Quilting - a scrappy potholder quilt using some orphan blocks and pieced pieces from my stash

I made up this potholder quilt this past week.  I cut the backers from a light green cotton sheet and hand dyed them to give them a bit of texture and interest using diluted green acrylic paint. Worked very well!!!  

A note to say that I did not do a traditional potholder quilt.  My mom assembled her squares by sewing the backers to each other and then doing the self binding to the front with each row and then doing the same for each long row and then finishing the outside edge the same way - self binding to the front.   The fronts were all made up from orphan blocks or pieced sections which I have inherited from a variety of places.  I store them in a ziploc bag so I can use them as a base for quilting squares, potholders, or any other project.  I made four different dimensions of blocks (6", 8", 10" and 12") all 10" wide with 12" backers.  It allowed for being able to offset the seams and made for a bit more of a scrappy look in the whole quilt.  I just picked through my strips to make up the area around the block/piece until I had the right length.  Once the fronts and backs were all ready I trimmed some polyester batting to the same size as the front, laid them onto the backers and added some lines of quilting to hold them all together.  After getting them all done I started piecing the vertical rows that were 10" wide into rows self binding as I went and them stitched the rows to each other and used the same technique to bind them all together.  To finish off the quilt I did the self binding all the way around!! 

Here is a close up of one of the blocks. The pieced front with the quilting lines and the binding on the piece all the way around.  

It is somewhat of a quilt as you go technique.  

Another one to go to Linus project!!

Therese

 

Sewing - hand dyed fabric for the potholder quilt backers

 I have been working on a potholder quilt in the same manner by Mom made them.  I cut the backers from a cotton sheet and they seemed to bland so I hand dyed them with green acrylic paint.  It deepened the colour some and gave it a bit of texture.  Better!!!  Therese 

Quilting - a bright quilt with slow stitched squares framed with strips log cabin style

 I have finished this fun little quilt (34" x 45") this week!! It started with a dozen little off white wonky squares which were precuts I acquired somewhere along the way and late last year I cut out a colourful little heart for each one and then added slow stitching in a variety of ways to secure them to the squares as a slow stitching activity.  Once they were finished I then added them to a substrate square (from my stash) and stitched on a variety of bright strips all around them in a sort of loose log cabin manner.  This past week I trimmed them to 8.5" square which was the smallest of them and then added royal blue sashing between them.  My daughter had brougth along some fabric when she came a few weeks ago and I thought that this green stripe would work very well for the backing.  I added a single layer of cotton between the top and the back and stitched rainbow thread all around the squares to attach all the layers to each other.  I brought the backing to the the front and bound the edge with it.  I love how it worked out.  It was fun to work on this quilt from the slow stitching to the final step of sewing down the binding.    It is headed to Linus Project!!  Therese

Slow stitching - some red fleece poppies

 The computers have been giving us a bit of grief in the last few weeks since the last windows update and with several "computer" tasks that were a no go I decided to head downstairs and keep my hands busy.  I cut out some circles from this dense red fleece to be used when I am making more card holders.  I just thought that there must be something I can do with the off cuts so I searched for what I could do with scraps of red fleece and found a tutorial on making poppies.  Seemed like something worth doing so I drew up a template and cut some petals - quite a few actually!!  After cutting out all the petals I stitched them together - five at a time using a running stitch on the bottom edge and pulling it tight then tying off the threads.  I found some black fleece and cut some small circles which I added to the centers of each flower.  They turned out better than I had expected and I will now have to find a purpose for them in one of my next projects.  Therese

Cardmaking - beautiful photos with layers over seam binding and decorative paper backgrounds

 Two more cards for the mother's of our grandchildren!!  My daughter loves sunflowers so I made up this card for her using a sunflower photo which I cut off of last year's photo calendar which my sister gave me for Christmas.  I use so many of those phots in my cards!!  I layered the 4" x 4" photo with green and then added it to my card front which features a piece of yellow decorative paper with a length of green bias tape.  I tied a short end to the long one to with a single knot to simulate a bow.  

For my daughter in law I made a similar card with a different photo - tea cup - and coordinating papers and seam binding.  They are ready to go!!

Therese

Cardmaking - a quick and easy card using colour printed image over a layered background

 

This was a last minute card as I had my daughter's birthday card and realized I had not made up my Mother's Day cards yet though it was wise to send them at the same time.  So I made up this small card to fit in the larger birthday card!!!  

A laser printed rose image with paper piercing on all the edges which I layered onto a blue piece of cardstock which I trimmed with scalloped decorative scissors and paper pierced.  I added a green strip to the pink embossed and border punched layer.  I added the layer to a small white card and added the rose with 3D foam tap.  

Therese

Cardmaking - fun collage backgrounds with coloured paper lace and serendipity flower die cuts

After a bit of clearing out of things a while back I found this fun collage paper which I created using old calligraphy newsletters.  It was totally fun and so nice to find the paper again!!!  I highlighted the trimmed backgrounds with coordinating inks to match the flowers I had chosen.  I added a fun little flower embellishment in the center of the top flower which I added over the watercoloured paper lace.  LOVE it!!!  

For my second card I added my layered flower over the watercoloured paper lace using a glue dot.  I added a pink decorative paper before adhering this large layer to my brown card front.  

Therese
 

Cardmaking - a fun anniversary card with a woven background and a butterfly on an embossed background

Another couple!!  The top one has a gold embossed background which I had to tone down with a bit of yellow.  I embossed a strip of brown with a script embossing folder (SU), adhered it to the background and then added two eyelets and tied in some fiber.  I adhered this large element to my brown card and added a die cut butterfly.  It was made from a piece of serendipity paper from a while back. 

An anniversary card for a couple celebrating 50 years!!!  The hearts on a string was just right and I trimmed the top and bottom with a with a wavy line and added some paper piercing.  I added bows to the string with a black marker.  I created a woven background using pink and yellow scraps which is close enough to gold for me.  Worked out so well!!!

Therese