A Little Bit of Quilt Market Came to Me!

Well how much fun can one girl have on a Friday afternoon? After a long day at school {spent mostly looking at a computer screen} I stopped by my LQS, The Scrappy Apple, on the way home...as is my usual Friday routine. It just so happened the Moda fabric rep. was there and my friend, Kelley, was placing orders for Fall fabric deliveries. Kelley asked me to look at the upcoming fabric lines and help pick out what to order! Can you believe it :o) Gosh there is beautiful fabric coming out this Fall!

I'd seen pictures of many of the fabric lines from all of the IG #quiltmarket postings and blog posts, so it was super fun to see them in person. Digital pictures just don't do the beautiful fabrics justice.

It seems kinda funny to write a blog post and have no pictures to go with it, but I don't feel I can legally post any since I do not have pictures of my own. Instead, I'm going to direct you to some I've found online. Hope you enjoy!

• Modern Building Blocks kit featuring Moda Bella Solids...this just may be my very favorite! I've already committed to buying this one!!
  
• Aurifil thread and quilt kits. These sweet kits contain spools of Aurifil thread, a package of coordinating Moda precuts, and a quilt pattern. So cute!!
  
• Moda's Future Groups of fabrics...take a few minutes to browse and enjoy...such prettiness! 

Kelley said the next time the Moda rep. is scheduled she will call me to come in and help her again...I can't wait! Maybe I can take a few pictures to share...

Blogger's Quilt Festival

It's been fun reading posts on my friend's blogs to see what project they selected for the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side. I've never participated in this online quilt festival and thought this just might be the time to toss my quilt into the ring. 

For my entry I've selected Riot in the Barn:

Riot in the Barn

This string quilt is very special to me...I made it for my sister. I don't get to see my sister very often, we average about once every seven-ten years. She and I live on opposite side of the country. 

I'm so happy with how this quilt turned out. It is so totally out of character for me. I am not normally a bright, crazy type of girl. I thought my sister would enjoy something that would bring sunshine during the California rainy season. The main fabric line in this string quilt is California Dreamin by Jenean Morrison. 

California Dreamin by Jenean Morrison

I was drawn to the fun string quilts cropping up throughout the online quilting community and thought it would be a great quilt to use with these fabrics. Initially I auditioned the usual string quilt layout of diamonds.



The diamonds looked great, but I was not sold on them. I wanted something different than what I was seeing everywhere else. I decided to try moving the blocks around and ended up with a barn raising layout. I knew right away it was exactly what I wanted.



After the blocks were sewn together I felt it still needed a little something different to make it a bit larger and give the top a completed look. I had just learned how to piece diamonds on point borders and thought they might be just the right compliment for the giant diamond in this quilt



I was absolutely thrilled when I was able to get the dimensions to work out just right for the diamond border to fit! By just using the diamond borders on two sides I felt it helped to play up the off center nature of the barn raising layout. 

Every time I looked at this quilt it was such a fun riot of color so I combined that thought with the barn raising layout to come up with it's name: Riot in the Barn.

I am linking this post up with the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I'm entering it into the Large Quilt Category. 

A New Project - A New Tool

There is just something about starting a new project...the thrill of the unknown...a fresh start down a path not yet traveled. For several months I've been looking for the opportunity to get started with an idea...

First came choosing just the right fabrics:

Initially I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use the Hope Valley fabric I've been holding on to. But, then decided the blue was too grayish and the gray was to black. Next, I auditioned random fat quarters from my stash, but this time the blue was too dark, the yellow too light, and the gray was still too strong. I finally moved on to Color Weave fabrics by P & B Textiles. I love this fabric! It is so soft and the depth of color so rich. (I ended up going with the more intense orange.)

Very uncharacteristically I cut all of my fabric in advance. Most of the time I'm a "cut as I go" type of girl. 

These  pretty little piles of fabric make me so happy :o)

This quilt involves using half square triangles so I thought I'd try out a new tool and ordered the The Angler 2, A Quilter's Tool for Angles.



I'm hoping since I don't have to mark the diagonal on the squares it will make the process go faster. I watched "This" video on YouTube to learn how to use The Angler 2. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'd love to hear if you've tried The Angler...and if so, what do you think of it?

An Extra Day in the Sun :o)

I'm still enjoying a bit of fun from my participation in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, vol. 9. The school where I teach uses a video broadcast for morning announcements each day. On Friday's there is a special segment called "Trojan Spotlight" which features an interview of a student or a teacher who has done something special. Some of the past participants have:

• shot their first buck...a major milestone in the life of a tweenager/teenager :o)
• set a record in a district sporting event
• participated in community theatre

As you can see it takes a lot to be invited to appear on Trojan Spotlight! Being a published quilt block designer qualified me ;o)

Of course I had to make up a new sample of Dashing Geese to show on camera since the prize pillow I'd made for the blog hop has already been sent to it's new home.

Dashing Geese

I thought I should use something nice and bright to appeal to my younger middle-school-age audience. This DS Quilts flower print and Cherry Rain by Timeless Treasures fit the bill just right! 

All participants on Trojan Spotlight get a Trojan Spirit t-shirt. At this point in the year the only sizes left were small and X-large. Neither of which are a good fit for me. I've been wondering what I'm going to do with the t-shirt when it came to me...use it to turn the Dashing Geese block into a pillow!

The bright red is almost a perfect match for the Cherry Rain print of the geese. I'll use the screen printing to be the back of the pillow and the rest of the knit fabric can be used for borders. What fun this will be! 

Hope you have a great weekend! 

And the Winners Are...

Before I announce the winners for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks blog hop drawings I'd like to thank each person who took the time to stop by my blog! This is the first time I've participated in something like this and can I just say it was so much fun! I so enjoyed reading each and every comment. I also want to thank all of my new blog followers...you made my day!!

Last night I used the Random Number Generator to select two winners. One for an issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, vol. 9 magazine, and one new blog follower to receive a Dashing Geese pillow cover. Both winners have been contacted by email. I know you are anxious to find out who the winners are!

First, the winner of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, vol. 9 magazine is Deb G! She will receive an issue directly from Quiltmaker's :o) Congratulations Deb!!

Next, the winner of the Dashing Geese pillow cover is my new blog follower, jrt14!! Thanks so much jrt14 for adding my blog to those you follow! I will get this pillow cover in the mail as soon as I receive your address :o) 

Before I go, let me tell you I was so surprised by how many "no reply" commentors there are out there. I actually had to try several times to find a winner for each prize. So, if you comment on blogs you may just want to check your profile and make sure there is an email address associated with it.

If you make a Dashing Geese block I'd love it if you'd share it on my flickr group page...or tag it in IG with #dashinggeese and be sure to let me know: @shadowsoftheblueridge

Thank you again for making this blog tour such fun! 

May ALYoF Goal - Applique Flowered Borders

When making quilts for the Faith Circle of do. Good Stitches I find the quilt top usually needs to have borders added in order to be larger than just a small lap quilt. I like the finished quilt to be at least a throw size - covering the top of a bed, but not as large as a twin quilt.

I am currently in the process of assembling the March Wonky Disappearing 4 Patch quilt for our bee. The blocks are joined and are ready for borders...fun, flowering borders!

A couple years ago I purchased The New Applique Sampler by Piece O' Cake Designs. I highly recommend this book if you would like to learn needle turn applique...and you should because it's great fun!! This book contains patterns for fresh, whimsical flowers and I know they will be perfect for this quilt. However, I am going to use raw edge applique (fuse the applique pieces to the border fabric and machine stitch the edges.) 


 


So far I've cut out and fused down the flowering vine applique for one side of the quilt. It still needs to be machine stitched down.

My May "A Lovely Year of Finishes" goal is to complete the border for all four sides and attach them to the quilt top. I am linking to the May ALYoF Goal Party. I am entry No. 33!

In a previous post I showed the beautiful Wonky Disappearing 4 Patch blocks made by the sweet ladies of the Faith Circle. Here they are joined together:

I am really liking the softness of the these colors! My bee-mates chose such pretty fabrics :o) Can't you just picture how fun this is going to look encircled by a border of sweet, whimsical flowers?