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!

Rooster by Michele Dore

Rooster by Christine

Rooster by Unknown

Rooster by Leslie

Rooster by Susie Linford

Rooster by Sheryl Kock

Rooster by Barbara

Rooster by Claire Christiansen

Here’s a sample that Ann had finished using the Gallus Gallus pattern. This quilt was on display at the mini store inside Sisters High School.

Completed Gallus Gallus by Ann Shaw

My thanks goes to Ann for teaching such a wonderful class! Can’t wait for next year.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

I Love 2 Quilt – Pattern Tester and Reveal

Posted on June 27, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Friday, everyone!

Several weeks ago, Lorna over at Sew Fresh Quilts asked for some pattern testers to try out 2 new mini quilt patterns. I selected the “I Love 2 Quilt” pattern, and off I went into my scrap bin to find bits and pieces to use on this cute quilt.

I quilted mine on my Bernina Activa 145 using Aurifil 50 wt in Light Sand (#2000) with a combination of little flowers in the white border, an all-over stippling in the other white areas, and straight-line quilting on the colorful fabrics.

I added an extra outer border using this fabulous green tape measure fabric from the “She Who Sews” line by Quilting Treasures. I used the same green fabric for the binding. The background fabric is Kona Snow, and all the solid and patterned fabrics are from my stash.

My mini quilt finishes at about 34″ by 19″ with extra border.

Here’s a look at the completed project:

I Love 2 Quilt Completed Mini

Photography Assistant!

Close-up view of free motion quilting

For the back, I had another piece of fabric from the She Who Sews line that I think really works well with this quilt.

I Love 2 Quilt – With Backing Fabric Showing

Back of I Love 2 Quilt Mini

I had fun making this mini quilt, and I’d like to thank Lorna for the opportunity to be a pattern tester. I’m going to keep this one and hang it up in my sewing room.

Check out all the other quilt tops and finished quilts over at the linky party at Sew Fresh Quilts.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Supernova Friendship Block Swap, Month 1

Posted on June 24, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes on my little leg surgery from last week. I’m doing better each day and will be back to normal in time for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show coming up soon!!

So Stephanie over at Late Night Quilter and Sandra over at One Million Stitches came up with a fun twist on the typical quilt-along. For those who missed out on Lee’s (from Freshly Pieced) Supernova original quilt-along, why not get together with a fellow blogging quilter and make a quilt top together??? Genius!

The idea is to meet a new quilter and exchange blocks over a 5 month period. Each month, you make 1 Supernova block for yourself and an identical one for your swap partner. After 5 months, each swap buddy will have 10 blocks, enough to complete a Supernova quilt top.

I posted to the original thread searching for a partner. Bam! I had found a great partner that same day. I think we are kindred spirits because not only do we both love piecing quilts, but we also love the great outdoors. My partner is Cindy from What’s One More Project.

Our first blocks were due to be sent out by June 15th, and I didn’t want to reveal pictures until we each received our swap block! We’re using Denyse Schmidt’s Ansonia line, with Cindy using the pink colorway, and I’m using the green/blue colorway.

Here is a look at the blocks that I made:

Supernova Friendship Blocks, Month 1

And here’s a look with one of my blocks next to the one that Cindy sent me. Aren’t they great together?

Supernova, Month 1 Blocks

Our next blocks are due to be sent by July 15th so I need to get started and finished before heading over to Sisters in early July!

Also linking up with Lee’s WIP Wednesday!

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM, June’s Block

Posted on June 20, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Greetings everyone!

Well, I had a minor leg surgery this week, and am recovering slowly but surely. I have to limit my time spent sitting so I have only worked on 1 block this week. I hope to do some handwork on a quilt binding over the weekend.

I stitched together the June block for the Aurifil BOM called Chain Links by Heidi Pridemore. You can read more about Heidi and the Whimsical Workshop Studio on her blog.

For my Aurifil BOM, I’m using Kona Shadow as my neutral and my colors are all reds and blacks. I found a fabulous Japanese import at a local quilt shop in Portland called Cool Cottons several months ago. It features a black cat head – fabulous! It is from the Trefle line by Kokka. I plan to use the rest of my 1/2 yard piece to make a bag.

The other blacks and reds are pulled from my stash.

Here’s a look at June’s block:

Aurifil BOM, June Block, Chain Links

We’ve now completed 6 blocks:

Aurifil BOM, First 6 Months

I really am enjoying this color palette and stepping out of my comfort zone and really experimenting with colors and patterns.

Well, I’ll keep it short and will update the block soon with photos from the Supernova Friendship Block swap.

Happy quilting,
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion, Border 4

Posted on June 16, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

I finished adding border 4 to my Aviatrix Medallion quilt. I love how it keeps growing and growing! We have just 2 more (larger) sized border to add to it over the next month or so.

You can follow along and make your own Aviatrix Medallion quilt. Just hop on over to Elizabeth’s blog and pattern shop, Oh Fransson.

I love the bright, cheerful solids and prints in my quilt. I can envision making the quilt again up until border 4 in a different color scheme and perhaps as a picnic quilt.

The difficult part now is that I can no longer attach the quilt top to my design wall for photographs. I’m using the floor and, curiously enough, no cat happened to wonder by during this picture!!

Here’s Aviatrix Medallion with border 4 added:

Aviatrix Medallion with Border 4 Added

I have my fingers in quite a few quilt pies at the moment so I’ll be blogging updates on a few of my projects later on this week.

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion Border 3 + Celtic Solstice (Almost Finished!)

Posted on June 4, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

This week, I’ve been catching up on a few quilty projects in the evenings.

First up is border 3 on this amazing Aviatrix Medallion quilt by Elizabeth Hartman. Each border keeps adding to the awesomeness of this quilt! I have a few errors and piecing mishaps in this border, but overall I’m pretty happy with it and using it as a great skill builder.

Here’s the quilt top with border 3:

Aviatrix Medallion with Border 3

Next, I finished quilting my Celtic Solstice top. I used an all over meandering stitch using a domestic machine and Aurifil thread #2000. After quilting, I placed it on the floor to measure for my binding. My cat had to come inspect!

Romeo inspects my Celtic Solstice quilt (before binding)

Celtic Solstice is designed by Bonnie Hunter and was a free pattern until June 1st this year. Since we’re past that date, the quilt instructions will be included in one of her future publications. If you missed out on this one, she will offer the next free mystery on her blog this fall.

I’m now feverishly working on hand stitching the backside of the binding before getting to see Bonnie in person next week in Portland for a class! Woo hoo!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion Border 2 + Oregon Coast

Posted on May 26, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

My Aviatrix Medallion quilt now has colorful border 2 added, and I’m working on stitching the units together for border 3 today. You can purchase the pattern and follow the quilt-along on Elizabeth’s blog, Oh Fransson.

Border 2 went together fairly quickly as the piecing was simple.

Aviatrix Medallion, Border 2 Added

Before I had the chance to add the sashing border to border 2, my cat inspectors arrived. I think my little grey kitty likes it!

Cats Inspect Aviatrix Medallion

My family and I took a nice day trip this holiday weekend to visit the Oregon Coast, specifically the Newport area to tour several tall ships, the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain. The weather was gorgeous!

Tall Ship – the Lady Washington

Later that afternoon, the tall ships were scheduled to take ticketed passengers on special tours. We drove over to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Natural Area to see if we could see the ships. Although we didn’t have binoculars, we did spot them out in the ocean.

Yaquina Head Natural Area with Tall Ships in the Distance

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is a great place to visit with walking paths, tidepools, a visitor’s center, and the light itself. The fee is $7 per car. Near the lighthouse, we spotted 2 bald eagles on a tree. We saw them in flight carrying meals back to the tree. I wish I had a better camera lens for close-up photos!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

We walked down to the tide pool area. Our 8-year-old loved this part of our trip! We saw quite a few critters in the tide pools.

Tide Pool Area and Agate Beach in the Distance

Tide pool critters

We ended our day trip by walking along Agate Beach, searching for treasures. We didn’t find any agates, but we had a fun time walking the tall ships sail out for a second excursion. The dog loved it too!

Dog on Agate Beach

Hope you had a safe and happy holiday weekend! Thanks to all who have served our country.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Vice Versa BOM, May Blocks

Posted on May 21, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

I have quite a few little projects that I’m working on right now – several BOMs, a quilt-along, and more. It’s definitely fun for me to work on multiple projects and different fabrics at the same time while watching these projects come to life, month after month.

I stitched together the May blocks this week for the Vice Versa BOM, hosted by Anne Marie at Gen X Quilters.

Here are my May blocks, side by side:

Vice Versa BOM, May Blocks

We now have 10 blocks in total completed:

Vice Versa BOM, 10 Blocks Completed

I’m doing the smaller, lap sized version with 9″ finished blocks. We’re over 1/2 way finished with this BOM so it’s exciting to see the blocks come together.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion, Border 1 + More

Posted on May 16, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Happy Friday, everyone!

It’s been a busy quilty week for me, in between work and the kiddo’s school schedule. I’ve made great progress on my Celtic Solstice top and should have all the borders added this weekend!

I also made a great antique sewing machine find at a local thrift store. I’ll take some pictures of my find and blog about it this weekend. So excited!

For the Aviatrix Quilt-along, our assignment this week is to add border 1. This border went together so nicely and took much less time than the gorgeous center block. Go check out all the details on Elizabeth’s blog, Oh Fransson.

This border has 32 HST units in 5 different neutral colors. Although my medallion colors are different, I did stick with the original neutrals as listed in the pattern. I’m using Aurifil Light Sand (#2000) for all the piecing.

Here’s a bit of blurry phone picture of the neatly trimmed HST blocks:

Trimmed HST Units in Neutrals

Here’s my center block now framed with border 1:

Aviatrix Medallion with Border 1

I just love how this quilt is coming together! We’ll work on border 2 next week.

Finally, have you heard about the Supernova Friendship Block Swap? You can find all the details on Stephanie’s blog, Late Night Quilter. I posted in the comments about needing a partner and found one within hours. I’m happy to say that I’m partnering up with Cindy of What’s One More Project. We’ve selected Denyse Schmidt’s Ansonia fabric line for our quilt.

Here are the 2 colorways. I’ll be working with the greens and Cindy will be working with the pinks.

Ansonia Fat Quarters in Green

Ansonia Fat Quarters in Pink

There is still time to hop aboard this fun swap. You’ll meet a new friend and have fun making quilt tops together. The first blocks are due June 15th.

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Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aviatrix Medallion Quilt-Along Fabrics and Center Block

Posted on May 7, 2014 by nwquiltedcat

Hi everyone!

I’m participating along in the Aviatrix Medallion quilt-along and wanted to share my fabric selections and completed center block. This fabulous quilt is designed by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson and you can purchase it directly from her store. This is a relaxed quilt-along, where you can follow along at your own pace but Elizabeth does post helpful hints each Monday for a particular portion of the quilt.

Here are the colorful fabrics that I selected for my project. I’m using a combination of solids and patterns and you can see each fabric in the photos below. I’m using Aurifil #2000 for the piecing.

Violets
Kona Cotton Thistle
Girly Girl Swirl Purple, Henry Glass
Seasons Best Spring Random Squares Purple, Andover
Paisly Please Connect the Dots Purple, Jacki E Studios
More This n That Aurora Royal Purple, Bernatex

Oranges
Kona Cotton Peach
Hot House Flowers Floral Small Orange, Andover
Medium Dots Orange, Riley Blake
Scenic Route Dot Orange, Riley Blake
Tiny Tiles Clementine, Michael Miller

Greens
Kona Cotton Wasabi
Always Blooming Flower Green, P&B Textiles
Let’s Play Dolls Daisy Flower Dot Green, Andover
Peppered Cotton Emerald, Studio E
Mission Space Craters Green, Quilting Treasures

Blues
Small Dots Aqua, Riley Blake
Rocket Age Rocket Blast Light Blue, Riley Blake
Zebra Print Turquoise, Wilmington Prints
On the Rocks Blue
Dark Teal, Palette Solids

For the remaining fabrics (the neutrals, white background, and gray background), I’m using the fabrics listed in the pattern.

Last week, we cut out our fabrics for those following the quilt-along. This process did take quite some time, so I spread it out over the whole week so my hand wouldn’t get tired and so that I wouldn’t mix up the fabrics! I did keep them labeled as I went along.

All the cut pieces are in individual bags, just waiting to be stitched up! I have the center points of each color along with my helpful cheat sheet in the photo.

Aviatrix Medallion Fabrics

Aren’t these colors just so pretty??!! I love looking at these early stages of quilt projects and envisioning what the end result will look like.

For this week, our assignment is to create the center block (aka the most complex piece of this quilt!).

Here are my pieces placed on my cutting table:

Aviatrix Medallion Center Block Pieces

The center block is a challenge, and I enjoyed stretching my skills with this one. Not all of my points are perfect, but I did get better with each section. I’m pretty happy with my center block and look forward to making it again in the larger, pillow size to coordinate with my quilt.

Aviatrix Medallion Finished Center Block

Although the background fabric looks tan in my photo, it is Essex Yarn Dyed in Steel. The gray color is a great choice to contrast against the white and colorful fabrics.

Next week, we’ll start on border 1 so there is definitely time for you to join in on this quilt-along! Yes, I have many projects going at once but it makes life exciting and provides me with a creative counterpoint to my corporate desk job!

I’m linking up with the Wednesday WIP hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer