Friday, March 19, 2010

Non-Traditional

Today's quilters use modern fabrics and non traditional colors to add vibrance and life to their quilts.  In the Quiltsy Team you can find a wide variety of quilting styles as well as colors.

This beautiful quilt by Bonbons and More is a traditional pinwheel pattern made in a bright and scrappy design.

 
Using bright fabrics gives this traditional log cabin block a modern and fun look.


This is one of my quilts and I describe it as, a traditional design with a modern look, made in bright and vibrant colors for the non traditionalist.

Tomorrow is National Quilting Day and I for one will be spending some time working on some of my quilting projects.  I hope that this week I have been able to bring you all some interesting items and have given you a good look at what the Etsy Quiltsy Team has to offer.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Blog Break

I took a blog break yesterday, needed to catch up on some projects and also wanted to enjoy some time outdoors in the sun.  I love to quilt but I also enjoy gardening and during this time of the year the outdoors calls to me to come out and clean up the flowerbeds.  I took some pictures of the before (empty flowerbeds and dry bare bushes) and hopefully later this spring and summer I can get some pictures of the after (flowering plants and lush greenery).

With thoughts of spring and summer on the way I thought the best thing  to feature today are some of the wonderful art pieces by the members of the Etsy Quiltsy Team.

This lovely 9 X 8 inch hanging is quilted to add texture and depth to the wall hanging.

The quilting in this piece is used to add detail as well as embellish this lovely work of art.  To get a closer look at the detail of the quilting click on the link and get a better view.

This is truly a OOAK(one of a kind) piece that has been made by upcycling black sunflowers off a dress.  This piece has been hand appliqued and finished off with hand quilting.

These three items are but a few of the creative, unique, pieces that are available from the Quiltsy Team.  I have been searching through picture after picture of beautiful quilted items and because my space is limited it is difficult to showcase everyone.  I just want my readers to know that there are so many lovely items to be found by searching through the Etsy "quiltsy team".  We are a group of quilters that want everyone to know that quilts are something to be showcased and enjoyed no matter what your taste.  

Check tomorrow to see more of the Quiltsy Team as I showcase some of the traditional designs in not so traditional colors.  Please feel free to leave a comment and/or links to any of your favorites from the Quiltsy Team.


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Wear it Out

As I have showed you this week quilting comes in many shapes, sizes and uses.  Today I hope to add to the list of items by featuring wearable items of clothing.

Quilted clothing is the best of two worlds, it is fashionable and cozy at the same time.

This cute little custom order kimono by Jensport is the perfect coverup for your little one.  It is a reversible jacket that is pieced and quilted in fabrics of the customers choice.

The bodice of this little jumpsuit is made like any other patchwork quilt.  It is pieced and layered with batting and backing and hand quilted.

This one of a kind jacket is a work of art that is hand appliqued and hand quilted by Cottontail Quilts.  

Wear it out and show it off! 

Quilted clothing is warm and comfortable and make lovely one of a kind items.  These Quiltsy Team members create fabulous pieces and because everyone has different needs in sizes and tastes in fabrics they offer some of these items as custom pieces.  The professional attitude of the Quiltsy Team members guarantees that these quilters will do their best to pay attention to details and make something that their customers will be proud to own.

To find more Quiltsy Team shops search Etsy for "quiltsy team" or check in tomorrow to check out some more fabulous shops. Please feel free to leave a comment or a link to any one of your favorites from the Quiltsy Team.   

Monday, March 15, 2010

Everyday Quilting

As I continue featuring my fellow members of the Quiltsy Team I wanted to showcase some quilted items we can use everyday.

Start off your day with a cup of coffee or maybe you prefer a pot of tea.
 
Bungalow has made the perfect cozy for the sewing enthusiast and with the use of insulbrite, an inuslating batting, your coffee will stay nice and warm.

Down Home Designs has made a tea cozy that is fun and functional.  Keep that pot of tea warm so that you can make more than one cup at a time.

Ready to start the day?  Check what you have planned before you head on your way.


A personalized and fashionable calendar holder by Nora Marie would make it a treat to see what you have planned for the day.

Pack your lunch and off you go to work, school or just on a fun outing.


Joel Dewberry Oversized Reusable Lunch Bag by Originals by Lauren
These lunch bags are insulated and have a nylon lining that is easily kept clean with a quick wipe down between machine washings.  No more ugly brown bags.

Tote your stuff around town in style

Quilts by Barb has created a beautiful yet functional quilted tote bag that has lots of pockets for the person that needs lots of room.

Need to jot down an idea or make a list or journal your thoughts at the end of the day?
Made from a coffee print panel, Pamela Quilts has made a fun and whimsical journal cover.  The cover is pieced and freemotion machine quilted around the coffee cup to add dimension.  What a great way to keep your thoughts, ideas or lists handy.

As you can see the Etsy Quiltsy Team is busy creating fun and functional items that can fill a need for most anything from keeping you food and drinks warm or cold to toting you necessities around the town.  Another group of very talented and highly professional individuals creating beautiful one of a kind items.

To find more Quiltsy Team shops search Etsy for "quiltsy team" or check in tomorrow to check out some more fabulous shops.  Please feel free to leave a comment or a link to any one of your favorites from the Quiltsy Team.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Celebration of Quilts

National Quilting Day is fast approaching so I will take this week to feature  the Etsy Quiltsy Team and their beautiful creations. Quilts come in all shapes and sizes and can represent many things to many people....

Quilting is no longer just your grandma's traditional bed quilts.

Quilts can convey a sentiment:

In this piece the quilter combines both hand embroidery and machine embroidery to create a lovely 12 X 14.25 wall hanging.

They can represent a religion, a culture, an expression of faith:
Sieber Designs uses machine appliqued Hebrew lettering and accents her flowers with a sparkle of beading.  She has machine pieced and machine quilted her designs. 

Artfully Sew uses hand dyed fabrics and wax pastels in her original designs.  She accents her work with hand embroidery and machine pieces and machine quilts her creations.

They can be entertaining and fun for both boys and girls:

In this original design Jensport has pieced a  variety of blue fabrics and a solid white and used her sewing skills to add a zipper pocket to secure all those wooden checkers pieces.  The board is machine quilted in what is called a cross hatch design and with the binding she has added string ties to keep it nicely rolled for easy carry or storage.


Kims Crafty Apple makes these whimsical little "paper" dolls that so many of us remember from our childhood.  The dolls are quilted in an outline stitch to frame the "dolls" and secure the layers of fabric and batting.  There is also a pocket on the backside to store the clothing pieces.  She as also added string ties along the binding to secure it closed and make it a great carry along item.

They can be used to document history:

In this piece SuzyQQuilts has used machine applique to attach leaves and tree trunk to the quilt background.  The leaves contain names and birthdates of family members making this a family heirloom piece.  This is a custom order item from her shop that can be ordered with your choice of border color.

and they can bring comfort after the loss of a loved one.

This piece is one of my own designs that was created for a customer after the death of her father.  My customer supplied me with 3 large shopping bags of flannel shirts that had belonged to her father and this is one of the two designs I put together for her.  It is machine pieced, machine appliqued and machine quilted.  I offer this as a custom order in my Etsy shop and the quilt can take on a totally different look depending on the type and color of garments used. 

Quilters of the Etsy Quiltsy Team have taken their craft to a new level and they have filled their shops with items that are perfect for anyone and for any occassion.  They recreate traditional or reinterpret designs, create unique designs of their own and work with customers to produce one of a kind items.  The Quiltsy Team members are professional individuals that create items of the highest quality and workmanship and you can not go wrong when you purchase items from anyone on this team.

For more items by this group search Etsy sellers for "quiltsy team" or check out tomorrow's blog for more featured quilters. 

Sunday, March 7, 2010

March 20th - National Quilting Day

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
Dale Carnegie

In 1991 the National Quilting Association passed a resolution to make the third Saturday in March National Quilting Day.  I love a celebration and as a quilter I had to see what others had planned for that day, here is some of what I found.

In honor of National Quilting Day, The National Quilting Association,  has designed a free pattern that celebrates our troops that are so often away from home these days.  The pattern is called "Let's Tie One On" and features a tree with a yellow ribbon tied around it and is designed to use up your fabric scraps.  http://nqaquilts.org/nqday/nqday2010.php

On ehow.com,  there is a list of ideas on how to spend the day.  Celebrate in a number of ways from sewing to shopping, quilting with friends or alone, make March 20, 2010 a day to remember. http://www.ehow.com/how_2198713_celebrate-national-quilting-day.html

If you happen to be in the Harrisonburg, VA area, the Virginia Quilting Museum is sponsoring a National Quilting Day Tea, sounds like a great way to spend the day.   http://www.vaquiltmuseum.org/eventTea.html 
Wish I could be there.

As I surfed the web I found that from coast to coast quilters will get together and share good times as they celebrate a craft that spans the ages.  If you find that you are too busy or can not make your way to one of these celebrations spend the day checking out some of my favorite sites for free patterns and inspiration for your first or next project.

The Quilter's Cache, is a great place to find free quilt block patterns and loads of tips and tricks for quilters of all skill levels.  http://www.quilterscache.com/

At Quiltville, http://quiltville.com/index.html you will find patterns to use up all those scraps as well as tutorials and other helpful information.

The Fat Quarter Factory, http://www.fatquarterfactory.com/Free_Patterns has free patterns to help you use up as few as 1 charm pack to as many as 12 charm packs in one quilt.

Free Patterns, http://www.freepatterns.com/ if you quilt, sew, crochet, knit or do other types of crafts there are patterns for you here.

Quilter's Paradise, http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/Calculators.php is the place to go if you need help calculating how much fabric you need for a particular project.

These are just a few and if you know of others please post a comment and add a link to your favorite websites that offer free patterns and other helpful info.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

"Hope is patience with the lamp lit."
Tertullian

It has been exactly one month since I last posted an entry and so many things have happened and not all have been pleasant.

I sadly announce that our pet of 6 years went missing a couple of days after my last post.  We spent the next 3 weeks searching for him but have had no luck and no leads as to what happened to him.   We have heard many stories of pets returning after weeks of having gone missing and we still hold out some hope, but At this point we are slowly starting to accept that we may not see him again and it saddens us greatly and leaves an empty spot in our hearts.  Tumble, wherever you are we miss you very much and love you with all our hearts.


On a happy note, I also spent last month working on my next big project, a Double Wedding Ring quilt.  This is being done for my nephew and his new bride that were married on February 20th.

I made this quilt in all neutral tone on tone colors and a border of gold that is also used in the rings.  This is a queen size quilt that has been quilted on a domestic sewing machine with an extra large bed and was quilted in a very simple design to keep it looking more contemporary instead of traditional.  I am in the last steps of quilting the border of this quilt and then it will be mailed off to the happy couple this next week so that they may use it in their new home.

How did you spend your cold February days? 

Spring is just around the corner and March will be spent doing some yard work to clear up my herb garden area and get it ready for planting.  It is time to be organized and practice some time management skills so that I can get it all done and still have time to sew.