Aurifil BOM, October’s Block

Posted on October 15, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Hi everyone!

On this first really raining evening of the season, I decided to work on my October block for the Aurifil BOM. I’ve been keeping up with this BOM since January and you can read about my last block here.

My constant color is Kona Shadow, and I’ve been picking different reds and blacks to make each block.

For October, the block is called “Circle of Love” designed by Jane Davidson. I used a little bit of Sweetwater’s new Elementary fabric for the black pieces and some Mama Said Sew fabric for the darker red. The red polka dot fabric is from a scrap bag that I picked up from a local quilt shop.

Here’s a look at my block for October:

Aurifil BOM, October Block, Circle of Love

I now have 10 total blocks with just 2 more to go:

Aurifil BOM Blocks, Months 1-10

You can still download all the free Aurifil BOM patterns from this year. Each month, one lucky winner wins a box of Aurifil thread!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

National Quilting Month – Color My Heart Quilt

Posted on September 24, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

We’re into the final stretch of September, which just happens to be National Sewing and Quilting Month! I heard about this over on the Jolly Jabber blog for the Fat Quarter Shop.

The Fat Quarter Shop has a quick and easy free pattern to celebrate the month called Color of My Heart. It is a 1-block quilt that uses a charm pack and a solid background to make a very cute quilt.

I decided to make my own heart quilt that I could hang up in my office at work. Instead of using a charm pack, I opted to scale the quilt down by using a mini charm pack! My quilt finishes at about 12-1/2 inches square and is so adorable!

Here are the materials that I used:
1 Moda Sphere Mini Charm pack (by Zen Chic)
Moda Cross Weave Woven in Grey for the background and binding
Moda Sphere Grey yardage for the backing
Aurifil #2784 (dark blue) for the free-motion quilting

I followed the piecing instructions exactly as written in the pattern, but I just used the smaller charms to turn the quilt into a mini. The Moda Cross Weave Woven fabric has a really nice texture with some color variety that really appealed to me. I made sure that all my HSTs used the horizontal orientation of the background fabric so that the mini quilt had a consistent look.

Once I pieced the top, I made my quilt sandwich using some left over batting and a piece of the Moda Sphere yardage. I did a quick spray and pin baste on the sandwich.

I decided to free-motion quilt an off-centered heart shape using my Bernina and a dark blue Aurifil thread (#2784). I echoed quilted the small center heart using the edge of my foot so about a 1/4-inch separation between the lines.

Here’s a look at my completed Color of My Heart mini quilt:

Color of My Heart Mini Quilt

For the bobbin, I used a gray Aurifil thread to blend in with the fabric. I didn’t use my usual quilt label on this mini, but got to use my new satin labels from Ikaprint.

Here’s the back:

Color My Heart back

Ikaprint Label Close-Up

I’m really tickled with how this mini quilt turned out, and I will enjoy looking at the bright pops of color as our weather turns from sunshine to rain.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM, September’s Block

Posted on September 19, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

I’m so glad that it is finally Friday! I hope to have more time for sewing this weekend, although we may have to take a drive one day to enjoy some of this extended warm weather here in the PNW.

The Aurifil BOM continues this month with September’s block, Stars of My Life, designed by Pat Wys. You can read about Pat’s inspiration for this block and find the pattern here.

I’m continuing with my color scheme using Kona Shadow as my background with blacks and reds as accent colors.

Here is my September block:

Aurifil BOM, September’s Block

This BOM and the Supernova Friendship swap seem to be the only ones that I have kept up with month after month this year. I’m several months behind on the Vice Versa BOM and really far behind on the Reach for the Stars quilt. I really hope to catch up this fall and winter.

Here are my first 9 Aurifil BOM blocks:

Aurifil BOM Blocks, 1-9

This weekend, I hope you enjoy some sewing time!

Happy quilting,
~Jennifer

Chicken Challenge Quilt Completed

Posted on September 16, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to take classes in the week before the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I blogged about taking the Chicken Challenge class with Ann Shaw several months ago. In that first post, you can see my chicken start to take shape as well as chickens from some of the other students in class.

I finished the free motion quilting over the summer using Aurifil #2000, and then I put the quilt aside for a while. This past weekend, I pulled it out and decided to add the binding to finish it. I used a black/tan chicken wire fabric for the binding, and I like how it frames my crazy chicken just right!

Here’s a look at my completed chicken in the afternoon sunshine:

Completed Gallus Gallus

In our kitchen, we have decorated with chickens so this wall-hanging definitely adds some wild color to this wall:

Gallus Gallus Indoors

Now, my husband spent part of his childhood on a chicken farm so I can’t wait to see his reaction to this new addition.

Ann does have some scheduled classes around the Vancouver/Portland area if you are interested in learning this technique. Go check out her website and click on the Class Schedule link.

Hope you enjoy my little chicken!
~Jennifer

Charley Harper Inspired Trunk Show

Posted on September 12, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Friday, everyone! It seems like it was a really long week at work for me, and I’m so looking forward to getting some sewing time in this weekend.

I am working on a couple of secret projects that I can’t reveal – yet!! One is for Quiltmaker magazine and the other is for the Black Cat Crossing Halloween blog hop (link in my side bar). And, just maybe, there is a birthday present in the works for a special someone.

Today and tomorrow, one of my favorite LQS, the Pine Needle, is hosting their fall open house. I stopped by today at lunch to check out all the great new projects and classes.

I’m particularly excited about meeting Violet Craft and purchasing her Forest Abstractions quilt pattern. I’ve been eyeing this pattern for sometime so I decided to go for it! I love paper piecing so I think this pattern will be up my alley.

I also chatted with Dawn of First Light Designs. She’ll be teaching a Dancing Churn Dash class at the Pine Needle this October with the Quick Curve Ruler. Of course, I did pick up that ruler and pattern! Oh my list of to-do projects keeps growing.

There is a wonderful display of quilts inspired by Charley Harper’s designs during the open house event. I neglected to write down the maker of these quilts so if anyone knows, please let me know!

I just love, love, love the cat quilts:

Fall Cat

Winter Cat

Spring and Summer Cats

Here are some more of the featured quilts:

Koala Quilt

Giraffe and Cheetah Quilts

There were several more quilts, but my photos didn’t turn out very well.

Of course, the fall cat is my favorite because it reminds me of my Tiger (aka the Quilted Cat). These quilts have encouraged me to make my own Charley Harper inspired cat quilt in the future.

Only 3 more weekends to go before the NW Quilting Expo!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

New Quilt Shop in Oregon

Posted on September 3, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Recently, my son and I visited a local pet store to pick up some supplies. While parking the car, I saw the word “sew” out of the corner of my eye! Wait, what?

With 9-year-old in tow, I walked down the sidewalk and found that a new quilt shop has opened in Oregon, specifically in Wilsonville. The store is called Sewn Loverly and has its grand opening this Saturday, September 6th starting at 10:00 a.m. This store is owned and operated by a mother/daughter duo, and I’ve already stopped in 3 or 4 times. They know me now, ha, ha!

Here’s the store front:

Sewn Loverly

I picked up some fun Halloween fabrics to use in a blog hop that I’m participating in this October. I’ve got a cute project in mind, but can’t reveal it quite yet. I posted this photo earlier to Instagram:

New Halloween Fabrics

If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello to the wonderful gals at Sewn Loverly!

Happy quilting,
Jennifer

Supernova Friendship Block Swap Update + Broken Top Hike

Posted on August 27, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Hi quilty friends,

Summer is quickly ending so I hope to have more time this fall and winter to catch up on my many projects in progress.

One project that I’m working on this year with a partner, Cindy, from What’s One More Project is the Friendship Supernova Block Exchange. You can read more about this unique swap in my first post here. In my first post, I have pictures of our month 1 blocks.

In this post, I’m happy to say that we have now swapped 2 more blocks (July and August) for a total of 6 blocks all together. We have 2 more months (September and October) for the blocks before we finish sewing our quilt tops together.

Here are the blocks that I made for July and August (1 to keep and 1 for my partner):

July Supernova Blocks

August Supernova Blocks

I took a picture of the first 6 blocks on my design wall in random order (3 made by me and 3 made by Cindy):

Supernova, First 6 blocks

Isn’t it looking fabulous??!! I just love how this quilt is coming together so far.

For those of you who have visited or are familiar with the Sisters, Oregon area (home of the fabulous Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show), you might be familiar with one of the mountains called Broken Top. This mountain is next to the Three Sisters and is featured in many patterns, including the row-by-row pattern by the Stitchin’ Post this year. I used this row as the top row in my quilt here.

My family decided to squeeze in one last camping/hiking trip before school starts here next week. We camped near Broken Top and took a moderate to aggressive, 4-mile roundtrip hike to a beautiful glacier lake near the top of the mountain. The color of the lake water is amazing – a sort of blue/green/turquoise color and absolutely gorgeous!

The road to the trail head is very rough and not really suitable for passenger cars. You need a vehicle with higher clearance to navigate some sections. Broken Top itself is 9,177 feet. I’m not sure what the elevation is here at the lake, but I’d guess around 7,500 feet or so.

Unnamed Glacier Lake at Broken Top

Another view looking back at the lake from farther up the trail:

View of Broken Top and Unnamed Glacier Lake

If you turn from this viewpoint in the opposite direction, you are rewarded with a stunning, up-close view of the Three Sisters. Here’s my dog with his hiking boots to protect his paw pads:

Broken Top Hike with View of the Three Sisters (and Brutus the dog)

My 9-year-old did great on this hike and had a great time. I think we wore out the dog because he slept for about 2 days straight after the hike! If you are ever in the central Oregon area, I’d highly recommend this hike for the impressive views.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM – August

Posted on August 6, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Wednesday, quilty friends!

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, and I haven’t updated my blog as regularly as I’d like. I’ve been working on several projects with deadlines that are finally completed. Both projects will be in the mail tomorrow. One is a special quilt project for a magazine that I will be able to share with you in November. Until then, no sneak peeks!! 🙂

I have so many BOMs and other projects “in the works” right now, ha! I finished the August block for the Aurifil BOM. This month’s block is called “Aurifil Button” and is designed by Michele Foster.

Here’s a look at my August block with a beautiful 1919 Red Eye Singer that I found last week at a local Goodwill for $25!! (No, I didn’t sew the block on the Singer. It works, but I want to clean her up a bit first).

Aurifil BOM – August block with 1919 Singer Red Eye

Here is the block alone:

“Aurifil Button” – August Block

We have now made 8 blocks for the Aurifil BOM this year. Just 4 more blocks to go!

Aurifil BOM, Blocks 1-8

I’m really behind on my Vice Versa BOM. I need to finish up June, July and August – oops!

Hope you are enjoying some nice weather and getting some sewing time this summer.

Enjoy,
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM for July + Mt. Jefferson at Sunset

Posted on July 16, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m slowly getting caught up at home and at work after some vacation time last week for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I hope to have my photos uploaded soon.

I did capture this picture of Mt. Jefferson from Smith Rock State Park at sunset one evening. Unfortunately, I did not have my tripod with me so this photo does not do justice to the explosion of color that we saw first-hand.

Mt. Jefferson from Smith Rock State Park at sunset

I’ve caught up on one of my BOM projects – the Aurifil BOM! The guest designer for July is Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms. I have her Swoon pattern, and it is on my to-do list!

Camille’s block is called “On the Plus Side” and is great fun to stitch together.

Using my palette of Kona Shadow for my neutral combined with reds and blacks, here is my Aurifil July block:

Aurifil July BOM – On the Plus Side

I picked up the red batik in the border and the white/black print from the Stitchin Post in Sisters last week, and I think they’ve found a great home together in this block.

If you’ve been following along with this BOM, we’ve now completed 7 blocks. Here are my blocks together:

Aurifil BOM, Blocks 1-7

I think we have 5 more blocks to go in this BOM. It’s never to late to join in on the fun! I’m linking this post up with Lee’s WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Enjoy,
~Jennifer

Chicken Challenge Class at a Quilter’s Affair in Sisters

Posted on July 14, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Monday, everyone!

Last week, I was able to take 2 classes at the Quilter’s Affair event leading up to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I took the classes with my sister and we had so much fun! We did stay for the quilt show, and I will upload some pictures of the show later this week.

We took a 2-day class called “Chicken Challenge” taught by Ann Shaw. Students could choose from several of Ann’s chicken patterns to use in the class. Ann is a fun and entertaining instructor who really helped the class understand the importance of fabric selection and placement in creating these unique pieced quilts. Yes, these quilts are pieced and not appliqued! Ann teaches a straight-line sewing technique based on Ruth McDowell’s wonderful art quilt methodologies.

Here’s a look at my chicken part way through the fabric audition process. The pattern is Gallus Gallus by Ann Shaw.

Gallus Gallus Fabric Auditions

Although we both selected the same pattern, my sister and I selected different fabrics to create 2 equally colorful roosters:

Side-by-Side Roosters

We brought a variety of fabrics for the class, but naturally found ourselves shopping for more fabric yumminess from the Stitchin’ Post after class. With Ann’s help, I decided that my chicken needed to have a black and white background so I found myself petting bolt after bolt on Thursday afternoon before choosing a few pieces. I also picked up a wonderful Kaffe Fasset print for the ground.

My sister picked a great white-on-black print for her ground and used a neutral gray sketch fabric for her background that we had in our stash. I just finished piecing my chicken with about 30 minutes or so to spare in class. My sister almost finished her chicken and only has a couple of seams left to sew at home.

Here are our pieced roosters with backgrounds:

Pieced Roosters

I plan on changing my borders slightly this week and will then quilt up my Gallus Gallus!

I did get a chance to snap a few pictures of some of the other chickens created by our fellow class members. I’m missing a few of the chickens, but these pictures will give you a good idea of how the fabric selections can really change the look of the pattern. Whenever possible, I tried to include the participant’s name in the photo. If you were in the class, please leave a comment!