tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38942194282858999452024-03-04T23:51:40.223-05:00The Girl Who QuiltsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-59346348942025477862015-08-03T09:30:00.001-04:002015-08-03T09:30:00.510-04:00Star Tablerunner and Cloth Napkin Tutorial!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This tutorial was originally posted on the Benartex blog last week.</span><br />
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Today I'm going to share a tutorial for a cloth napkin and tablerunner set using the adorable <a href="http://www.benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&collection=947">Frosty Forest</a> fabric line by Cherry Guidry.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20048698071/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/464/20048698071_59dfe70fb0_h.jpg" width="505" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Let's get started!</div>
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Here are the prints that I used for this project:</div>
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1 yard of Jubilee Geo Multi</div>
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1 yard Jubilee Geo Grey</div>
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1/8 yard Frosty Snowflake Green</div>
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1/2 yard Dot Jubilee Red</div>
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1/4 yard Jubilee Geo Green</div>
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1/4 yard Snowman Swirl Grey</div>
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1/4 yard Snowman Swirl Turquoise</div>
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You will also need 18" x 50" of batting if you choose to quilt your table runner.</div>
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Cut the following pieces from your fabrics:</div>
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From Jubilee Geo Multi:</div>
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4 squares at 17" x 17"</div>
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From Jubilee Geo Grey:</div>
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cut 3 binding strips at 2 1/2" x WOF</div>
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(Save remaining fabric for backing)</div>
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From Frosty Snowflake Green:</div>
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2 strips at 1 1/2" x 12 1/2"</div>
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2 strips at 1 1/2" x 14 1/2"</div>
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From Dot Jubilee Red:</div>
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4 strips at 1 1/2" x 12 1/2"</div>
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4 strips at 1 1/2" x 14 1/2"</div>
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1 square at 6 1/2" x 6 1/2"</div>
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4 squares at 4" x 4"</div>
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From Jubilee Geo Green:</div>
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8 squares at 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"</div>
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8 squares at 4" x 4"</div>
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From Snowman Swirl Grey:</div>
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4 squares at 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"</div>
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4 squares at 4" x 4"</div>
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From Snowman Swirl Turquoise:</div>
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2 squares at 6 1/2" x 6 1/2"</div>
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8 squares at 4" x 4"</div>
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Here are the different size pieces for the table runner:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855399560/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="426" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/370/19855399560_4e4989f732_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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The backing fabric (folded on left), binding strips and napkin fabric:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20043395095/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="483" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/20043395095_eb9c424aaf_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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To finish the edges of the napkins, draw a line 1" from each edge of the napkin square on the wrong side of the fabric. Use a pencil or a pen that does not disappear or set with heat:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20035588742/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/349/20035588742_df734a49a6_h.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Next, fold each edge in to the drawn line. This should create a 1/2" fold (first edge is shown folded below, repeat with all 4 edges):</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20048705411/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/20048705411_78fe6b7a85_h.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Once all 4 edges are folded into the lines, fold in again by 1/2" on all 4 edges:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20035583572/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="624" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/402/20035583572_b52c718ef0_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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I like to pin the corners in place:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855324438/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/481/19855324438_f6b645233c_h.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Now stitch down all of the folded edges, being sure to catch the corners in the stitching:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19422409653/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/321/19422409653_9f69c15056_h.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Repeat to create all 4 napkins!</div>
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To make the table runner, begin by drawing a diagonal line on the back of each Dot Jubilee Red 4" x 4" square and each Jubilee Geo Green 4" x 4" square:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19856728389/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="361" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/395/19856728389_10f71d97ed_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Next pair each red 4" x 4" square with a Grey Snowman Swirl 4" x 4" square.</div>
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Pair each green 4" x 4" square with a Turquoise Snowman Swirl 4" x 4" square.</div>
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Stitch 1/4" from the both sides of the drawn line. Repeat for all of the paired squares:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20048700591/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/551/20048700591_9ae5a56086_h.jpg" width="572" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Trim the squares apart on the drawn lines:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19422409063/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="360" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/334/19422409063_65b76d8115_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Press your seams (you can choose to press open or to one side):</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855319788/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="542" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/447/19855319788_7cfe410ca5_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Now square up all of these half square triangles to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". I like to use a 6 1/2" square ruler and line up the diagonal line of the ruler with the seam line of each half square triangle:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855319608/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/19855319608_600f8b9877_h.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Next sew the half square triangles into pairs, as shown below. Press the seams. You will create 4 sets of the grey/red and 8 sets of the green/blue:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20017108496/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/511/20017108496_b014e77295_h.jpg" width="553" /></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
Now we will work with one block at a time. Begin by laying out the red and grey block as shown:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855396180/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="594" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/289/19855396180_b38e132e6e_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
Sew the pieces into rows and press the seams:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20017108066/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/306/20017108066_d93941d98b_h.jpg" width="594" /></a></div>
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Next sew the rows together and press the seams to complete the block:</div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19422404663/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/468/19422404663_539bd2591a_h.jpg" width="638" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> </div>
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Attach a 1 1/2" x 12 1/2" Frosty Snowflake Green strip to the top and bottom of the block. Press seams:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19855318348/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/357/19855318348_c2f6b084b3_h.jpg" width="599" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Now attach a 1 1/2" x 14 1/2" Frosty Snowflake Green strip to each side of the block. Press seams:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19422404253/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="623" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/448/19422404253_4092108d9d_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Repeat the above steps to create TWO blue/green blocks with red borders.</div>
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Stitch the 3 blocks together with the red/grey block in the center and press the seams:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20017107276/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/445/20017107276_e8e5af3a88_h.jpg" width="256" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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For the backing, the remaining piece of Jubilee Geo Grey fabric must be cut into 2 pieces measuring approximately 28" x 20" and pieces together along the 20" sides to create a piece measuring approximately 55" x 20".</div>
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At this point you can finish your table runner with a simple backing or quilt it. I prefer to quilt my table runners.</div>
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To finish the table runner with a bound edge, sew together the 3 binding strips of Jubilee Geo Grey and bind using your favorite method!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20048698071/in/dateposted-public/" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/464/20048698071_59dfe70fb0_h.jpg" width="505" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Look at that, it's only July and you've got a Christmas decoration and/or gift all ready to go!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-89861730649427026402015-07-27T09:30:00.000-04:002015-07-27T09:30:01.840-04:00Christmas in July Tutorial for Benartex!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sewinlovewithfabric.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw82D3IOCN3XnL2-nJHOtldzR6iFznzeBVFx_jcPyf-vgs7rltd29oF5qGASvL7OKwqKNenDq5Dhn8HuB3RMjOFD4ENolrqPLiiEzM6FrXp4yEFDF8mKStct0_m7TCizzE3lKi8kGA59-o/s320/july+2015+blog+hop+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hop on over to the <a href="http://sewinlovewithfabric.blogspot.com/">Benartex blog</a> for the tutorial to make this Christmas table runner and napkin set using their <a href="http://www.benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&collection=947">Frosty Forest</a> line by <a href="http://www.cherryblossomsquilting.com/">Cherry Guidry</a>!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19856724759/in/dateposted-public/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex"><img alt="Christmas In July Tutorial for Benartex" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3739/19856724759_3bb7064e0c_h.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
After you check out the tutorial, stop back here to win a fat quarter bundle of Frosty Forest care of Benartex and the coordinating Let It Snow and Frosty patterns care of Cherry Guidry!<br />
Follow the Benartex blog and then comment below for an entry in the giveaway.<br />
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Here's the schedule for the rest of the Benartex blog hop, make sure to check out the other tutorials out there:</div>
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Monday Chris from <a href="http://www.madebychrissied.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Made by Chrissie D</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=958" target="_blank">Happy Holidays Snowmen</a></div>
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Tuesday Debby from <a href="http://debbykratovilquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Debby Kratovil Quilts</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=957" target="_blank">Homespun Holiday</a></div>
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Wednesday Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=961" target="_blank">Ornamental Splendor</a></div>
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Thursday Kristen from <a href="http://www.kd-quilts.com/" target="_blank">KD Quilts</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=964" target="_blank">Santa's Here</a></div>
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Friday Melissa from <a href="http://www.myfabricrelish.com/" target="_blank">My Fabric Relish</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&collection=947" target="_blank">Frosty Forest</a></div>
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Monday Nikki from <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/" target="_blank">The Girl Who Quilts</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&collection=947" target="_blank">Frosty Forest</a></div>
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Tuesday Wendy from <a href="http://ivoryspring.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ivory Spring</a> using <a href="http://benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=939" target="_blank">Shades of Winter</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-47530146810425365642015-07-25T16:51:00.003-04:002015-07-25T16:52:30.079-04:00Florentine for Sew Many Creations<div style="text-align: center;">
This post is going to be a big pic heavy, because I love this quilt so much! I quilted this paper pieced "Florentine" pattern for <a href="http://www.sewmanycreationsny.com/patterns.html">Sew Many Creations</a>.</div>
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The background is Essex linen, and it has such great texture against the cotton prints! I went with my favorite background - straight lines! They are about 1/4" apart, but I didn't use a ruler so they have a bit of variation to them.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20009785001/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/410/20009785001_87350038db_h.jpg" width="636" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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All of the blocks are quilted the same way, but the center area is rotated 90* from one block to another. I don't like to give a quilt a definitive top or bottom, unless it was designed that way, so I like to rotate the designs a bit!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19996813352/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/526/19996813352_5f560500b4_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19816568090/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/522/19816568090_0fb406c5eb_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
The blocks have arrow shapes in the corners, and when these arrow shapes meet up they make great stars! I quilted a different fill in each arrow, but kept the fill consistent by fabric. Just another trick I use when I'm trying to keep track of several different fill patterns through a top!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19978307566/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/479/19978307566_e464dbd258_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19816472298/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/516/19816472298_f3902039e8_h.jpg" width="428" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19996812322/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/368/19996812322_88f729bc8a_h.jpg" width="428" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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And here's the back! I really love how the design looks on the back of this one.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19996811842/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/550/19996811842_f435d56bce_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/20009785361/in/dateposted-public/" title="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Quilted Florentine for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/354/20009785361_48308ab56a_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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It's always so fun to quilt for others!<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-37537416072259887582015-07-23T11:24:00.000-04:002015-07-25T16:52:53.134-04:00Navigate quilt for Sew Many CreationsAfter the rush of quilting for Market this spring I've actually spent some time working on my own projects! It's been really nice to get a few things done, but I'm also trying to show more of my long arming and build my client base a bit. :) I'm going to share more projects on here - some new, and some a bit older, some are mine, and some I quilted for others!<br />
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I quilted this for Jessica of <a href="http://www.sewmanycreationsny.com/patterns.html">Sew Many Creations</a>. I think this was part of fall Market 2014, so maybe you've seen it around the quilting world by now! The pattern is called Navigate, and you can purchase it through the link above.</div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19323403233/in/dateposted-public/" title="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/19323403233_27ea6054e2_h.jpg" width="616" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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The pattern calls for paper piecing, and is made up for 2 blocks. I quilted the same design in each matching block. Here's the block with the cream background, I mixed up some straight lines and curves:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19323402833/in/dateposted-public/" title="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/405/19323402833_8563421444_h.jpg" width="632" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Same block at another angle (I love this bright orange, but it's hard to photograph!):<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19323402463/in/dateposted-public/" title="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/548/19323402463_db11fd9e52_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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And here's the second block:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19756356438/in/dateposted-public/" title="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3749/19756356438_68fa3fc6e4_h.jpg" width="631" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Another angle of the second block:<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19918151876/in/dateposted-public/" title="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations"><img alt="Navigate Quilt for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/380/19918151876_dc74332f76_h.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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I used a mix of pebbles, swirls, paisleys and echos in the background, and I let the background quilting flow out into the two borders. I really wanted the blocks to pop, because they are so pretty!<br />
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I have another paper pieced quilt by Sew Many Creations that I can't wait to share - I just need to figure out where my new Mac "reorganized" it to for me. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-67558919112372719882015-07-22T19:00:00.002-04:002015-07-25T16:51:53.974-04:00Smith Wedding Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">
I made this quilt for my cousin and his new wife. I was in a bit of a time crunch, so I went with a super-sized plus quilt. I actually really love the result, and I think I'll be making more of these! Besides, it leaves some great open areas for quilting!</div>
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Front:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19931685111/in/dateposted-public/" title="Super Sized Plus Quilt"><img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/466/19931685111_ba6cb61ac7_k.jpg" width="428" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Detail quilting in the heart:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19919028302/in/dateposted-public/" title="Super Sized Plus Quilt"><img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3789/19919028302_c7ca99ea37_k.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Swirls!!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19738578980/in/dateposted-public/" title="Super Sized Plus Quilt"><img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/451/19738578980_a9ddee91b7_k.jpg" width="428" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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A funky feather:</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19926592365/in/dateposted-public/" title="Super Sized Plus Quilt"><img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/329/19926592365_fd11d13b1b_k.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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My favorite block, which didn't photograph very well. Bummer!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/19926592715/in/dateposted-public/" title="Super Sized Plus Quilt"><img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/309/19926592715_331fb55b1e_k.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And the back!</div>
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<img alt="Super Sized Plus Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/19738577250_0bff0fb602_k.jpg" width="428" /></div>
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It was a super quick quilt to piece, and lots of fun to quilt! I hope the bride and groom enjoy it for years to come!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-8698491724375965522015-04-18T00:56:00.000-04:002015-04-18T00:56:15.482-04:00Roundabout Quilt and matching pillows<div style="text-align: center;">
If you've seen the latest issue of Quilty magazine, you may have seen my <a href="http://www.heyquilty.com/articles/roundabout-quilt-project">Roundabout Quilt</a>!</div>
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I made this quilt with a fat quarter pack of Cotton and Steel plus 4 solids. It is a really fast and fun quilt to sew up! I was happy to have the quilt back in my house so we could use it on our couch! I snapped a few pictures when it arrived back home:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16561734994" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7707/16561734994_110e857c5c_o.jpg" width="534" /></a></div>
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This is the layout for 1 block:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16563985703" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7705/16563985703_96fabd0070_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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And here's how the blocks play together!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16996634810" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7674/16996634810_e0f6fdb855_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Here's the back:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16976757867" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7648/16976757867_24cd9072ab_o.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
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I had some corner triangle scraps left over from the quilt, so I sewed up a bunch of pillows! Each pillow has a different layout and a different quilting style to it, but they were all created from some half-square triangles:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16997985209" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="583" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7618/16997985209_926641b3cd_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16996404908" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="587" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8725/16996404908_0579af6437_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16996635300" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="618" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7601/16996635300_530fd9f25a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/17184153105" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="585" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8722/17184153105_f50585d168_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the pillow backs I used a metallic from the Cotton+Steel basics and some diagonal straight line quilting! Each pillow has navy blue piping and a colorful zipper (mostly because I didn't feel like going out to buy 4 matching zips!).</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16997984839" title="Roundabout Quilt and pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Roundabout Quilt and pillows" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8751/16997984839_a3a9627bb1_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-20942962473532923572015-02-16T19:09:00.000-05:002015-02-16T19:09:08.539-05:00Fun A Day - Find Joy Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">
If you follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/thegirlwhoquilts">instagram</a>, you've seen the project that consumed my January. Let me explain a little bit about the event:</div>
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One of my husband's coworkers organizes an event every January called Fun a Day. It's not a Pittsburgh thing, in fact it was started in Philly. Here's the blurb that I found on the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fun-a-Day-Philadelphia/208489292567077"> Fun A Day Philadelphia facebook page:</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> The premise is simple: pick a proje</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">ct (take a photograph, make the bed, draw a picture, bake a cake, etc), do it every day in January, then show your work the following month in a big group show. Check out our website, <a href="http://www.artclash.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.artclash.com</a>, for inspiration and info on other shows around the world!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://funadaypgh.blogspot.com/">Here's the blog for the Pittsburgh Fun A Day.</a></span></div>
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And the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/emmakid/sets/72157648364355783/">Flickr set</a> from our exhibition!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For my project I wanted to create a quilt by making one block a day. I got the idea to chronicle the days by starting with a blank block and adding 1 "stick", or hashmark, for each day. I have to admit, I got to day 10 and started to wonder what I'd gotten myself into! I was worried about running out of space before day 31, or worse, running out of interest. I couldn't think of a cohesive way to change the design after I'd put in 10 days, though, so I pushed forward. By the end I was enjoying the time I spent on the block of the day, even when they took me 2+ hours. I'd become pretty efficient at cutting and piecing, and it was fun to watch the pile of sticks grow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I only had a week to finish the top, quilt it, and bind it for the exhibit here. I could have displayed the top unfinished, but I had a design in my head, and I didn't think it would translate well without all of the pieces! To help with the time crunch, I was piecing the rows as I finished each block. I worked out all of the math and bought the background fabric when I was about half way through with the project, and I spent one day cutting and piecing all of the sashing and borders. It really helped to stay on top of such a big project!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While I was piecing the top I was also thinking about how to quilt it. </span></div>
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I racked my brain for several days over how to quilt the background of this quilt. I didn't want to accentuate the grid pattern, but I also didn't want to "settle" for an all over paisley or something. I flipped through some books for inspiration when I found a zig zag quilt. Realizing that it would take a decent chunk of time to mark out, I tried to find something else. My brain just kept jumping back to that zig zag, though!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I started marking the design with Frixion highlighters but had to "erase" them because I measured wrong. The markings turned white on the quilt, and didn't come out in the wash! Luckily I did my second set of marking with chalk pencil, but I'm still bummed to see the original marks on the quilt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I created a zig zag pattern in the background, alternating a dense back and forth with swirls. I wanted the dense areas to look like the actual zig zags, and the swirl to look like background fill. I purposely set the zig zags so that the denser focal areas ran between the blocks to try and break up the grid look.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16554335775" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/16554335775_4f035ccbc8_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16366654648" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/16366654648_f6924d0f44_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the "day" boxes I stitched in the ditch around each "stick" and pebbled in the background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I knew weeks before the top was finished that I wanted to lay out the blocks in calendar format and include a "month box" at the top. I wanted to remember this project, but not necessarily make a January 2015 calendar. ;) I came up with the idea to quilt a phrase into the box...something that would always ring true. I settled on, "Find Joy In Each Day".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To tie together the brown sections, I quilted pebbles around the words and included some swirly bits to break up the monotony a bit. (Can I complain for a tiny second and just say that it took me around 3 hours to quilt the pebbles in the large brown area. No joke, my shoulders were so angry with me after that!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I stitched out the words, I first stitched around each letter with brown thread and then traced over them with magenta to help them stand out just a little bit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15934137763" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8606/15934137763_346258a5dd_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Day 2 and day 3 - lots of pebbles!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16368406767" style="background-color: transparent;" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/16368406767_5eca3ab634_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Day 31! I stitched around each stick to make them "poof" nicely!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16554333795" style="background-color: transparent;" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8597/16554333795_a0e67214fd_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the back I used the 2 rejected background colors and the Cotton and Steel arrows (my FAV!). For the binding I used a Cotton and Steel basic metallic. I really love how the quilting shows up on the back! (The teal pieces along the top are sleeves, from when it hung in the exhibit.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16552640731" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7436/16552640731_4dca357558_o.jpg" width="432" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Contrasting thread shows all of the mistakes, but it still looks fun!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16368405187" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8643/16368405187_0a1f156dd1_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16368034189" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8638/16368034189_0f591b0127_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16368033969" title="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun A Day Pittsburgh 2015, Find Joy Quilt" height="432" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8588/16368033969_48f05fe4ae_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to send a huge shout-out to my friend <a href="http://kathleenquilts.com/">Kathleen at Kathleen Quilts</a>. She was a great help to me as I was deciding on what batting to use (I used double batting: Quilter's Dream Wool over Quilter's Dream Blend), and even included my quilt in her Free Motion Friday! If you haven't heard of her, hop over to her blog!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And lastly, a few things about the quilt, in no particular order:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-I finished it at queen size so I can put it on our bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-I cut my strips from <a href="http://www.fatquartershop.com/cotton-and-steel-basics-spindle-strips">Cotton and Steel basics "spindles"</a> (2.5" strip rolls), and I used almost 2 full sets of 40 - 2.5" strips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-All of the strips are pieced. No applique!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-Strips finished at 1/2" wide. Blocks finished at 10" x 12".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-I used 12 bobbins of magenta thread and just over 11 bobbins of brown thread!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-I actually enjoyed quilting the blocks with more sticks. Quilting lots of pebbles gets really boring!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're going to QuiltCon, come say Hi to me! I'll be helping a friend at her vendor booth on the show floor, the booth is Sew Many Creations. And now I'm off to pack!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-78395715216819668052015-02-13T23:16:00.000-05:002015-02-13T23:16:33.844-05:00Seattle Wedding Pillows<div style="text-align: center;">
Some good friends of ours were married in Seattle <strike>this</strike> last summer. We wanted to attend the wedding, but we ended up moving to Pittsburgh the weekend before, and it just wasn't going to work out. The bride and groom met and currently live in Seattle, and they really love the area. So, I knew I had to design a wedding gift that highlighted Seattle! We never know where life will take us, and I wanted something that they could take with them in their marriage that would remind them of Seattle.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16522927042" title="Pund wedding pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pund wedding pillows" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/16522927042_5a88703de0_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I could have gone in a few different directions with that idea, but I quickly decided on a set of pillows, with one in the same design as my <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2014/11/home-is.html">Home Is</a> minis. I sometimes struggle between pillow and wall hanging when it comes to these minis, but these friends seemed like they would enjoy pillows a lot more!<br />
I knew that the wedding would have navy tones in it, so I used that as my main color. For the state pillow I kept it simple, and for the more personalized pillow I added a magenta border to set the personalization off from the navy border.</div>
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My (current) favorite way to finish pillows is with piping and a back zip. It leaves a softer edge than binding, and it's a lot faster! Without the piping, I sometimes find that the pillow doesn't turn right-side-out very well, especially at the corners. Plus, I think the piping adds a nicer finish!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16336264798" title="Pund wedding pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pund wedding pillows" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/16336264798_7f3e67a3fb_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On the pillow backs I kept it simple with the navy print.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16497955126" title="Pund wedding pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pund wedding pillows" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7422/16497955126_85c1b602b3_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I didn't do a ton of quilting on these. The state pillow has a bit of <a href="http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-327-topographic-map.html">topography quilting</a> on it, but it's hard to see with the dark fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16338050947" title="Pund wedding pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pund wedding pillows" height="400" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8679/16338050947_a82b67cd1f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For the personalized pillow, I didn't want any stitching details to detract from the name and date, so I left it really simple. (Also, that is actually my hand writing! I struggle with finding the right font for projects like this, so I will oftentimes write it out by hand and go over the lettering several times with sharpie to thicken the lines. I may not have the best handwriting, but it makes it a bit more personal!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16497954936" title="Pund wedding pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pund wedding pillows" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7384/16497954936_01cf19ddaf_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The quilting on the pillow backs was a sort of triangle maze, but again it's hard to see with that dark fabric! I think there's a bit of it showing in one picture above, but it's pretty hard to see.</div>
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I hear that the pillows are being well loved!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-67898468218368061182015-01-28T11:26:00.002-05:002015-01-28T11:27:29.163-05:00Long Arm Information!<div style="text-align: center;">
If you're interested in more information on having your quilts long arm quilted, head over <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/p/long-arm-quilting.html">here</a> to my long arm quilting page! You'll find a link to my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/sets/72157637945722043/">Long Arm Quilting album on Flickr</a>, along with prices and other info.</div>
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Older work will be added to the Flickr album, but perhaps not to my blog, so feel free to browse the album from time to time.</div>
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And as always, feel free to contact me with any questions!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16201605710" title="Beaded String quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Beaded String quilt" height="639" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8624/16201605710_453cfa44e4_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-3993886634017468822015-01-28T11:09:00.001-05:002015-01-28T11:09:19.227-05:00For Tucker With Love<div style="text-align: center;">
Some of you may remember <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2012/05/for-oliver-with-love-bloggers-quilt.html">this quilt</a> that I made for my first nephew. My step-brother and sister-in-law really loved the quilt, especially the message on the back. So, when they announced that they were expecting again, I knew I had to create something equally as special for this baby!</div>
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I started off knowing that I wanted to include the personalized message in this quilt, but I didn't want to use the same design idea. I had a few ideas for the front of the quilt, and I started out with the <a href="http://sewkindofwonderful.com/products/urban-chained-pdf-pattern">Sew Kind of Wonderful Urban Chained pattern</a>. Unfortunately, I was working with fat quarters and the prints were set in the wrong direction. Does that happen to anyone else? I swear, no matter which direction the print is facing, it's always the wrong direction for what I'd like to do!</div>
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So, I used the cutting instructions for half of the quilt (the longer curves, I believe), and decided to modify the layout to suit my prints. After all, no one wants a sideways antelope on a quilt, right?</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16362858276" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/16362858276_569fb4c52e_o.jpg" width="428" /></a> </div>
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I also ran out of background fabric (pearl bracelets in sand), so I tossed in another print. I probably could have found some more pearl bracelets, but I ended up really liking the look of the text print (from the Collage collection)!</div>
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Somewhere in the design process I decided that I would quilt words into the background area. That helped to guide the layout a bit.</div>
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I used a cream thread and quilted lots and lots and lots of pebbles in the background areas. I played around with the idea of quilting the curved sections or changing up the pebbles, but I think the uniform quilting keeps the quilt from getting too busy. And after some instagram chatter, I left the curves unquilted to soften the piece.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16387916392" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7314/16387916392_07a7ee4037_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16201198138" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8589/16201198138_c64cb74514_o.jpg" width="428" /></a> </div>
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Around the letters I quilted with the light cream thread and then again with a light grey thread. It's a bit hard to see in the photos, but in person it subtly draws the eye to the words.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16388838525" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/16388838525_b9f6b44a4b_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16201197538" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8636/16201197538_cd4a19c27e_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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For the backing I used a piece of the arrow print plus two of the C+S blenders.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16387094751" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/16387094751_b2179e4144_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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So much pebbling! And for you long arm quilters out there, I used the <a href="http://sewkindofwonderful.com/products/qcr-sidekick">Sew Kind of Wonderful QCR Sidekick Rulers</a> for this project. I really loved working with them, and I find myself grabbing them to quilt curves on lots of other projects as well!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15766381574" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7350/15766381574_88b52c96c7_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Here is a shot of the words, from the back of the quilt:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/16202610839" title="For Tucker With Love by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="For Tucker With Love" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8615/16202610839_e8db44d48f_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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I think this project really came together in the end! My step-brother and his family live in Arizona, so I think the colors were a fun nod to that. The prints didn't really scream baby, but still worked well. And they loved the finished quilt, which was the most important part for me!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-69743667845180338212014-12-08T22:54:00.001-05:002014-12-08T22:54:10.692-05:00A Simple Baby Girl Strip Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">
I made this quilt a few months back for Matt's coworker and his wife, for their baby girl. I didn't know them very well, so I wanted to stay away from pink. When in doubt, stay a bit more neutral, right? :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15360971143" title="Baby Girl Strip Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby Girl Strip Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/15360971143_b7dc9a4bd2_o.jpg" width="428" /></a> </div>
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I started with this fun feather print and pulled fabrics from there. I really fell in love with these colors! Most of the fabrics were prints, with a few solids tossed in as well.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15358321484" title="Baby Girl Strip Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby Girl Strip Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8656/15358321484_1050fb6709_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I didn't have a ton of time to put this gift together - I stitched the strips at my mom's house when we were visiting, and I quilted it the day after I got back home (which was also the day of the shower!). Talk about pressure, I had to quilt, bind, and wash the quilt all in a day!</div>
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I quilted two zig zag sections, filled with some figure 8 quilting. In the larger spaces created by the zig zags, I quilted paisleys.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15794576389" title="Baby Girl Strip Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby Girl Strip Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/15794576389_7ca7f16934_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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i really like how the zig zags at the bottom of the quilt seem to fall off the edge!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15793201568" title="Baby Girl Strip Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby Girl Strip Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7510/15793201568_577426bde3_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the back I used a single cut of fabric. The quilt finished around 36" x 42", so it was a tight squeeze! </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15979922472" title="Baby Girl Strip Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Baby Girl Strip Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7537/15979922472_ef141e17d8_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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I was surprised at how much I loved this quilt when it was finished! Sometimes it's nice to stay simple!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-48393195733887748162014-11-14T13:18:00.000-05:002014-11-14T13:18:07.429-05:00Pittsburgh Love<div style="text-align: center;">
I made this mini as a wedding gift for Matt's boss. He and his wife met here in Pittsburgh, though neither of them are from here. He loved the mini quilts in our home, so I knew it would be the perfect gift for them!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15602761979" title="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15602761979_5617983367_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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(It was so cold and windy when I took these pictures, plus we were high above the city. Matt was really nervous that he would drop the mini, which it why he was bracing it against the railing!)</div>
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I had a hard time deciding on a background fabric, not knowing what their decorating tastes are like. Luckily I had <a href="http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/bridgetown-3.html">this bridge print</a> sitting out after a visit to a LQS! I wasn't entirely sure on the color, but I couldn't pass up the print - did you know that Pittsburgh is called the "City of Bridges"? It's true, we have SO many of them!</div>
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I decided to quilt the background with simple, straight lines.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15602761689" title="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7530/15602761689_7e5867b13a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I again used a knife-edge binding, because I just love the look of the clean edge! On the back I included a label and a hanging sleeve.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15788583765" title="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Pittsburgh Love Mini Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15788583765_b15f8af88c_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the 3rd "Home is..." piece that I've made as a wedding gift, and I think so far they have all been really well received! This one may be my favorite, but I have a few others to share when I dig up the pictures.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-76026041334959476872014-11-10T10:13:00.000-05:002014-11-10T10:13:51.171-05:00Free Patterns and a Barn Quilt!<div style="text-align: center;">
I have a few surprises to share!</div>
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First up, some free patterns! Head over to <a href="http://camelotfabrics.com/crafts/projects.html?product_designer=793">Camelot Fabrics</a> where I have a few pillow patterns and a quilt pattern - all freebies! Don't feel intimidated by the piecing - it's all very fast and easy.</div>
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Here's a quick 12" square pillow I sewed up from my trial block for the patterns:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15572509610" title="Free pillow/quilt pattern! by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Free pillow/quilt pattern!" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/15572509610_20d2fc6d43_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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And now, about that Barn Quilt! A few months ago I was contacted by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thumbquilttrail">Thumb Trail Quilt</a> group in Michigan. They asked to use my <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2012/09/not-so-traditional-dresdens.html">Modern Dresden block design</a> for the quilt block in their quilt block trail throughout "Thumb Region" of Michigan. Not only was my design used, but it is on the Mayville Historical Museum building in Mayville, MI!</div>
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Here's a photo of the Barn Quilt, taken from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thumbquilttrail">Thumb Trail Quilt facebook page</a>. Be sure to check them out, and if you're in the area be sure to visit the Barn Quilts in person!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6U9U7u3fFr7cNKtLAZ_naqCPeL722MJFqMbeC-B1SM8Mns1GfaK5b3fZLu7hyQc9g5iP3V3NEnDjiFCDhMJ_TpXtlY3Xf0LCx9crz_ZVtXlzsjrgD_1q1OcHTtVr28rXHs_G6vPUj6dmu/s1600/10451159_989550404394440_2727147785392964333_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6U9U7u3fFr7cNKtLAZ_naqCPeL722MJFqMbeC-B1SM8Mns1GfaK5b3fZLu7hyQc9g5iP3V3NEnDjiFCDhMJ_TpXtlY3Xf0LCx9crz_ZVtXlzsjrgD_1q1OcHTtVr28rXHs_G6vPUj6dmu/s1600/10451159_989550404394440_2727147785392964333_n.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to make your own Modern Dresden mini quilt, see the following links:</div>
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<a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2012/10/modern-dresden-plate-tutorial.html">Free tutorial</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2012/09/not-so-traditional-dresdens.html">Modern Dresden for EZ Dresden Challenge</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2012/09/a-mod-christmas.html">Mod Christmas Wreath (wonky version of Modern Dresden)</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-439488618898313102014-11-03T12:19:00.000-05:002014-11-03T12:19:11.548-05:00Home is...<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, I had a decent stretch of consistent blogging, right? :)</div>
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I'm hoping now that the Quilt Market rush is over (for now!), I will have a bit of time to blog! This project is one of my favorite finishes ever, and it hangs in the middle of the first floor of my house, too</div>
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I can't claim this design entirely, because I know I've seen similar pieces in the blogging world over the years. This is just my take on a really great design idea!</div>
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Upon finding a house to buy in Pittsburgh I decided it was *finally* time to reflect a bit on where we've been geographically over the years. In doing so, I created a mini quilt for each state that we have lived in, highlighting our locations with hearts. Because, you know, Home Is Where the Heart Is, and all that jazz. For my fabrics and colors, I tried to stick with jewel tones for the backgrounds and white/cream prints for the states. The hearts are varying shades of pinks and reds. By creating each piece separately and mixing designs, tones, and colors, I have the freedom to add to this collection without disrupting it.</div>
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Let's start at the beginning! First we have the Illinois mini. We lived in the Chicago area and also in the Peoria area of Illinois. I love the blue print in this mini - while not really a jewel tone, it really reflects the Native American history in Illinois, I think.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15594992111" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3942/15594992111_4a5a305c3e_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Next we lived in Seattle, Washington. We lived in a very urban area, right in the heart of Seattle, but it was always clear that we were just steps from nature! From the "green" attitude of the residents to the mountain views in nearly any direction, I had to use a wildlife print in this mini!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15598490032" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15598490032_ac0387e4a4_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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From Seattle we moved to upstate New York, in Saratoga Springs. I used a linen and a vibrate green for this mini. Saratoga Springs is known for its natural springs, and despite being a small town far from NYC, it has a large "crunchy" population.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15597652805" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15597652805_156c30482f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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And here we are now, in Pittsburgh, PA! The house we bought in Pittsburgh is an old rowhouse that was completely gutted and rehabbed. The first time we "toured" the house, part of the (new) roof was unfinished and the walls were only framed. So, it seemed quite fitting to use a "blueprint" fabric for this mini!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15411548428" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5614/15411548428_8d61d5c795_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Here they are all together! We hung them in our dining area, which is where we tend to end up mingling when we have guests. It's such a fun conversation starter, and I love that they are a prominent feature in our house! </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15573978466" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="612" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3932/15573978466_fc96fb4d97_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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A bit about the design process:</div>
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I quilted around the states and the hearts with black thread to really draw attention to the shapes. I found that 3 passes around each shape gave great definition without lots of thread build up. In the background spaces I quilted in various flowing styles with thread to match the background, again to keep the focus on the states.</div>
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To finish the minis I applied knife edge binding and a hanging sleeve on each piece. The knife edge binding is a bit more time-consuming, but the look is so stunning! Well worth the effort for this project!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15573977486" title="Home is Where... by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is Where..." height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15573977486_98f8ec15a5_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And one last (poorly lit) picture. Here are the minis hanging in our dining area! The adjacent brick wall is part of the living room, and to the right of the minis is the kitchen. I'd hoped to show a bit more of the house, but lighting was bad when I took this one!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15516987117" title="Home is... mini quilts by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Home is... mini quilts" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7561/15516987117_771db5b772_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-5771391064232991942014-09-25T10:52:00.001-04:002014-09-25T10:52:25.503-04:00Upstate Quilt - for Sew Many Creations<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A quick note for anyone in upstate New York! My friend Jess, the owner of Ruby Scissors Quilt Shop in Glens Falls, NY is opening a second location! The new shop is in Towne Center Plaza in Clifton Park, NY. The address is:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1603 Route 9</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clifton Park, NY</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PattisQuiltingFabrics">facebook page</a> for more details!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that I'm in the midst of quilting for Fall Ma</span>rket, I'm pulling out photos of projects that I did for Spring Market!</div>
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I've partnered up with Jessica of <a href="http://www.sewmanycreationsny.com/patterns.html">Sew Many Creations</a> to quilt her pattern samples! She was my very first long arm client, and I owe her so much for having faith in me!</div>
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This pattern, Upstate, fits in really well in the Adirondacks! It wasn't my usual style of quilting, but I find that those are the most fun to quilt. It really stretches my imagination to work on projects like this, and I really love how it turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15164477248" title="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15164477248_c984aab545_o.jpg" width="428" /></a> </div>
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The pattern alternations tree blocks and solid blocks - in this sample, Jessica used a really fun batik argyle in her solid blocks. For the argyle blocks I simply quilted straight lines following the fabric pattern.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15164537967" title="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3928/15164537967_c043dbf713_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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I had so much fun with the tree blocks! The trees have swoopy branches with a woodgrain trunk and swirly lines in the background. The background batik reminded me a lot of falling snow!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15164537607" title="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/15164537607_39178df4f1_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15164477768" title="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/15164477768_55961c8be5_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15164355030" title="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Upstate Quilt - Long Arm Quilted for Sew Many Creations" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15164355030_bfdb1e234b_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I forgot to take pics of the borders! I quilted a swirl in the thinner green borders and used more straight lines in the argyle border.</div>
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Thanks for letting me quilt for you, Jess!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-23929950928311381962014-09-17T16:41:00.003-04:002014-09-17T16:41:48.154-04:00Star Quilt for Stitch<div style="text-align: center;">
I met Tami, the owner of <a href="http://stitchdsm.com/">Stitch</a>, when I was at Quilt Market in Pittsburgh this spring. She is so sweet, and I could tell right away that she had a fun modern shop. If you're in the Des Moines area, be sure to check out the shop! I only wish the shop had been open years ago when I would drive through Des Moines to visit my sister in Ames!</div>
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Tami sent me this cute little quilt to be custom quilted. Her only request was that the quilting not be so dense that the quilt isn't soft and snuggly.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15248052286" title="Long Arming for Stitch by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Long Arming for Stitch" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5576/15248052286_2350e07723_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I swirled the dark grey background to give the quilt great texture without distracting from the fun piecing.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15084346280" title="Long Arming for Stitch by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Long Arming for Stitch" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/15084346280_5e1ee1baca_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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In the pieced borders I quilted straight lines about 1/4" apart that shifted with the angles of the improv piecing.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15084491337" title="Long Arming for Stitch by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Long Arming for Stitch" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/15084491337_c734f8ec10_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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And for the stars I quilted straight lines in the points and a simple flower in the centers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15271052155" title="Long Arming for Stitch by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Long Arming for Stitch" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3837/15271052155_de21cb8a2e_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's so fun to quilt for others, because I get to play with so many different styles of piecing! Thanks for having me quilt for you, Tami!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-50941893138371983012014-09-08T17:01:00.002-04:002014-09-08T17:01:28.100-04:00Quilts for Cloud 9<div style="text-align: center;">
I have two projects to share today! <a href="http://cloud9fabrics.com/">Cloud 9</a> contacted me to piece and quilt these projects for them, the first of which was done just before Spring Market. The second quilt was done earlier this summer. You may have seen peeks of these on my <a href="http://instagram.com/thegirlwhoquilts">Instagram</a>!</div>
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The FREE! pattern for this first quilt can be found <a href="http://145578867.r.lightningbase-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SpacedOutQuilt.pdf">here</a>. The fabric is available through JoAnn Fabrics, and is called Backyard Garden. The pattern was designed by Melanie Shortmas-Tuazon, and the fabric line was designed by Michelle Engel Bencsko.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14995763580" title="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5586/14995763580_527bfa4f5e_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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In the sample that I sewed up, the center shape is not pieced, but rather cut from a single print. This pattern sews up really quickly, and it's a great way to highlight some large scale prints!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14995853158" title="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3870/14995853158_a653480241_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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I worked on this quilt when I was still quite uneasy about quilting feathers. It's actually kind of fun to pull up these photos and see some of my older work!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14995668019" title="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3868/14995668019_b8792f6670_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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We were under a little bit of a deadline for this project, so tried to keep the quilting simple with some straight lines and easy feathers.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14995668349" title="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Backyard Garden Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/14995668349_1540e8dc32_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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You can see a brief <a href="http://cloud9fabrics.com/">Cloud 9</a> blog post on this project <a href="http://cloud9fabrics.com/make-sew-spaced-quilt-backyard-garden/">here</a>.</div>
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The second project is also a <a href="http://145578867.r.lightningbase-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Rhythm-Quilt.pdf">free pattern</a>! This fabric line and pattern were both designed by Michelle Engel Bencsko.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15179424601" title="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5564/15179424601_36e47192ce_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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This project also includes some feathers! So fun to see how much I've changed and learned. I really like the design that the feather arcs create - it reminds me of a butterfly.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15159414106" title="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/15159414106_05747e2713_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The straight lines create such great texture! Sometimes I have to remind myself to use something else for a background fill!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14995857298" title="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9 by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Rhythm Quilt for Cloud 9" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14995857298_45d813d397_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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It was really fun to work with Cloud 9 on these projects!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-61234177283791676782014-09-04T11:29:00.001-04:002014-09-04T11:29:46.020-04:00The DNA Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">
We are two weeks into the school year, and I'm trying my best to keep a more regular work schedule. Along with that, I have a goal of blogging at least once a week! I have a huge backlog of projects of my own to share, along with some long arm work that I did for others.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14951071367" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/14951071367_a135415865_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made this quilt this spring when I had a little lull in my schedule. I started with a stack of 10" squares, and initially just sewed them together into a giant patchwork top. There was no sparkle to the quilt top, though, probably because all of the prints are a medium tone. I didn't want to give up on these great colors, though, so I cut into my quilt top and inserted black strips of varying widths. I used a black batik, which is so wonderfully dark. The black seemed to do the trick, because now the colors really pop!</div>
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With the black strips inserted among the bright colors, the quilt reminds me a bit of <a href="http://www.bluesci.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DNA-gel.jpg">DNA running through a gel</a>. :) </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15137617315" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3853/15137617315_2c91a11d4a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the quilting, I quilted swirly "mermaid hair", as I like to call it, in the brightly colored sections. And in the black strips I quilted curved lines. Batiks can feel a bit stiff sometimes, so I wanted to keep the quilting soft.
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14951071057" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5566/14951071057_c46a95a434_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The binding is a orange batik in a fun zig zag print!</div>
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For the back I used several batiks that I had on hand.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/15137238122" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5587/15137238122_890e093e61_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The quilting is really visible on the black print in the back! I love the aqua thread against the black.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14951069647" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/14951069647_07e480911b_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14950957840" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14950957840_23168b442d_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Quilt stats:</div>
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Name: DNA Quilt</div>
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Fabrics: Hoffman Batiks</div>
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Size: 54" x 67"</div>
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I'm listing this one on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/202322635/bright-modern-lap-quilt">Etsy</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14951064988" title="DNA Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="DNA Quilt" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/14951064988_82edb8e575_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-17281832226810373472014-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:002014-08-29T07:00:01.389-04:00Pillow Tutorial!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hop over to the <a href="http://sewinlovewithfabric.blogspot.com/">Benartex blog</a> today where I'm sharing a tutorial for this fun pillow!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14870318579" title="Tile Pillow Tutorial for Benartex by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Tile Pillow Tutorial for Benartex" height="400" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/14870318579_e5cdd5838e_o.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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There's a chance to win a fat quarter bundle as well!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-27901722795730000932014-06-29T00:26:00.002-04:002014-06-29T00:26:37.614-04:00Memory Quilt Custom<div style="text-align: center;">
Matt's cousin contacted me a few months ago regarding a custom. She had a bridesmaid dress from a friend's wedding, and now the friend was having a baby. She found an idea on Pinterest and wanted a baby quilt made from the dress she wore in the wedding.</div>
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I must admit, I've seen these quilts and they aren't really my style. But it was a small, simple project, so I figured I would challenge myself.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14527874821" title="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/14527874821_b35d755d17_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I knew that I wanted to add quilting cotton to the mix, and she mentioned that the dress was blue. I pulled some fabrics, but WOW was I surprised at how the very bright blue color of the dress! I added and subtracted fabrics until I had a nice mix of greys to go with the blue.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14508152506" title="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14508152506_49730cbe4d_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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For the quilt design, I was looking for something simple. I decided on isosceles triangles, so I picked up a few new rulers and chopped up my fabrics! The dress was short, so there wasn't very much usable fabric. I cut as many triangles as I could, and then I pieced the blue and greys randomly. Nothing planned, just grab some pieces and stitch them together!</div>
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I quilted the piece with a simple swirly meander. I wanted to keep the layers from shifting around, but also keep the quilt soft.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14344686428" title="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/14344686428_1e0980347c_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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For the backing I chose 2 fun prints - the kite print is also in the quilt top and I like that it brings a bit of red and purple into the design. The binding is a brighter blue, one of my <a href="http://www.erinmc.com/Products/Fabric/index.php?c=Astrid">favorite prints</a>! I remember being unsure of the brighter blue, but as soon as the quilt was finished I LOVED it.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14344685368" title="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3901/14344685368_b5f66bfb08_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14344799217" title="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Memory Quilt from Bridesmaid Dress" height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/14344799217_951afd534a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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In the end, I actually love this entire quilt. The blue color really pops, and the shine of the satin is a fun touch. I've heard that the mom absolutely loves it, and Matt's cousin was really happy with what I created for her friend.</div>
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Notes:</div>
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*If I remember correctly, quilt finished at about 36" x 42".</div>
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*I did not stabilize the satin. It was very easy to work with, and had very little fraying!</div>
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*Because of the bulk of the satin, I pressed all seams to the cotton fabric. Ironing did not damage the satin, but I tried to iron only on the cotton and barely touch the seams to flatten them a bit.</div>
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*I used the same needles and thread in my long arm that I would have used if the quilt had been all cotton.</div>
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*I used Quilter's Dream Poly batting in Select loft.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-59979240236808524252014-05-03T21:43:00.000-04:002014-05-03T21:43:40.587-04:00Projects from my patterns!<div style="text-align: center;">
Over the last few months I've sewn up a few different projects using my patterns. Some of these are from classes that I taught locally, and some are samples for local shops!</div>
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First up, some pillows!</div>
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The original pillows that I made for my <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2014/01/gathering-place-pillow-pattern-now.html">Gathering Place pattern</a> were done in a Christmas print:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14120472613" title="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows" height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7457/14120472613_7585563b7d_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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For one pillow I gathered the side panel and created a scalloped edge:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13913802418" title="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7295/13913802418_a1a722c141_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On the other pillow I did some pintucking on the side panel and a zig zag edge:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14097296602" title="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Christmas Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7429/14097296602_8d89912e36_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Click over to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/">my flickr stream</a> for more photos.</div>
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Next I created a set of pillows in batik. These are samples in a local shop:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14077313776" title="Batik Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Batik Gathering Place Pillows" height="510" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5079/14077313776_ea53ccea40_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On this pillow I combined a gathered side panel and a curved edge. I let the batik print dictate the curve on this one:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14100422645" title="Batik Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Batik Gathering Place Pillows" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/14100422645_7bbf602c1a_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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This is probably me favorite of them all! For this pillow I combined</div>
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the pintucked side panel and a zig zag edge:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14120501413" title="Batik Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Batik Gathering Place Pillows" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/14120501413_3870d3f2fa_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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I quilted the backs with straight lines. It goes so well with both of these batiks!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13913811650" title="Batik Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Batik Gathering Place Pillows" height="640" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/13913811650_15152432d8_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last of the pillows is this Halloween set. I used these to teach a local class last fall:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14100471585" title="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/14100471585_3de10e3ddf_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I wanted to have a little fun with these, so I tried to create a "monster teeth" edge on this pillow, combined with a pintucked side panel:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14097254701" title="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2935/14097254701_751a807ca8_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On the second pillow I created a small, tight zig zag with a gathered side panel:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14100471045" title="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/14100471045_eab9f158d9_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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On the pillow backs I combined straight line quilting with a few lines of zig zag stitch. It adds a fun touch, I think!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13913859410" title="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Halloween Gathering Place Pillows" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/13913859410_c3fe653b21_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The other pattern that I used recently is the <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/2014/02/hexie-chains-quilt-pattern.html">Hexie Chains quilt pattern</a>. I love this pattern, for so many reasons! It sews up really quickly, is a great way to use some prints in larger chunks, and is really fun to quilt! I used a layer cake for this quilt - the pattern calls for 44 hexagons, so I had to cut an extra 2 from a fat quarter. The background is Essex yarn dyed linen - it was SO easy to work with, even with all of the bias edges!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14120595233" title="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5487/14120595233_e04726d71f_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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On the back I used a bunch of prints from my stash:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13913866177" title="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/13913866177_261d72834b_o.jpg" width="428" /></a>
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In the linen background areas I quilted simple wavy lines and in each hexagon I quilted a different design:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13913923428" title="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/13913923428_1471b87c3f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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For the thin blue border I went with a simple zig zag for the quilting:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/14100937264" title="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Hexie Chains Quilt in Blueberry Park" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/14100937264_4795a3970c_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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If you've sewn something from any of my patterns or tutorials, I would love to see it! I'd like to write a post featuring all of your projects! The fastest way to reach me is by email (Quiltygirl AT gmail DOT com), so feel free to send over a few pictures of your projects!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-3286651982055172992014-04-23T14:15:00.000-04:002014-04-23T14:20:48.817-04:00Paper Lanterns Quilt - New Pattern!<div style="text-align: center;">
I have a new pattern to share! I designed this quilt top using a jelly roll (or 40 strips measuring 2 1/2" wide x width of fabric) and 2 1/4 yards of one other fabric, for the background. It's a great project to use up precuts in your stash, or quickly grab a few things at the store for a fast project! I find that after a few weeks of more complex projects, it's nice to work on something simple for a bit.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13981194292" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/13981194292_3a7dfdf454_o.jpg" width="461" /></a></div>
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The chains of paper lanterns provide really great space to practice different quilting designs! I couldn't decide on a thread color, so I used a green and a blue, alternating between rows. In the background I quilted some simple circles with black thread.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13981197372" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5088/13981197372_6928c0b084_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13981196872" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/13981196872_1b1ce6504c_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13961293116" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2921/13961293116_978e7f1fb9_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13981224911" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="428" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2902/13981224911_d0f3d42c01_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The thread really stands out on the black backing fabric!
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Finishing at 48" x 60", this is a great pattern for a baby quilt, a small lap quilt, or a wall hanging. I may hang this quilt in my new studio after we move!
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13961294646" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7386/13961294646_8d77a2dda1_o.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The pattern is now available on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/185006696/instant-download-pdf-quilt-pattern-48-x?">Etsy</a> and <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/paper-lanterns-quilt-pattern/91821">Craftsy</a>!
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13981195572" title="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Paper Lanterns Quilt in batiks" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/13981195572_6bf29029f0_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-53886431355483440632014-04-03T01:09:00.000-04:002014-04-03T01:09:22.728-04:00Kyle's Quilt<div style="text-align: center;">
I have (virtual) stacks of photos to share, and hopefully I'll make time to do that soon! For now, I have a simple, but special, quilt to share.</div>
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You may remember the pillows that I made for some close friends two Christmases ago. Our friends include my husband's ex-coworker, his wife, and their two sons. One of the sons lives in Chicago now, and the other (Kyle) was living here. In the two years since we moved to New York state, we've grown really close to these friends. Addy loves spending time with them, and she especially loves seeing Kyle. He teases her and tosses her around like an uncle, and he is so patient with her!</div>
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We knew that Kyle was looking to leave the area, but we were still quite shocked to learn that he was taking a job outside of Salt Lake City, Utah! I wanted to make Kyle a quilt, but somehow his move date snuck up on me. When I realized that I only have a few days to make his quilt, I had to decide if I wanted to sew it up quickly or mail it off to him later. I decided to whip up something before he left, because I wanted to be able to give it to him in person. It also helped to keep the design simple, which suits him well!</div>
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I choose mostly batiks for this quilt, with a few prints thrown into the mix. My local shop has such a fun selection of batiks, and they have a bit of an Asian feel to them, which is perfect for Kyle. I started with a grey and cream feather print, because I remember Kyle telling me that feathers are significant in Japanese culture. (I'm pretty sure he told me that they symbolize good luck, although googling didn't turn up much. I'll continue to think that, though, as it fits the quilt well!) I paired the creams and greys with a few different shades of blue.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13595314565" title="Kyle's Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kyle's Quilt" height="334" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/13595314565_1ebf8aeda8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I really like to use rectangular blocks when I can. It's such a nice break from squares!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13595686704" title="Kyle's Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kyle's Quilt" height="334" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5016/13595686704_e08b2ee2b5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I quilted an all over square design, which I think works well with the simple piecing. It was really fun to quilt an all over design for a change, and it quilted up so fast!</div>
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Here's the feather batik that I began with:</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13595686134" title="Kyle's Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kyle's Quilt" height="334" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7269/13595686134_2fca28afbc.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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On the back I used a mix of prints and some Essex linen (in denim):</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13595685434" title="Kyle's Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kyle's Quilt" height="334" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5195/13595685434_0d21ea8b7a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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I almost forgot to add a personal label. I didn't have the time to iron a scrap of fabric and hand stitch it to the back of the quilt, so I just wrote a short note on the backing fabric. I wrote this note right before snapping these pics, and shortly after that I was in my car to hand deliver the quilt!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/13595338443" title="Kyle's Quilt by Nikki Maroon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kyle's Quilt" height="334" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/13595338443_0c0e5815c2.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Kyle loved the quilt, as did his parents! I'm so glad that I finished it in time to hand it over in person. I know that he'll love it and use it, and think of us often. (And I may have another stack of fabrics all ready to create something for his parents....if only I could find that free time that I seem to have misplaced!)</div>
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On a personal note, our family is moving soon! We're excited to relocate to Pittsburgh sometime in the next few months. I'm sure the sewing will slow down during the move, so I hope to spend a bit of time sharing more on here! In the mean time, I post often on <a href="http://instagram.com/thegirlwhoquilts">instagram</a>. I hope to catch up with you over there!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-27551879801802415952014-03-14T09:00:00.000-04:002014-03-14T09:00:06.790-04:00English Rose Quilt Tutorial<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This tutorial was originally published on the <a href="http://sewinlovewithfabric.blogspot.com/">Benartex - Sew in Love with Fabric blog</a> on Wednesday, February 26th as part of a blog hop to create quilts for childrens' charities. Please feel free to use this tutorial for your donation and gift quilts!</i></div>
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Hi! I'm Nikki, and I blog over at <a href="http://www.thegirlwhoquilts.com/">The Girl Who Quilts</a>. I'm so excited to share a quilt tutorial today. I love to make charity quilts, so that makes this project especially fun for me!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782138773/player/4d5f040ce2" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Here are the great fabrics which Benartex provided me for this event. The collection is called English Rose, and it's a great combination of different prints.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="640" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782152923/player/87bda163ef" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="638"></iframe>
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These are the prints that I chose to use in my quilt:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782475804/player/36d5cf7551" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Here's what you will need to create this quilt:</div>
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4 - 5/8 yard cuts of coordinating fabric</div>
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1/2 to 1 yard of large scale print (I used a floral)</div>
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1/2 yard binding fabric</div>
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3 yards backing fabric</div>
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55" x 65" batting</div>
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Large batting scraps</div>
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Marking pen or pencil suitable to use on batting</div>
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Optional: Basting spray or glue stick to temporary hold the applique pieces</div>
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To begin, I cut 8 squares measuring 10" x 10" from each of the 4 coordinating prints.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782474624/player/75157a8e25" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Next I cut out 8 large floral motifs from my large scale prints. I left about a 1/4" edge around the floral motifs because I wanted the background fabric color in the floral print to frame the prints.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782151673/player/c48240dbb3" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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I am going to raw edge applique the floral pieces to one of my coordinating prints. To give them some dimension, I want to back them with batting. To cut the batting, lay each of the 8 floral motifs on the batting scraps and trace around the motifs one at a time.</div>
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I like to use a marker to trace on batting. This marker erases with ironing, but if you're using a marking pen that doesn't erase just be careful not to draw on the edges of the applique pieces.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782035435/player/72faa30a09" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Here you can see how I drew around my floral motifs:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782034605/player/1f56b6562c" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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All traced!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782033995/player/2c03af5d7b" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Now cut the batting *inside* the drawn line by 1/4" all the way around.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782148673/player/6a0c54796f" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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If you lay the batting over the wrong side of the applique piece, the applique piece should show around the edges by about 1/4", as shown here.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782147953/player/469c30f9df" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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<b>At this point, you can applique your floral pieces, or wait to do that during the quilting. To applique the floral pieces now:</b></div>
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Lay the floral motif on one of the 10" x 10" squares, layering the cut batting between the block and the floral motif, and stitch around about a 1/4" inside the cut edge. Feel free to use a walking foot or a free motion foot to do this step. (There are pictures of this below.)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="639" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782031425/player/a01901aa23" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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Once the piece is sewn down, you can stitch around the different elements of the motif. If you'd prefer, you can save this step for when you quilt the quilt. (See photos below.)</div>
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You can now stitch your blocks together into a 5 block x 6 block layout. You will have 2 - 10" x 10" squares left.</div>
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<b>If you'd rather applique the pieces during the quilting process, follow the instructions below:</b></div>
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I chose to wait to applique my floral pieces.</div>
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First, I stitched together my blocks in a 5 block x 6 block layout.</div>
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Next I pieced my backing and basted my top, backing, and batting.</div>
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Beginning in one corner of the quilt, I started to quilt an all-over loop design.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="428" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegirlwhoquilts/12782468304/player/7cb955bcd1" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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When I approached a square where I wanted to applique a floral piece, I placed the batting and fabric in place* and quilted my way to the edge of the applique. Rather than cut my threads, I sewed from the edge of the applique up to the edge of the floral design. Can you see the stitch line to the right of my quilting foot in this photo? That is how I transitioned from the background loop quilting to stitching down the applique!</div>
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*If you're worried about the applique shifting, try basting spray or a bit of glue stick to hold the piece in place.</div>
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Next I quilted around the entire piece, approximately 1/4" from the cut edge, holding it in place as I sewed around. No need to stitch perfectly along the print!</div>
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After quilting around the piece I outlined the individual flowers and leaves, plus added some quilting details. The double layer of batting really makes the quilting pop!</div>
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Continue to applique the pieces and quilt the rest of the quilt.</div>
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<b>If you appliqued the pieces onto the individual blocks above, you can now baste and quilt your quilt as desired. Adding quilting details to the appliqued pieces really makes them pop!</b></div>
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Now bind your quilt with your favorite method!</div>
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Before washing the quilt check the applique pieces for excess batting, as shown here:</div>
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If there are large pieces of batting like this, trim a bit of it away. Be careful not to cut through the applique or quilt, though! It's better to leave the excess batting than risk cutting too close. This is as close as I would try to trim:</div>
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Now wash and dry your quilt!</div>
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The applique edges should be soft and fluffy! Feel free to trim away any long threads. I also ironed the applique pieces to flatten the edges for this photo:</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I'm excited to send this quilt off to Benartex for donation to Quilts for Kids!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026306612881676022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3894219428285899945.post-22343725144154563332014-03-13T01:02:00.000-04:002014-03-13T01:02:36.476-04:00Craftsy Class Review!<div style="text-align: center;">
Have you tried out any of the great classes offered by <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/my/home?NAVIGATION_PAGE_CONTEXT_ATTR=NONE">Craftsy</a> yet? One of my local quilty friends, Mandy Leins of <a href="http://mandalei.com/">Mandalei Quilts</a>, recently filmed two great classes for Craftsy! Her first class, <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/a-new-look-at-longarm-quilting/466">A New Look at Long Arm Quilting</a>, is totally free, and it's a great intro into playing around with a long arm. A lot of the tips will work for free motion on a domestic machine as well! I definitely recommend viewing it - and hey, it's free!</div>
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Mandy recently had a second class pop up on Craftsy, this one is called <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/creative-longarm-quilting/465?_ct=sbqii-sqjuweho-dum&_ctp=3">Creative Long Arm Quilting</a>. I had the chance to view the class, and I wanted to share a little bit with you! First I'd like to point out that all of the ideas in the class can be achieved without a long arm. If you have a basic understanding of free motion quilting on a domestic machine, you can tackle all of these projects!</div>
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The class is split into 5 techniques, with 20-30 minutes of video for each of the techniques. Mandy provides great tips that she's learned in her quilting experiences, including how to avoid pitfalls and "fix" issues such as cutting fabric a bit too small. These little things can bring a project to a grinding halt if you're not prepared to deal with them, and Mandy's suggestions are always a unique and easy solution to keep your project moving forward!</div>
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My favorite project is the first technique, which uses freezer paper templates to create an abstract, raw edge quilt. Mandy shows how to create an entire throw quilt with the technique! There is a great combination of free-form piecing and quilting to give this project a lot of depth and texture. I can imagine really spectacular wall hangings made this way!</div>
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This project is absolutely doable with a domestic machine, and I think it's also a great project for many skill levels. It is very free form and forgiving for beginners, yet it is a new and different technique that many advanced quilters will enjoy. The project also gives many opportunities to practice new free motion styles!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qUq3IPOJPGc/UyE4jXP60rI/AAAAAAAABos/_FxGsQzLZcw/s1600/mandy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qUq3IPOJPGc/UyE4jXP60rI/AAAAAAAABos/_FxGsQzLZcw/s1600/mandy1.jpg" height="640" width="467" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to hear a bit more about Mandy and the projects in her class, hop over to <a href="http://www.quiltingismytherapy.com/2014/02/27/creative-longarm-quilting/">Quilting Is My Therapy</a> where Angela interviewed Mandy a few weeks ago! I hope you decide to give Mandy's classe a try, and if you do please share your finished projects with her. It's always so much fun to see!</div>
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