Friday, September 19, 2014

Design Wall & Quilt Show

My design wall is covered with several different projects right now and looks like this:


I'm all caught up on the Marcus Brothers Sew Along - one more block next Friday and then will start sewing them all together.

And the little quilt that Jeni Gaston from the Woolen Willow is sharing with us is looking good - I'll stitch down the wool leaves on today's block when I watch TV tonight.

A few months ago I found a fat quarter of this Christmas fabric on clearance. It depicts the Twelve Days of Christmas.

To use it, I fussy cut each of the circle motifs and made a scrappy churn dash block for each of them.

The completed size is about 15" x 20". Need to get it quilted and bound - maybe by December? LOL At first glance it doesn't look like a Christmas quilt at all, so maybe I can get away with displaying it at other times of the year....


I've spent several hours the last few days cutting 1-1/2" strips so I can get started on making 180 little 3" 9-patches for a new quilt. Whew! That's a lot of work!

Yesterday I attended a local quilt show and saw some great quilts. This was an opportunity quilt that caught my eye because each block only measured 2" square - cute with the embroidery in the border.

These are the ones I liked the best from the show. Love this Tree of Life, although I think a different border would have contained the quilt better.


This Courthouse Steps quilt (below) is in an old issue of AP&Q magazine and has been on my 'to-do' list for years and years - each log is only 1/2" wide.


Jeanna Kimball is a local designer who is well known for her traditional quilts and this quilter used  hand applique and hand quilting to make an heirloom - just beautiful!

  Tiny little pieces in those center checkerboards.


I was also able to wander around a classroom that was in an open common area and got to examine the projects they were working on - floor rugs. The teacher had used linoleum and prepped the backside with two coats of black paint. Then each student was using Mod Podge to apply fabric in the design of their own choosing - it was amazing to see all the different ideas. Afterwards, another coat (or two) of Mod Podge will coat the finished surface. A couple of them really appealed to me, which you can see below.






15 comments:

Janet O. said...

I'd say your design wall looks very fun!
Your SAL blocks are so pretty, and I am absolutely over the moon with your little churn dash!
Cute little opportunity quilt. That added touch of the stitchery is very sweet.
I have the pattern for that last quilt (Primitive Gatherings), but I don't see it getting made anytime soon. : )
What interesting floor quilts. Never heard of anything like this before.

Kyle said...

Your design wall is full of lots of great projects and you're making progress! Quilt shows are packed with visual inspiration. Thanks for sharing some fantastic and beautiful quilts. I've always admired Jeanna Kimbles designs.

annie said...

loved your wall! esp. the first one
but that 15 x 20, Christmas one is amazing. one thing that always gets me is the complexity of the little quilts! I love seeing what you do! and the modge podge sounds like something even I could do!

Julia said...

You have a great variety of quilting projects on the go and your design wall looks so interesting.

I love what you did with the Christmas fabric. A great way to use that unique twelve Days of Christmas.

Have a great weekend.

Hugs,
JB

audrey said...

What a great post! So much inspiration--Tree of life? Courthouse steps? Both on my quilty bucket list! Love your design wall. Lots of good stuff there!

Yvonne said...

I love your design wall! So many pretty things you are working on and yet more inspiration found at the quilt show.

Jennie in GA said...

Your design wall looks full and happy! The good thing is that you are actually working on them, not just having them sit there,

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

That churn dash quilt ... soooo sweet! I love it! I love churn dashes anyway, but the fussy cut center ... awesome! I enjoyed the quilt show ... thanks for taking us along!

HomeSpunPrims said...

Great post Gayle! Lots of eye candy. You have some wonderful quilts on your design wall to finish. Lori

Bev said...

Love your ufo's! Thanks for the mini quilt show! XO

em's scrapbag said...

Sorry I missed you at Quilt Fest. Weren't those floor rugs amazing?!

Lori said...

Love what's on your design wall. Cute way to use the Christmas fabric too. One of these days I'd love to make a Courthouse steps like that quilt...swoon, swoon....

Carrie P. said...

What great projects you are working on. I really like the fabrics you are using for the baskets in the woolen willow blocks.
thanks for showing those quilts. very inspirational.

Karen said...

Lots to look at in your post today. Lots of smaller size projects on your design wall. I am doing Jeni's blocks but not the Marcus Bros. sew-along. There is just too much to join in on around Quilt Blogland. I enjoy seeing the blocks that others are making though.

antique quilter said...

oh my great post so much inspiration
love your projects on your design wall, love seeing the quilts from the show. Jeanna is who inspired me to try appliqué, I love her work
thanks for sharing
Kathie