General Information Quilting · Modern Quilting

The Quilters Trunk

When a Longarm Quilter gets the opportunity to add to someones creative piece it is a very exciting moment with ideas swirling all around. What pattern would best go or add to the top? What color thread will the person choose? One that blends, one that stands out? And many times I am told,” do what you think will look good!”
In this particular case, that is exactly what I was told but still asked a few questions to make sure I was heading in the right direction for what the owner to be has envisioned.
Staying modern was my first thought. Geometric or organic. Lines or leaf or…..
So as you can see I used a pattern called Diagonal Plaid by Patricia Ritter at Urban Elementz. Thread color was chosen to blend and lay into the orange background. Not too open and not too dense and it just had that right amount to enhance and not distract. Easy on the eyes!
This quilt is currently on display at The Quilters Trunk in Beverly, Illinois.
Education · General Information Quilting

Chicago International Quilt Festival Thursday – Saturday

Its that wonderful time of the year where the quilt show comes to Chicago. If you plan to see the show (March 28-30, 2019) please check out the Open Studio instructors. I will be there each day with something new. Please stop by and say hi.

Festival will have educational opportunities for free on the show floor including our popular Open Studios™ and the new Learning Lounge in lieu of traditional classes and a class catalog.

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, located at 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, Illinois 60018.

Show hours are 10 am-5 pm

Admission are $10 adult daily, $8 seniors 65+/students/military and $25 full show pass Children 10 and under free.

General Information Quilting

Lecture, Trunk and Slide Show Invitation

Quilters….or even just interested in quilting! I will be giving a Lecture/ Trunk Show/Slide presentation Wed. July 12th 6:30 P.M. For the Pieces and Patches Quilt guild in Steger Illinois at the Community Center located 3501 Hopkins. There is a $5 fee for non- Members. It will be on Modern Quilts and the world of Modern Quilters. join me if you can, would love to see you there. Also the guild has a Facebook page so take a look.

Education

No Measuring Borders Tutorial

If you want better borders, so they are not flopping in the wind or somehow out of wack, but really hate math and measuring, this is for you. This is the method I have used since I started quilting and still use today. It works for me, give it try and you won’t be disappointed. Any questions, or unsure of any step, PLEASE contact me. I want you to have fun while making a better quilt!

Make sure your quilt top is nicely pressed.

Find center of the quilt top. Do this by folding the ends and marking middles with a pin, iron tap the center, or use a chalk mark.

Cut border fabric for the first two sides you will be applying. Make sure you go longer than your quilt top.

Line up border fabric on the top of each other, and find the centers of these pieces in the same manner. Mark them.

Match the center points of the border with the center of the quilt, pin them together well.

Gently, without pulling, lay the border strips down the middle of the quilt, keeping them all in line. Mark borders with pin, chalk or finger press where the borders meet the end of the quilt.

Trim your borders where marked.

Find the centers of borders by folding in half and iron press center ,this will help with registration marks.

Match centers of borders with center marks on ends of quilt, (PIN) right side together on top of quilt.

Match ends of borders to end of quilt making sure you have 90 degree angle in corners and pin.

Pin more of the borders on the side making sure they will not shift in sewing. Add more pins to hold border as you sew. Ease in any fabric (if needed) between already pinned points. Now Sew! Do not sew over the pins.

Now that you have your two borders applied, press.

Now find the center again and mark.

Again, find your center on the borders to match to your center on the quilt top. Gently bring across the quilt. Mark the ends where they meet the end of your quilt top and trim.

Find your centers again and pin in the same manner as you did the others. (if quilt is large, fold into quarters for borders and quilt) this will help with registration marks.

Finished, square and no trimming needed.

General Information Quilting

Thank You & Now For The Fun

Now for some FUN!

Some of you have come by and saw my presentation in Open Studio 2017, also so my Giant…16 inch wooden needle with a notch to hang on a wall. I was so pleased to have so many people interested, and all the wonderful questions.

So….. what I would like to do, is anyone who follows me, will have a chance to own the wonderful Needle. I will randomly chose one person on April 30th!

Will it be you?

Challenge · General Information Quilting

Naperville Art League 14th Annual Public Art Competition

The winners of the Naperville (Illinois) Art League’s 14th annual public art competition were announced at a reception held at the Naperville Fine Art Center and Gallery on Sunday, March 19, 2017.

The exhibit, entitled “#SillySerious-ness,” caught the attention of regional artists of all ages who submitted work reflective of the theme. Fifty entries, encompassing original work in a variety of media, were displayed and considered for the awards.

Artist Pamela Carron was selected to judge this competition.  She had the difficult task of selecting winners out of the 50 entries.  Prizes were awarded to sixteen individual winners:

Best of Show:

Patricia Melekus “Rape of Europa” Acrylic

Awards of Excellence:

Jeannail Carter Too Many to Choose From” Colored Pencil, Pen, Ink

Scott Harding  “Pumpkin Top” Oil on Linen

Gary Schirmer “The Ripley Effect” Oil

Honorable Mentions:

Cynthia Boudreau“Bubbling Up” Fiber

Marissa Burch “Treehouse” Mixed

Kathleen Geisinger “Winter at Geneva Lake” Photography

Tatiana Guarino “Tatiana Guarino” Oil

Beth Hobby “Mask: Autoportrait” Assemblage

Valerie Lorimer “Her Life Was a Circus” Mixed

Judy MacLeod “The Sisters” Mixed Media

Kevin Pranaitis “Am I Brave, Daddy” Photography

Sally Sharp “Seriously?” Oil & Cold Wax

Judy Tucker “Picasso in Piecing” (pictured above) Fabric

Marita Valdizan “Life as it Happens” Mixed Media Wire Crochet

Charles Williams, Jr. “Maze”  Acrylic

“I was very impressed with the quality of artwork we received for our ‘#SillySeriousness’ competition. Even more amazing is the depth of intimacy that the pieces exude,” said Debbie Venezia, Executive Director of the Naperville Art League.

“#SillySeriousness” runs through Friday, March 30, 2017.

 

General Information Quilting

Playful Fabric Printing

In January I was so fortunate to go to Craft Napa for the 2nd year. If you have not heard of it or made plans to go….Oh my, DO. Bucket List it….Wish List it, anyway you sum it up…GO

So besides spending days with wonderful wine….and plenty of it, I was with artists, playing, visiting, and having a blast. One of the workshops I took this year was with Melly, doing Batik with soy wax. It was so informative and fun and time flew.

One of the highlights at the event was a new book! Pokey Bolton has published again and Melanie Testa (Melly) and Carol Soderlund put together Playful Fabric Printing. There was cake, champagne and book signing. Demos were shown by these two talented ladies using printing and stamping. The results are unbelievable.

Soooo , if you ever wanted to play with fabric and dyes or have and want to broaden your mind and designs, this book is a must!


OH! and by the way, I WON. Yep! I won some of Melly’s printed pieces. So excited and a little nervous. They are like gold to me…They need a special project because , well, they do. I am so delighted to have them in my hot little hands. Thanks Melly, I LOVE THEM

Please give the book a look and I promise you will not be disappointed