Category Archives: Modern Quilting

Last Quilt of 2018

Posted on December 23, 2018 by heARTs Creations

Taking a break until 2019 is in order but I want to first share my final finish of 2019. I had many 2 1/2 inch strips of Kaffe fabric. Some were from a design roll and some from another project. Never have I ever done a Jelly Roll Race quilt so I thought that might be fun. However, after separating the light and darks, I decided on something a bit more dramatic.

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Matching the diagonal strips was a bit challenging, but once I figured out the method, it wasn’t too bad. I really like the look and best of all, the cutting was already done!

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I quilted straight lines and decided to do circles in three places. I began to machine stitch those but noticed that they weren’t showing up very well. I took the circle machine stitching out, found some hand quilting thread (a heavier thread) in my stash, and big-stitched by hand. I did a lot of the hand stitching while at a sewing get-away. I found it so relaxing. Best of all, I love the look!

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And now for my round-up for 2018. On my monthly Project Progress Listing, I usually list only those projects that I’m currently working on. My goal has been to reduce my Works in Progress (projects already begun). I’ve done the complete listing here and am so pleased to be at seventeen. It is still a lot and because my goal is to get it to five, I still have a ways to go. Several are almost done – just need quilting. I’m doing more of my own quilting, so they won’t get finished as quickly as I’d like, but I strongly plan to get to my goal this year! (AND 17 completed and donated Hospice quilts)

WIPS 2018

Thank you to all my followers and visitors to my creative journey this past year. Your comments are always so uplifting. I appreciate all of you so much. May you and yours have the best New Year ever!

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On the Design Wall

Posted on November 28, 2018 by heARTs Creations

Finally I have something on one of my design walls! I’ve already eliminated a couple of blocks that just didn’t “fit.” Yes, it is all Kaffe fabrics. AND – all from my Kaffe scrap bin! (Not that the bin appears to be any less full.)

This is from Kathy Doughty’s book, “Making Quilts”. I started this one out as planned color, with each round being a particular color. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really working for me and am now putting it up as scrappy. I see that I have a lot of rearranging to do, but I need to walk away from it for awhile. I’d like to have it all set to sew together this weekend when I go away to sew with a few friends – we’ll see.

I’ve done quite a few quilts now with Kaffe fabrics. They are on the top of my favorite list, but am ready to something very different next time I allow myself to begin a new project.

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Posted in block pattern, Color, Design Wall, Fabric, Kaffe Fasset, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilting and tagged projects, Quilting, Scraps. Bookmark the permalink.

The Fabric Made Me Do It – Again!

Posted on October 15, 2018 by heARTs Creations

Keep Calm Squirrel[1] Remember my rant about reducing my WIPs? Huh – guess I lied! How weak am I when I begin to look through my fabrics. Maybe I can justify this one, though – it’s a leader ender to have on hand at upcoming retreats. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! This also puts me as a member in good standing in the Squirrel Club!

I was going through my scrap bin of Kaffe fabrics which was filled to the brim with beautiful, colorful prints. I saw a quilt online recently that’s done with all half square triangles AND I have the perfect gray and white “splotchy” fabric to use as the neutral. Leaders and enders – a good way to double sewing production, so I began to cut triangles on the Big Kick and voila! Another WIP!

Now, do I really want to wait for retreat in a few weeks? No, I really want to begin it now, so I quickly packed the project away with all the other retreat goodness. I can still hear it calling me, but hopefully it will die down soon!

And here it all is – snuggled in a project box waiting for retreat.

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Do tell, I’m sure I’m not the only one who breaks quilting and sewing promises to oneself!

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Posted in Art, Color, Fabric, Kaffe Fasset, Modern Quilting, Projects, Quilting, Quilting Retreat and tagged Color, projects, Quilting, Retreats, Scraps. Bookmark the permalink.

Paper Piecing Fun

Posted on October 7, 2018 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik Adventure

Needle, Paper, Scissors (Large) Paper Piecing – I have done quite a bit of it, enjoy it, but was not up for a big project for the Island Batik October project. My answer? A pin cushion! The pattern: Turning Points by Hunter’s Design Studio. I chose to do the mug rug size rather than the actual pin cushion size. That was just a little too teenie for me!

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A deep green was chosen for the base and picking out pretty colors for the little flying geese was fun! See them colorfully flying in a circle?!

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I would sew a couple of sections, then take a break and do some handwork. I really love the end result and I am keeping it for myself! Who couldn’t use another pin cushion?!

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And yes, I do already have a few.

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My thanks to Island Batik for the beautiful fabrics and Aurifil thread used for putting this fun project together.

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Posted in Art, block pattern, Color, Fabric, Island Batiks, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilting and tagged Color, Paper Piecing, Pin Cushions, projects, Quilting, Sewing. Bookmark the permalink.

Squirrel! Club

Posted on September 16, 2018 by heARTs Creations

Squirrel

It was not difficult at all for me to become an official member of the Squirrel Club for quilters started by Julie at Me and My Quilts. I was not, definitely not starting another project until I’d completed many of my Works in Progress. Well….the other day, anticipating the possibility of Florence taking down our electric, two friends and I sewed all morning to complete the table runner project for a church I told you about here. I loved the group effort – lots of talking, laughing and we were very industrious and finished the project! Unfortunately, I have no pics – guess I was too focused on the job at hand, but the topper below is my fave.

For some reason, whenever I complete a sizeable project, I find myself floundering, unable to get into something else. The cure? Cut out a new project! (Yup – squirrel – not starting a new project!) I’ve loved this pattern by Kathy Dougherty for a very long time. I already collected all my Kaffe fabrics for it and my “neutral.” I even had an acrylic template cut! You guessed it – I’m getting all the cutting done. This will be a perfect project for retreat in November. I classify it as “mindless sewing.”

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Then I saw this on Em’s Scrapbag. I’m eyeing my scrap bins and my Big Kick Pro cutting machine. So tempting! If not today, I know it will be very, very soon.

And then strips to make some rope bowls. Those won’t take very long, right? I can certainly justify that!

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The good news is that Florence behaved her self when she came through our area. Light winds and much needed rain is all we’ve experienced. I hope all my readers are safe and my heart and prayers go out to all who experienced the negatives of this hurricane.

How about you – – – do you qualify for the Squirrel club?

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Posted in block pattern, Color, Fabric, Kaffe Fasset, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilting and tagged Color, Patterns, projects, Quilting. Bookmark the permalink.

Love the Birds – Great Outdoors Blog Hop and Giveaway

Posted on September 4, 2018 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik Adventure

“The Great Outdoors” – what a broad subject! Hubby and I do love the great outdoors. we walk, hike, bike ride, and kayak. The heat of the summer, however, doesn’t agree with us for such activities and we do spend a great deal of time on our screened porch enjoying the great outdoors of our yard. We have lots of plantings, live among the trees and have a LOT of birdhouses. Several bird couples have moved in at different times this season, had babies and have now relocated. Several bird feeders and a bird bath keep the winged activity going quite strong. We even have owls and hawks – oh my! My decision for this challenge was made when I went through my pattern bin (yes, a bin full of patterns!) and revisited this cute birdhouse and bird wall quilt design, Remembering Annabelle by Bloom Creek.

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The collection of batiks that Island Batik provided for this project is Whatnot. Such amazing fun colors to work with!

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I did not follow the pattern exactly. I added the suns in each of the corners. I thought the black and white checked border really helped to set off the whole design.

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The center of the pattern had words. I chose, instead to add a butterfly. At that point I was not wanting to do any more applique, so I cut a square, starched it heavily and found an origami tutorial for folding a butterfly. It worked! The first one was too large for the center, so I perched him in one corner and did a second, smaller one to add to the center.

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The end of this fun and talent packed blog hop comes to an end today. There’s still time to visit the other blogs, enter their giveaways and to enter the Island Batik giveaway below. Now for heARTs Creations giveaway! – 1 fat quarter and 7 fat eighths. All you need do is leave a comment telling me what you like about the Great Outdoors. Please note, I will need to contact the randomly chosen winner by email and this giveaway is for US addresses only. Winner will be announced Sunday, September 9.

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Monday, August 6 – All A Flutter – Yellow Cat Quilt Designs, Creative Blonde

Tuesday, August 7 – Birds N’ Bees – Ark Angel Creations, Patterns By Jen

Wednesday, August 8 – Canterbury Manor – Sally Manke, Powered By Quilting

Thursday, August 9 – Eclectic Garden – Desert Bloom Quilting, Sew Karen-ly Created

Friday, August 10 – Vintage Morris – MooseStash Quilting, Devoted Quilter

Monday, August 13 – Safari – Sew Incredibly Crazy, SweetGrass Designs

Tuesday, August 14 – Spring Blossoms – Mary Mack Made Mine, If These Threads Could Talk

Wednesday, August 15 – Victoria and Albert – Bejeweled Quilts, Clever Chameleon

Thursday, August 16 – Wild Things – Freemotion By The River, Kauffman Designs

Friday, August 17 – Petting Zoo – Den Syende Himmel, Sarah Goer Quilts

Monday, August 20 – Ocean Odyssey – Gateway Quilts, The Quilt Rambler

Tuesday, August 21 – British Rose – Busy Hands Quilts, Mania for Quilts

Wednesday, August 22 – Dear William – The Inquiring Quilter, MMM Quilts, Living Water Quilter

Thursday, August 23 – Dragonfly Dreams – Inchworm Fabrics, BeaQuilter

Friday, August 24 – Fur-ocious Friends – Quilting Affection Designs, Dizzy Quilter

Monday, August 27 – Globetrotter – Pamela Quilts, Curliecue Creations

Tuesday, August 28 – Jungle Cruise – Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting, Little Bunny Quilts

Wednesday, August 29 – Lavendula – Carole Lyles Shaw, Masterpiece Quilting

Thursday, August 30 – London Calling – Quilt in a Not-Shell, Lizard Creek Quilting

Friday, August 31 – Spirit Rhythm – Steph Jacobson, Whispers of Yore

Monday, September 3 – Sweet Tweets – Kathleen McMusing, Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Tuesday, September 4 – Whatnot – heARTS Creations, Me!; Slice of Pi Quilts

Linking up with WIPS on Wednesdays, Needle & Thread Thursday

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Posted in Applique, Art, Blog Hop, Color, Fabric, Give Away, Hexagons, Island Batiks, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting and tagged Color, Patterns, projects, Quilting. Bookmark the permalink.

A WOW Finish!

Posted on August 19, 2018 by heARTs Creations

Hooray! Another Hospice finish. This fabulous quilt top was pieced and donated by Beverly. Yes, you’ve seen her generosity here before. The fabrics are so cheerful and are sure to bring cheer to a Hospice patient.

The expert quilting was done by Judy of Goneaway Quilting. She chose the perfect pattern for this quilt!

To finish it off, I did the binding (didn’t I get off easy?!) This quilt makes eleven ready for donation in November! There are several more flimsies to be quilted and bound – here’s hoping I’ll be showing another soon!