Sew Sunshine

The International Quilt Museum in Lincoln Ne. where our local guild meets joined our guild for a challenge.  They have an exhibition up based off of use of feedsack fabrics and other reused textiles.  They gave us 5 vintage quilt blocks to choose from to make something more modern but with recycled or other textiles.  I used a black and white tea towel some a shirt, a skirt and some silk lining. The block I chose was the star block. I decided to do it in a QAYG method. cutting batting to various sizes to make the star more improv.  Since it came together in a lantern shape that I love I felt it fit the bible quote from Matthew 5: 15-16 This is currently hanging with the guilds display at the IQM. 

Triumphal Arches 46 w x 40 h LMQG Curves Ahead Challenge scrappy arch curves I love arches. Many years ago when I went to Italy I just loved seeing arches, looking through arches at other things but most of all I loved the free standing triumphal arches.   My local guild had a challenge that I led called Curves Ahead. The idea was to inspire trying curved piecing though we accepted curved applique and curved quilting also.  I have been making quite a few circle quilts using various techniques and decided now was the time to try the arch shape. All of the quilt was made up of just pieces in my scrap bins. I grabbed random colors and sewed the arches and then pieced and puzzled them in between my scrap strips. Very little trimming was involved.  I placed the pieces from dark to light giving the illusion of sun and shadow on the arches, just like my photo shoot below!! I love the idea of Triumphal Arches and who knew I would actually find one near m...

I am so excited to have this finish. This is an improv piece I did for our local Modern Quilt group challenge.  I was not sure how this was going to go. I started out just piecing a few things and then the more I added the more it brought back memories of the bridge that crosses over the Missouri River near my childhood home. It is a rare double decker bridge that believe me, struck fear in my heart more than once growing up.     This is a view from the South Dakota side. The risers were running that section up and down until the 80's.  The lower level was originally for rail traffic but than never happened by the time the bridge was almost finished so it is one way traffic on top and bottom.  The bottom has a super scary metal grate for a huge portion of it...thus the plaid fabric representing the grid near the bottom of my piece.       Upper level with an up close view of the structure of the risers. I tried to inclu...

  Last night at a guild meeting I gave a demo on using the Quick Curve Ruler by Jenny and Helen @ SewKindofWonderul . I don't have many rulers but I purchased this one to do a sewalong that Jenny was doing on her blog. I quickly fell in love with the easy piecing. I was sewing curves and they were turning out every time.  No I am no affiliated with them at all but the ruler really makes curve piecing so sew easy! Some of samples from the class. I really love the stacked wave piece and I think that has lots of possibilities. There is my finished Abacus quilt that I will blog about for my Lovely year of finishes so far this year! The demo was fun and a few actually sat down and tried piecing it and all were successful! :) One new member, won the QCR giveaway. She was afraid of curves but no more...... Linking up with WIP Wed over at Freshly Pieced and Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts There is still time to vote for the Sunrise /Sunset challenge at Persimon Dream...

Not much action here but I wanted to experiment with some foundation piecing from our mini guild class last night. One of our members Suzanne gave us a quick class on foundation piecing her tree pattern. Three little cutie patootie trees! I love them. Maybe I will do more??? Linking up with WIP WEd at Freshly Pieced HERE and Let's Bee Social with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts HERE