I love the third Wednesday of the month because its meeting night! I can’t wait to share all the projects I’ve been working on this month with the group of lovely ladies at the Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild. Our small group keeps growing every month, it is very exciting to have new members and so nice to see familiar faces each meeting.
I have a lot of Timeless Treasures fabrics in my stash… but I may need to pick up some new Dear Stella. Either way, this looks like a great challenge with a fabulous grand prize! And I do love mini quilts! Modern Traditional #DSTTchallenge
When Lorene sent me a challenge for St Patrick’s Day, I had no idea what to do. The past month was a busy one… As a trustee of the Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, I was busy helping to organize and run the first ever parade on March 9. I even made the prize ribbons and Grand Marshal sash.
I did some searches for Irish themed quilt blocks, but nothing really interested me. For some reason, I the thought popped into my head to do a Fibonacci Spiral… but then I realized Fibonacci isn’t even Irish. So I did a quick search for Irish Scientist and low and behold Robert Boyle, the grandfather of Modern Chemistry, topped the list. He proved the relationship between pressure and volume of gases, a cornerstone of my favorite chemistry topic, The Universal Gas Law. Who doesn’t love the equation PV=nRT ?
The binding is gold tissue lamé, and it was free-motion quilted on my Singer Stylist. Making this mini quilt was so much fun, I hope it inspires others to make educational quilts!
Make sure to check out Lorene’s March Sister Challenge entry!!
Last week I was picking up a few notions at Joann Fabric and I was delighted to see this..
100% Made in America quilting cottons in classic prints and modern colors by Fabric Traditions. American made products are my Achille’s heel, and this fabric is no exception. I’m using one of the fabrics in a quilt, and I just finished my Portfolio Shirt using a beautiful gray floral.
I hope this trend continues. Even though some sewing products are made in the USA (Pellon comes to mind), the majority of products we use are produced overseas. I’d even spend more on a product if its produced locally, but I don’t often get that opportunity. I appreciate that Joann is highlighting this line and look forward to using the fabric in my next quilt.
At January’s Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild meeting, I was inspired by Helen Ernst‘s beautiful Bursting Heart Wall hanging. There are many techniques new to me, and apparently I tried most of them out on this mini quilt.
Valentine Mini Quilt
First – I used the same tutorial as Helen, except I drew the heart directly on lightweight fusible interfacing. After cutting it apart, I ironed it directly onto my fabric. For my first applique ever, I think it worked out well.
Second – I finally tried spray basting. Yeah, I’ll be spray basting from now on. Why was I so afraid to try it? It was quick, easy, and I had great results.
Third – I stopped being a baby about Free Motion quilting, and attempted a really free motion design between the heart shapes. I guess this worked out better than other attempts, but I still have a very long way to go.
Finally, I finished the binding on my sewing machine. I used my 1/4″ piecing foot (the one with the stopper thingy on the right side.) This really helped me keep the seam straight on both the front and back.
This project was fun, quick, and I got to try out a bunch of new techniques for the first time. I think its a bit wonky, but I’m glad its completely finished!
XOXO – Natalie
