Custom Quilting

 This week I did some custom quilting.  I haven't done too much of it lately.  This quilt was absolutely amazing!  It was a friend of mine has a daughter getting married.  She and sisters, nieces, son etc. made blocks that my friend assembled into a queen size quilt.  I'm sure some of you have done this before.  I haven't seen any as amazing as theirs.  Here are a few of the 36 blocks.

I thought this one was fun.  I added flowers and butterflies in the quilting.

This one was made by my friend's son. 

I like how the frame around the picture turned out.

My friend's sister is an artist.  I love seeing what she comes up with!

This one I added some flowers to the basket.

This traditional block I added a nice design that I thought complemented the piecing.

The turtle represented the groom, so I came up with a more masculine design.

While I loved quilting this quilt and coming up with different designs that added to each block, I am glad I don't do custom quilting very often.  I can't handle quilts being on my quilt machine very long.  But it is signed, sealed, and delivered, and they love it so everything is great!

Quilt Along Q&A

I have been getting some questions about the next quilt along.  I do have a plan.  I wanted a little feed back  though.  Here's the Q&A I came up with.

1)  What's the plan? 
     A) The next quilt along will be a Fat Quarter Quilt Along with a star theme. 

2)  What are the fabric requirements?  
      A)  Not quite sure on that yet.  Sorry.

3)  When will it start?
     A)  I was thinking about starting it this fall.  Summer has been unusually crazy so far.  I think it will slow down a little for me after next week, but that may be wishful thinking.  I am willing to be talked into starting sooner if there is enough interest.  What do you think?

4)  Do you have all your designers yet?
     A)  Not at all.  If you would like to be a designer, please email me at kluckau@moosequilts.com.

5)   Why isn't there a picture with this post?
     A)  My mother has been in town, and she has been helping me with yard work.  The garden is planted, the bed along the house is weed free and mulched, and -- as of today -- the large bed along my front fence is almost weed free and half mulched.  While it is all looking good, it still isn't quite photo ready.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!  Thanks!

MIA

With the end of the school year, I fell into a black hole.  I think I am emerging from it.  I hope I am emerging.  I occasionally fall into these black holes.  Fortunately, they aren't caused by depression, just busyness that has to take precedence over quilting.  I am looking forward to finding my sewing machine again.  I wonder if she is still there?

Actually, last week I quilted and bound a baby quilt using some of Moda's patch fabric.  Have you seen this stuff?

It comes and goes in popularity.  I don't think any of their new lines have it.  The squares are actually sewn together.  It is a cheater cloth that doesn't look like a cheater cloth because the squares are not just printed on, they are sewn together.  My husband's cousin was having a baby shower, and her mother, not unexpectedly, asked me to quilt 4 baby quilts for her.  Of course, I did, but that left little time for me to make a quilt.  The solution -- patch fabric!  I keep some on hand just for occasions like this.  The one above, I have used for several wedding quilts.  It was 54" wide, so 2 yards made a nice throw.  I have another one that is pastel pinks, yellows, blues, etc.  Perfect for a baby girl.  It was 45" wide, so I cut it 40" long and wa-lah!  Baby quilt! 

Hope your life isn't too busy to spend a few minutes with fabric!

An Army of Frogs

 I learned something new today.  I didn't know that a group of frogs was called an army.  I guess I have made an army of frogs this week.

The "pillow pet" or stuffed owl that I made for my 12 year old daughter to give to her friend a couple months ago:

http://moosequilts.blogspot.com/2011/03/pillow-pet.html

turned out to be a big hit.  Two friends asked for frogs and one asked for a horse.  Since they aren't very difficult to make, and it isn't as often that what I do is "cool" so I obliged.  Here's the two frogs I made for her friends.

The backs are purple.  The mouth of the one is too low, and the eyes looked cuter before they were stuffed, but the girls really liked them.  So did my daughters teacher.  She asked if I sold them!  Ha!  My daughter and I have both really liked her teacher this year.  So making one for her was a no brainer.  I took the leftover from the backs of the other too.  Maybe frogs were meant to be purple.  I turned one leg so you can see the fun back.

Always fun to make something for someone you appreciate that you know they will appreciate.  Tomorrow is the last day of school, so perfect timing for a teacher gift!  Who knew a large (I used a fat quarter for the front and another for the back) stuffed frog would be the perfect teacher gift!

One Last Market Post

I wanted to introduce you to Edie, my moose!

I was at Ikea getting some of those random things for my booth, and Edie and 6 of her little friends just jumped into my shopping cart!

There was nothing I could do.  They had to come home with me.  I named her Edie -- pronounced E.D. not Eddy -- because I wanted to name my last three girls that, but when they got here, they wanted other names.  Now that I have named something Edie, my life is complete!  Okay, not quite, but I am pleased.

My friend Machelle made the cute pillow that Edie is sitting on.  She had two extra blocks from the Zip a Dee Do Dah quilt she made for my book that you can see hanging behind Edie.  Being the resourceful person that she is, she made them into pillows.

I thought that was a fun idea, so I did the same thing with three other quilts.  So in my booth were 4 pillows made from blocks of some of the quilts in my new book, Simply Charming Modern.  I was going to post pictures, but I don't have any except as part of my booth.  I will take some pictures so you can see them!

Market Report #2

Welcome to my Spring Market Booth!

I need to take a couple close ups I think.  I brought some fun friends with me that you can't see too well.

Here is my quilt from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks hanging in Quiltmaker's Booth!

Here is my quilt hanging in Northcott's Booth!

This is partially my quilt.  I designed the border.  This is one of two quilts that are being given away to those who get their paper stamped by a group of Utah designers at Market.  I am so glad I did the border instead of one of the blocks.  The blocks are to die for cute!

This is the other quilt being given away that I had nothing to do with.  If you look, the sashing is exactly the same, but the quilt looks very different with a blue border instead of a pink border.

As I was leaving today I took a couple pictures down the aisles.  This is taken turing right.

This was taken turning to the left.

Gives you a little idea of how many booths are there.  Sensory overload!!!

Market Report #1

I tried posting these late last night, but Blogger wasn't working, so I guess I am a day behind.

Yesterday was Schoolhouse.  I LOVE schoolhouse!  I took my little camera which doesn't take good picture in this setting.  Here is one that was okay.  This is Lizzie House presenting her new fabric 1001 Peeps.  She told us the story of how the 1001 Arabian Nights came to be which was the inspiration of her new line.  She was so fun!

I taught one Schoolhouse Session on ways that shop owners can appeal to modern quilters.  It was great!  When Schoolhouse ended, I went to pick up my box and it was gone!  I was afraid the cleaning crew threw it away!

My friend and I frantically checked three different lost and found areas throughout the building while the cleaning crew was being located.  45 minutes later we found out that a kind gentleman with Andover Fabric had taken it to my booth.  Whew!

Then waiting in line for a while before going to Sample Spree.  Sample Spree is an opportunity to buy fat quarter bundles and patterns etc.  Here is a picture of the swarm at the Moda tables.

Here is a picture of Elenor Burns in a NASA uniform of some sort.  I didn't catch why.  She has an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm!

Today Quilt Market actually started.  I will post pictures of booths tomorrow.