To see more (like her scissor collection!), click on the image above. Her Etsy shop is also well-worth a visit.

Ann of Magpie Quilts (one of my favorite blog names ever!), shared a fun table runner, as well as pillows. She's really got an eye for color - love it!

Get a closer look at her work by visiting her blog (click the image above) or her Etsy shop.

Terry Aske, were you ears burning last weekend? We talked about some of your art quilts at the Boise Modern Quilt Guild meeting. You do amazing work. Terry shared several jaw-dropping projects, as well as work that uses the Madrona Road line of fabric.

You can feast your eyes on more of her work by visiting her blog or her Etsy Shop.

BillieBee kindly shared her work on a Ben Franklin Mystery Quilt. I love the shapes in this block! The sense of movement in it is just perfect.

See more of her work by clicking on the image above.

Kym, of Fabric Fascination broke the mold by sharing some fun knitting projects, as well as a few finished blocks.

Get a closer look at what her clever hands have wrought by visiting her blog, or see her Etsy shop here.

And the last person to join the party last week was Christina, from Fiber Artist Journey. She did a little (much deserved) bragging on her son, and shared some thread painting. How cool is this?

See more of her journey by clicking on the image above.

Again, thank you so much to all who have played along. Best wishes, and happy quilting!

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WiP Wednesday #46

Well, I have one pieced quilt top ready for the NICU group, in addition to the whole-cloth one I made. It's not perfect, but I think it's not too bad for a first attempt. Still needs to be quilted and bound, but one thing at a time. I loved the little birds in the alternating blocks. Of course, I have a bit of a bird obsession, so it's not that much of a surprise, is it?

The baby quilt is being modeled by my obliging husband.  :P

<a href=" http://teamquiltsy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Quiltsy WiP " src=" http://sunflowermuse.com/files/2012/03/quiltsy.png"/></a>

Art Quilt Techniques - Seed Stitch

Today I was reminded that one of the techniques that I take for granted in my art quilts might be a new experience for others . . . so, today, I would like to share with you my absolute favourite way of adding texture to art quilts . . . with seed stitches!

Oh oh, it's hand stitching . . . even if you don't normally like to stitch by hand you can pretend that the seed stitch is not REALLY hand stitching . . . it is so soothing!

Let's take a look at a few examples before I describe the stitch:

Blended threads in sage green and brown  add to the calm relaxing mood in this quilt.

 Blended threads in soft gold and brown harmonize the light background and the painted and organza leaves on this art quilt.
(this one is in my Etsy shop)

Two or three shades of pink and mauve add texture to this cuff bracelet.

About Seed Stitch

A seed stitch is just a little straight stitch and you can plunk it down anywhere you like on your quilt and then put the next stitch at any angle and go back and forth in any sequence you like, in order to fill the space. I keep it really simple:

1) scale the size of your stitch to the overall look of your quilt (whether the stitches are large or small)

2) keep the size of the stitches and the space between them relatively similar OR dramatically different (so it is obvious you were not just being sloppy with your 1” stitch mixed in with some 1/4” stitches)

Threads

Use whatever thread you think will give the quilt the look you want to achieve ... it might be any number of strands of embroidery floss, pearl cotton or even metallic sewing thread.

Needles

Use a nice sharp Enmbroidery needle with an eye that is large enough to hold the thread without making a big hole in your fabric.

Variations

I sometimes like to create my own variations in colour by blending one strand of floss “A” with two strands of floss “B” and then reversing it to blend two strands of floss A with one strand of floss B to achieve a different tone. By using these blends along with the solid colours, it gives a nice variation to some pieces.

One of the other things I like to do is to add a few stitches in a thin metallic thread (the ones that you don't work well in your sewing machine are still great to sew with by hand) and intersperse them with the other stitches . . . or add another whole layer of stitching OVER the first layer :)

I usually make my seed stitches sit on top of the fabric ... putting the needle only through the top layer of fabric and the batting ... and hiding the tails of the thread in the batting. By the way . . . you don't need to use an embroidery hoop for any of this stitching, the batting and backing keep it stable enough for stitching without any stretching. If you want to make that section of your quilt recede a bit, then you might like to stitch right through to the backing.

This stitch can be truly meditative and I find that it is a surface design technique that adds such interest to my work . . . try it out for yourself! 

If you take a look in my Etsy shop (www.kathykinsella.etsy.com) you will see numerous examples of seed stitch being used in my art quilts, purses and cuffs.  Thanks for checking in ... I hope you will try out this delightful stitch in some of your art quilts.

WiP Wednesday #45

After figuring out what size blocks, and how many of those blocks, I need to make quilts for the NICU that meet the measurements they need, I started doing this:

Have I mentioned how much I love improv piecing? Because I love improv piecing. Turns out I need to make 6.5" blocks, and use them in two configurations to meet the two sizes the NICU is accepting. Either 4x6 6.5" blocks, or 5x6 6.5" blocks. So one quilt takes either 24 or 30 blocks. I'll probably make some in both sizes. I'll also need to think about how much time I want to commit. I may go back to wholecloth quilts for it. I haven't decided just yet. It is an excellent excuse to get a lot of practice in.

By coincidence, I have exactly 69 blocks, and it's triggering Bill & Ted flashbacks.

Anyone else a member of a real life quilt group? I'm just getting started in that arena. I joined the NICU quilters, and also the local Modern Quilt Guild. Everyone has been very welcoming, which I appreciate.

<a href=" http://teamquiltsy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Quiltsy WiP " src=" http://sunflowermuse.com/files/2012/03/quiltsy.png"/></a>

WiP Wednesday #44

I am brain dead. I'm so brain dead, no zombie would want me. So I'm just going to post images of what I worked on this week. This is a little quilt that will be donated to the local NICU unit. I had a lot of fun making it. If you've ever tried to machine quilt with a walking foot, let me tell you that it's a challenge. Circles were... interesting. :P

I love how playful all the colors are.

This little house was too much fun to quilt, and kind of reminded me of The Little Prince.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

<a href=" http://teamquiltsy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Quiltsy WiP " src=" http://sunflowermuse.com/files/2012/03/quiltsy.png"/></a>

WiP Wednesday #43

Alas, nothing crafty to report, this week, on my end of things. I've got a lot bubbling around my the cauldron of my head, and some big employment changes coming up way, way too quickly. I'm a cat sometimes, when it comes to change. Change is bad. Except when it isn't. What's not bad? The crafty things you guys shared last week!

Cynthia from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework shared some really lovely work. Her table runner is just beautiful.

She also shared her quilting philosophy. I'm not going to argue with it - in fact, I think I might adopt it.

You can read more by visiting her blog. Click on the link or either of the photos to do so. Or you can see more of her work by visiting her Etsy shop.

Pamela, from Pamela's Quilts also linked up last week. She shared some of the fabric that she used to make some (no doubt) adorable pajama pants, and also shared a new pattern she's offering for a mere $2.00. Cool!

Barb, from Mountain Quilt Works showed off an appliqued pillow that is way too much fun. Check this out:

The detail on that bus is crazy! I can't believe it's done with fabric and not drawn. You can get a closer look by clicking on the image or link above. See more of her work by visiting her Etsy shop.

Thanks so much for joining us this week! I hope you have a lovely and craft filled 2013.

<a href=" http://teamquiltsy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Quiltsy WiP " src=" http://sunflowermuse.com/files/2012/03/quiltsy.png"/></a>