Greater than

Lately I've been feeling a little.. frustrated.  Plans I've made have fallen through, goals I've set don't seem like they'll ever happen-- just one set back after another.  I have been trying to stay positive and cheerful, ever optimistic, but the truth is, all the bumps in the road were taking their toll.
I needed a  pick me up, so I set my timer for 15 minutes, and I just pieced and pieced, cut and ironed, and finally that box of crumbs I was saving for "some day" started to take shape.
Another sewing session after the kids went to bed and I've got a start on something..

I have wanted a mini quilt for the wall of our apartment here in Athens for a looooong time, so I think that's where this piece is headed.  Something to remind me to keep my chin up, something to help me get my creative energy back and centered.  A piece to remind me I am greater than all the crap that's trying to pull me down. 

I feel better.
It needs to be bigger still, but not tonight.

Double Wedding Ring Challenge

I made it, I'm home!  I just dropped my bags (didn't even touch the laundry) and sat right down to write my post for the Double Wedding Ring Challenge!

(ok, I lied.  I took a nap, fed the kids, and signed George up for swimming lessons first.  But now that they're all sleeping off their jetlag.. I finally have a minute to myself~)

Have you ever seen a DWR quilt in person?  For some reason, every time someone pulls one out at a guild show-n-tell it leaves a deep impression on me.  They always elicit a great response from the crowd..   oohs and ahs.  The curves!  the tiny pieces! the CURVES!

 I have never tried to make one, but that might change this year.  The NYC Metro Modern Guild is hosting a DWR challenge through December.  All the details and instructions for entering can be found here.  There are categories suited for every quilter, and there are PRIZES!   And while I've got a good 10 quilts I should be making, and another 5 I want to make, I'm really tempted to jump in here..
I do own one DWR.. it is hanging in my sewing room.  Here, have another look:

Yes, the patches are only slightly larger than my fingernail.  It's an amazing piece-- hand pieced and hand quilted by my mentor, Kikuyo Kubota in Hokkaido, Japan.  The whole piece measures 15" x 19". 

If I give it a try, I'll go with larger patches, of course.  And I'd like to encourage you to try to make something with these curves for the challenge too..
The generous people at Simplicity have sent me a set of Darlene Zimmerman's EZ quilting DWR templates to give away to one lucky reader.  Please leave a comment on this post telling me how you feel about curves-- in quilting, in life, in nature, in design.. (and give it some thought, more than just "Oh, I love them!").  I'll choose a winner on Sunday.  (Domestic and International entries welcome~)

The templates make large rings, btw-- a twin sized quilt would be 5 rings x 6.

So are you ready to start your Challenge entries?  Here's a bit of information from the NYC Mod Guild site:

This is a challenge FOR EVERYONE, All quilters… of any style from Anywhere! This is an international challenge.

Categories

SMALL: ONE RING! Easy! size: under 20″ or smaller… This is a great way to play and learn your curves, and try your own version of making this fun design!

TRADITIONAL: 4 rings or larger…  Make the traditional double wedding pattern by using the template and your choice of fabrics…not straying to far from the traditional style. Four rings or larger for this category… must have three layers and bound.

MODERN:  4 rings or larger… ANYTHING GOES!  How can you interpret the double wedding ring, put a MODERN spin on a traditional design? Piece it, applique, fuse, whole cloth? Possibilities are ENDLESS!!!  No rules other then, it must have three layers and bound.

You don’t need to use Darlene’s Double Wedding Ring templates to enter, but we’d sure like it if you did! Any double Wedding ring template will work.

EZ Double Wedding ring challenge and single arc is available at www.simplicity.com or at your local store. You do not have to use this template to enter the contest.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Images must be uploaded by Dec 1st.  Winners will be announced Dec 15th, 2013  **Winning quilts with need to be sent in by January 1st.

I am at the tail end of the Challenge Blog Hop, but please go around and stop by all the blogs.  Most have templates to give away, and you just might get lucky!

July 8th

​NYC MOD​ Quilters

 http://nycmetromodquilters.blogspot.com/

Interweave

quiltingdaily.com

 July 9th

Emily Bailey

emsscrapbag.blogspot.com/

Shelly Pagliai -

http://prairiemoonquilts.com/?page_id=62

July 10th

Amy Ellis

amyscreativeside.com/

Faith Jones

www.freshlemonsquilts.com/

July 11th

Amy Smart

http://www.diaryofaquilter.com

July 12th

Dan Rouse

http://pieceandpress.blogspot.com

Elisa Albury

www.stitchoutsidetheditch.com/

July 13

Jenny Cameron

Fiberlosophy.blogspot.com

July 14th

Jane Davidson

http://quiltjane.blogspot.com

July 15th

Joanna Wilczynska

http://shape-moth.blogspot.com

Jackie Kunkel-

http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com

July 16th

Kathy Doughty

http://www.materialobsession.typepad.com/

Juki

http://jukihomesewing.wordpress.com/

 July 17th

Lisa Mason

http://theredheadedmermaid.blogspot.com

Flaun Cline

http://ipleadquilty.blogspot.com

 July 18

Pat Sloan

http://blog.patsloan.com

Jessica Alexandrakis (That's me!)

http://lifeunderquilts.blogspot.com

 July 19th

Jacquie Gering

http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com

Lee Heinrich

http://www.freshlypieced.com/

Monica Solorio-Snow

http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/

improv-- a 6 minute circle story.

I'm working on my submission for the NYC Metro Mod Guild show (read more about the traveling show here, you may be able to see our quilts in a town near you!), and I hit a snag when I realized that I couldn't get as many words on it as I had originally planned..
Wait, let me explain-- the theme of the show is "What does Modern Quilting mean to you?" and along with the quilt, we all must submit artist statements detailing our personal beliefs on Modern Quilting and how that ties into our show quilts.  I, of course, wanted to write all over mine, in pieced letters.  Like, all over it, but I realized that my design space is much much smaller than what I wanted to say.
My quilt is split into two parts, with writing on both but using different background fabrics.
The bottom letters are 3" tall, and the quilt must be 15" x 20" to be included in the show.. I knew I could make smaller letters, but didn't want to try to piece itsy bitsy fabrics to make my "b" "g" and "a" look curved.  So, I got creative and tried something new.
Ages ago I saw the 6 minute circles technique on a blog somewhere (I think it was this one), but just filed it in the back of my mind, not needing it until last week..
I drew up some tiny circles, followed the directions, and gave it a try.

On my first attempt, I removed the freezer paper before stitching as the directions suggest, but my "circle" wasn't really round. 

For all subsequent attempts, I left the freezer paper on as a sewing guide and my results improved.

Yay!  I had little circles, which I then pieced into letters measuring just under 2" tall.

Now for a bit more applique and hand work, and my tiny quilt top will be ready for basting.

Couldn't help adding in some EPP..

What I learned:
This is a great method, and I think it will experiment more with this type of freezer paper piecing for letters.  Of course, with the success of my first 4 circles, I got a little over zealous, and ambitiously tried to use the technique to piece other shapes..

The hearts worked great! until I got to the accute point at the center of the top.. um, no.  physically impossible.  But, I improvised and just needleturned the points by hand.  I still got an awesome heart, just half pieced, half appliqued. 

It looks better than a raw-edged machine applique, and faster than hand appliqueing the whole thing.  I'm pretty sure I'd do it again.
(Btw, heart blocks are for the 15 minutes play Scrap bee.)

Logic, where it was meant to be

Jacki sent a pic of the miniquilt on her dormroom wall.  Perfect, no? 

Of course now I want to make the coordinating quilt all the more...

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Whew, I made it!  I hate being late to the party, but considering I had to bind this before a proper photo shoot and then write the post, I'm quite proud of myself for getting it all done on the first day of the festival.

 I made this wall hanging for my cousin's dorm room.  She's planning to double major in biomedical engineering and discrete mathematics.  I asked her for a 3-6 letter word that I could sew into a piece of fabric art for her room, I was thinking something cheerful along the lines of "hope" or "dream" so I was a bit surprised when she said "logic" or "entropy".  I told her I'd do "logic" because it has less seams..

I made her pillows in the same colorscheme last year.  It's my grand plan to help her make a matching quilt for her first apartment after graduation (but that's still a ways off..).  I like making mini quilts like this (and this one I made for Shannon) because they go together in no time and provide quick pick-me-ups for the recipient.  It's a nice way for people to know I love them. 

                          

One of the neat things about finishing this project in a rush today was that I found a new space in my house to take good quilt photos!  I just taped this to the closet door in the guest room and poof!  I set the timer and took a bunch of pics of me under the quilt, but my assistant kept moving the camera at the last second.  The "logical" solution?  Grab the kid to get in the photo.  :)

As I was sewing down the binding I thought that maybe I'm getting tired of that particular shade of green.. but then I realised I was wearing it, and it's the same color I painted my living room, so.. I guess subconciously it's just one of those colors that I'll always come back to.  Do you have any colors like that?