What a Wonderful World

I'm part of a group of 10 women that get together to sew monthly. The Erie St. Quilters. Last summer we decided to do a challenge based on the song sung by Louis Armstrong "What a Wonderful World"

We shared our finished quilts at our last meeting. 

The rule was that it was supposed to finish 30"x30" with a more modern look.

Mine is this last one pictured. Somehow it ended up too small. It may have shrunk when I washed it?

I'll share details of mine next time.

Sunrise, Sunset -- A finished Challenge Quilt

Last spring, a friend of E's drew the above picture for a fine arts contest at their school.  She won a blue ribbon, and I took a photo and asked her if I could make a quilt from it.  I just thought it was beautiful.


Then, a couple months later, my guild announced the guild challenge for the quilt show, "Oh, What a beautiful Morning".  And I knew what I had to do!

We were given 2 fat eighths, the pink and the grey.  The rules were that you had to use half of each -  and no bigger than 30" x 30".

I spent all spring and part of the summer looking for the right fabrics to use.

And then finally it was crunch time AKA: the show is in a week.....

Don't you use kitchen pieces when quilting?

I used a dresden plate wedge to make a paper template for the rays.

The method of pattern transfer I learned from Laura Wasilowski and her "Chicago School of Fusing"  A really great teacher and funny lady!

It took some messing around to get the rays just right in my eyes.  Basically, I needed more.

 Then I started cutting out the waves.  Everything is already backed with Wonder Under 505 fusible web.

 All cut out.

 And now pinned in place.

 Then I decided the waves were too monotonous, so I cut out some from a different fabric.

 All fused, ready for quilting.

 I legitimately got dizzy doing this!

 On to the waves!

 Yes, each wave is individual outlined/quilted.  A lot of work, and a lot of threads to bury, but really the only way that would make me happy.

 And a finished quilt.  I did do a faced binding, tutorial courtesy of Occasional Piece Quilt.

 I have one more quilt finish to share, then I'll talk about the quilt show!

A Grand Entrance: The Hobbit House

This is a good picture to start with.  It shows my finished Hobbit House quilt and the rules that surrounded the making of it.

As soon as I heard the subject, way before I saw the fabrics, I knew I wanted to do something like a hobbit house. 

This one is in the children's area at our local Renaissance Faire.

Just a couple of the gazillion ideas I sketched out.

 And some progress shots.

 I did draw it out full size on a piece of paper.  I used it as a sort of a pattern. Loosely.

 Everything is raw edge applique with Wonder Under 805.  Yes, I do buy it by the bolt.

 I was cutting out flowers while the kids played at a park.

 Above, mostly ready for the quilting.  You'll see a there are a few more flowers in the final piece.

 Busy back to use up fabric and hide messy stitches.  Also I put the label right in the backing so when the quilting was done, the label would be done.  I put the two required fabrics as part of the label.

 All done and ready for the show. 
This quilt did not win a ribbon, there were some very lovely and well made quilts that it was up against.  The judge noted in the comments that it "lost it's perspective" I assume she meant depth perception, and I rather agree.  But it was fun to put together and will soon go to its happy permanent home.