Happy Quilter's Mail & Mishmash

Happy Llama Mail

I love when Desi Arnez says, "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!" I think that's why I titled this post as mishmash. So many things to explain today.

Llamas: Our daughter keeps llamas. They are darling, cantankerous creatures! Everyone who meets them falls in love, though ours have some special needs. Sandra from mmm!quilts had the same experience, and when she found this enchanting llama fabric we were on her short list. Visit the link, and she will do the 'splainin' for me.

'Peas in a Pod' Batik Pillow Finish-April FMQ Challenge

This FMQ pattern, 'Peas in a Pod', is from 
Christina Cameli, and I started it weeks ago here. 
It's very organic, and I played around with it quite
a bit rounding out, squaring off, etc. Christina 
shows it much smoother, and refined, but I had 
more than a little trouble with the batting I used. 
It was terribly dense to start with, and then I 
added intensive quilting with heavy thread. 

*This piece would be ideal as Kevlar-type padding 

 worn under chain mail or jousting armor. No joke.
I now understand why early soldiers used such 
padded underclothing to protect themselves. 

Darlene at Quilt Shop Gal is hosting the 
2015 Free-Motion Quilting Challenge as she's 
done for several years. The April Challenge
features Christina Cameli. Check out her
blog, A Few Scraps, for some sweet inspiration!
I highly recommend her books, one of which
I already own, and the other I'd like to order.

First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting

Step-by-Step Free-Motion Quilting: Turn 9 Simple Shapes into 80+ Distinctive Designs Best-selling author of First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting

I used some fabrics on the inside that are older,
and wouldn't get used in my modern things. No
one will see it, so I use that or muslin. My backing
is the same 3 fabrics, and quilting with a 
walking foot in a straight stitch.

I decided not to use a zipper on this pillow,
but to sew it shut. It's for me, and I can spot
clean it if I must. I stabilized the sides of the 
back by stitching a 1/4" around all sides. Then 
I added my binding, but only sewed it to the 
backing section of the opening.

I left a long tail to sew the binding together 
at a 45 degree angle. Christa Quilts has a great 
tutorial if you're ever stuck.

Notice that I was also sewing the front and back 
together at the same time as I added my binding, 
but you could do it first if it's easier. Then I brought 
the binding to the front, and sewed it by machine
on 3 sides. Leave an opening to insert your pillow!

Pillow went in, and this time I used one on the 
smaller side. I didn't want the whole thing
to feel like a rock. I pinned the section near 
the last opening so it flattened it out, and 
kept the pillow back. That makes sewing on the 
binding SO much easier in the case you have a 
pillow pushing on your last opening.

Miter the corners with a fold, and you're done.

And, since none of you seemed to mind--
Ta-Dah!

Now to frost the Espresso cupcakes I'm 
taking to sewing and quilting tonight.

Come on, Doxie Girls.
We've got lots to get ready

before I can go sew.

Linking up with~
Lizzie Lenard Free Motion Mavericks
Val's Quilting Archives
Freshly Pieced
Sew Fresh Quilts
2015 FMQ April Challenge with Christina Cameli

Giveaway--Variable Star Within a Star Pillow

I needed something to practice quilting on,

and have been spending lots of time looking
at block tutorials. Caroline at Sew Can She 
has a treasure trove of projects, but I 
especially love the block tutorials and tips. 
This block is the Variable Star, part of her 
Classic Quilt Block series, and I sewed 
it as she did with a block within a 
block, within a block. I'm so thankful for
her wonderful resources she shares.

I experimented with my own color palette,
and, of course, it has some pink. *Should I
repeat this again, I would be more aware
that the second star would stand out better 
with more contrast in the fabric patterns. The 
colors are very similar. Perhaps that subtley does
work as the middle star, but it appears 
a little muddied to me when the others
are so much better defined.

I rarely do this, but that color issue was 
bugging me. I went down all ready to tear out 
the middle colors, but hadn't remembered 
I'd already sewn it together. 
I must have been in the zone!

I made the decision to keep it as it was, and
just see if there would be a way to help
define the floral star points from the chevron
background by highlighting it with a
FMQ pattern somehow. I pushed on.

I outlined the daisies to keep it simple,
and added directional lines to the 
chevron fabric to pull your eye in.
It's more defined than it was before 
quilting--not entirely 'fixed', but I 
do like it! I pebbled the dark grey 
with my Aurifil bright pink, and it 
added texture AND color!

Another thing I tried was adding piping
in the same Riley Blake floral. It helps
the eye focus on the repeated daisy centers.
The back is a simple gingham.
and a long, covered zipper to remove
the insert for laundering.

If you're curious, the prominent 
fabrics are here in the selvages 
I saved, and it will have a tag 
this afternoon, I promise.

This is the Giveaway prize for the 
month, and also a finish for Adrianne's 
Q2 On the Windy Side.
The details are all in the post HERE. I
will mail the pillow without the insert
to the winner anywhere in the world.

Follow the directions in the link 
above, and let me know
the details in an email~
juliebehappy1@gmail.com with any
questions.

You have through April 30th at midnight,
and the winner will be announced on
Saturday, May 2, 2015 with the Pink Doxie
Pet Project Show.

*Please, please be sure to list your email
address if you are a No Reply Sender.
If you are unsure, just list your email
in your message. I try very hard to respond 
to all my comments, but there are times
I cannot as you may have no listed email
on your profile. An email from me is not 
crucial, but I wouldn't want you to 
miss out if you're the winner, though!

Linking up today with~
On the Windy Side
Blossom Heart Quilts
Late Night Quilter Tips and Tutorials
 Freemotion by the River
Show and Tell Tuesday
Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday
Sew Fresh Quilts
Quilting Jet Girl
My Quilt Infatuation
Thank you all for hosting your
link parties!


Time to work.
Come on, Doxie Girls.
Let's go sew.

Falling Star Pillow Finish

Do you remember this Falling Star block I was 

working with a few weeks ago?

I thought it would make a quick practice piece for FMQ,

 and decided I should turn it into a mod pillow.

I inserted a covered zipper in the back to make it washable.

The black and white hatched fabric

is from JoAnn's, and teams nicely with everything.

GROW YOUR BLOG

This is me--Julie, and Minnie, one of the Doxie Girls.

Today is a very special blog post. 

I've joined with Grow Your Blog 2015 along with hundreds of other bloggers. 

Our host is Vicki at 2 Bags Full, and may I say thank you, first of all. 

There are some rules to abide by, so allow me to follow them to a "T",

and then we'll get on to our Linky Party and a Giveaway!

I'm Julie--a Modern Quilter.

I love modern fabric, intense pattern, and improvisational piecing.

I'm all about machine quilting, but occasionally quilt one by hand. 

I would pick a scrap quilt as my favorite 8 days of the week.

 I Dream in Color.

Fa-La-La-La-La, and I'm Not Done. Are You?

I showed you this little quilt top a few weeks ago made with a Merry Go Round charm pack. The fabric designer is Nel Whatmore for Freespirit Fabrics. It's become a favorite after using it, and one I'll replace for my stash. Very girly and romantic, but modern, too.

No Rest for the Weary

Remember a few days ago when I was looking forward to my week alone with my husband? I was planning to sew my days away with little responsibility, take walks with the dogs, etc. Well, let me tell you, it didn't happen quite like that. 

All week long I've run like a crazy woman. I've refereed more llama disputes than I could imagine, been spit on because I got in the middle, and have had mulitple flashbacks to the early days of mothering 5 kids. The other family dogs came yesterday afternoon for a total of six. Three over 50 pounds, and 3 bad dachshunds. It was a sleepless night while the new dogs got used to regular house noises. We were all up by 4:30. While trying to get medications out for one big dog, the other two played chase in the living room, and took out a lamp. One doxie didn't want to eat, but I coaxed her into it. She then threw up for the next several hours. Oh, dear, I hope it's not contagious. 

(Did I happen to say today's my 27th wedding anniversary?)

So, while I babied the sick dog, the rest have had a couch day. They slept, I finally got the new lights for the tree on, and you can see the little church and Santa finished the decorations. Now it feels like Christmas time.

I did squeeze in a little time to sew.

This is the other pillow top done for dear son's new house. I'll get it all together before he's home from vacation.

This, next, is a Christmas present for the in-laws. It's a dog bed top for their Scout. My mother-in-law has always had a thing for birds, and loves Charlie Harper prints. Harper did a fabric line with winter birds, and it was a perfect match. Some of the fabric was in a panel of sorts, and I had to be creative to work those into a bed top. Two rows go up, and two go down. No matter how the bed is turned, half the blocks are in the correct direction. I think it adds interest to the top. The sashing is a grey with hatch marks.

I quilted the blocks at about an inch apart, and the sashing in between closer to 1/2".

I think his prints give so much character to the animals. 

All six are sleeping hard, and I think I'm going to sneak downstairs alone.

Remember the saying, "Let sleeping dogs lie."

I'm off to sew alone.

Low Volume Projects--Who? Me?

Even I have to snicker to myself when I say that I really enjoy the look of low volume quilts. Super-color-saturated-me! Perhaps it's the yin and yang I crave. I had my first introduction to it with A Month of Sundays by Cheryl Arkison. Also inspiring was Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison. I think this one book gets pulled off my shelf weekly. I started digging deeper into the low volume theory, and I believe that Malka Dubrawsky was the first person credited with the term, but there are others, too, who were involved in it becoming the trend it is today. Looking at Dubrawsky's work, she's also a strong user of saturated color. So, maybe finding balance is in our nature.