Category Archives: Quilts

National Quilting Month – Color My Heart Quilt

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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

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

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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

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
Aurifil BOM Blocks, 1-9

This weekend, I hope you enjoy some sewing time!

Happy quilting,
~Jennifer

Chicken Challenge Quilt Completed

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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

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

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

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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

Spring and Summer Cats

Here are some more of the featured quilts:

Koala Quilt

Koala Quilt

Giraffe and Cheetah Quilts

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

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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

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

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

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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

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

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

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)

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

Row by Row Winner + Vancouver Island

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Happy Thursday, quilty friends!

I was on a family camping trip to Vancouver Island this past week and missed sewing and blogging. We did have some wonderful hikes and sightseeing adventures while on the island.

In Strathcona Provincial Park, we did a strenuous hike up to Baby Bedwell Lake and Bedwell Lake. It was about 4 miles one way and about a 2000 foot elevation gain!

Baby Bedwell Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park, BC
Bedwell Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park, BC

Near Tofino, we spent some time walking on the beach at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This part of the island definitely reminded us of the Oregon Coast. We spotted some black bears, bald eagles, and other critters on a tour from Tofino and had a great time!

Driftwood and seagulls at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Sunset and Mist in Tofino
Black bear near Tofino, BC

We returned home several days ago, and I have so many projects to catch up on before returning to work next week. I decided to finish up my quilt for the Row by Row Experience so I could have a chance at winning a prize. I finished about 5 of the rows before our vacation so I spent 2 feverish days stitching together 3 more rows before joining the rows, quilting the sandwich, and binding the whole project.

For the back, I used my label plus some of the Row by Row license plates from stores whose rows I used in the quilt. Unfortunately, only 5 of the 8 stores carried the license plates. I neglected to take a picture of the quilt back before heading out to the Pine Needle this morning to claim my prize.

Once at the Pine Needle, I ran into Dawn of First Light Designs. We’ve been visiting each other’s quilting blogs so it was great to meet in person! Dawn kindly agreed to hold up the quilt (it is taller than me at 5 feet, 4 inches!!) while one of the store employees took my photo.

Here’s a look at the quilt flimsy:

Row by Row Flimsy

Row by Row Flimsy

Here’s a picture of me with the completed quilt:

Row by Row 2014 Experience - Finished Quilt!

Row by Row 2014 Experience – Finished Quilt!

I visited more than 8 shops but decided to stick with “nature” themed rows for my quilt. I have some other adorable rows (including some chicken rows) that I will make into fun table runners. I used Aurifil thread for the piecing and quilting and Hobbs 80/20 for the batting.

My row by row quilt contains rows from the following quilt stores, in order from the top of the quilt to the bottom:
1. Mt. Washington, Three Sisters and Broken Top from the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, OR
2. Pine Trees from the Pine Needle in Lake Oswego, OR
3. Cabin and scene from Homestead Quilts in La Pine, OR
4. Wonky trees from Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest in Salem, OR
5. Oregon plants from A Common Thread in Portland, OR
6. Stars by Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe in West Linn, OR
7. Hearts by Quilting Delights in Clackamas, OR
8. Cascade Mountains by BJ’s Quilt Basket in Bend, OR

Since I was the first person to bring in a finished row by row quilt at the Pine Needle, I won the 25 fat quarter prize. In addition, I won the bonus prize since I used that shop’s row in my quilt. I left my finished quilt at the Pine Needle so it will be on display for the next few weeks. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look!

My prizes:

Row by Row Prize

Row by Row Prize

I had fun participating in the Row by Row Experience this year and hope that it returns next year! Now, I’m off to finish up a few more blocks before exhaustion sets in this evening.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM – August

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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

Aurifil BOM – August block with 1919 Singer Red Eye

Here is the block alone:

"Aurifil Button" - August Block

“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

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

Dot-to-Dot Quilting Class with Angela Walters + HQ Surprise!

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Whew, it’s a warm and muggy evening here in the Pacific Northwest. I’m still on a bit of a quilting high after the Quilter’s Affair and Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show several weeks back.

I blogged earlier about my 2-day class with Ann Shaw and her wonderful Chicken Challenge class. (Hint: Keep reading for another picture of my chicken below.)

Today, I want to blog about the inspiring class that I took with my sister with the amazingly talented, Angela Walters.

We took Angela’s Dot-to-Dot longarm quilting class and got plenty of hands-on practice using a HandiQuilter Avante 18. Angela is a fun teacher with a talent for thread designs on the HQ! She made the designs look so easy, inviting, and accessible for everyone in the class.

Here’s a look at the 3 of us in class together:

Me, Angela Walters, my sis (Kimberly)

Me, Angela Walters, my sis (Kimberly)

The class had just the right amount of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on practice. The longarms were all set up in the Sisters High School gym and we did get downright cold at times, despite the heat outside. Although, I think I’d rather practice quilting in a room that is too cool rather than one that is too hot.

Here’s a look at some of our quilting with our sock monkey. Sock monkey followed us all around Sisters and even went hiking at Smith Rock one evening.

Quilting with Sock Monkey

Quilting with Sock Monkey

Up until this point, the only free-motion quilting that I had performed was on my little Bernina Activa or on my mom’s domestic machine that she has set up on a Hinterberg frame. My mom’s set up has worked pretty well, but we were limited to about 4 or 5 inches of actual quilting space.

Here comes the surprise!! A local quilt shop called me to see if I would be interested in purchasing a used, stand-up Handi Quilter Sixteen with a queen-size wooden Grace frame. I wasn’t able to afford a new Avante (my dream), but this Sixteen was in my budget. I purchased it!!

I’ve been practicing on some solid fabrics, but gained so much confidence in Angela’s class that I decided to quilt up my first project this week – my chicken from Ann’s class.

Here’s a look at the chicken on the Handi Quilter Sixteen and Grace frame:

HQ Sixteen

HQ Sixteen

I did a combination of some swirls, meandering, and some ruler work to practice the techniques we learned in class. For the backing, I used a solid fabric so that I could see my quilting (with a Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show fabric panel and my label as a remembrance).

Here are some photos of the quilt back:

Back of Chicken Challenge Quilt
Close-up view of quilting on Chicken Challenge back

I am so happy to have this machine, and I can’t wait to get really proficient with it. One day, I may be able to trade up to the 18, but until then, little 16 and I will be great friends!

Thanks to both Angela and Ann for some amazing classes in Sisters!

Enjoy,
~Jennifer

Aurifil BOM for July + Mt. Jefferson at Sunset

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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

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

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

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