Gathering Fabrics for Project Quilting Challenge Two and Why I Share

Or should I say non quilting fabrics?

Here is an exert from the Challenge:  
"The front, back, borders, binding and embellishments should all be made from materials that have had a previous life as something else.Your project must include at least 2 materials that were never intended for use in a quilt or clothing."

Hop over and read Challenge Two -"Upcycled" --- Click Here and get all the details.

I started gathering up fabric items.  As I gathered up things I thought about what I could make. 

I have always wanted to make a texture quilt.

I gathered:
  

A yellow shammy cloth, an old fishing shirt, a dish towel, a fleece vest... 

... and ribbons, sew on patches and old logos from old shirts. I can't use the new ones only the ones that have had a previous life. But I don't know if I will use any of these, but I needed to have the visual thoughts in my mind for brainstorming.

I found a couple of Royal Crown bags.

I found a couple of old sweaters. These had a previous life, but they are clothing -- but I only have to have 2 that are not clothing or not for a quilt. 

I found lots of vintage kitchen items.  These are toaster or mixer-master and appliance covers.

This is cute little embroidered owl on a dishtowel. I could use that too. It is not clothing and it was not made for use in a quilt -- it's for drying dishes.  I could maybe look through my old tablecloths and linens.

Remember the rule: "The front, back, borders, binding and embellishments should all be made from materials that have had a previous life as something else.Your project must include at least 2 materials that were never intended for use in a quilt or clothing." (This is not the complete details of the challenge -- see link at the top of the post and at the bottom.)

Now I need to dream...

What other fabric/materials can I find for up cycling?

What kind of texture quilt do I want to make? 

a small one for my grandson, a lap size for an elderly person for comfort on their lap, or some kind of memory texture quilt.  The wheels are spinning.

Why do I share?

I share to inspire others to create.

When I share an idea or a quilt pattern or a quilting idea or quilting design on my long-arm quilting, I share it for you to make it or create it or do it too. You can make it exactly the same or make it similar or just be inspired by the ideas and create your own design.  I try to share my ideas for Project Quilting Challenges early in the week to inspire you to create a quilted project too.  You can make yours just like mine.  I would love that! 

Hop over and read Challenge Two -"Upcycled" --- Click Here and get all the details.

     Enjoy!
       Marcia

Show and Tell Saturday --- A Busy Week of Projects to Share!

During Project Quilting Season, I seem to get a ton of quilted projects finished.  Not just the six quilted projects.  I also finish up UFO's. During the off week, I straighten up things in my quilt room so I am ready for the next challenge. I am so inspired to sew and quilt that I just keep finishing projects one after another.

I found a small square quilted table topper/large hot pad, that I quilted about 8 years ago.  All it needed was binding.

My daughter and my Mom and I, together made a baby quilt for a friend of my daughter's and there was one block leftover and I quilted it - Yes --- 8 years ago! But I finished the binding this week!

The flip side.

Up Close to my quilting -- 8 years ago -- I was really into loops, hearts, stars, and swirls. It was a great whimsical overall quilting.

The fabric I used for the binding is a vintage feedsack fabric. I selected the zig zag embroidery stitching for the binding, that way it would be tight and secure making it more durable for using it and washing it.

These are some little bowls that my daughter bought when she was home the last time.  They did not fit in her suitcase.  I plan to pack them in my bag, when I go over to visit them.

I think she will like them with the little vintage looking table topper. Plus having a table topper from the fabrics as a memory of the baby quilt we made for her friend. I am sure she has fond memories of the three of us making the quilt together.  It was a Square in a Square Pattern.  I stitched, my Mom did the pressing and I taught my daughter how to use the ruler and the rotary cutter and she cut the pieces.  She had never used a rotary cutter before so the cuts where not accurate and it was an adventure for me trying to stitch pieces together, that were not lining up.  We did a lot of laughing that day!  Three generations working on one quilt! I will have to search for the photos of the baby quilt --- some day!

On Saturday, after I finished uploading the photos for Project Quilting of my Strings of Sunshine Table Topper, I made a table runner using the scraps.  Click here for the Sunday's Scraps post about the table runner I made from the scraps.

On Sunday afternoon, I set the table with the topper and the table runner.

My husband questioned, "Where's the food?"  He thinks, he is so funny, when he says this.  He knows the answer, "I quilt better than I cook!"

In November, I started a scrappy Blue Dresden Plate Block.  I only made the sections.

I found time this week to finish the block. 
I pressed the seams open to reduce a little bulk.

I gave it a good press with spray starch and turned under the raw edges in the center.

I did not worry if some of the seams didn't intersect evenly.  It's scrappy!

I love it! Looks great on the dinning room table --- just like that.

Then I placed it on my quilted tablecloth. Love it against the blue too!

I will use this block in my blue quilt from last year's "My Favorite Block Quilt Along". There is a link in the sidebar to my Blue Quilt Posts. I added two photos as some of the blocks aren't in this one. See the next one too.

I think my Blue Scrappy Dresden Plate Block will be a perfect addition to this quilt. When will I finish this quilt?  Who knows?  I may make a few more blocks!

I do like the Dresden Plate Block on my quilted table cloth.  I definitely need to use a blue background fabric for it.

And last but not least, I finished my 37 Sunflower Star Blocks for a facebook Quilt Block Swap.

I had a year to make them.  I started them last year and worked on the parts of the star points. Each section has three parts and there are 8 sections. That's 24 pieces for the star points. I stitched them free form and then each section had to be squared up. Originally, I was going to have a pieced center block. It had about 40 tiny rectangles.  They were taking too long. I decided to switch it to a print fabric and I love it.   

They are all squared up and ready to mail.

I have been dragging my feet on sharing a tutorial for the block, as it is "free form" block.  I need to figure out how to explain the "how to"!  Because it is free form it can be made any size that you would like.  I made some of the blocks 10 1/2" and some of them 12 1/2" and some of them 12". I have lots of photos of the process. I may just do an all photo tutorial with only a few words.

How does that sound? Any ideas?

That is what I accomplished during my free time this week - before and after work - in small segments of time. Sometimes only 15 minutes and other times an hour or so.

Enjoy your weekend!
Marcia

Getting Up Close to My Quilting --- Two Color Ribbon Quilting with Tropical Flowers

I have found that I need more information for you - my readers. I am starting to gather more information, before I share my posts about "Getting Up Close with My Quilting".

For example: 
The quilt pattern and where you can get it.   
Did my customer redesign the original pattern for their quilt. 
Or did my customer create the quilt pattern.
If the fabric is unusual, I may need to gather that information too.
If it is vintage, how old is it?
and the list goes on....

Today's quilt was inspired by a quilt my customer saw that Tula Pink designed. She made it fit the fabrics she had gathered from over the years.
  

I emailed my customer for more information as this is a really COOL quilt design and I knew I would have lots of questions. 

My Customer replied: 

"The quilt was made up from orphaned fabrics that just seemed to go with a little triangle head scarf my mother bought me while I visited the Key West print block fabric shop when I was in second grade.  I must have been bothering her for another, so she swooped up the orange print from a scrap bin.  Thus the inspiration.  The design of the quilt is a rendition of one Tula Pink had done.  

I just love the colors!"

My customer is talking about the two larger pieces of fabric in the center.  This will make a wonderful memory quilt from her trip with her Mother.  She added the label from the scarf to the quilt.

To add some interest to the backside of the quilt, she added a center stripe. Personally, I love pieced backs.  It gives you a cool flip side of the quilt.

Tula Pink's quilter uses a double batting.  It makes the quilting really stand out. My customer asked me to use a double batting for her quilt.  I have tried a couple different combinations and have found that an 80/20 batting on the bottom and a poly on the top works the best.

I used three thread colors for the quilting.  Yellow and a Lite Orange for the Two Color Ribbon Quilting and the Tropical Flowers. And a Bright Green for the border and for quilting on the large green ric rac.

This is getting really close to my quilting!

I also offer a service to my quilting customers of an all machine embroidery stitched binding.  My customer selected a green fabric for the binding.

She stitched (basted) her ric rac on with a lite colored thread, which she will pull out now that the quilting is completed.

The green binding looks great with the green ric rac!

I selected a zig zag embroidery stitching for this quilt, as it echos the ric rac design.

When my customer received her quilt, it is was all complete and ready to use.  She will be hanging it on the wall in her quilting room, where she can enjoy it's beauty and memory everyday.

Enjoy!

Marcia