Aunt Sukey Spins Off

The plan:

Coming to life:

This will be a bed quilt…I don’t have a good way to photograph it, but you can see that I am making some progress.

I had originally planned on this being a scrappy red and white quilt.  But then I won the gorgeous Island Batik fabric (so excited)!  Why didn’t I switch some of those half square triangles to flying geese?  It would’ve been easier.  Alas…I didn’t think to do that until after I cut the fabric.

Nope…not all my seams are lined up.  I’m okay with that.  Seeking perfectionism doesn’t make me happy.  My happiness is in the creative process, and one day, a finished project.

Speaking of slow stitching (you can’t be much slower than me), have you seen Mark Lipinski’s blog featuring the Slow Stitching Movement?  I find it quite inspiring.  Perhaps you will too!

Now, slowly on to the borders.

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 1

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 2

Aunt Sukey Spins Off Part 3

Red and White Quilt Challenge – Aunt Sukey Spins Off

I entered Phase II of SewCalGal’s Red and White Quilt Challenge. You can see that post here.

Aunt Sukey Spins Off is my entry to the challenge:

I’m am thrilled to announce, and more than a little surprised (there are very good entries), that I won this challenge!  You can read about that at SewCalGal’s.

Island Batik sent enough yardage for me to make the quilt top.  Isn’t it gorgeous fabric?!

Thank you so much to SewCalGal and Island Batik!

 

 

Aunt Sukey Spins Off

For my personal block/quilt design challenge, I chose Aunt Sukey’s Choice quilt block this week.

It is drawn with a 6 x 6 grid.

I usually challenge myself to add/delete lines to a block to come up with alternate blocks, and then use these blocks, along with the original block, to design quilts.

I got distracted by SewCalGal’s red and white challenge.  In Phase II, we are challenged to design a red and white quilt.  If we want to actually make the quilt, then Phase III is available for us to enter.

The blocks in the following design do not include the original Aunt Sukey’s Choice block, but two variations that I drew from it.

The quilt size is 84.5″ x 96.5″.

Electric Quilt (my quilt design software of choice) even gives the yardage requirements!

And just for fun, let’s see how it looks when I move the red and white around:

I like them both!

If I were to make this design, I don’t know that I would stick to just three fabrics.  As long as I keep the importance of value/contrast in mind, I could make this a scrappy red and white quilt.

I’m going to link up with SewCalGal!  How about you?  Are you taking the red and white challenge?

Free Motion Quilt Challenge Summary

Thank you so much to SewCalGal and her talented and generous free motion quilting teachers!  I have enjoyed a year’s worth of practice and growth since joining the Free Motion Quilt Challenge.  Each month, in 2012, a new challenge was presented.

In summary:

January

Frances Moore  gave us a fun leaf design to practice free motion quilting.  She also gave us a video to view.  You can see this post here.

February

One of my favorite experts, Diane Gaudynski, taught feathers this month.  What a treat!  You can see this post here.

March

Ann Fahl,  suggested keeping a binder/journal of free motion quilting ideas.  She also suggested learning meandering patterns other than stippling.  You can see this post here.

April

Don Linn created a video tutorial for April.  He showed a great transfer method for quilt designs!  He also described an easy way to come up with quilting designs.  You can see this post here.

May

This month’s free motion quilt expert was the generous Leah Day.  Leah gave two assignments…a Double Stipple and Railroad Tracks.  You can see this post here.

June

The June Free Motion Quilting Challenge was a tutorial by Cindy Needham.  Cindy gave us so much useful information and lots of practice!  I loved this month!  Cindy suggested the ‘divide and conquer’ method.  You can see this post here.

July

Angela Walters,  Quilting Is My Therapy, taught how to section off the work and then fill in the sections.  She calls this quilting design Tiles.  You can see this post here.

August

The August Free Motion Quilt Challenge was a tutorial from Wendy Sheppard.   You can find her blog at Ivory Spring.  Wendy shared her “Jester” free motion quilting design for this challenge.  You can see this post here.

September

The September Free Motion Quilt Challenge was a tutorial Paula Reid.   Paula’s tutorial had us practice with a stencil.  You can see this post here.

October

Teri Lucas had us begin this month’s tutorial by drawing our names and designs on paper.  We branched out from there.  You can see this post here.

November

Trapunto added for Texture

Sarah Vedeler had us practicing spiral variations; lots of fun!  You can see that post here.

December

Patsy Thompson shared border design and quilting tips.  She created a terrific video to demonstrate her tips.  I loved this month!  You can see that post here.

Linda Moran, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Diane Loomis and Teri Lucas all provided  bonus challenges.  I look forward to doing those after the holidays.  What a wonderful year of quilting!

Free Motion Quilt Project – December

The December Free Motion Quilt Challenge at SewCalGal is a tutorial from the wonderful designer and teacher, Patsy Thompson.  Patsy is one of my favorite quilt artists, so I was delighted when I found out that she was the guest for this month!

Patsy shared excellent tips for border designing and quilting.  So I got out my high tech practice notebook and went to work.

I sewed some hand-dyed fabric together, pin basted a quilt sandwich, and, using 100 weight Wonderfil Invisfil, stabilized my sandwich.

And this is where this month’s challenge became a double challenge.  My beloved Bernina (we’ve been together about 25 years) just couldn’t manage a simple straight stitch.  I knew she had troubles…she’d been to the doctor once already (he turned out to be a quack…but that’s another story).   I’d been wanting another sewing machine, but had been putting it off. 

Is it strange to say that I feel guilty sewing with a new Janome, while my Bernina sits on the floor in despair?  (I do hope to find a trustworthy doctor who can perform mechanical miracles.)

Miss Janome and I have been cramming time getting to know one another.  Christmas is coming so we finally had to say to each other, “Let’s do this!”

So, with lowered feed dogs, and 50 weight Aurifil, we did alot of free motion quilting…Patsy style (or at least our best imitation for where we are in life).

Here’s a couple of close-ups:

I wouldn’t make such large pebbles on this size quilt in the future…don’t like the look of that, but I thoroughly enjoyed making feathers with a flexi-curve ruler.  I’ve had that ruler for years, yet never realized it’s potential.  Thank you Patsy!

Here’s the back (difficult to see unless you click on the photo for a closer look):

And here’s the front:

I have yet to sew with Miss Janome and have the feed dogs up.  I’ll be doing that when I put on the binding.