Tag Archives: Quilts

Baby Bear Baby Quilt

Posted on July 17, 2017 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik Ambassador Adventure

Mountain Bear 1 (Medium)

Our Ambassador challenge for July: Baby and Crib quilts. Wonderful timing as there is a family I know expecting a baby and of course I wanted to make a quilt. I decided to go with a mountain theme, “baby bear,” and picked out some great tan, brown and green Island Batiks. The piecing was done using Aurofil Thread and for the quilting I used two Superior Threads’ Fantastico, both variegated. They absolutely quilt like a dream!

Baby quilt fabrics (Medium)

Oh Baby! Crib Quilts This was not looking like your typical baby quilt with bright primary colors or batiks, but I really liked the idea of keeping the mountain theme in the quilt. The body was all half-square triangles with the center being framed. The bear and pine tree are appliqued.

This was a fun and fairly quick project and best of all, I have a gift done long before the new arrival!

Be sure to check out all the Island Batik Ambassador creative projects. #islandbatiks

Mountain Bear 2 (Medium)

Linking up with Em’s Scrapbag

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Posted in Applique, Art, Color, Fabric, Island Batiks, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting and tagged Patterns, projects, Quilting, Quilts, Thread. Bookmark the permalink.

Beyond Amazing – A Creative & Peaceful Week!

Posted on June 28, 2017 by heARTs Creations

Last week was my residency – a truly remarkable gift. I had a beautiful cabin all to myself from Monday to Monday. Now, I love to vacation and I love to go to retreats, but this was just something else. The days floated. I was afraid they were going to go by lightening speed! There was both a serenity and creative energy in the cabin. No internet – need I say more? There was a full kitchen, although three meals a day were available to me on the main campus. Each evening another resident and I hiked the 1/2 mile up a mountain trail to dinner and I did take advantage of two lunches. The food was fresh, healthy and wonderful! Residents sit at the staff table and the staff are truly the best. They are friendly, kind, helpful, and very interesting.

Looking up the drive from the front doorway.

The front of “MY” cabin.

View of the interior from the front entrance. It’s a one room, bed to the left beside dresser divider. This made for a wonderful quilting studio!

Beautiful spot to sit and create.

Such a handy table made by the previous manager.

For the first couple of days I concentrated on quilt tops for Hospice patients. They are not complicated, are made from donated fabrics and it was fun sewing, especially knowing that they will be going to someone for comfort during a difficult time.

The strip quilt needs one more vertical row. I ran out of the paper foundation and have two more blocks to piece. The task at hand now, of course, is the quilting. Perhaps by the time I finish these and four more that are already made and also ready to be quilted, I’ll see some improvement and better comfort level in my machine quilting! (One can only hope!!)

62D02FE4-BCF6-4EB8-89BB-815EF6CB6164 (Medium)

1657601D-5DE6-419B-8647-4978C1EB2D2E (Medium)

5560B000-BF75-4F33-9903-5AF219ECA650 (Medium)

Morning coffee and cereal on the porch – a most delightful setting. So peaceful. Cool temperatures. Just up the road a bit was a bench – a lovely spot for relaxation and reflection. Some of the views while walking down the road were breathtaking.

Lucky me! I am just so appreciative of this very, very, special time!

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Posted in Art, block pattern, Color, Fabric, Projects, Quilting and tagged Charity, Color, projects, Quilting, Quilts. Bookmark the permalink.

Charity Quilting Update

Posted on May 24, 2017 by heARTs Creations

A while back I entered the Hands to Help Charity Quilt Challenge at Addictions of a Fabric Addict created by Sarah. Thank you Sarah for this opportunity and for pulling the quilting community together for several worthy causes! I’ve actually had the quilt done for some time, but this deadline got away from me a bit. The Spring Retreat and upcoming quilt show for my guild has gotten me off kilter a bit, but I am determined to get back on track.

16-patch-iii-heartscreations-medium

It is amazing how quilters swarm to such worthy charitable causes. I am sending this colorful quilt to Happy Chemo.

I spent some time recently going through a few bins in my fabric closet. You know the ones that should be labeled “what the heck is in here anyway?”! I found a few leftover batik rectangles from a quilt I made years ago. My first impulse was to throw them into the box I was donating to my guild’s quilt show. Luckily I put them on the design wall first. Behold! A table topper. Each year my guild donates table runners and table toppers to Habitat for Humanity. They in turn give one to each new home owner. Such a nice way to help dress up a new home!

IMG_1740 (Medium) I did spiral quilting which is just so easy and quick on a small piece. Funny, whenever I do a spiral on a large piece I have to stop a few times because I get motion sickness!

IMG_1742 (Medium)

There are several more charity quilts that I need to bind, a few tops to quilt and several blocks to be pieced together. I made this my focus this year and so far I am excited to be headed in the right direction.

Linking up with WIPS on Wednesdays, Let’s Bee Social, Em’s Scrapbag

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Posted in Art, Color, Fabric, Projects and tagged challenge, Charity, projects, Quilting, Quilts. Bookmark the permalink.

Modern Batik Challenge

Posted on May 21, 2017 by heARTs Creations

An Island Batik Ambassador Adventure

For May, we were challenged with a Modern Batik quilt. My first choice was to do a small wall hanging – I find those a little easier for modern than a larger quilt, but then I decided it was time to break out of the mold and go bold so I chose to do a small lap quilt.

Modern Batik

I went through all my yummy Island Batiks and chose blues and greens, various neutrals for the top portion and a neutral for the section out of the main square. I love this color palette and doesn’t that make sewing them together that much more fun? This quilt is made up of all five inch squares set on point. I did do a pencil sketch, but somehow when the squares were on the design board, I was not happy. What to do? I had them all cut. Then a funny thing happened. I sat on the sofa on the other side of the room and looked over at the design wall and it appeared totally different than when I looked at it straight on! I liked it! Whew!!

Modern Batik

Lots of piecing and then straight line quilting. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know how many stitches are in the quilting? Then again…maybe not! I used Aurifil 2311 (neutral) for the piecing and Fantastico 5166 for the quilting – both a dream to work with.

Modern Batik 2

Be sure to check out all the Modern Batik creations by the Island Batik Ambassadors here.

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation, Silly Mama Quilts

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Posted in Art, block pattern, Color, Design Wall, Fabric, Island Batiks, Modern Quilting, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting and tagged challenge, Color, Patterns, projects, Quilting, Quilts, Thread. Bookmark the permalink.

March Saw Some Progress

Posted on April 2, 2017 by heARTs Creations

March Charity quilts hanging (Medium)

The sewing machine hasn’t exactly been humming this past March. I did complete projects and work on others, but my main concentration has been getting ready for the Spring retreat in May. I do love putting it all together, but it is time consuming.

Two Hospice quilts were finished. The one that is blue squares was really easy – the top was left in the room where the Hospice sewers get together to sew. All I needed to do was back it, quilt it and bind it. Done! I completed the lizard quilt top earlier and finally quilted and bound it. It’s such a good feeling to move a quilt top out of the closet!

March charity quilts backs (Medium)

The baby quilt was made with flannel and chenille and I backed it with a pretty flannel. I found a non-batik backing for the lizard quilt that I think compliments it well.

March charity quilts (Medium)

I may not see any finishes in May. Progress is what I am truly aiming for!

March Progress listing

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Posted in block pattern, Color, Fabric, Pattern, Projects and tagged Charity, projects, Quilting, Quilts. Bookmark the permalink.

Too Ambitious? I Hope Not!

Posted on March 18, 2017 by heARTs Creations

Last week I got some great news – I was awarded a one week residency at Wild Acres Retreat Center. I will have a fully equipped cabin and my goal is to concentrate on charity quilts. To prepare for my time there, I have begun gathering fabrics and ideas. Over the next several weeks I will prepare several “quilt kits” so that I will have everything ready to just sit and sew all week! I will also be bringing two of my personal projects to work on.

And thanks to Sharon of Artistic Sharon Runs for information about the Hands2Help Charity Challenge hosted by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I have signed up for this challenge also.

Charity Quilt Tops (Medium)

The two charity quilts at the top of this posting are complete. The three quilts above are to be quilted. The one on the left was generously made by someone at the last Quilt & Sew-In Retreat, the center quilt is a flannel that was left anonymously at the church where a group gathers to sew charity quilts twice a month. And the quilt top on the right was one I purchased at one of my quilt guild’s auctions and needs quilting. Truthfully, the tops come easy for me. It’s the quilting that is a challenge. I quilt on my personal sewing machine and do not do it with ease. I am trying though, really trying!

Charity Quilt Kits (Medium) Above are a few “kits” I have prepared. One is all set for the next Quilt & Sew-In Retreat in May – each attendee has the option to do a block or more and enter a chance to win a great prize. It’s a great way to get yet another top complete! I’m well on my way to meet my goal this year and just hope I can keep the momentum going!!

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Posted in Color, Fabric and tagged Charity, Hospice, projects, Quilting, Quilts, Retreats. Bookmark the permalink.

Reach For The Sun

Posted on March 15, 2017 by heARTs Creations

ReachforSun heARTsCreations (Medium)

Sunflowers are one of my favorites. They are so big, sunny and cheerful. And in the midst of the beastly cold snap we’re experiencing in the NC Piedmont, they are a welcoming sight. I’d wanted to do this wall hanging for some time and started it about 4 or 5 years ago. Thought I’d never finish it! The background is various sunflower fabrics sewn together in uneven strips. It was then quilted and bound. I wanted the sunflowers to make a BIG statement so I decided to do a dimensional applique.

ReachforSun on bench heARTsCreations (Medium)

All the petals and leaves were sewn right sides together then turned. The stems were cut on the bias, machine sewn down on one side then hand stitched on the other. The petals were put in place and machine quilted.

Reach4Sun Center heARTsCreations (Medium)

The centers of the flowers were fun to construct. Three quarter inch strips were sewn together, cross cut, then sewn together again to make a checkerboard. This project was definitely consuming me at this point! There was no way the centers could be sewn down by machine – too thick. I chose brown pearl cotton and a hefty needle, but still could not easily sew. Pliers to the rescue! This turned into work and made my hand ache, so I attacked it little by little each evening.

Beaded Bee heARTsCreations (Medium) BeeinFlight 2 heARTsCreations (Medium)

The centers still needed something so I added some beads. Then hubby suggested that the quilt needed a bee. I just stared at him for a moment and then declared, “you are so right!” A few sketches later and a trip to the store for yellow and black beads, the bee was taking shape in my head. It took a whole evening to stitch that li’l critter and I love him! Thanks hubby! After I added the bee’s “flight pattern” it was definitely time to celebrate – “Reach For The Sun” was complete!

ReachforSun hanging heARTsCreations (Medium)

IMG_1581 (Medium)

The date on the label should be February 2017 – when I made the label and quilted it in, I was SO sure the quilt would be done last November!!

Linking up with Em’s Scrapbag, Let’s Bee Social, WIPS on Wednesdays, Super Mom No Cape and My Quilt Infatuation.

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Posted in Applique, Art, Color, Embroider, Fabric, garden, Projects and tagged Applique, Beads, Color, Embroidery, flowers, projects, Quilting, Quilts, UFOs. Bookmark the permalink.

heARTS Creations

Tag Archives: Quilts

Baby Bear Baby Quilt

Beyond Amazing – A Creative & Peaceful Week!

Lucky me! I am just so appreciative of this very, very, special time!

Charity Quilting Update

Modern Batik Challenge

March Saw Some Progress

Too Ambitious? I Hope Not!

Reach For The Sun

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