tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63395189216861871942024-03-05T03:43:32.524-08:00Quilting Among the GrovesJan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-91894453287874751422016-07-27T18:28:00.001-07:002016-07-27T18:28:06.622-07:00Mom's Nine Patch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Forget about "Facebook Official." After nine years of togetherness, my partner and I made our relationship legally recognized and State of Florida official. Sure it was over a year ago, but I thought I would share a story about why my husband is the best. </div>
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We had a short guest list, mostly because we had an even shorter budget. It might be a mid-west mind set, or just a personal challenge, but I have this guilty feeling asking people to do something for me. I even felt guilty asking my parents to travel from Michigan to Florida for our special day. (Don't worry, they made it.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmdPgvP6IN8VxIzx1SJvNMEmnTgRz33dD21p6K6m_xmXaBW3XAkiueaz1GJ8dPjKrDHRhl9kUOvJ3qA-hO-CTAlivJOlMNGItOkyfSit2U_j3aG-Papt6j8OXzJ523BzXa2qA44fQa7Cy/s1600/20150708_125157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmdPgvP6IN8VxIzx1SJvNMEmnTgRz33dD21p6K6m_xmXaBW3XAkiueaz1GJ8dPjKrDHRhl9kUOvJ3qA-hO-CTAlivJOlMNGItOkyfSit2U_j3aG-Papt6j8OXzJ523BzXa2qA44fQa7Cy/s320/20150708_125157.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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The Friday before our wedding, there was an event for the young artists in our school district, and being the art teacher I am, not only did I feel obligated to go, but I had committed to reading the names, graduation style, of all the artists being honored at this function. Typically, after the art show, we art teachers work together to take down the show. I sheepishly said, "I really don't think I can stay, it's after 6, my family is in town, I have an hour drive home and I'm getting married on Sunday." My fellow art teachers chastised me for not telling them, and made it clear that as friends we should celebrate such events together.<br />
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I felt horrible as I began my drive home. Why didn't I feel I should share this with my friends? I didn't share the news with my art teacher friends, and I didn't tell friends from home either. I dialed my best friend from college, whom I've written about <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-finish-of-2014.html" target="_blank">before</a>, sobbing. "Anna, I am a terrible friend. I didn't tell you that I'm getting married. I wanted to invite you, but didn't want you to have to come all this way." I went to explain that it was only a couple of days away, and it was going to be really small. We didn't invite anyone from Michigan other than my parents. The plan was for a small wedding, and bigger party sometime later in the year. Anna, always good at consoling, assured me it was OK, that she would make sure she could come to the party, and that there weren't any hard feelings. Our phone conversation came to an end as she was going to meet her family in a noisy restaurant. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuOxOfK7aGzGcuOuosNhZLS3zMb5zKlGF_osf4PTAUdL1qtE8HX3YWLDTSMnWiKaTyuEKXQqe59Ii1ThKgjKSTP1vMM7x0Vrlr_ECOiEwMwY0FVZE0juEUQJZOhi5F92mSKY473AvYZcl/s1600/20150731_162614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuOxOfK7aGzGcuOuosNhZLS3zMb5zKlGF_osf4PTAUdL1qtE8HX3YWLDTSMnWiKaTyuEKXQqe59Ii1ThKgjKSTP1vMM7x0Vrlr_ECOiEwMwY0FVZE0juEUQJZOhi5F92mSKY473AvYZcl/s320/20150731_162614.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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Later that evening, my soon to be husband, was called to meet his colleague, our mutual friend and wedding officiant (they are the same person), regarding some real estate work. I was happy to stay in and visit with my parents. Progression of time. One of our guests from out of town arrived to stay with us, and we chatted and shared a beer. Progression of time. I was starting to get worried that my fiance had run away, when hours later he came through the door. He told me that his colleague, our mutual friend and wedding officiant and her husband (two different people) had an early wedding gift for us and were waiting in the drive way.</div>
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I stepped outside, and from behind our two mutual friends lept my bestie from college, whom I'd just had a phone conversation with mere hours before. I was dumbfounded, and in tears yet again. I had just talked to her on the phone. I was in Florida, she was going to a family dinner near Detroit! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGpjctc2IZoo66WnfQHBaCwn_g5SoQ20sN3lUvQ2VH0JZWa3TXrtLYfRKmO2ic9QR7NA41VCAiiQSXhi-Unq6ihR5ylHmHhNqsP5CNxJBaqO5H59sEhLkgwS4D8KublutoqX2sQT57LYg/s1600/20150731_162823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGpjctc2IZoo66WnfQHBaCwn_g5SoQ20sN3lUvQ2VH0JZWa3TXrtLYfRKmO2ic9QR7NA41VCAiiQSXhi-Unq6ihR5ylHmHhNqsP5CNxJBaqO5H59sEhLkgwS4D8KublutoqX2sQT57LYg/s320/20150731_162823.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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No, she was not going to dinner. She had to get me off the phone so I wouldn't hear the busy airport! She and my husband had been planning from the time we started planning the wedding. It was the best gift ever! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RmJwMEE-jnQ/VyP8NfiDAQI/AAAAAAAACUE/KGzZ1mHiJwQsQiTTIqv1xWAOf3tAHEEpwCKgB/s1600/20150731_162617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RmJwMEE-jnQ/VyP8NfiDAQI/AAAAAAAACUE/KGzZ1mHiJwQsQiTTIqv1xWAOf3tAHEEpwCKgB/s320/20150731_162617.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
So why the quilt. This nine patch is one of the tops that my mom brought with her for me to quilt. She thought it was a simple nothing quilt that she had thrown together from left over fabrics. I showed my mom that it was beautiful with an all over leaf and berry design. I think every major event should include great friends, family and quilts.<br />
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<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-21405746905959593332016-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:002016-07-24T20:18:01.144-07:00Nine Patch Courthouse Steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I pulled this beautiful quilt from the frame recently. The client who expertly pieced it had fallen in love with a quilt from a magazine, and purchased the matching fabrics so that she could make it just like the picture. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHA_GSKcU9lLineKn9gmuU_LrsdKXfzoZ_1QrXrlkdCZ5qYyKKgMdt4nxRPctp-IDEwKon1FcNHtY4NIPyVF2g_j4F6Z7OOtnLeRepVeYwUmva9C7xCVUUftxUoT1vkBwoHylMPacyj6j/s1600/IMG_20160618_083445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHA_GSKcU9lLineKn9gmuU_LrsdKXfzoZ_1QrXrlkdCZ5qYyKKgMdt4nxRPctp-IDEwKon1FcNHtY4NIPyVF2g_j4F6Z7OOtnLeRepVeYwUmva9C7xCVUUftxUoT1vkBwoHylMPacyj6j/s640/IMG_20160618_083445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The applique border was treated with echo quilting, which I found to be very fun to do. The courthouse steps blocks received cross hatching in the central nine patch, and serpentine waves alternating with diamonds in each of the 'steps.' I followed the quilting suggestions from the magazine to make this quilt as close to the original as possible. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p4Uae0Xvn97Ae-nX9ObjwkneaT0c5xoRfbAKZm_hauYF6tywwY_6uR7jvtVx-RTpF1L66Szf_SW9eZwnmaMIw0fSFEQBQWpki4gaVKjExQPuf0dU2jn5ZH22YfOpFbgInvvwKJLh3Oqe/s1600/20160707_220054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p4Uae0Xvn97Ae-nX9ObjwkneaT0c5xoRfbAKZm_hauYF6tywwY_6uR7jvtVx-RTpF1L66Szf_SW9eZwnmaMIw0fSFEQBQWpki4gaVKjExQPuf0dU2jn5ZH22YfOpFbgInvvwKJLh3Oqe/s400/20160707_220054.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I love this little quilt, and was imagining one made in subtle autumn colors such as this color palette entitled<a href="http://www.design-seeds.com/autumn/culinary-autumn/" target="_blank"> 'Culinary Autumn' from Design Seeds</a>, inspired by a photograph from Instagrammer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_ewabakrac/">_ewabakrac.</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eXlCqJY70N9p2W9R3vOcpr8-NJSYVi6OStnqqJ8NPDCbSjC42Pp_rnUB9oOZjEalEI7P27RIcyyYQCExybiCf9bTHoVW5was3BSHiaro8uX3dDwVCrftLCq4wUOMPNBgigaxDVAojDWo/s1600/CulinaryAutumn_150.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eXlCqJY70N9p2W9R3vOcpr8-NJSYVi6OStnqqJ8NPDCbSjC42Pp_rnUB9oOZjEalEI7P27RIcyyYQCExybiCf9bTHoVW5was3BSHiaro8uX3dDwVCrftLCq4wUOMPNBgigaxDVAojDWo/s320/CulinaryAutumn_150.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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My dream for this quilt, would be to recreate it with these colors, and to have autumn leaves, pumpkins, and acorns appliqued around the border. It's just another quilt to add to my <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/quilty-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">quilty bucket list. </a></div>
<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-17895522079345049402016-07-07T22:13:00.001-07:002016-07-31T07:54:42.820-07:00Prize Winning Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Once upon a time, there was a naive long arm quilter who loved making quilts. He had recently participated in the Foothills Mystery Quilt along hosted by Cheryl at <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Meadow Mist Designs</a> and discovered that she would be hosting a second mystery. This naive and ambitious quilter was so excited that he eagerly shopped for fabric for this next adventure, and jumped in surprise and joy when his husband purchased fabric to make a second mystery quilt! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ou3R6Lp7t8FC8yIsyC63VQvUEad9vWZQmLYFf3eA8n_qvMGLEbojOr5CDopACStJ2DBdC0pYnGNkZ8TfOhRvnlAVADlxJyhpI8vXt3yzcChF8uGv0K99FVJ6_WQMII2bPmgUdvtJPktR/s1600/20150812_123614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ou3R6Lp7t8FC8yIsyC63VQvUEad9vWZQmLYFf3eA8n_qvMGLEbojOr5CDopACStJ2DBdC0pYnGNkZ8TfOhRvnlAVADlxJyhpI8vXt3yzcChF8uGv0K99FVJ6_WQMII2bPmgUdvtJPktR/s320/20150812_123614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">A portion of the naive quilter's fabric choices are pictured on the left, and his husband's choices are on the right.</span></td></tr>
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Cheryl had been such a kind and gracious hostess that the ambitious long arm quilter wanted to extend an offering of gratitude to her and perhaps to her loyal quilt detectives. He decided to offer his services as a quilter to one of the cunning solvers of the Midnight Mystery. The details of this prize were documented <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2015/08/midnight-mystery-quilt-sponsorship.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Confession, I'm an art teacher, and a maker. I am not a writer. So I'm going to stop with this silly narrative from above and will just go on to say that I, the naive quilter, in the story ended up being delighted and extremely nervous when the winners of the various prizes were announced. I was going to be quilting for Mel Beach! If you do not know who she is, you should check out her <a href="http://melbeachquilts.com/" target="_blank">website</a> Mel Beach Quilts and <a href="http://pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> Piece, Love, and Happiness! When you do, you'll find that she is amazingly talented and inspirational and that the picture featured on her website, is of her and the quilt that I finished for her! Whoa, I'm thrilled beyond belief!</div>
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Anyway, I was really nervous when I found out that I would be quilting for Mel, whom, I have to admit was a complete stranger to me, as this online quilting community is so vast that I had never heard of her. Mel has it going on. She is an accomplished quilter and does workshops and lectures about quilt challenges, mandala quilts, and improvisational techniques. She is a true master, and I am a mere fledgling.</div>
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I consulted with her via e-mail, and sent her several quilting ideas that I drew out based on a picture of her quilt. Here are some examples of my sketched out ideas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-HmYDclaEbxbukwHpWicy5Jdnhk47J45wHfZhs3q407GEPJGWiNMt54CuXEDdRyNNZaOvXj1FpDKMr8Tcea7u-oPJ07uJn8y6Poju9Z3kE59JgVFBq3PTCz6RN28G2-AdkhZJn25KP4Q/s1600/20160326_155017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-HmYDclaEbxbukwHpWicy5Jdnhk47J45wHfZhs3q407GEPJGWiNMt54CuXEDdRyNNZaOvXj1FpDKMr8Tcea7u-oPJ07uJn8y6Poju9Z3kE59JgVFBq3PTCz6RN28G2-AdkhZJn25KP4Q/s320/20160326_155017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9kyOPmnEC2l5dQZTgMdkXHLk4CuxhMw4lEY-bcijo4itEWUcmqZ0xTVzlvdr-6iihOns90J1aboryo-hKerhsUegyetdhRBr5LH7RpgsVUyJOMFCWEkNEujSPmwQpojdtH8EW0Vc5cRq/s1600/20160327_093716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9kyOPmnEC2l5dQZTgMdkXHLk4CuxhMw4lEY-bcijo4itEWUcmqZ0xTVzlvdr-6iihOns90J1aboryo-hKerhsUegyetdhRBr5LH7RpgsVUyJOMFCWEkNEujSPmwQpojdtH8EW0Vc5cRq/s320/20160327_093716.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsHs9zC1d32YpiDkTUN3C4zgDPdkDvhGDJyuV8hL-WHqF4ONLyj1UjF3A82j9kpp-pdQgxBBui_GaxQsQ2UbcWfdKHmtJSBWgNzGBmNBBHNsD6-KuxsR-qcjw6TxnoTGvqCmxENjdeXHe/s1600/20160327_093731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsHs9zC1d32YpiDkTUN3C4zgDPdkDvhGDJyuV8hL-WHqF4ONLyj1UjF3A82j9kpp-pdQgxBBui_GaxQsQ2UbcWfdKHmtJSBWgNzGBmNBBHNsD6-KuxsR-qcjw6TxnoTGvqCmxENjdeXHe/s320/20160327_093731.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
We decided that diagonal lines and curves would compliment the on-point setting of vibrantly colored rectangles in Mel's quilt top. Additionally, a brightly colored thread was chosen that blends into the bright geometric shapes, but pops against the deep blue background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JO5Xmt8_9k9A1dwGtWuUkD0yOPMPzm-rybYTVVgCy57ZNnb7_X1CJnbagUlhBfL5vhHrjGJZEQ-v5xDjaBjPQOQRqwtIEWNvGmf4hDnaBeok_x4i3XIpi3ojgqVPY7FeFXi4lkK24lYm/s1600/20160406_182522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JO5Xmt8_9k9A1dwGtWuUkD0yOPMPzm-rybYTVVgCy57ZNnb7_X1CJnbagUlhBfL5vhHrjGJZEQ-v5xDjaBjPQOQRqwtIEWNvGmf4hDnaBeok_x4i3XIpi3ojgqVPY7FeFXi4lkK24lYm/s320/20160406_182522.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTpPgnaBoTgrczz1c-UddGLzkgv1aUVafS59J9h89PB0MoSs_iEdRXKCSNWSLBCwVUS_RaQqN-j8W_TPKyeLsCmk1mIzfGonvYgYelaqziGbUEz0vPyg2CV-jBUrsm4t6MnaZwTIpVz0R/s1600/20160423_172641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTpPgnaBoTgrczz1c-UddGLzkgv1aUVafS59J9h89PB0MoSs_iEdRXKCSNWSLBCwVUS_RaQqN-j8W_TPKyeLsCmk1mIzfGonvYgYelaqziGbUEz0vPyg2CV-jBUrsm4t6MnaZwTIpVz0R/s320/20160423_172641.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwymGy2n7FxNcuIM4DeXoXYPMIrdtxl9NnbCcWCZKKI3tQU_ifO0acMwPnV_ITZjnJNY_QFBahN5sUT-Iyepbj9oh5bAI-z6ulnrUKRTbtiZtoJLSs3v0UklWvHPxP59erL1lkKL12FuNA/s1600/20160423_185836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwymGy2n7FxNcuIM4DeXoXYPMIrdtxl9NnbCcWCZKKI3tQU_ifO0acMwPnV_ITZjnJNY_QFBahN5sUT-Iyepbj9oh5bAI-z6ulnrUKRTbtiZtoJLSs3v0UklWvHPxP59erL1lkKL12FuNA/s320/20160423_185836.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The pattern was a delight to quilt out. Unfortunately, I am terrible at documenting the process of quilting, and only have these few photos of the quilt in progress. <br />
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If you've read my blog before, you might know that I am fascinated by quilt stories, and I am so happy that I am a part of this quilts history. If you would like to read more about the piecing and challenge behind this quilt top, pop over to <a href="http://pieceloveandhappiness.blogspot.com/2016/05/butterfly-blossom.html" target="_blank">Mel's post</a>, where she describes the entire process and has more fantastic pictures.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'd love to quilt for you, and there is another opportunity up for grabs with Cheryl's new Meadow Mystery Quilt along. Check out the <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/06/meadow-mystery-quilt-sponsors-other.html" target="_blank">details</a> on Cheryl's blog! (She also has way better pictures than I do!)<br />
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Have you won any prizes from the world of quilting? What is the best prize that you've received?Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-51956751380628213932016-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:002016-05-06T19:30:35.443-07:00Fabricating a quilt storyI am constantly amazed at the variety of quilts that are being made, or have been made. In September of last year I was asked to quilt an antique red and white quilt that had been found tucked away in the hall closet of the childhood home of my client's husband. Fascinated by the stories surrounding a quilt I was curious to know more about this one. The spiraling shapes were unlike any quilt block I had seen, The quilt seemed to have been constructed during one period of time and then forgotten about and then borders added to it. The curvaceous piecing was done by hand with a thick white thread, the starts and stops finished with large knots. The borders of the quilt were machine pieced, and added to the center of the quilt by machine in such a way that the whole quilt top appeared to roll like the Appalachian Mountains. <br />
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The quilt was constructed of solid red and white fabrics with a stripe of patterned red. In the picture above I tried to show how much fullness was in the quilt top. I knew that I would not be able to quilt this top without there being small tucks and puckers. The most troubling area was in one corner where the border was added in such a way that there was considerable bubble of fabric. I would have to do a bit of reconstruction in this area to make it more manageable.<br />
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I failed to take a picture before I picked the seams of this corner, but you can still see how there is a considerable curve between the white border and the inner red fabric.<br />
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Here, I've added almost two inches to the white border, using unbleached muslin that matches the original fabric, and a red fabric to fill in the space near the white border and add to the outer white border. I machine stitched where the quilt had been machine stitched, and I hand stitched where the quilt was originally hand stitched. </div>
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Can you see the large white hand stitches that piece the curves in the upper right part of the picture? I wanted to show the front and the back here, so that we could see the old and new bits together. </div>
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Then I began quilting with a feather motif that I thought would play well with the shapes of the quilt.</div>
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I made large feathers in the curves, connected with a chain of circles. I knew I would go back to finish each of the more square areas with additional circle chains on the un-stitched sides, and add a design in the center.<br />
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From the backside the texture was taking shape, and a spectacular second design was being created as I switched threads to match the colors in the top of the quilt.<br />
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Under poor lighting I took a final picture of the quilt before I delivered it to the appreciative couple. I was able to hear a bit more about where the quilt was found. It turns out that this childhood home was also the home of a former governor of Alabama. The home only had two owners, Governor Henderson and the family of my client. They were not sure where the quilt had come from, if it was something that belonged in the family, or was a remnant from the previous owner. I suggested that this was a perfect opportunity to fabricate a story about how the wife of Governor Henderson had worked on this quilt and tucked it away It was later discovered by the next home's owners who added the borders to the quilt and stashed it in the very same closet where it would be found decades later. I know this quilt has a story, and while we may not know it's beginnings, I am certainly glad that I could be a part of its tale.<br />
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Here is a picture of the client's childhood home.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1462154030849!6m8!1m7!1sp1gzzGUI1RRdfBUZpyeSwQ!2m2!1d31.81010322410091!2d-85.97506528404753!3f3.1927264753729183!4f0.8472335169827687!5f0.7820865974627469" style="border-style: initial; border-width: 0px;" width="600"></iframe>Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-76910623198512147162016-05-01T04:55:00.000-07:002016-05-01T04:55:08.384-07:00Sun Bonnet Sue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have foggy memories of a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt that used to reside in the bedroom of my aunt Lori. If I remember correctly it was made by my aunt Kathy, Lori's sister. The blocks were laid out simply in rows and may or may not have had sashing. In an effort to clear the fog, I called my aunt to hear her quilt story. Of course she remembered the quilt made by her sister, who lovingly appliqued each of the squares. It had become worn with use and age. The colors were once bright, now faded. The quilt itself had become just a memory. </div>
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In early November, I had the good fortune of doing some client quilting and Sun Bonnet Sue made a return visit. This was the first time I had ever quilted a piece with applique, and I was nervous. My client, Ms. A, had carefully planned how she wanted to quilt to look, and included lace details that had belonged to her mother. The quilt was a gift for her first great-grandchild, and would have the sentiment of five generations. </div>
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There were nine little Sunny's in this quilt and I gave them each a place to play; a field to pick flowers, a well worn path to walk on, hills of fresh grass to shuffle their feet through and fluffy clouds to help shade them.<br />
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There were flowers and hearts adding points of variety that were quilted with swirls.<br />
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Ms. A, was very pleased with the results, She created a beautiful quilt that will be loved and cherished.<br />
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This post has been sitting in my drafts folder since last November. I'm not sure what has held me back from sharing. My aunt, like her beloved quilt, is now a memory, and my quilty conversation with her one of the last times we spoke. She passed away early last week. The youngest of my father's siblings she has left us too early. I will remember her for being a beloved babysitter to my brother and I. I will remember her for crafting with me as a child, she taught how to stitch plastic canvas and we made all sorts of magnets and tissue box covers, but I also developed skills in craftsmanship, and color selections. I will remember Lori as a recipe collector who loved to make foods of all sorts. She was never afraid to try making something new, even if it meant searching for exotic ingredients, and taught me that you should not fear making alterations to a recipe. The same sun that shined down on us as we experimented with yet another wacky barbecue grill technique will hold the fog at bay from my memories of Aunt Lori. <br />
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<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-66237528780313468422015-11-26T01:13:00.000-08:002015-11-26T01:13:00.196-08:00TGIFF! Zig Zag Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Welcome to Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday. If you're here in the USA you might be recovering from a Thanksgiving food coma, or battling the shoppers for 'Black Friday.' Maybe you even braved the masses who shop Thanksgiving Day. In the spirit of this crazy season, I'm making this post available on Thursday. I cannot wait until Friday! Let's get this TGIFT/TGIFF party started. I'd love to see what you are finishing up! </div>
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My Zig Zag Quilt had its beginning in March of 2014. I fell in love with some beautiful batik stripe fabrics at the Original Quilting and Sewing Expo in Lakeland, FL. I'm happy to say I completed the quilt in less than two years! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8equ4DOjN5pL4Qj56kiBsF1-G53DgD5o3Q-cxfnmMhPDiCK8E5oaXbFfV7l6218WK71SL4bNWOWs7GOrzIlDete6UFhYhZM2bklZjL1t2Xot7vs-Xaj_eeRbR4do-sFETTYSvN3ain6E/s1600/ZigZagBinding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8equ4DOjN5pL4Qj56kiBsF1-G53DgD5o3Q-cxfnmMhPDiCK8E5oaXbFfV7l6218WK71SL4bNWOWs7GOrzIlDete6UFhYhZM2bklZjL1t2Xot7vs-Xaj_eeRbR4do-sFETTYSvN3ain6E/s640/ZigZagBinding.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Binding took quite a bit of time, and inspired the name.</td></tr>
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My original design did not call for a crazy binding. No, I drew it out on my graph paper all neat and square. The craziest I got with the first sketch was cutting off the corners a little bit. When I started putting the whole thing together though, I just couldn't justify trimming so much of the set in triangles that put this design on <strike>edge</strike> point. The crazy zig-zag binding was going to put me on edge! Fortunately, with a helpful search engine and YouTube, I was able to find some great tips on how to handle an irregular binding. I'll include a link to the video that I followed at the end of this post.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSGGrq56ec6Zkkwkk90-Fa0Qy0kbx2UjpDNLQoFgCURgUXAMQ9hfhnDzrnugcYJQpJGWY-ymqO0RqcWyZDZGPXQEjRjfzMk8ZLqrASAhy0tFJMGEJ8dJagcqWsqHCcyLfq9RnEjv6EK6p/s1600/IMG_20140423_233057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSGGrq56ec6Zkkwkk90-Fa0Qy0kbx2UjpDNLQoFgCURgUXAMQ9hfhnDzrnugcYJQpJGWY-ymqO0RqcWyZDZGPXQEjRjfzMk8ZLqrASAhy0tFJMGEJ8dJagcqWsqHCcyLfq9RnEjv6EK6p/s400/IMG_20140423_233057.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It seems that everyone has different parts of the quilt making process that are super appealing to them. I run the gambit, I love piecing (even though I'm not entirely precise), I love quilting (especially now that I have Louise the Longarm), but there is something so satisfying about hand stitching the binding onto a quilt. Perhaps its the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you are putting the finishing touches on something that you've worked so long on, or maybe I just find the hand work to be very relaxing. I'm not sure. Anyway, as soon as the binding was on, I couldn't wait to take the quilt out to the groves to get some pictures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbtcx2Roj2CSQQrIxilS4zVh7R9FO7dYHkKsB2OjEkm5JNWSL5RGgfRyLbZs4paFE7GH_WS5UDzjpaQpwxr7dCS1jbcuh2QwnQLuOOjSBD-psIi_fNQUI9R3tK6H83j1gUhXA4yhu823s/s1600/ZigZagFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbtcx2Roj2CSQQrIxilS4zVh7R9FO7dYHkKsB2OjEkm5JNWSL5RGgfRyLbZs4paFE7GH_WS5UDzjpaQpwxr7dCS1jbcuh2QwnQLuOOjSBD-psIi_fNQUI9R3tK6H83j1gUhXA4yhu823s/s640/ZigZagFront.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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Free hand 'straight line' quilting enhances the strong geometric and graphic quality of this quilt. I used Louise's hopping foot to follow along the stripes in the red fabric and then use straight diagonal lines in all of the white areas. You might be able to see from the photo of the back that there is a difference in color where the red stripe fabric is and where the white areas are. That's because I used a variegated King Tut thread from Superior threads for the red areas and white Aurifil (#2024) in the white areas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5ALpfJSR6k3A7BzZd-Cxl0Xlfqj7tPC9EHSqC6Ru5HiNAuCYb98_nc7JXdprNKwq2wQIav4jKoJ6TKx6lL5sy-7ywZCkTnCyo7DhhIgusIzP55Fol1AeV3CXvn-gA8rbo1HkfxwUGIL2/s1600/ZigZagBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5ALpfJSR6k3A7BzZd-Cxl0Xlfqj7tPC9EHSqC6Ru5HiNAuCYb98_nc7JXdprNKwq2wQIav4jKoJ6TKx6lL5sy-7ywZCkTnCyo7DhhIgusIzP55Fol1AeV3CXvn-gA8rbo1HkfxwUGIL2/s640/ZigZagBack.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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A little close up of the quilting. I know it's an amateur shot, but I'm always on the look out to learn better ways of documenting my quilts. I have learned that it is very difficult to see what you are taking pictures of on the screen of a smart phone in the day light. If you have any suggestions for photographing your quilts, I'd love to hear about them in the comments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i5nluEL8Sb-MHBs0Y9XDYkinVlbFu8H8OiIIzdVIolVV_cskfPswcmoewrzz3e1erWl1QGbrNHK6Z6vTEVBw3zLxz7nYCoGmoCHPK6A89Z68dU3_I5NCoM0bMuFyxb7hDZspZgbXnco3/s1600/ZigZagCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i5nluEL8Sb-MHBs0Y9XDYkinVlbFu8H8OiIIzdVIolVV_cskfPswcmoewrzz3e1erWl1QGbrNHK6Z6vTEVBw3zLxz7nYCoGmoCHPK6A89Z68dU3_I5NCoM0bMuFyxb7hDZspZgbXnco3/s640/ZigZagCloseup.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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If you are interested in reading more about the journey to this TGIFF be sure to check out these other postings.</div>
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<a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-am-learning-that-i-have-lot-to-learn.html" target="_blank">Getting My Sew-Jo at the Expo</a>, where I first fell in love with the stripes.</div>
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<a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/so-yeah-this-happened-today.html" target="_blank">So Yeah, This Happened Today</a>, which I could have titled, The First Cut is the Deepest! </div>
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<a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/04/baby-steps.html" target="_blank">A Quilty Coaster Ride</a>, where find out what a thrill designing my own quilt can be.</div>
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<a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/05/finding-time.html" target="_blank">Finding Time</a>, cause we could all use some more sewing and design time.</div>
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Here is the link to the <a href="https://youtu.be/Be9dzI_X41w" target="_blank">video</a> that I used for irregular binding.</div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-45141619717401856082015-09-06T20:48:00.000-07:002015-09-06T20:48:00.463-07:00Sunday Stash: Happy Camper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I stumbled into Nancy's Quilt Shop in Winter Garden, FL a few months ago after my husband and I had walked around the Winter Garden Farmer's Market. Although they have a wide selection of fabric there were only a couple that really spoke to me. This camping fabric reminded me of the lining of a sleeping bag I used when my scout troop went on it's annual summer camping trips. I was feeling a bit nostalgic and the fabric had been discounted. In addition to Nancy's wide selection of fabrics, she also has a hefty array of clearance priced bolts! Unfortunately, my wallet was slim, and I didn't think it was wise to purchase these, marked down or not. Until. . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzm6DL03FFSTaUwjyjXgHFJ3a9ce97xAM9cORcfzFWmAliDSFBijXmg4tEhoFKGzwPK9uFq3oqXgBjD2Tg_0VPi6PVgvoKaI90-mbGt7UJwTHHr_9WAbkNgdBQ_jIPmKAtjZu1pAMaTGR/s1600/20150710_084636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzm6DL03FFSTaUwjyjXgHFJ3a9ce97xAM9cORcfzFWmAliDSFBijXmg4tEhoFKGzwPK9uFq3oqXgBjD2Tg_0VPi6PVgvoKaI90-mbGt7UJwTHHr_9WAbkNgdBQ_jIPmKAtjZu1pAMaTGR/s640/20150710_084636.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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About a month later, Seark and I were back in Winter Garden, this time scouting out some real-estate in the area. He knows me all to well and knew we had to stop back in. The American Jane, Happy Campers fabric by Moda was still there and still on the discount shelf. I bought up several yards with the intentions of making a couple of oversize lap quilts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliPq1vL7q62HaV4yuDd_k_V1eFipGrPRLvFOdoJt2jrOXeLXA92Hc0LdA1wZYas_geZUe8fO6q_S6igs7bnHKqrd5ybIBBQFR0F8rYEaROo1LO3BbgX70kRGM3OZAIwk_LW3BVTRyw-U4/s1600/20150710_084719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliPq1vL7q62HaV4yuDd_k_V1eFipGrPRLvFOdoJt2jrOXeLXA92Hc0LdA1wZYas_geZUe8fO6q_S6igs7bnHKqrd5ybIBBQFR0F8rYEaROo1LO3BbgX70kRGM3OZAIwk_LW3BVTRyw-U4/s640/20150710_084719.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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Now, I have to figure out what quilt pattern to use! Until then, these are going to marinate in the closet for a bit.<br />
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> for his Sunday Stash.Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-82473122169789855762015-08-07T04:00:00.000-07:002015-08-07T04:00:09.681-07:00Broadway Mini Swap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWdd-a_cy5bEyfJqvZTekmMwts_6k7JO0l7BMU-piOVu-efypZ7M2PRkrSfLQ6-rzMYdg2YArWiyXg7wspJ3xEq668U9QcQgTOFocfisQvtUjNH2dBm_0FDXBi8t8yGmcoM2I89ELHEcg/s1600/IMG_20150606_181949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWdd-a_cy5bEyfJqvZTekmMwts_6k7JO0l7BMU-piOVu-efypZ7M2PRkrSfLQ6-rzMYdg2YArWiyXg7wspJ3xEq668U9QcQgTOFocfisQvtUjNH2dBm_0FDXBi8t8yGmcoM2I89ELHEcg/s320/IMG_20150606_181949.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning.</td></tr>
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Instagram has been a gateway to the world of mini quilt swaps. There are swaps for nerdy quilts, super hero quilts, zombie quilts, rainbow quilts, quilts featuring specific fabric designers. If you can dream it, there is probably a swap for it. While I resisted all of the monsters and heroes, I could not pass up the Broadway swap. I know it's a stereotype, but before I even knew I was gay, I loved Broadway and stage productions. The first CD that I ever owned was Riverdance! Wow, I can't believe I just admitted that. I quickly put my name into the sign ups.<br />
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If you've never participated in an swap on Instagram or otherwise, they are tons of fun. Essentially you fill in a form with your quilty interests such as fabric likes, dislikes, favorites of the swap theme and some information about allergies and snack weaknesses. You are assigned a partner and you get their information from the questionnaire. Based on this you get to search them out on social media and learn more about them. Then you create a spectacular mini quilt just for them!<br />
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My partner for the Broadway Mini Swap loves Grease, so I thought I would make a quilt featuring the female lead, Sandy. I referenced the packaging of a vintage clothing pattern to make a drawing of the the new girl at school. I thought I could simplify the lines to make it more angular and that I could make a paper piece pattern of the drawing. My drawing proved to be overwhelming to me and I could not figure out how to make the pattern. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So I decided to create a grid over the drawing to break it into smaller more manageable parts. This worked well, but may have created some unnecessary seam lines. I wish I could better describe the process I took, but struggle to put my thoughts into words. Instead, here are pictures to show the girl coming together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsRa6iFpb_pNn2jMGg-ikx5keYLhAiqWX4LcogTs0-9jngjceefY74liLCXSnrrijPNcuOexKNmzWLORX8wBtxds0x3WL6luub4zGiY2Inj_GNQN0_VdgI9uACrj1UlPZ66UNPz3ktLUS/s1600/IMG_20150607_123226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsRa6iFpb_pNn2jMGg-ikx5keYLhAiqWX4LcogTs0-9jngjceefY74liLCXSnrrijPNcuOexKNmzWLORX8wBtxds0x3WL6luub4zGiY2Inj_GNQN0_VdgI9uACrj1UlPZ66UNPz3ktLUS/s320/IMG_20150607_123226.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">The bottom of the skirt starts to develop as I add row three.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGavMGTM6F0sPlAHIdnUXpmeMP1VoesKYwOtxYDEcaWL4Ozni8cdaNOJeXYDW1KrGAUBk8bqukDhP3g2JFIzmUb5b7xPxk9ONlesMt9O0FAW82glRtjOdH0PeQ8bOnw_92BpiDQvWvL_u/s1600/IMG_20150607_133542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGavMGTM6F0sPlAHIdnUXpmeMP1VoesKYwOtxYDEcaWL4Ozni8cdaNOJeXYDW1KrGAUBk8bqukDhP3g2JFIzmUb5b7xPxk9ONlesMt9O0FAW82glRtjOdH0PeQ8bOnw_92BpiDQvWvL_u/s320/IMG_20150607_133542.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">With the addition of row four I was pleased to see the draping of the skirt match with the parts below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZlhMOZzvDMzUZkGbdQJz9mgUmf3Ht3IY5dUJqweLfB67lwFiuXVsw3ck8X7KwrFGTrNUsBGwLPNCKIccbUHnhDJJp4pGMo09dlZgxXUI6emB3fkLdd17i90dCh5z7pudB5RmQR2-HQ9p/s1600/IMG_20150607_195630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZlhMOZzvDMzUZkGbdQJz9mgUmf3Ht3IY5dUJqweLfB67lwFiuXVsw3ck8X7KwrFGTrNUsBGwLPNCKIccbUHnhDJJp4pGMo09dlZgxXUI6emB3fkLdd17i90dCh5z7pudB5RmQR2-HQ9p/s320/IMG_20150607_195630.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandy gets some arms.</td></tr>
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I took a break from working on her at this point, because I was disappointed by her wasp like waist and I couldn't figure out how to make the band at the top of her skirt. The lines of her cardigan and head were also bothersome to me. During this break, I was notified that my partner had dropped out of the swap! Eek! My new partner had a long list of Broadway likes, and buried at the bottom of the list was Bye Bye Birdie. Since I had already invested so much time into the design and creation of this mini I wanted to make it work instead of starting over again.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vS9xUHbWWtZm9FXZHkoOooXHWN9b2IFpxm60k4KGH2bnpN1zOGbSP1zPPE8UJiWLgKWK4eAKBvh-vGlUYvbBZs0qfwKWDZz9uV2KaBwCZerU26Hs5YWorl3F8ApwWjyDAfOCthYVR4Yu/s1600/20150718_201026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vS9xUHbWWtZm9FXZHkoOooXHWN9b2IFpxm60k4KGH2bnpN1zOGbSP1zPPE8UJiWLgKWK4eAKBvh-vGlUYvbBZs0qfwKWDZz9uV2KaBwCZerU26Hs5YWorl3F8ApwWjyDAfOCthYVR4Yu/s320/20150718_201026.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I used the wrong fabric as I pieced the top.<br /></td></tr>
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I had some struggles with the piecing, but enjoyed the puzzle of it all. In the picture above I had used fabric the color of the cardigan when it should have been the color of the blouse. I had to take it apart and insert the correct color and use some hand sewing to recreate the seams.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzP5LJ0K3o7BsKvppmGHQMK1ta-R4yYKINiL2b4AHTebP0k3UxrhsymKO-VcU9wY3CV1ihKzXs99IIBqDvcmM3zsP6MPxDhvN4eKDVYSTpaGSV2YQalCeU84e_uU4bQzMC8Gi6yKwKN8c/s1600/20150718_201913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzP5LJ0K3o7BsKvppmGHQMK1ta-R4yYKINiL2b4AHTebP0k3UxrhsymKO-VcU9wY3CV1ihKzXs99IIBqDvcmM3zsP6MPxDhvN4eKDVYSTpaGSV2YQalCeU84e_uU4bQzMC8Gi6yKwKN8c/s320/20150718_201913.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">She's almost complete. Just waiting to 'get her hair did.'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7bRpdv_jeTqJXa_rATwyQpEaRhOR8pPQVcrGee4uLsb38EqpK6rHwR1Oeovo_BKKJAWL9MT1dMAjZoHI2AdJloQYYg9JoCOeoPxCeOgRNuK5mxcKfw8PthWzoRRNXGd0zhlpfWmhTrTR/s1600/20150727_141716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7bRpdv_jeTqJXa_rATwyQpEaRhOR8pPQVcrGee4uLsb38EqpK6rHwR1Oeovo_BKKJAWL9MT1dMAjZoHI2AdJloQYYg9JoCOeoPxCeOgRNuK5mxcKfw8PthWzoRRNXGd0zhlpfWmhTrTR/s320/20150727_141716.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the quilting. </td></tr>
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I wanted the quilting to help tell the story of the show as I transitioned this quilt from Grease to Birdie. I imagined quilting other figures in the background holding signs expressing their love for the drafted rock and roll star. I simplified this idea and quilted hanging pennants that spelled out "WE <img alt="❤" goomoji="2764" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/mail/emoji/5/48px/emoji_u2764.png" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; height: 24px; margin: 0px 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle; width: 24px;" /> YOU CONRAD." I used crosshatch quilting to fill the negative space behind the girl to create a wall, I used larger diagonal cross hatching to create a floor for her to stand on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgb3rx016_vGOvn0ikJmaflrKkqXA2Mler98M3GMLCFJ0gdOsbOGa8Y9bT8K4HlDIvHOSk7NrFWtnoKVg1O5W_5Zcv87ds4WU_LBviP7JgMogNZSlNTM_LBfD5lBVod0PJLrrTmTqbGki/s1600/20150727_142218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgb3rx016_vGOvn0ikJmaflrKkqXA2Mler98M3GMLCFJ0gdOsbOGa8Y9bT8K4HlDIvHOSk7NrFWtnoKVg1O5W_5Zcv87ds4WU_LBviP7JgMogNZSlNTM_LBfD5lBVod0PJLrrTmTqbGki/s320/20150727_142218.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With about half of the quilting done, I was running out of thread. Boo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNzTrHs7YTRpfjp4TF0o_k3namzXpFaU7KjRZF3K-OfbLubVTp_nfzIEyj_vumup8hAXMvLVmhZP1XWXGAle-CswzWZ9o4oBESoLlC6Ml1mdkSF_55cwUxRsCgGO2r7-RKmwJAtFigMT_/s1600/20150730_134811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNzTrHs7YTRpfjp4TF0o_k3namzXpFaU7KjRZF3K-OfbLubVTp_nfzIEyj_vumup8hAXMvLVmhZP1XWXGAle-CswzWZ9o4oBESoLlC6Ml1mdkSF_55cwUxRsCgGO2r7-RKmwJAtFigMT_/s320/20150730_134811.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another quilting detail. This shows the pennants a little better.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmkpNoa7wUd65cg26t2MFT8MYCuB5x6ug9pFbW464r71P7UuWDPZM4zBYN5x6f9qq1MTlbkTM8rNKBunfibzj8bINO3HxlGkoKv1V97qM0DhCRxnwAVIZC4-1D2fdlk5Bh1b3390kyn9a/s1600/20150730_134034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmkpNoa7wUd65cg26t2MFT8MYCuB5x6ug9pFbW464r71P7UuWDPZM4zBYN5x6f9qq1MTlbkTM8rNKBunfibzj8bINO3HxlGkoKv1V97qM0DhCRxnwAVIZC4-1D2fdlk5Bh1b3390kyn9a/s320/20150730_134034.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hand embroidered label for the back. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO70Ms-aYH7oW7za10-vE27aQGB8z1IsXxA02p_qn955whYfDRWjA7AhQKiDFO_i84oSluxx9Tzlff9Mj5IYQKv_w5kkLK0gXIBYRKO0gQvQlFBREN_2As-1SRV1IQIEoUR3tWMPKOnau/s1600/20150730_134148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO70Ms-aYH7oW7za10-vE27aQGB8z1IsXxA02p_qn955whYfDRWjA7AhQKiDFO_i84oSluxx9Tzlff9Mj5IYQKv_w5kkLK0gXIBYRKO0gQvQlFBREN_2As-1SRV1IQIEoUR3tWMPKOnau/s320/20150730_134148.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished mini all bound and ready to be sent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LxHnk58bw1aTW6-Y8v0FeXk1Fj0yPr_oTtgmbqkDUGXkCoKrT9x3jMtSlgJnWVGfdGOyg8xidcYec9orEBgSl7SLQ2IPADjUihmBoNhYz97USraIPYh-yPPULGR8gJV1fj3j92yDlzm6/s1600/20150730_134649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LxHnk58bw1aTW6-Y8v0FeXk1Fj0yPr_oTtgmbqkDUGXkCoKrT9x3jMtSlgJnWVGfdGOyg8xidcYec9orEBgSl7SLQ2IPADjUihmBoNhYz97USraIPYh-yPPULGR8gJV1fj3j92yDlzm6/s320/20150730_134649.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back featuring a crossword puzzle fabric I purchased at Pink Castle Fabrics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uzDevPkvjPe4zYFbJSq00ehhHJI7tOmpU5I46axF8N7JuxzIOGKEFQGpyViUPI9SGGDIxO5Q-C5Vssnmqwqsbu_XcioYRzyF_R4KH7kNQbf0FGE-7F_w-Re2h3WY2olAF9nx8LmoSuP_/s1600/20150731_162035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uzDevPkvjPe4zYFbJSq00ehhHJI7tOmpU5I46axF8N7JuxzIOGKEFQGpyViUPI9SGGDIxO5Q-C5Vssnmqwqsbu_XcioYRzyF_R4KH7kNQbf0FGE-7F_w-Re2h3WY2olAF9nx8LmoSuP_/s320/20150731_162035.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She had to make it to the groves for a photo as well. </td></tr>
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I'm linking this finish up to <a href="http://tgiffriday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TGIFF</a> (Thank Goodness it's Finally Finished) this week hosted by Laura at <a href="http://quokkaquilts.com/" target="_blank">Quokka Quilts</a>.<br />
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<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-31546122014502467332015-08-05T04:00:00.000-07:002015-08-05T05:09:53.780-07:00Midnight Mystery Quilt: Sponsorship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am pleased to announce Quilting Among the Groves is a proud sponsor of the Midnight Mystery Quilt hosted by Meadow Mist Designs. </div>
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Cheryl has rounded up awesome prizes to be randomly given away at the Quilt Reveal Party in March 2016. You can find all of the details about the Midnight Mystery Quilt at <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Meadow Mist Designs. </a></div>
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Quilting Among the Groves will provide one winner long-arm quilting services for a semi-densely quilted all-over design on their Midnight Mystery Quilt top or a quilt that is similarly sized. This prize is being offered to players in the United States due to shipping charges.</div>
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I'm looking forward to solving the mystery myself and have my fabrics all cut and ready for the sewing instructions that are expected on Thursday! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V4VPOEmwLKL1soQNOybFrEPq6VTapurIltVreC0UpKc85SWgrtj6y1osnmHhml3I6dv62wV58Cvs3B_ZUg895OUW7HGhvq7sJwctOhPvc4oYYOo0C2_l7vnr3DqprSm-y3vzgG3Enri3/s1600/IMG_20150706_004837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V4VPOEmwLKL1soQNOybFrEPq6VTapurIltVreC0UpKc85SWgrtj6y1osnmHhml3I6dv62wV58Cvs3B_ZUg895OUW7HGhvq7sJwctOhPvc4oYYOo0C2_l7vnr3DqprSm-y3vzgG3Enri3/s640/IMG_20150706_004837.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiRrPWUYukjEwmWjtrGfNRik62RiBPM6baYRp6pOE40_6PUpfamGfEU721bAaT-RBaqmNpK3qbel9RmkZfvoqaNVNSIl_EzV4Tadhf3wFnPL6x_BrZ4XnOTEnX0Jg0Vu5Z7u4KV-6dv0K/s1600/IMG_20150706_203108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiRrPWUYukjEwmWjtrGfNRik62RiBPM6baYRp6pOE40_6PUpfamGfEU721bAaT-RBaqmNpK3qbel9RmkZfvoqaNVNSIl_EzV4Tadhf3wFnPL6x_BrZ4XnOTEnX0Jg0Vu5Z7u4KV-6dv0K/s640/IMG_20150706_203108.jpg" width="504" /></a></div>
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For more details about these fabric choices, read my Sunday Stash post <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2015/07/midnight-mystery-quilt.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-11054315963441104992015-07-31T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-31T21:51:23.345-07:00The Quickest Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some situations call for a quilt, others demand with such intensity that a quilt almost appears out of thin air. This was such a quilt. A couple I had met during my college years had recently announced they were in the midst of an adoption. They'd spent years hosting foreign exchange students, but knew they wanted a child of their own. I knew right away I wanted to make a quilt for them and their little one, and I knew I wanted to use a + shape to celebrate the addition to their family. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvlxBVJtDzvOaLvvWdVy_JD5s4IsEMmR65WpXVBm36yRqg_cE7V0ZAUFoUWOuE84N47eKQBH31Y6zmH-oZQo7508MEadPKjTCcz7yUtHFGqGkwuGwVU-X6Coi1UFYzF7PJy6rF3zVMmCo/s1600/20150628_194626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvlxBVJtDzvOaLvvWdVy_JD5s4IsEMmR65WpXVBm36yRqg_cE7V0ZAUFoUWOuE84N47eKQBH31Y6zmH-oZQo7508MEadPKjTCcz7yUtHFGqGkwuGwVU-X6Coi1UFYzF7PJy6rF3zVMmCo/s320/20150628_194626.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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Fortunately, I had some yardage perfectly suited for this occasion in my stash. I used some Heather Ross strawberries in green surrounded by Architextures Crosshatch in Grey, I added a punch of pink with a Kaffe Fassett shot cotton. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT5PZjmj11xefTHOW9oFoATqf1Hk4bTfJdCD2QkaANPctFSZOENfM3SxUCio72N1rcHaBCeb9U4_xoWSBER1bgKQ4iwUY9hMqYcpLAZSO5E0qDNHKWHZL3-d7HJZQ9q9fynDv1nSJtVkg/s1600/20150628_194648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT5PZjmj11xefTHOW9oFoATqf1Hk4bTfJdCD2QkaANPctFSZOENfM3SxUCio72N1rcHaBCeb9U4_xoWSBER1bgKQ4iwUY9hMqYcpLAZSO5E0qDNHKWHZL3-d7HJZQ9q9fynDv1nSJtVkg/s320/20150628_194648.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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The pattern came from <a href="http://southernfabricblog.com/" target="_blank">Southern Fabric</a> and is aptly named <a href="http://southernfabricblog.com/the-easiest-quilt-in-the-world/" target="_blank">The Easiest Quilt in the World</a>. It really was super easy, and may become a go-to pattern for when the stork is out and about. This was so easy to put together I didn't even get to take photos while I was in process. Seriously, the top came together in about an hour, and that was from yardage to finished top! </div>
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I did make one modification to the pattern. If you follow the links above to look at the original quilt, you will notice there are two black squares, one in the center at the top and one in the center on the bottom. They appear to be + that have run out of our line of sight. I chose to make these two squares out of the background fabric rather than the focus fabric so that all of the + were contained within the quilt. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxE3Tpl23KAQQ5lOth4sxJgTGXiiLP7fqMg1fnY7GVc3QrUeg_00zFviz8zx-anPAqP5LmfKTz-bbBRAFbesMoAHWC4UhbA8BmLuff4c6WcpZyMO_pO0_Hho4NdPFrSFYZgyy7ggc9X5q_/s1600/20150628_194702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxE3Tpl23KAQQ5lOth4sxJgTGXiiLP7fqMg1fnY7GVc3QrUeg_00zFviz8zx-anPAqP5LmfKTz-bbBRAFbesMoAHWC4UhbA8BmLuff4c6WcpZyMO_pO0_Hho4NdPFrSFYZgyy7ggc9X5q_/s320/20150628_194702.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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I quilted this little baby quilt on Louise, with some inspiration from Angela Walters who blogs at <a href="http://www.quiltingismytherapy.com/" target="_blank">Quilting is My Therapy</a>. I used spirals in the green + and cross hatching in the shocking pink +. I used a combination of leaves and pebbles in the background and drew a wavy meandering line and finished with straight line quilting. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The new family is special indeed. The two fathers were among the first who could jointly adopt in my childhood home state of Michigan. They were legally married during a brief period of time after a US District Court ruled the state's denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples </span>unconstitutional<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and before an appeals court ordered a stay on the ruling.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span>Little Baby "A" was due on June 13, but she didn't make her arrival until June 26th, the day the U.S. Supreme Court made their ruling on same-sex marriages. Not only does this baby quilt celebrate the addition to a family, but also the equality of the family with an = on the back. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYW29SSNR-ZpLxvbPfX_ABRsmm5rzds3QKVA_4vFCKKagzlMl64cVDQ6PzQamMIiZ2Eyp3AvUHvR8JwWDjnaOqWxNLIylHgFPFSD86kU0iBu8w7zvXaDwoiV43f4WcJBQvhwanbISQgAW/s1600/20150628_194737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYW29SSNR-ZpLxvbPfX_ABRsmm5rzds3QKVA_4vFCKKagzlMl64cVDQ6PzQamMIiZ2Eyp3AvUHvR8JwWDjnaOqWxNLIylHgFPFSD86kU0iBu8w7zvXaDwoiV43f4WcJBQvhwanbISQgAW/s320/20150628_194737.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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I have great admiration for this family and hope that one day my husband and I might follow in their footsteps and realize our dream of a family. </div>
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This was my quickest quilt, from yards of fabric to the mail box in three days. I'd like to say this is the first #lovewins quilt. There are several swaps that have formed on Instagram to celebrate marriage equality after the SCOTUS ruling on June 26th. Check out #lovewinsmini and #winninglovemini on Instagram for more of whats going on there. Also remember to leave a little comment love on the TGIFF link party hosted this week by Michelle at <a href="http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.ca/2015/07/t-minus-4-months-25-days.html" target="_blank">From Bolt to Beauty</a>. The button for the event is on my sidebar. </div>
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What has been your quickest quilt?</div>
<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-75450086929993922052015-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:002015-07-24T05:00:10.562-07:00Finish: Foothills Mystery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm linking up with the<a href="http://tgiffriday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Thank Goodness it's Finally Finished</a> link party which is being hosted this week by Janet at <a href="http://simplypieced.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Simply Pieced</a>.</div>
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I wish I could remember when I first came across Cheryl and her blog <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Meadow Mist Designs</a>, but all I know is that I found her before she started her Foothills Mystery Quilt last year. If you are not familiar with a mystery quilt, it is essentially a quilt whose finish is kept secret and has been expertly broken down into smaller steps that once put together create the predetermined design. Cheryl created this mystery to share with her guild, but decided to let her blog followers in on the fun. Each month a different step was provided which meant to me that I only had a small amount of work to do on this project before I could set it aside. I guess it made me realize it is possible to take a project just a little at a time and not all projects have to be completed instantly. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pFSRKRHbSiIT0ktELgYn2lV-832q1dUTV4lEfGcMiELXjHDbwKJnpLFesR088q6esb_4IyJm73bjS3j52Zf5g4Sdd3OFh04bmLnrS5glt8sQo9Lt90qyKS1RxOM9pE6his2D3WBgBm6v/s1600/20140713_133143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pFSRKRHbSiIT0ktELgYn2lV-832q1dUTV4lEfGcMiELXjHDbwKJnpLFesR088q6esb_4IyJm73bjS3j52Zf5g4Sdd3OFh04bmLnrS5glt8sQo9Lt90qyKS1RxOM9pE6his2D3WBgBm6v/s320/20140713_133143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fabric pull for the project, which you can read about in an earlier blog post <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/07/sunday-stash-mystery-quilt-pull.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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You may have noticed the colorful graph paper design that is hanging out with this pile of fabric, and I have to tell you that if you ever do a mystery quilt <i>this is not a part of it</i>! I made the process way more difficult than it should be. In the first step of the quilt, Cheryl broke down the fabric requirements for each of three different fabric groups. This is where I went completely overboard, probably trying to solve the mystery prematurely. I got out the graph paper to lay out the ratio of the three different fabric groups. From the blob of three colors on the left hand side of the photo below, you can see that there is more grey (3 yards total) than the other colors and much less orange/wasabi (5/8 yard) than the other colors. I wanted to see what this ratio might look like if it were randomly arranged in a quilt top. The left hand blob in the picture below shows one yard is 12 squares of the graph paper. The other rectangles are the same amount color, as squares or half squares to equal the yardage outlined! <b>What?!</b> Long story short, my brain doesn't know how to enjoy a leisurely mystery quilt along and has to complicate everything it comes across!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fit of crazy trying to solve the mystery, instead of just enjoying it like a summer read.</td></tr>
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Cheryl was so kind to work with and she offered me some hints at this point in the mystery that allowed the wheels in my head to slow down just a bit. Month by month the quilt parts began to take shape. We made half square triangles (HST), square within a square blocks, hour glass blocks, and diamonds. There were several parts to the puzzle, but we still didn't know how they would all go together. During the month of the HSTs, I had to find an easy way to mass produce them, there were over 100 of them. You can read about my HST quilt hack in an <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/09/mystery-quilt-and-half-square-triangle.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8BrK8A69Jr4kYbXQKAPaqIbD4ycE4DgB_HiLO0hDIbODu-r7hON6tbsEKvhCfntFXb_qm-b__TqjO4nA_Zxe3QX7cYyqpErb6fU0A2gRG3pW7Ab-4HI2a30Bn2QwWxrRifRZhPh0uGJA/s1600/20140906_092403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8BrK8A69Jr4kYbXQKAPaqIbD4ycE4DgB_HiLO0hDIbODu-r7hON6tbsEKvhCfntFXb_qm-b__TqjO4nA_Zxe3QX7cYyqpErb6fU0A2gRG3pW7Ab-4HI2a30Bn2QwWxrRifRZhPh0uGJA/s320/20140906_092403.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pile of triangles was actually fun to make after I made some modifications to my machine!</td></tr>
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This quilt was my second long arm quilting experience on Louise, my TinLizzie machine. I played with free-motion, pebbles and a little swirly design, all were hand guided.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise making pebbles until the cows come home!</td></tr>
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I took the photos below before this quilt was given as a thank you to the officiant of my marriage to my fantastic husband, and her husband who prepared all of the food for our intimate ceremony. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may have to change my blog to quilting among the pines! Pine trees seem to be taking over the orange groves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvl0bdjBEnEh8xduBfHKyPZpi5gZzE9tJLPmWLBUuHI55GQ4RHdze54HFNFk1p2lYoBIJL8jf60tFEziKHvYVBnPeg3JGkEb6PezkCEy1Go_dIXJ4qdzd0yqhZbEMc_jzmkJ0dy31jRp7/s1600/20150525_183110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvl0bdjBEnEh8xduBfHKyPZpi5gZzE9tJLPmWLBUuHI55GQ4RHdze54HFNFk1p2lYoBIJL8jf60tFEziKHvYVBnPeg3JGkEb6PezkCEy1Go_dIXJ4qdzd0yqhZbEMc_jzmkJ0dy31jRp7/s320/20150525_183110.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer look at the pebbles.</td></tr>
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I used two different threads on this quilt, one an Aurifil in grey, and the other a verigated Superior Threads King Tut. The design that was created on the back of the quilt was an unexpected surprise that delighted both the recipients of the quilt and myself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The secondary design that becomes apparent on the back of the quilt.</td></tr>
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The Foothills Mystery has been solved. Stop back among the pines groves to see my progress on Cheryl's latest mystery the <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/05/mystery-quilt-2015-coming-soon.html" target="_blank">Midnight Mystery</a> quilt along. Have you ever participated in a mystery quilt along? What have been your experiences?Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com7Davenport, FL 33837, USA28.2037477 -81.581577627.9798177 -81.9043011 28.4276777 -81.258854100000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-46352481786462124942015-07-22T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-22T04:00:02.237-07:00Midnight Mystery Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs is hosting another mystery quilt along! Check out the Midnight Mystery Quilt button on my sidebar to link to her blog and find out more. It's not too late to join in. So far we've selected fabrics for four distinct fabric groups and we've been given instructions on how to cut into the lovelies. </div>
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I chose the fabrics below for my Midnight Mystery Quilt. It's my first time using Cotton + Steel and I'm excited to see how nicely fabrics from different seasons play together. See those little dots dancing above selvage on the dark purple fabric, I'm super geeked about them. I think they will make a great little bit of the binding on this quilt. . .when it's finished. . .next year! </div>
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The Foothills Mystery Quilt, Cheryl's previous quilt along was so well organized and broken into smaller manageable steps that were easy to complete before the next set of monthly instructions arrived in my inbox. I'm lucky that she is so well organized, because before I could make it out of Keep Me in Stitches with my precious bundle of fabrics, my ever enabling husband had spotted the lot that you see below. This means I will be making not one, but two of these Midnight Mysteries! Sean was drawn to texture and understated hues of the quilter's linen by Robert Kaufman. He loves places like Restoration Hardware and West Elm, and thought these fabrics could make a quilt fit to grace one of their catalogs. There is one fabric in the selection that is different, the one with the fuzzy looking top, is a peppered cotton that was masquerading as a quilter's linen. . .but I don't mind. I think they will make a great looking quilt.</div>
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As an added bonus, the Midnight Mystery Quilt concludes in April 2016, so that neutral quilt with a pop of orange will be ready just in time for our one year wedding anniversary. </div>
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Be sure to stop by this Friday for the reveal of my finished Foothills Mystery Quilt. I'm linking up with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for her Let's Bee Social party! I've got her button in the sidebar too. :)</div>
<br />Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-83990358533443472682015-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:002015-07-19T05:00:05.542-07:00Sunday Stash: Carolyn Friedlander<br />
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I have a bit of an obsession with Carolyn Friedlander and her beautiful fabric collections for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I purchased part of her Architextures line at my LQS, <a href="http://www.heartfeltquilting.net/home.html" target="_blank">Heartfelt Quilting</a>, way back right before I started Quilting Among the Groves. I've been hooked ever since, and have used some of her fabric in 90% of my projects since then. I am so obsessed that a couple of weeks ago, when I saw some Architextures languishing on the shelf at Heartfelt, I bought some. Well not really some, but the rest of what was left! The purple color on the left has already been used as the backing to the quilt that I wrote about in my blog post: <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/04/baby-steps.html" target="_blank">A Quilty Coaster Ride</a>. </div>
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Part of my obsession with Carolyn is perhaps because she has a little paradise among the groves not far from mine. I met her last year at a special showing of her work at the central Florida landmark, Bok Tower Gardens. She hosted a local meet and greet where a handful of obsessed followers like myself met with her to have lunch, enjoy some slow sewing, and social time under the canopy of the oak trees surrounding the famous carillon tower.</div>
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I took some pictures of her work as it hung in the exhibits hall of the Garden's visitor center.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the time her newest line of fabrics was Botanics. I have to add this beauty to my quilty bucket list.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNbkBP5S8_T8XuR-GADo8oHEojVGi9hX_HgvCN0RTfUxyuMOIMvYCwtmJbJRz_8ch5q03pkyde40wBSNBY20fjujiBPVATKXbh13TxUVPWPmlb7PJhimAJs447scRZ6J4exT5fB-QV6UW/s1600/IMG_20140524_115218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNbkBP5S8_T8XuR-GADo8oHEojVGi9hX_HgvCN0RTfUxyuMOIMvYCwtmJbJRz_8ch5q03pkyde40wBSNBY20fjujiBPVATKXbh13TxUVPWPmlb7PJhimAJs447scRZ6J4exT5fB-QV6UW/s640/IMG_20140524_115218.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She captures flat Florida landscape so well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that she also lives among the groves? Simple lines and bold colors make this depiction of the groves truly memorable.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carolyn is an inspiration to me. Her designs are bold but simple. I love the way her quilts show that she has fun with fabric!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Are there any designers that you have an obsession with? What is it about them that sparks your imagination?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Speaking of 'spark,' I'm linking up with the sparkliest of them all, <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> for his Sunday Stash!</span></div>
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Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-82720521715587103202015-07-17T05:00:00.000-07:002015-07-17T14:33:15.686-07:00LMQG Modern Elements Challenge<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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I joined the Lakeland Modern Quilt Guild in March of this year at the most opportune time! Modern Elements Challenge Time! The guild partnered with Northcott Fabrics so that every participant had a fat quarter set of the same <a href="http://www.northcott.net/product-detail.aspx?fbid=1&colid=710&colorid=1124" target="_blank">Modern Elements Fabric in the Cabana colorway</a>. Click the link to see this collection that exudes energy. (BTW I am not affiliated with Northcott Fabrics in any way, I just enjoyed working with their fabrics in this challenge.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJro5_bVV2JTe6V_-m63f0jMBaIi7rM9BAFBsSz3Af-JBEvUtAR5nTnTy-OcVLS46wME6684OlbVzpyRM3gY76V90xYgmwk4jhwG3jjZUsx9W3X5y-l15vapgoZlWAJ8vl3de2XOtrbI2N/s1600/20150416_213959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJro5_bVV2JTe6V_-m63f0jMBaIi7rM9BAFBsSz3Af-JBEvUtAR5nTnTy-OcVLS46wME6684OlbVzpyRM3gY76V90xYgmwk4jhwG3jjZUsx9W3X5y-l15vapgoZlWAJ8vl3de2XOtrbI2N/s320/20150416_213959.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to keep my design hidden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">One of the purposes of this challenge was to help guild members embrace technology as a way to further connect with the quilting community. We were required to comment on the Lakeland Modern Quilt Guild (LMQG)blog, and on the LMQG page on the national site. Additionally, we had to document our creations by posting to other social media outlets about our progress. I opted to post with the #LMQGModernElementsChallenge on Instagram. You can follow me <strike>there</strike> <a href="https://instagram.com/janbriggs/" target="_blank">here</a> too!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LaHzsPvE73_TMGoiEBA54fV3pHoKwY-vOUA8dpJCIgHhzMvDy8AHx0Lwqpr0Ahpcf3uHRb2qdwSn-XCbIzLHQw3F_se7vRn0fZWRN1eWkCIDjN9Ea617xAzH2xt-jQebirzCi8SfEEz2/s1600/20150416_182346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LaHzsPvE73_TMGoiEBA54fV3pHoKwY-vOUA8dpJCIgHhzMvDy8AHx0Lwqpr0Ahpcf3uHRb2qdwSn-XCbIzLHQw3F_se7vRn0fZWRN1eWkCIDjN9Ea617xAzH2xt-jQebirzCi8SfEEz2/s320/20150416_182346.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manipulating the patterns to make my own patterns.</td></tr>
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Have you ever participated in a quilt challenge? This was my first and I was so excited to try new techniques. One of the fabrics featured a stripe motif that I manipulated by slicing and piecing back together in my own arrangement. Another fabric featured so many colors it was challenging to see how it would fit with my other fabrics. I surrounded small squares of this colorfully energetic fabric with wide swaths of coordinating grey fabric and placing them on an angle add interest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCl3_2Kc1mU-547qxogVC-uiEHwx-nlTeh-IE0EnXvIkNatEZgNXdk2ZsppGnaC3eEdikF7mhlhyf7g5d7YAaCUUS3xnw_zxw2ndYq2lQSoPfTOiSUXlAdH6Imaq8Czl8zdAZDsibCqsG/s1600/20150418_003240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCl3_2Kc1mU-547qxogVC-uiEHwx-nlTeh-IE0EnXvIkNatEZgNXdk2ZsppGnaC3eEdikF7mhlhyf7g5d7YAaCUUS3xnw_zxw2ndYq2lQSoPfTOiSUXlAdH6Imaq8Czl8zdAZDsibCqsG/s320/20150418_003240.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green fabric made me think of trees, so I thought I would try my hand at quilting some trees.</td></tr>
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I had more fun with quilting where I experimented with how my long arm machine handles different threads. I free-handed trees using Superior Threads Bottom Line, a polyester thread, in green. I added vertical and horizontal lines that crossed over each other in the grey that surrounds the small squares with a dark grey Aurifil cotton. I finished the bottom portion with a variegated Superior Thread King Tut by quilting a design that seems to combine the textures or scales and feathers. I want to further play with threads to see what works well and to see the different characteristics of the threads after they are in the quilt.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhg5cVvv93FXE5GAcRYWl6UF0BO4Sy3KSGn6pakJczQ9vthyphenhyphen8QkA6AcF8wVettH85ltobVULfbS3n7w4u9pANNio0vQbTDpdWuOU8_YcGIgi7onppF1CjgvyCAiv2W3EODnHXhfujuCxc/s1600/IMG_20150517_191448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhg5cVvv93FXE5GAcRYWl6UF0BO4Sy3KSGn6pakJczQ9vthyphenhyphen8QkA6AcF8wVettH85ltobVULfbS3n7w4u9pANNio0vQbTDpdWuOU8_YcGIgi7onppF1CjgvyCAiv2W3EODnHXhfujuCxc/s320/IMG_20150517_191448.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I find hand tacking binding to be a relaxing activity.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDcU2NJk3E6QaVHbLCps457GEjEkS6Ae09dwNNnI7v3SFR2KN26QbPgOGaMs_GYSfBbI7gVTdPHd0-qGZgPysVFWXfmVREHQCVlNlyShPAkVR419ImmOp_BHZRVTmbfYHzymtIb3LQ0gE/s1600/20150418_155653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDcU2NJk3E6QaVHbLCps457GEjEkS6Ae09dwNNnI7v3SFR2KN26QbPgOGaMs_GYSfBbI7gVTdPHd0-qGZgPysVFWXfmVREHQCVlNlyShPAkVR419ImmOp_BHZRVTmbfYHzymtIb3LQ0gE/s320/20150418_155653.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used vertical and horizontal lines to create a filler.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRr4kwt3Ua7ExAIBrLPoQyBKB6FIg-ZFUxbzRyGYGPeUss20FfzvKwauZKNXyPtnWW1KGR-V2Mr2myyyYh5uqwB3EAceIs-Tzyt7S5IBVKF1zaxdTyzOp59YEEDElWxMeVWmsWTX1iEH2/s1600/IMG_20150518_162816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRr4kwt3Ua7ExAIBrLPoQyBKB6FIg-ZFUxbzRyGYGPeUss20FfzvKwauZKNXyPtnWW1KGR-V2Mr2myyyYh5uqwB3EAceIs-Tzyt7S5IBVKF1zaxdTyzOp59YEEDElWxMeVWmsWTX1iEH2/s320/IMG_20150518_162816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished mini!</td></tr>
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The whole quilt reminded me of the highways of Florida. Quilted trees along the roadways, cars lined up, four lanes across, the bottom part an expression of my frustration when stuck in traffic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCvq2KElxRqOxp_lTESgNerPIRoCjmw0K33YXDJv1yaQl0lj_iprZhhuKECBxWZe_kvcp-2yA_IpLstNv8S1yl9YRBVorRW6Kw281DIEreHfH78wRHXWRPZsETPm-sMIrm0Ed67B6BLX9/s1600/IMG_20150518_163109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCvq2KElxRqOxp_lTESgNerPIRoCjmw0K33YXDJv1yaQl0lj_iprZhhuKECBxWZe_kvcp-2yA_IpLstNv8S1yl9YRBVorRW6Kw281DIEreHfH78wRHXWRPZsETPm-sMIrm0Ed67B6BLX9/s320/IMG_20150518_163109.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back shows larger bits of the challenge fabrics.</td></tr>
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My design was a success. It won first place! Now I've got this swell new Sizzix fabric cutter to play with!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHVCoZfOEVCD3zKQi7qvM-b1rCH8xszhXzsr9yZVg_akoPV4qLbmL7sv0gBFstqXCffVei4H1g76Y3fryXy3epAopQ1t5y2uSVldu5Y95ewomIYt1KXt7yapGFEd98gRxov2Pw1ykY7JT/s1600/20150615_221503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHVCoZfOEVCD3zKQi7qvM-b1rCH8xszhXzsr9yZVg_akoPV4qLbmL7sv0gBFstqXCffVei4H1g76Y3fryXy3epAopQ1t5y2uSVldu5Y95ewomIYt1KXt7yapGFEd98gRxov2Pw1ykY7JT/s320/20150615_221503.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun new toy!</td></tr>
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What has been your experience with quilt challenges? I'm linking up with Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday (TGIFF) at <a href="http://quiltmatters.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Quilt Matters</a>.Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com2Davenport, FL 33837, USA28.2037477 -81.581577627.9798177 -81.9043011 28.4276777 -81.258854100000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-48330276248824663492015-04-19T21:18:00.001-07:002015-04-23T11:47:28.535-07:00Timber<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/t_s_eliot.html" style="color: #0000aa; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">T. S. Eliot</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let my exploration of long arm and free-motion quilting begin! I have made my packing list, acquired some of the tools and stepped into the fresh new world that awaits. There are maps to find and knowledgeable travelers to consult as I continue forward, but the baby steps I have made thus far feel so good. Below is the first souvenir from my trek. This interpretation of the Timber quilt was the first quilt along my path and taught me much. I'm going to save words, and let the pictures speak a bit. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3npkKXR8l4o2HaZudHatpRHPvVWYc2R7lQSI5iljxnyGWz6Quk-83fv3TMDuRogSPDFYffnBkThnR97wMbpTYuicfVQLgyYQpdhuDiYR8Atq6-V6FB5dB2J7TpJDj9oAbDC8mCM2aLrh0/s640/20150415_173805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3npkKXR8l4o2HaZudHatpRHPvVWYc2R7lQSI5iljxnyGWz6Quk-83fv3TMDuRogSPDFYffnBkThnR97wMbpTYuicfVQLgyYQpdhuDiYR8Atq6-V6FB5dB2J7TpJDj9oAbDC8mCM2aLrh0/s640/20150415_173805.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While I 'Quilt Among the Groves' I am not without pine trees. Fitting for Timber.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvWnp0l2FXLBzhbe0T6TuowmUzSnH4cNoxwD2qR78bU4fFGkHeBauBhiZ80xcekJASmV3f2uTjO0JDohiyhqpW9XUN9ZKuO6wmcC3vVXYpI_KRAFeRG_21Vism1i9Xxo-EuNUaciKD0BN/s640/20150415_174004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have learned I enjoy bindings with a little burst of color here and there.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvWnp0l2FXLBzhbe0T6TuowmUzSnH4cNoxwD2qR78bU4fFGkHeBauBhiZ80xcekJASmV3f2uTjO0JDohiyhqpW9XUN9ZKuO6wmcC3vVXYpI_KRAFeRG_21Vism1i9Xxo-EuNUaciKD0BN/s1600/20150415_174004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z2Dsi-dNA-fYQZhyphenhyphenjFd_4kt93JienvjvbN90qQwp43GbWO2IfISf8saB8WAdzh7qnpyTIE9Mw0MUpTJeejGvM_7GXsrGXV3b_6XrGTujtuMl6sovmJjbsxlynyzxaOD1GXHfrPciiwdt/s640/20150415_173832.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have learned that we must not regret design choices, but embrace and learn from them.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z2Dsi-dNA-fYQZhyphenhyphenjFd_4kt93JienvjvbN90qQwp43GbWO2IfISf8saB8WAdzh7qnpyTIE9Mw0MUpTJeejGvM_7GXsrGXV3b_6XrGTujtuMl6sovmJjbsxlynyzxaOD1GXHfrPciiwdt/s1600/20150415_173832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXQSrzS3HUoEjY7l6jpOa9_XrvI4P2r-hN75Ez5gqlvxEhwdXV1oGx-8lyE8r6t0zXxyTksdFa2Y-lkjSU1PGYhkE6A9yWh0o3ib4aARtGrJyhkO_ALmcvYrjYGRcoV4zod_10-PjwhsZ/s640/20150415_173829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have learned that feathers are fun, but there has to be a million YouTube videos on how to make them more interesting and I will watch a few of them!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXQSrzS3HUoEjY7l6jpOa9_XrvI4P2r-hN75Ez5gqlvxEhwdXV1oGx-8lyE8r6t0zXxyTksdFa2Y-lkjSU1PGYhkE6A9yWh0o3ib4aARtGrJyhkO_ALmcvYrjYGRcoV4zod_10-PjwhsZ/s1600/20150415_173829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLq9FtkteBgnGmOM9VgfAOnYd3UMD6aRQ5QFMnnCFb8LkBOORKw09Y6HcwCA3QSvY1zDBPbbVM5BTlcAYBJZz2hFQ2R-TT86F4ztxtu30u2k6R0x9hBUb7VtlaTdryJvUuRV76p3jRcsJ/s640/20150408_192444.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have learned that hand tacking the binding is relaxing and perhaps cathartic.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLq9FtkteBgnGmOM9VgfAOnYd3UMD6aRQ5QFMnnCFb8LkBOORKw09Y6HcwCA3QSvY1zDBPbbVM5BTlcAYBJZz2hFQ2R-TT86F4ztxtu30u2k6R0x9hBUb7VtlaTdryJvUuRV76p3jRcsJ/s1600/20150408_192444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg738v1WCQ0RGIAaBr001lqapeQz3Tnj0LbZ1s_hXfzamytmIDh51Y0AfhFUdRGpJGWNOzoHdKNlIpfvtbVvYNdutzproOhWqE_gI6uYlz8pGntm5MCUISQEOF2EZfvbIbZOHGq4dDrd8GV/s1600/20150415_174200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg738v1WCQ0RGIAaBr001lqapeQz3Tnj0LbZ1s_hXfzamytmIDh51Y0AfhFUdRGpJGWNOzoHdKNlIpfvtbVvYNdutzproOhWqE_gI6uYlz8pGntm5MCUISQEOF2EZfvbIbZOHGq4dDrd8GV/s1600/20150415_174200.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have learned that not only will practice improve my quilting skills, but also my quilt photography skills.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q_Af0yXt8OpI2krOoTGiAH2Tq9Wh2CHPapVy-ludhnKb5kdxb8exdolCE230yA1iBF8mI9uGDNF9vNQQYzDr_A6h0_iBA0KVS7z7bcD1ZH6Ig8aq34hs6WtypKdJ82FpJ5w1r5hUz2Lk/s640/20150404_092320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some bold Modern Elements by Deborah Edwards for Northcott Fabrics await me for a fun challenge.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q_Af0yXt8OpI2krOoTGiAH2Tq9Wh2CHPapVy-ludhnKb5kdxb8exdolCE230yA1iBF8mI9uGDNF9vNQQYzDr_A6h0_iBA0KVS7z7bcD1ZH6Ig8aq34hs6WtypKdJ82FpJ5w1r5hUz2Lk/s1600/20150404_092320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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I don't remember if I have mentioned it here, but I recently joined <a href="http://www.lakelandmqg.com/" target="_blank">The Lakeland Modern Quilt Guild</a>. I am so happy to have met such great people here in this online forum, but thought I could add breadth to my knowledge with some face to face quilty interactions. I chose the perfect time to join! They are hosting a fun mini quilt challenge featuring the Northcott fabrics pictured above. We were given a pack of three fat quarters and are able to add some of the coordinating Toscana fabrics to round out the design. I have some ideas brewing and will write about those in a future post. </div>
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Meanwhile, Louise (my long arm machine) and I begin the next leg of our tour. I've already begun quilting my <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/09/mystery-quilt-and-half-square-triangle.html" target="_blank">Foothills Mystery Quilt</a>. After all, Louise looked lonely without a quilt draped across her frame. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyb7QrehOE5zaj52hi1u0E5CdMYnvV05Z-RUWqONlmf1uUE21zLh3p5i5znHTo7l42Xvbd5niX8bnr8eILYWo6DnfAjh8EF8SZUOm_SiHKjSXxqY4VTLPSO6h5uaZSlk3nxLcLO86dm9E/s1600/20150413_230117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyb7QrehOE5zaj52hi1u0E5CdMYnvV05Z-RUWqONlmf1uUE21zLh3p5i5znHTo7l42Xvbd5niX8bnr8eILYWo6DnfAjh8EF8SZUOm_SiHKjSXxqY4VTLPSO6h5uaZSlk3nxLcLO86dm9E/s640/20150413_230117.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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Thanks for stopping among the groves! </div>
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Jan-Michael</div>
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At the beginning of my sophomore year of college I got to take on a unique role as an Orientation Student Leader (OSL). I was a member of a team that provided incoming freshmen with a personalized student perspective, guided tours, and Western Michigan University Bronco spirit. One of points that I learned while preparing for this role was that there are different stages of team building. We OSL's were taught Tuckman's stages of team development. The first stage is forming, where each team member gets to know the other members. Next is storming, the stage where trust has been built between the team members and there is a comfort level that allows for the expression of discontent and challenging others opinions. Next, there is norming, the group comes to understand and accept the common goal of the group and may leave behind some of their own ideas for the good of the team. Finally, the team is performing, the team is high functioning and getting the job done smoothly. </div>
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Why am I telling you all of this? Louise (my new long arm machine) and I have formed a new team. Now we are storming! We are not getting along very well at all. We forget to put down the hopping foot, we are wasting thread while winding bobbins, and fighting with each other along the way. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodUe6Rah38zCtyxVpqIky_jTAYcTP8UspchrPKH-m0pWhyphenhyphenCnfkp2TJgQrsVUAeE4oogHpaqZaWjz1sESgZJjM4fbx81nhZj3UfquVQZtqdnjVLy-O_stmZ_dN8glu7FqK7Sc6oTDwLLqh/s640/20150319_214337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodUe6Rah38zCtyxVpqIky_jTAYcTP8UspchrPKH-m0pWhyphenhyphenCnfkp2TJgQrsVUAeE4oogHpaqZaWjz1sESgZJjM4fbx81nhZj3UfquVQZtqdnjVLy-O_stmZ_dN8glu7FqK7Sc6oTDwLLqh/s640/20150319_214337.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise looks content, but I just know she is going to try to pull some tricks on me.</td></tr>
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Louise has been loaded up with my interpretation of the Timber Quilt by Jamie Naughton and Allison Glass. I won the pattern by participating in a contest on Instagram! You can read a bit more about my fabric choices and the excitement of the win <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/mailbox-goodies.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLapCWHlBhfACLVybOng4XgzARsqn41gXqLFmERa78x2Z4UWMyzJsk6pKo1kjHkcBcYseLnOY9hnuyR0uXyoFgXLYORXBI-tiNeue69pHA7NNuURUZY3uNdSVdZMZcU_fnqzNKQcCj1IF6/s640/20150319_214517.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nasty waste of thread. I bet there is a way to salvage this.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLapCWHlBhfACLVybOng4XgzARsqn41gXqLFmERa78x2Z4UWMyzJsk6pKo1kjHkcBcYseLnOY9hnuyR0uXyoFgXLYORXBI-tiNeue69pHA7NNuURUZY3uNdSVdZMZcU_fnqzNKQcCj1IF6/s1600/20150319_214517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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While winding my third ever bobbin on Louise, I noticed that there just was not much thread on the bobbin. Moments later I found that the thread was being pulled and wound under the bobbin! I'm going to have to watch Louise a little more carefully.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCMoemOcXQUzzn2RavLtftZbb6IPxJ9mA0yLsp3o-M4s31tp395vecXaAs846GYnUe7FmL2BZRcgRYJ1xfAGREk8bnDk3RLJrYmR87tduJrnikf5wqsdGb1ffPM_IB01AE26pzPtUDNDx/s640/20150319_214430.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can tell that the border of this quilt will be 'ruffly,' that is my mistake while piecing the top. I may have eased the border pieces onto the quilt, and I think that is why this wavy texture is being created. Another point to ponder as I learn.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCMoemOcXQUzzn2RavLtftZbb6IPxJ9mA0yLsp3o-M4s31tp395vecXaAs846GYnUe7FmL2BZRcgRYJ1xfAGREk8bnDk3RLJrYmR87tduJrnikf5wqsdGb1ffPM_IB01AE26pzPtUDNDx/s1600/20150319_214430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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I have a lot to learn as I go on this journey of long arm quilting, but I am jumping in. I am having a difficult time with this quilt because I am very proud of the piecing and the fabric choices and would like the quilting to be special. I feel as if I am making a mess of it all, but continue to remind myself that this is my first ever long arm quilt, that I have to start somewhere, and it's OK to make a mess in order to learn and grow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEMrzqo4ULPN4CztUjucUORYt-SE2DfMh_Hm51No1i-CdqJ2Glj1r5GeGgkDaLT12ISN6Ag5hq6l8cIKOxngzcFRysNcrn2ReBOUoRJNWCUAjm7FHQ9bYiORfmoyr2t27KtNKcFLJBn3y/s640/20150319_214244.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight lines are as difficult if not more so than curved lines. I understand there is a way to use rulers while long arming, and will have to find out more as I go along.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEMrzqo4ULPN4CztUjucUORYt-SE2DfMh_Hm51No1i-CdqJ2Glj1r5GeGgkDaLT12ISN6Ag5hq6l8cIKOxngzcFRysNcrn2ReBOUoRJNWCUAjm7FHQ9bYiORfmoyr2t27KtNKcFLJBn3y/s1600/20150319_214244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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I'm making up the design as I go along, which may be a hindrance to my end results, but I'm thinking of this as play and learning. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with feathers in the diagonal stripes of the Timber Quilt.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooQEV5erEKoebE8vgST52r7HqqP9kxbzGvwzoYrC8swiMEXauftP1zpcan5O737ZBV1VjPsSpUzZYm4IjRExVY_ZGd8svb7TGEAeBoR8IPy3EmmuCprwW8nG9q-7fuK7nA9IZAz3hXY9I/s1600/20150319_214229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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The lovely Carole Gold from <a href="http://freshofftheframe.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Fresh Off the Frame</a> was kind enough to offer some pointers, tips and suggestions. She pointed me to<a href="http://www.suzanneearley.net/feather-boot-camp/" target="_blank"> Suzanne Earley's Feather Boot Camp</a>, which is a great online series about creating free hand feathers. I've begun drawing and practicing and can see how practice can lead to muscle memory, which helps build skill. Louise and I are working towards norming, and I can feel that performing lies in our future together. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6gAZBojNTdWnpp1H3PLSW9Ae5RQyUlEN3C6wzyPJvhhTkB1UnZLT1uVfysH7OaJ7CmWkiceEGZD84WaOPxTOaWZGJI0pZqHYrq9g1vdIj4tx_fz7kEFxmpMaoEhjZbXF9kF4I_q9nqS7/s640/20150321_174403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6gAZBojNTdWnpp1H3PLSW9Ae5RQyUlEN3C6wzyPJvhhTkB1UnZLT1uVfysH7OaJ7CmWkiceEGZD84WaOPxTOaWZGJI0pZqHYrq9g1vdIj4tx_fz7kEFxmpMaoEhjZbXF9kF4I_q9nqS7/s640/20150321_174403.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bounty of quilting goodies from Mary Abreu's Quilt Con Scavenger Hunt!</td></tr>
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On a completely different subject this amazing box of happy mail arrived today! The magnificent Mary Abreu at <a href="http://confessionsofacraftaddict.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Craft Addict</a> hosted a spectacular Quilt Con scavenger hunt through Instagram and her blog. I played along, scouring the Quilt Con hashtags on IG to find all of the clues that Mary had put together. It was a fun way to experience the exposition vicariously. Not only did I have fun, but I won a mother load of goodies in the process. It's hard to see in the picture above all of the items in the goodie box that Mary put together for me, but there is Aurifil thread, charm packs of Andover fabrics, fat quarters and yardage, quilt patterns, buttons, bags notions and more. I feel like I won the lottery! Thank you Mary for adding to my stash. What a nice stash builder to share with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> and his <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2015/03/sunday-stash-118-stash-tour.html" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a> event, I'm linking up now.</div>
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Whoa! I know that I am not always good at remembering important dates, but I really slipped on my blogs anniversary. <i>More </i>than a year has gone by since I started sharing my quilting adventures here among the groves. I feel like I have learned a ton during this time, and I'm looking forward to the fun that lies ahead. </div>
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Here are pictures of some of the projects I've been working on but haven't been sharing. I'm still trying to find a good balance between creation and documentation. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheark with my Summer Sampler Series Quilt. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrm1_YgLygc_3Ev_-ynJZgQ8gYPcZAY_zgdgM_7F07yFT4xuhCMgoYgaWIpLMXf6gzogOhjWrn8tp_xWp1DJeQ-RO30kbRwhv6NGBDmYMeMCaNTstARZP1Olzt7uxAf7jP4KXnTUNhOI8/s1600/20150103_134107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-6DgqF7mS_krvHkrgRAPQv15fCieOqmNaPBcJY4uWGxXTPEDELR-jtDIwo7iuKv5Ja5BhV9X3fbLsHiKjpVG1su9pJ0Mal8ejMkYYRVzIphgod9vsqt1Mql1QnvF8OShZqugTPjaynMz/s400/20150103_132956.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Summer Sampler quilt hangs beautifully over an orange tree branch.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-6DgqF7mS_krvHkrgRAPQv15fCieOqmNaPBcJY4uWGxXTPEDELR-jtDIwo7iuKv5Ja5BhV9X3fbLsHiKjpVG1su9pJ0Mal8ejMkYYRVzIphgod9vsqt1Mql1QnvF8OShZqugTPjaynMz/s1600/20150103_132956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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I finally finished the Summer Sampler Series Quilt that I wrote about originally <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/02/goals.html" target="_blank">here</a> as I listed some of my quilting aspirations. *Woot woot* I accomplished the first goal on my list! I completed the hand quilting right before the calendar rolled to 2015. I love how bright and cheerful it is. There are plenty of pictures of the individual blocks in <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/02/playing-along-with-others.html" target="_blank">this earlier post</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN4PUheYIZMahrJ9VLMw29D5vFy3JYFKpOShS-w85ULxYbUFd_VrlknTgHYM3tO0dBaN0Tovt1P1HuDCPwvU3CNTgLop_D8_bODTN1tFj1kvSep_EeAFJfvNdZiMyZNu6HCsxB94ljm7A/s400/20141229_120858.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barni models the Target Practice Blocks I made for the WERQ Bee.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN4PUheYIZMahrJ9VLMw29D5vFy3JYFKpOShS-w85ULxYbUFd_VrlknTgHYM3tO0dBaN0Tovt1P1HuDCPwvU3CNTgLop_D8_bODTN1tFj1kvSep_EeAFJfvNdZiMyZNu6HCsxB94ljm7A/s1600/20141229_120858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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I've been WERQing in a bee with men Who Enjoy Rigorous Quilting, the Target Practice blocks were the last of the lot. I will be getting my <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/06/werq-bee-demo.html" target="_blank">rings 'n' things</a> quilt top together soon hopefully.</div>
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I made a quilt top for Sheark for Christmas. He loves the color grey, snow and he thought this Alexander Henry pin up fabric was fetch. I played with some Polaroid blocks and some flying geese and came up with this lay out. I'll work on quilting this one soon with a little help from Louise. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cA24tYg0lDvzpQ81LyTQJwhJj-xraexPFqtqsPKkfckLWHF1BBy1PlGzhxIk5w67fB09YxwWMvBB3MZ3hnog9cPB5MQWgP7fxm8nW6hcT2gv4Imdn2zsruWpXinwbqscpi2_pWlMeqLv/s400/20141224_135956.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My spectacular design <strike>wall</strike> floor and planning the layout of the Polaroid quilt.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cA24tYg0lDvzpQ81LyTQJwhJj-xraexPFqtqsPKkfckLWHF1BBy1PlGzhxIk5w67fB09YxwWMvBB3MZ3hnog9cPB5MQWgP7fxm8nW6hcT2gv4Imdn2zsruWpXinwbqscpi2_pWlMeqLv/s1600/20141224_135956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14tmI5S0fNvxTq47UpcdTXxO1mzjfycUqtjWJG8xza9PGPoXyKmM9VOQMWv5llHSJEqvBMlIPr07oAjf8TKZ-MDSAPs1VxWfHXg0_qhXMgvcW4L3g5WPEO8IFvsl0qJEPhV6HgIOC6eUB/s400/20141225_201040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14tmI5S0fNvxTq47UpcdTXxO1mzjfycUqtjWJG8xza9PGPoXyKmM9VOQMWv5llHSJEqvBMlIPr07oAjf8TKZ-MDSAPs1VxWfHXg0_qhXMgvcW4L3g5WPEO8IFvsl0qJEPhV6HgIOC6eUB/s400/20141225_201040.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a variety of these Alexander Henry Pin-up guys. I might work on a series of quilts like this.</td></tr>
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I joined some Instagram crafters for the <a href="http://www.schnitzelandboo.com/" target="_blank">Schnitzel and Boo</a> Mini Swap. I have never participated in a swap until this, and didn't know what to expect. I had so much fun meeting a new friend, and creating a quilt just for her. I played with some embroidery for the quilt tag. Part of me thinks "Oh, lawd, that looks like hell." and part of me thinks "What fun folksy quilt tag!"</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMT2auaE4iqKz66B4fl-d53u95S1U_l_FVsWUV0Hy4Vwqi9o9eWkxwGNUot1iC5WtYSUnFjA5mBKPX2zRk74XNyFz9XZiVCS00iU2rEvXa0UFmKuJhEDeIiaA9m-3Il6CnZtm3PK3CmXH/s400/IMG_20150111_221929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMT2auaE4iqKz66B4fl-d53u95S1U_l_FVsWUV0Hy4Vwqi9o9eWkxwGNUot1iC5WtYSUnFjA5mBKPX2zRk74XNyFz9XZiVCS00iU2rEvXa0UFmKuJhEDeIiaA9m-3Il6CnZtm3PK3CmXH/s400/IMG_20150111_221929.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I put backing fabrics up for a vote on my IG account and most liked this crossword puzzle, I guess that leaves more of the hot pin-ups for other projects. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6dk5mzms4-6IOljtQ0GUOA19lX0v1giXc-ElKO7VvYpolBUJB2cTLEp4KWZ2-tLGpCA7sbBI0CcrhNcvl6AgdkFKRO4hgTnCfDSt5vCf7rZxr0b9W13mgcbWTkNbLDFErcZHwbuHcO3O/s400/20150117_081252.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the mini I sent to my swap partner. It was inspired by a quilt from her Pinterest. I had a hard time sending this one away!<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm linking up with Lorna at <a href="http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sew Fresh Quilts</a> for her <a href="http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2015/03/lets-bee-social-64.html" target="_blank">Let's Bee Social</a> party!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for stopping among the groves with me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jan-Michael</span></div>
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Flashback to March of 2014, when I was <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-am-learning-that-i-have-lot-to-learn.html" target="_blank">Getting my Sew-Jo at the Quilting Expo</a>, [you could literally flashback with me by clicking to the previous link!] where Seark and I had our first hands-on experience with a long arm quilting machine. We've pondered and dreamed about making an investment that could propel my creative quilting experiences forward and to build a small business ever since. </div>
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This year the <a href="http://www.sewingexpo.com/LakelandFL.aspx" target="_blank">Original Quilting and Sewing Expo</a> made it's return to Lakeland, FL and so did we. Seark, my one day husband, and I had decided that if an opportunity should present itself to take home a machine then we should jump on it and make it work. Then we met Susan and Tabby from Susan's Heirloom & Quilters Fabrics who sell Tin Lizzie. There were many brands of long arm represented at the expo, each with their own-stand out features. While we pondered the state of the art aesthetics of Bernina, the flashy computing system of the HandiQuilter, the industrial nature of Nolting and Gammill, the Tin Lizzy stood out for affordability and personality of the representatives. Needless to say, that same evening Tabby and Susan were delivering a show model to our garage! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Introducing Louise, my new TinLizzie18 ESP!</td></tr>
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I think I'll call her Louise after my grandmother who is the first in the family that I think of when I think of quilts. I know Louise will be good to me, she already produced some fun practice doodles.</div>
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I put some sad looking fabrics on the frame and drew out some boxes to play and draw in. I tried some feathers, some stippling, some circles, leaves, and some zig-zags, creating a happy and playful test piece.<br />
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I really like the little tropical leaf that I drew with the strange circles within a circle fruit. <br />
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I have lots to learn. I am going to jump in, make some mistakes and get to learning! Wish me luck, and if you have any suggestions or tips that might benefit a novice long arm or free motion quilter like myself, please leave me a note! </div>
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> and the <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2015/03/sunday-stash-117-end-of-world.html" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a> with my new addition.</div>
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Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-7217761560368133672015-02-28T19:05:00.003-08:002015-02-28T19:05:56.526-08:00Vicarious QuiltCon 2015I was not able to fly, drive, bike, jog, or dogsled to Austin, TX for QuiltCon this year. I know, it's sad, but true. Perhaps you know this feeling; while you cannot physically be somewhere, you can still be present in spirit and thought. While, I wasn't able to actually be there, I spent a considerable amount of time scoping out the vendors, poking my head in to classes, taking a close look at great quilts and really enjoying myself. I couldn't have had as much fun though, if not for Instagram, and some great people I met along the way.<div>
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<a href="http://confessionsofacraftaddict.com/?page_id=1167" target="_blank">Mary</a> at <a href="http://confessionsofacraftaddict.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Craft Addict</a> hosted a really fun Instagram scavenger hunt. She provided a list of 20 subjects to find and provided an easy to use Google Form to fill out along the way. Mary's hunt pushed me to delve into QuiltCon, abandoning all other cares!</div>
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I found that Brenda of <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/" target="_blank">Pink Castle Fabrics</a> and <a href="http://www.justabitfrayed.com/" target="_blank">Just A Bit Frayed</a> had provided nifty sticky notes so QuiltCon attendees could play the #pinkcastlepostits game. Now, I'm not affiliated with Pink Castle, but they are fantastic. I shopped their store earlier this year and found it to be a most unique experience. I wrote about that <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-5.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I was jealous of the sticky notes, and the game, so I whipped up my own 'home edition' to play along. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade post-its and a peek at an idea for a Broadway Mini Quilt Swap!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/" target="_blank">Michael Miller Fabrics</a> took sympathy on those of us who were not able to make QuiltCon and offered us #mmfvirtualquiltcon. I had to play along with their drawing, after all I just finished The Foothills Mystery quilt top with some of their awesome cotton couture fabric as the background. I'll write more about that awesome quilt-along hosted by Cheryl at <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Meadow Mist Designs</a> a little later.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My rendition of the Foothills Mystery Quilt with that soft and luxurious grey background fabric!</td></tr>
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I didn't get to meet or shake hands with quilt celebrities, but I felt like I could see them from across the atrium. Carolyn Friedlander, Luke Haynes, Yoshiko Jinzenji, Victoria Wolfe Findlay were all there, and are only a handful of people that I would like to take a class from, or hear speak. </div>
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There was someone else that I never could catch up with. If you haven't seen her already, you should check out <a href="http://samarrakhaja.com/" target="_blank">Samarra Khaja</a>. She really got into QuiltCon, and created a bit of mayhem. If I could have any other person's experience of the convention, I would want hers! Check her out and the hashtag #quiltconartist. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was this close! I saw Samarra admiring that MQG bag. I'm the creeper in the blue polo shirt!</td></tr>
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QuiltCon came and went all too quickly, fortunately I was still able to experience QuiltCon 2015, albeit vicariously. </div>
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What was your favorite Quilt Con memory, vicarious or otherwise?</div>
Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-78561658494090945702014-09-22T20:52:00.000-07:002014-09-22T20:52:20.857-07:00Sunday Stash: Fabric Shop Tour 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been shopping for fabric in a while. I'm not sure that I can top the fabric adventures from my summer vacation. I was strategic on the last stop of this tour, taking an alternative route between Michigan and Florida to check out <a href="https://www.crimsontate.com/" target="_blank">Crimson Tate</a> in Indianapolis, IN. I have been following this store ever since I joined the Men Who Quilt group on Facebook, and the WERQ Bee. One of our bee members happened to be a manager at the store and was always sharing such enticing photos of beautiful fabrics, and info about specials. </div>
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I LOVE this store! It has gorgeous modern fabrics displayed a midst quirky antiques. I'm not really sure about all of the ins and outs of Indianapolis, but this store seems to be in an older part of the city with a lot of character. Across the street is a fantastic historical bit of art deco. Just Google "Coca Cola Building, Indianapolis" to see what I'm talking about!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM67W4YDqlgS3E7UP5J8eXzFUr2DaGqwAIDyJZzTvCM0AgXzvDZSkB5LMpV3me05ZFVKm1P2Yzr2BjuGlYCo0JIFmzyimvVkLwbBdU6h00VJphmineRpjTgkjrbn_juWgtY2NbIxKuKjQK/s640/20140808_173544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM67W4YDqlgS3E7UP5J8eXzFUr2DaGqwAIDyJZzTvCM0AgXzvDZSkB5LMpV3me05ZFVKm1P2Yzr2BjuGlYCo0JIFmzyimvVkLwbBdU6h00VJphmineRpjTgkjrbn_juWgtY2NbIxKuKjQK/s640/20140808_173544.jpg" /></a><br />
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Much to my surprise, I was not going to find <i>just</i> great fabric, but I was going to meet some great sewists/makers, (celebrities in my book!) In the photo above, from left to right is Karen LePage of <a href="http://gentleclothing.com/">gentleclothing.com</a>, Leila Breton of <a href="http://threedresses.org/">threedresses.org</a>, me, Heather Givans of <a href="http://crimsontate.com/">crimsontate.com</a>, Sarah Elizabeth of <a href="http://nohatsinthehouse.com/">nohatsinthehouse.com</a>, and Rachel McElwain of <a href="http://rachel-lake.squarespace.com/blog/" target="_blank">rachellake</a>. I don't know if I could have timed my visit more perfectly to meet so many amazing people. The positive and magnetic of personality of Heather just draws everyone in, I guess! </div>
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Here's what you Sunday Stashers really came to see though, the fabrics that I could not resist!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPODr-pZlfcLh9jSZRqWpLKuGH50y1eGQnCRWSOB7-R_CoIMkMjkTMLhyQ_3drGcKZC0nEi0MGHwaNV6Xx2FrnOk4GDSittxfLdJ1WT2DPKhSiA4IVLW5FZqINatV707SAmKAibRppXatZ/s1600/20140810_100307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPODr-pZlfcLh9jSZRqWpLKuGH50y1eGQnCRWSOB7-R_CoIMkMjkTMLhyQ_3drGcKZC0nEi0MGHwaNV6Xx2FrnOk4GDSittxfLdJ1WT2DPKhSiA4IVLW5FZqINatV707SAmKAibRppXatZ/s640/20140810_100307.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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I picked up some more fabrics to go with my <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-3_31.html" target="_blank">Christmas pin-up boys that I bought earlier</a>. There is Sugar Rush-Christmas Candy in blue by Josephine Kimberling, Treelicious-Rudolph in red by Maude Asbury, Florence-Multi Plaid in carnelian by Denyse Schmidt, Merry Stitches-Fleeting in grey by Cori Dantini, Homebody-Philately in grey by Kimberly Kight, and Hatbox-Tiger Stripes in pink by Alexia Abegg.</div>
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Heather also included a sweet little badge and the instructions for her row by row experience block with her signature business card. </div>
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I am not affiliated with Crimson Tate, or any of the other shops that I've been writing about. Please feel free to visit them and shop, the benefits will be all yours! Once again, linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> and his <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-94-get-another-clue.html" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a>. This was the last stop on my tour. Now I have to put all these goodies to use and you can bet there will be pictures! Stop back among the groves to see what I make. </div>
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I have never shopped with as little restraint for fabric as I did when I was on vacation this summer. You can read about other stops on my Fabric Shop Tour here:</div>
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1. <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-1.html" target="_blank">Heirloom Quilts</a>, Richmond, KY</div>
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2. <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-2.html" target="_blank">Kean's Store and Jo-Ann's Fabrics</a>, Mason, MI</div>
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3. <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-3_31.html" target="_blank">Country Stitches</a>, Lansing, MI</div>
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4. <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-4.html" target="_blank">Everlasting Stitches</a>, Holt, MI</div>
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I didn't think I would have room left in my tiny car for any more fabric, but when I discovered <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/" target="_blank">Pink Castle Fabric</a> was in Ann Arbor I knew I would have to make at least one more stop in Michigan before my vacation was over. I have to say, this store isn't the easiest to find, but I was so glad I did! It is located in a small warehouse commercial park where there are several buildings that all look the same until you come to the one with the big pink castle in the door. Pink Castle is unlike any other fabric store I have shopped. The majority of their retail occurs online, so the shop is organized by manufactures and lines. This makes it easier for the staff to pick and cut the orders that have been placed online. </div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6UhKKJMXEk0vKOI940SdBOy5tFtTGqZSnl1W_3V9nV08ejuqoWk0GjDDxSx6mUHqncp8UVvClUvW26g2IYv-jt-ngKq7Ey-bgcSX6nsxzGUAZoXJggCrcfjrzU0btPvQrT4p5vDtOvko/s640/20140810_095211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6UhKKJMXEk0vKOI940SdBOy5tFtTGqZSnl1W_3V9nV08ejuqoWk0GjDDxSx6mUHqncp8UVvClUvW26g2IYv-jt-ngKq7Ey-bgcSX6nsxzGUAZoXJggCrcfjrzU0btPvQrT4p5vDtOvko/s640/20140810_095211.jpg" /></a></div>
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My first thought was to find fabrics that I might be able to use in red and white blocks that were requested by the WERQ Bee leader for the month of August. I got some Summer Plaid in Red, Pam Kitty Recipes in Red, Novelty News in White, Rush Hour Text in Black and White, and Word Search in White. Check out my <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-4.html" target="_blank">last Sunday Stash</a> to see other red and white fabrics and how they all came together to make red and white purse string blocks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQvyqaX7fVi3Vy2hJIMIDJx0CBr7-EHzxroULR5lxjjbGwzQN4p4R7oO7Ch4GzsEdi1-N5SxCVIdLsPFJclfPF4TbUdJoN_KbjOD1Ll0HvF1qvNZCOHZNO_cVHDrEcX3NSkGCNs-T2tA7/s640/20140810_095334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQvyqaX7fVi3Vy2hJIMIDJx0CBr7-EHzxroULR5lxjjbGwzQN4p4R7oO7Ch4GzsEdi1-N5SxCVIdLsPFJclfPF4TbUdJoN_KbjOD1Ll0HvF1qvNZCOHZNO_cVHDrEcX3NSkGCNs-T2tA7/s640/20140810_095334.jpg" /></a></div>
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I picked up some Spirodraft in Ocre, Triangularity in Mustard, Dottie in Goldilocks, XOXO in Shag Carpet, Vintage Scales in Green, and Simple Plaid in Lime. </div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxb7iURG4nwC7TmYY6mCa84mBTsHcb0xvGx4g0qrTc5sFXxLpfd8eaUZcPCsg4ITbi2QpgxFaNvgx8NO5g1BZvm0Hm_9mkfWRVqtPA1n2bYAjGMB4y_JOsAZHPuegrUr6-jYIyfqarcCS/s640/20140810_095503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxb7iURG4nwC7TmYY6mCa84mBTsHcb0xvGx4g0qrTc5sFXxLpfd8eaUZcPCsg4ITbi2QpgxFaNvgx8NO5g1BZvm0Hm_9mkfWRVqtPA1n2bYAjGMB4y_JOsAZHPuegrUr6-jYIyfqarcCS/s640/20140810_095503.jpg" /></a></div>
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I just couldn't stop and added a few more bolts to the growing stack. I included some Heather Ross Far Far Away Snails in Pink, Far Far Away Frog Prince in Pink, Little Town in Glee, Netorious in Roadster, Threaded Shreds in Mamey, and Simple Plaid in Red. (I'm starting to wonder where the color names come from. . .Mamey, Glee, Roadster???)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFed4OOWNaIavlYwGXrUi0r0Oi4TYtO8APsuBJAqQaqgIbQZgTfsauwgK7Oc6cc_21rs9126gIpqvkY-ajK88Lo4ANsU4Z4j_LWeQudw2VSqs5wPUioZtZ-wZdUPjXfui14y8hGfCEgr6/s1600/20140810_094226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFed4OOWNaIavlYwGXrUi0r0Oi4TYtO8APsuBJAqQaqgIbQZgTfsauwgK7Oc6cc_21rs9126gIpqvkY-ajK88Lo4ANsU4Z4j_LWeQudw2VSqs5wPUioZtZ-wZdUPjXfui14y8hGfCEgr6/s640/20140810_094226.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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Finally there was this awesome little fabric bundle that was all alone on a shelf. The colors made me think of the orange groves. The bundle is aptly named Orange Tree and was curated by Brenda from <a href="http://www.justabitfrayed.com/" target="_blank">Just a Bit Frayed</a>. It includes Spice Plain Gingham in Gray, Savvy Dots in Orange, Beatrice Weave in Emerald, Woodgrain in Bark, Full Mood Polka Dot in Tangerine, Briar Rose Strawberry in Orange, Vintage Leaf in Orange, and Tiny Gingham in Kiwi. </div>
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Phew! That was the most fabric that I ever purchased at one time, but my adventures are still not done. Be sure to stop back next week for the last stop on my Fabric Shop Tour. As usual I 'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> and his <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-93-feeling-quilty.html" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a>. </div>
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On my summer vacation to Michigan recently the usual visits with family and friends took an unexpected turn, fabric shopping! In this Sunday Stash: Fabric Shop Tour stop I visited Everlasting Stitches. This is another shop that came with high recommendations from my mom. I can see why the shop was so appealing to her, one the staples of this shop is a selection of Civil War reproduction fabrics. My mom loves the darker and muted colors and the small motifs of the patterns. While those are not the fabrics I tend to gravitate towards, I can appreciate their appeal. During this shopping adventure, I couldn't help but think different locations make different colors and different patterns come to life. The reproduction fabrics make sense in Michigan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8W7r-9jk2SpNC2OaeggX7TCR6ki9Jm2Bu3vCt_qi0lEKx00UNKsDDJcv0WR8dohX5EILh9M5wuWwUcXmgQ-u9ogMi6kfZ4LTFXl7K7AFiT2I-ze2DWUPB5POrRGSq2O7m5UYG23_rGSw/s1600/20140810_095826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8W7r-9jk2SpNC2OaeggX7TCR6ki9Jm2Bu3vCt_qi0lEKx00UNKsDDJcv0WR8dohX5EILh9M5wuWwUcXmgQ-u9ogMi6kfZ4LTFXl7K7AFiT2I-ze2DWUPB5POrRGSq2O7m5UYG23_rGSw/s640/20140810_095826.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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I chose some of the Wee Wander fabrics by Sara Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics. There is Nature Walk Pink, and Woods Petal. Then I picked up some text based fabric with a news paper print and one with numbers that could be a variety of dates and a little dashed red print. Unfortunately I put the three of those to use before recording any of the makers details. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaxKAugmOS9ayYABRzd_3eaDe1bwphx7B8N_qlXIVowzwXSNC9bsx9xLwu3OTdfjwBK-ga8ftFgFNGvLsVRinKx8Vp3ocjeBFabOKU1CSFOb7ZKVfvU3_7FOwDU4sRCr2F35fk2VP112s/s1600/20140810_095922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaxKAugmOS9ayYABRzd_3eaDe1bwphx7B8N_qlXIVowzwXSNC9bsx9xLwu3OTdfjwBK-ga8ftFgFNGvLsVRinKx8Vp3ocjeBFabOKU1CSFOb7ZKVfvU3_7FOwDU4sRCr2F35fk2VP112s/s1600/20140810_095922.jpg" height="640" width="384" /></a></div>
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I also got this Aspen Frost print called Tin Solider from Moda. It was on clearance so I bought the end of the bolt. I thought this one would go well with the Alexander Henry Christmas fabric I picked up <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-fabric-shop-tour-3_31.html" target="_blank">earlier on the trip</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVUxvANvRjs7cW_XCX6QbDxLoedrZJXatpM2OyVZC1AGxCvEoKqbFBM59BWrvgWZNC1BtOg42O1RdAFpoR0AfKPLRlcyCv9zW4RDTqFulhyj5mJW5XE6qp35__0_YebbvE8TRBa5CNy5I/s1600/20140824_115628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVUxvANvRjs7cW_XCX6QbDxLoedrZJXatpM2OyVZC1AGxCvEoKqbFBM59BWrvgWZNC1BtOg42O1RdAFpoR0AfKPLRlcyCv9zW4RDTqFulhyj5mJW5XE6qp35__0_YebbvE8TRBa5CNy5I/s1600/20140824_115628.jpg" height="640" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Purse String Blocks in red and white.</td></tr>
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The red and white fabrics were combined with others from my stash for these <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/2013/09/purse-strings-block.html" target="_blank">Purse String Block</a>s for the WERQ Bee bee leader. The pattern was easy to follow with Kelly's tutorial on <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Quilt Infatuation</a>. My favorite part is how easily it is to re-purpose some of the trimmed pieces into sweet little pinwheels.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZEFTMKvnMR_kQkgN_Lfxm1Z4bXW0MPwsRE6ZEk71gKGs45x4Cv7ca7Y_mhnbJSi9w93-f31COi60TBL2XW7hJQxCh6SS-Cn2w69EB2fA1QVVhodLOv1ZabsCcv8S437FCr8Upr03yrlf/s1600/20140831_151344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZEFTMKvnMR_kQkgN_Lfxm1Z4bXW0MPwsRE6ZEk71gKGs45x4Cv7ca7Y_mhnbJSi9w93-f31COi60TBL2XW7hJQxCh6SS-Cn2w69EB2fA1QVVhodLOv1ZabsCcv8S437FCr8Upr03yrlf/s1600/20140831_151344.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty pinwheels from the left over pieces.</td></tr>
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Once again I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> and his <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2014/09/sunday-stash-92-second-blogiversary.html?showComment=1410090654020#c8568472333107975650" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a>. What colors would you use for a purse string block?<br />
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Jan-Micael<br />
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Jan Briggshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718623227334640165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6339518921686187194.post-27261077466054166352014-09-06T22:29:00.000-07:002014-09-06T22:30:22.097-07:00Mystery Quilt and Half Square Triangle Hacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My new blog friend Cheryl at <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Meadow Mist Designs</a> is hosting a mystery quilt along for her <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/p/mystery-quilt.html" target="_blank">Foothills Mystery Quilt</a>. I had never heard of a mystery quilt before I stumbled across Cheryl's blog. I love mysteries and love quilts so I thought this would be a great combination. So far I have learned that in a mystery quilt game the quilt design is broken down into steps to make various pieces of the final design. The final quilt is a surprise that comes together with the final steps of the game. The <b>First step</b> of the Foothills Mystery Quilt was selecting fabric. You can read about my choices <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/07/sunday-stash-mystery-quilt-pull.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and if you would like to join, there is still time, just check out <a href="http://meadowmistdesigns.blogspot.com/p/mystery-quilt.html" target="_blank">Cheryl's blog</a>. Participants cut all of the required pieces in the <b>Second step</b>. Now we are working on the <b>Third Step</b>: 144 half square triangle (HST) units. </div>
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I created several HSTs for a recent quilt top design of my own and I used Cheryl's prescribed method, where you place two squares right side together and draw a line from point to point diagonally across the square and then sew 1/4" on each side of the drawn line. It's a fine method and worked very well for me, follow the <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/04/baby-steps.html" target="_blank">link</a> to see. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardboard and tape make a great HST guide for my machine.</td></tr>
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I expanded on an idea I borrowed from <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/2013/09/purse-strings-block.html" target="_blank">My Quilt Infatuation</a> while constructing blocks for my WERQ Bee partner where you use tape to help guide squares so that you would not need to draw a line on each one. You place a piece of tape on your sewing machine so that the edge of the tape is 1/4" away from the needle. Then you just line up the points of the square with the tape and sew without having to draw the line!</div>
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This would have worked perfectly for me, except the surface of my machine was too small for the 4" square that we are sewing in the mystery quilt. Using some cardboard from a granola bar box and some masking tape I fashioned an extension to my machine. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGgufLG4Wk72H1Kn9uiIU1NVBf_tk7_9IilQwKyxfrcuPKfxZYI7lU9Xd8XcKClSo8gBP1fhfBDVG1PJ6qGkwbviAP52uaFEDJF7xdewoaBzQm8oR6I-FsAGypUMvo08BXGaRsJb4ka1E/s640/20140904_212222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGgufLG4Wk72H1Kn9uiIU1NVBf_tk7_9IilQwKyxfrcuPKfxZYI7lU9Xd8XcKClSo8gBP1fhfBDVG1PJ6qGkwbviAP52uaFEDJF7xdewoaBzQm8oR6I-FsAGypUMvo08BXGaRsJb4ka1E/s640/20140904_212222.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The extension attached to my machine base.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuXN_HXg_NRqvJHYFzJ-TlNu1n0nGRER4K732yERx_oAtKdYuDUY9N9ZxxxiipY2kQuT5mg0G1HNosKhQeHmFfsbd78Ytt3R95dIjeB1TkmNpObyLKgtZeVXZTrcY028aCNxxmz748J0U/s640/20140904_215719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuXN_HXg_NRqvJHYFzJ-TlNu1n0nGRER4K732yERx_oAtKdYuDUY9N9ZxxxiipY2kQuT5mg0G1HNosKhQeHmFfsbd78Ytt3R95dIjeB1TkmNpObyLKgtZeVXZTrcY028aCNxxmz748J0U/s640/20140904_215719.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The points are all lined up.</td></tr>
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If you line up the bottom and top points with the edge of the tape you can sew 1/4" from the center without having to make a mark. I added some triangle markers for the side corners, not that they were necessary, but because they helped speed up the process of lining up the squares just right. I'm sure this is not new, and there probably is a device available that does this same thing. I felt like MacGyver though, hacking into a better, faster, more efficient way of making all of these HSTs.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLx0eqIua7cJNut6D3mQp33gK6RpIkNj5Z8-2kH-w3VPbrK-beDJxyVLqrTLzh6phYuqjhmGY3WU2Lx-ZXDL4u0TRSonm5GgejEudb03LF4ZUNkSmqldpataTV7s1QrYZIaNXJ1z-B0-M/s640/20140904_212202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLx0eqIua7cJNut6D3mQp33gK6RpIkNj5Z8-2kH-w3VPbrK-beDJxyVLqrTLzh6phYuqjhmGY3WU2Lx-ZXDL4u0TRSonm5GgejEudb03LF4ZUNkSmqldpataTV7s1QrYZIaNXJ1z-B0-M/s640/20140904_212202.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chain stitching was a breeze, and guiding the fabric along the tape edge was a cinch.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJI6HKUoUM3RYDqba8UG1iV50GQO64qsmWmBbcmep8JlEcLVpgsVcVG2sLjkWerR3AmPAaNjGphmy74B92GFBdnd29dQJetcOD1IiV5yp8o5FmGIpzGeg44dx_xauFR0CNKqbmmYezdo2q/s640/20140904_211609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJI6HKUoUM3RYDqba8UG1iV50GQO64qsmWmBbcmep8JlEcLVpgsVcVG2sLjkWerR3AmPAaNjGphmy74B92GFBdnd29dQJetcOD1IiV5yp8o5FmGIpzGeg44dx_xauFR0CNKqbmmYezdo2q/s640/20140904_211609.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just guide them through.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYTqWknhBxhL1SDDzD4bb_pIw4x31xpwx29a1l4GIqW4EbgiZya71lOg5sDZuxg7HK9Qk7udN1fOWw61t1c1Sh-xXFtDjH2fZynTFjuu6NuX_bdToEj9ROHtLnp_JfpQEScYvhtxPM3i5/s640/20140906_092403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYTqWknhBxhL1SDDzD4bb_pIw4x31xpwx29a1l4GIqW4EbgiZya71lOg5sDZuxg7HK9Qk7udN1fOWw61t1c1Sh-xXFtDjH2fZynTFjuu6NuX_bdToEj9ROHtLnp_JfpQEScYvhtxPM3i5/s640/20140906_092403.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The resulting pile of sewn HST!</td></tr>
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Now that they were all sewn, I knew I would have to cut them and press them. I wasn't particularly looking forward to the cutting of them. I started cutting them though, one at a time as I have done before. Then MacGyver kicked in again. There was no reason to cut them only one at a time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4AvZ45qcZxMueR5sHVz3oh7cESh1yCjqZTJG7c8MRRQNXCdPx79WZKwEFmBjCi9XvJVmjHsqBVCbxxxHQkpKGN_HeQHee36YTNjXPjYJ5e391U6jqqulrg92sF4dfP9dFLKfcOvjE72G/s640/20140906_165254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4AvZ45qcZxMueR5sHVz3oh7cESh1yCjqZTJG7c8MRRQNXCdPx79WZKwEFmBjCi9XvJVmjHsqBVCbxxxHQkpKGN_HeQHee36YTNjXPjYJ5e391U6jqqulrg92sF4dfP9dFLKfcOvjE72G/s640/20140906_165254.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lined up on the 5" mark. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4AvZ45qcZxMueR5sHVz3oh7cESh1yCjqZTJG7c8MRRQNXCdPx79WZKwEFmBjCi9XvJVmjHsqBVCbxxxHQkpKGN_HeQHee36YTNjXPjYJ5e391U6jqqulrg92sF4dfP9dFLKfcOvjE72G/s640/20140906_165254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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I lined up the stitching line with one of the lines on my cutting board and overlapped the squares as shown. I was careful to make sure the lines all matched from top to bottom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIXhz2qb0wO_WXpjOwMoUPJ8f-ND7l6Aa4_2TO6wBzK1U04pGH-f5m5udAKrHO0qMrxbdWxmTQksZw7R8IMVdq_NxMAZ80rXAq18Cd9xV8Jq1B9P0b6y09gBqmK2YNf1ZTwYSR2rShaQR/s640/20140906_165329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIXhz2qb0wO_WXpjOwMoUPJ8f-ND7l6Aa4_2TO6wBzK1U04pGH-f5m5udAKrHO0qMrxbdWxmTQksZw7R8IMVdq_NxMAZ80rXAq18Cd9xV8Jq1B9P0b6y09gBqmK2YNf1ZTwYSR2rShaQR/s640/20140906_165329.jpg" /></a></div>
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Use the blurry 1/4" mark on the ruler to line up with a stitching line and slice with the rotary cutter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1M5pxSZkT8UQPv9MrgAwH6P2h67_r2EqML6jElyE6lOYOHRtEAcLl_sccp5hmttxWkgr41HWop4NuDDk2pfomCYR1V4JZjmRHXTEGBVFCCdxGaXYZxHfZwPfhkwWVzbl_n7g7q75YVoS/s1600/20140906_165409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1M5pxSZkT8UQPv9MrgAwH6P2h67_r2EqML6jElyE6lOYOHRtEAcLl_sccp5hmttxWkgr41HWop4NuDDk2pfomCYR1V4JZjmRHXTEGBVFCCdxGaXYZxHfZwPfhkwWVzbl_n7g7q75YVoS/s640/20140906_165409.jpg" /></a></div>
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Again, I'm sure this is nothing new, but to me it was revolutionary and made cutting those HSTs in half much faster than I had ever imagined. I have to say I am loving this Mystery Game. I have gotten to try some new ideas, and I love that I am able to play with the blocks and imagine endless possibilities because I don't know what the end result will be. It's quite exhilarating! </div>
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While visiting with my family in Michigan this summer I went a little over the deep end with fabric purchases. Welcome to the third stop on my tour of fabric shops from my recent vacation. I have been drawn to bright colors, clean designs or loud patterns. I found some fabrics to fit my current state of mind at <a href="http://www.countrystitches.com/" target="_blank">Country Stitches</a> in East Lansing. The store is massive, it takes up three, or is it five bays of a strip mall. They have amazing sewing equipment (which if I had worked a second summer job I may have brought something shiny and expensive home with me that has the initials BL.) Since I didn't have the funds for a new power tool, I opted for fabric instead. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoyi5Gtq_P-EWoNlq4WNh6cQbVo_uLRJa_XY50xWx8gWoU7_cin21UbfNQ1Qa9NbqHbdHrHSr9vD65Fy6B8BNc6PzBrTvrH8RCzNkB76fbCEGAqafkjlLZWKVrjTvcilSvE6_dYM7sYGu/s640/20140810_092959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoyi5Gtq_P-EWoNlq4WNh6cQbVo_uLRJa_XY50xWx8gWoU7_cin21UbfNQ1Qa9NbqHbdHrHSr9vD65Fy6B8BNc6PzBrTvrH8RCzNkB76fbCEGAqafkjlLZWKVrjTvcilSvE6_dYM7sYGu/s640/20140810_092959.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I picked up some Chandelier Lace and Bird Cage Quiet both by Tina Givens for Westminster Fibers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRYk1J96PY8RXBIN1CMFUKBeLVRboo-JC1a6RClGfAVvhotHh1oQwCQc6rzmty2fNRfLn-hE4A_K4-tNIh8fK9kZfLP_C54XRuDbtbXh_ey20mML5Uyq14zK8YwuUyT9mqQ2Co5cfCgGu/s640/20140810_093303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRYk1J96PY8RXBIN1CMFUKBeLVRboo-JC1a6RClGfAVvhotHh1oQwCQc6rzmty2fNRfLn-hE4A_K4-tNIh8fK9kZfLP_C54XRuDbtbXh_ey20mML5Uyq14zK8YwuUyT9mqQ2Co5cfCgGu/s640/20140810_093303.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Opal Owl Bark also by Tina Givens for Westminster Fibers</span></td></tr>
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I didn't realize until typing this now that the three fabrics had the same designer! I guess I was just drawn to the colors and the line quality of the illustrations. The top two fabrics I chose for the colors. I have been on this pink, fuchsia, purple kind of kick and can't shake it, so I indulge my whimsy. Besides I couldn't pass these up, they were all super on sale, clearance racked with additional percentages off. I think the Opal Owl will make a great backing to some future project.</div>
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As I stated before, I have been drawn to brighter, cleaner, louder fabrics, but there is something about Michigan, or home, or an aesthetic of the mid-West that makes these earthier fabrics appealing as well. I'm not sure they fit with my style, but I can appreciate the colors and I love the little animals. These will become part of a gift quilt for someone special, and I'm looking forward to the thinking, memories, and love that will be poured into that project. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few for my next gifty project. Read about my first<a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-finish-of-2014.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; text-align: center;">All I know about the stripe is that it is "Not intended and not suitable for children's sleepwear." It was on the sales wall, along with the floral on the bottom of the pile. The floral is a Dear Stella Design and I think it's called Stella. I thought it would be a lovely light contrast to the stripes and the darker Forest Friends by Moda. Forest Friends, by the way has the most adorable selvage!</span><span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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Finally, there is a little something that I knew Seark would appreciate. I've been collecting some of the Alexander Henry male pin-ups. Hurry Down the Chimney is my favorite so far, but I would like to get some of the camping fabric. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxNi6GGHGgaJ6YnRBtHTFLTtAimDDgmJ4XkhGlRfaePMbnK4tmmuDlqM0R-LDZ8lrGVFDeq_Lya9NuFuq6PhEkcyN_XjXAVQswYuA44Xhw_j9uo26nDBd5q9QSlo3CDoCEqa4ybzLJZ-g/s1600/20140810_093540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxNi6GGHGgaJ6YnRBtHTFLTtAimDDgmJ4XkhGlRfaePMbnK4tmmuDlqM0R-LDZ8lrGVFDeq_Lya9NuFuq6PhEkcyN_XjXAVQswYuA44Xhw_j9uo26nDBd5q9QSlo3CDoCEqa4ybzLJZ-g/s640/20140810_093540.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've heard fabric described as 'yummy,' now I understand.</td></tr>
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This is going to go into a project for Seark, but I have to find appropriate complementing fabrics. I'm leaning towards selecting fabrics to pull out some of the pinks, blues, and green... I'm thinking the overall quilt should have a festive theme. Do you have any suggestions?</div>
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Thanks again for stopping by. I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/" target="_blank">Molli Sparkles</a> for the <a href="http://www.mollisparkles.com/2014/08/sunday-stash-91-surprise-mail.html" target="_blank">Sunday Stash</a>. Be sure to stop back and visit the Groves. I plan to share more stops on my Fabric Shop Tour, some quilt stories that heard on my journey and more. Plus I have updates coming on the WerqBee! </div>
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Every weekday I check my mailbox and gather up the usual suspects; the local advertising paper, sales flyers, bills, mail for people who no longer live at this address, and insurance and credit card applications. Sometimes, however, the trip to the box at the end of the driveway ends in excitement as I tear open an envelope that I just know is filled with something good and quilty. I have to admit though that I've been remiss in posting about all the fantastic things that have come my way. </div>
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The first fun quilt mail that I received was from the fantastic Lori Landenburger who blogs over at <a href="http://sewpsychd.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">SewPsyched</a>. Way way back in April she hosted a fun little give away featuring a gift of April Showers by Bonnie and Camille in both a set of fat 1/8th and a mini charm pack. I, myself, was new to blogging and just getting to know the wonderful community that abounds, and nominated Lorna McMahon at <a href="http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sew Fresh Quilts</a> to play along with me. I was selected as a winner and soon there was a chilly little package from Lori's frozen Alaska in my steamy Florida mail box. I split the goods and sent half of it to my new friend Lorna in a pay it forward fashion. (I do hope it made it to you Lorna. I never know about the crossing of borders business!) I almost forgot, I'm linking up with Lorna and her <a href="http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2014/08/lets-bee-spcial-35.html" target="_blank">Let's Bee Social Linky Party</a> too!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOKZhCXCednGNapvtFoNLGmEkNKX3Xr8ujgqIzoznaVsri9JD4x4dTF0ur_K8Swj4XG8BmwcmrWEbynBbiD8Q0DafCBmeKxzJmLUrMGRMzQO3PgX_51T04q_oBlwhHRniWeG2bBe3F-6K/s640/20140824_094806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOKZhCXCednGNapvtFoNLGmEkNKX3Xr8ujgqIzoznaVsri9JD4x4dTF0ur_K8Swj4XG8BmwcmrWEbynBbiD8Q0DafCBmeKxzJmLUrMGRMzQO3PgX_51T04q_oBlwhHRniWeG2bBe3F-6K/s640/20140824_094806.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a little left after sending some to Lorna. I still have to make something sweet with this charming little gift!</td></tr>
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The second surprise came from the fabulous folks at <a href="http://generationqmagazine.com/" target="_blank">GenerationQ Magazine</a>. I played in a little activity that they feature called "Block Builder." I had been contacted to provide some more information about the block that I designed. (I wrote about it <a href="http://quiltingatg.blogspot.com/2014/04/blog-love.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://portraitofanartroom.blogspot.com/2014/02/designing-solutions.html" target="_blank">here</a> with regards to my art class.) I was so excited to even be in communique with someone from this magazine, I might have even been ecstatic just to talk to a subscription representative, why not!? Anyway, I was blown away that one of my designs was going to be published! Then I forgot about it, the end of a school year, the start of summer. . .until one day that magic mailbox spit out a giant envelope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfgsYB73lFjFA0h5r5JOgvvSiAS18UXe6riqnz1jcZBiD8UKv66wor_bVzaumf4WT2h3U3VJ_5b3vabIbAuf_YMAD5jM9eT8Q38sEfgUbVDBN9VNSR-RkKIED1bJPScLV2CnRX-vGK11t/s640/20140824_095058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfgsYB73lFjFA0h5r5JOgvvSiAS18UXe6riqnz1jcZBiD8UKv66wor_bVzaumf4WT2h3U3VJ_5b3vabIbAuf_YMAD5jM9eT8Q38sEfgUbVDBN9VNSR-RkKIED1bJPScLV2CnRX-vGK11t/s640/20140824_095058.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A copy of the magazine with me in it! (Can I say I'm published?), and a signed copy of Stitch 'n Swap!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am on page 13! Directly following a stellar article about <a href="http://www.libselliott.com/" target="_blank">Libs Elliott</a>! Someday I may design great things like her!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I've had to think about getting a bigger mailbox! Just last week I entered a swell giveaway hosted by Alison Glass on Instagram and won again!!! She sent over four of her newest quilt patterns, which are gorgeous and <strike>will be</strike> have been added to the quilty bucket list. In fact, I was so infatuated by the Timber pattern that I went right out and purchased some fabrics get it started. (And I had a stash problem!?) </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't wait to make them all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY1X1588306soEGCsK7tcEz6oXZySq7VJaoU_l4UIGQOike__oQqIEgyX0nYxoMteL0_OGo92OgnlhSj_tTdm1HXeO990MSEPS7AStrhZBKEqmlQO-pO0K8RwN9zxLg_te5KU_G4fDRls/s640/20140824_095305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsPyB8VImZJyNgfr7nbDGach3Hfr-O17avUBx_3RaUZpPM7uMRgOZwrPRPjor_dCmIN2RGCr3z54d10m_ta2bfDkXopeoogf8d6oqxAmREPqUgk1aOTVmkTRAkKrsRnTHeDXy8RBDNWVI/s640/20140824_095705.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I already had the beautiful mossy striped batik fabric, a complementary muted batik, and the wrinkly grey picked out and put together for an unforeseen project in my future. I added some more neutrals and fun pops of color.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are a mix of New Aged Muslin by Marcus and Peppered Cottons from Studio E.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY1X1588306soEGCsK7tcEz6oXZySq7VJaoU_l4UIGQOike__oQqIEgyX0nYxoMteL0_OGo92OgnlhSj_tTdm1HXeO990MSEPS7AStrhZBKEqmlQO-pO0K8RwN9zxLg_te5KU_G4fDRls/s640/20140824_095305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsPyB8VImZJyNgfr7nbDGach3Hfr-O17avUBx_3RaUZpPM7uMRgOZwrPRPjor_dCmIN2RGCr3z54d10m_ta2bfDkXopeoogf8d6oqxAmREPqUgk1aOTVmkTRAkKrsRnTHeDXy8RBDNWVI/s640/20140824_095705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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I am in love with the texture of the New Aged Muslins. They feel as if they have already been starched heavily but have a lovely wrinkly texture. I think it will create a great visual contrast with the smooth nature of the other fabrics. The Peppered Cottons are also very beautiful. They are yarn dyed shot cottons. So the warp threads and the weft threads are different colors. This makes them almost seem to shine and from different angles you see different colors. These will help pick up the many color variations of the stripe batik fabric that I already had in my stash.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pIPy5Lh76a3KQ5n3Yu1x8F-lhnnvFEOVVofTzkSWplWK06tOgRz9grtrZYcrz0HCTJNvCzEtAAGWYr19iJKqUYK2EuUAziLj85BEkpLsi6ouKGpL9mySQZiyKPqDqbzUrWp6sx0Xpsaq/s1600/20140824_095852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XCHpipl2GK9QNWsIPDu4ThidnS61TV1dOKa8YaLPtvtFz8A3ucckGTZsH1BncHHCsFIOthyphenhyphenusTYD8f1LICTFpA2s2hgWT_TChbsm_g1PVkjlnNYNtCw5RFuyMLHSCU3nNiDUPwVbUORu/s640/20140824_095804.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I supplemented the neutrals I already had on hand with a few more of the New Aged Muslin colors!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I am looking forward to cutting the pattern and getting started on the piecing this weekend when I have a bit more time. Eeek! Thanks for reading along. I am linking to <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/p/fabric-tuesday.html" target="_blank">Fabric Tuesday</a> at <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Quilt Story</a>. I hope you are having fun with fabric and that perhaps we may exchange some fun quilty mail soon. :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">-Jan-Michael</span></div>
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