Greenery in the Garden

Posted on May 30, 2017 by thenotsodramaticlifeadmin / Posted in Quilting / Leave a comment

My first trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio inspired this small, improvisational quilt. I have been doing a lot of block based quilts lately (posts to come!), and seeing the organic shapes and natural color shifts inspired me to return to improv.

This quilt does not replicate a single area of the conservatory, but instead incorporates the colors and shapes I was most drawn to. A wide range of greens dominated the overall palette with depth coming from deep violets and highlights of vibrant pink providing some nice focal points.

The piecing is a mix of straight-ish and curved lines, but I didn’t use any rulers until I squared up the pieced quilt top. The quilting continues the organic theme with mixed motif free motion designs. I ended up going with an aqua thread to coordinate with the dominate greens, but provide enough contrast to add another layer to the design.

Greenery is the Pantone Color of the Year, and the pink accents include the Kona color of the year, Flamingo. This combination was a recent challenge for the Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild.

Quilt Stats:

Title: Greenery in the Garden

Size: 40″ x 28″

Techniques: Improvisational piecing

Quilting: Mixed motif free motion quilting

Fabric: Assorted solids and prints, mostly cotton with accents in linen

Batting: Hobbs 80/20

Thread: 50wt Aurifil

Binding: Facing which matches the backing

Building Bridges: January BOM

Posted on January 8, 2017January 14, 2017 by thenotsodramaticlifeadmin / Posted in 2017 Block of the Month, Classes, Quilting Community / 3 Comments

2017 is going to be an exciting quilting year, and one of the projects I am most excited for is working with a local shop, Dabble and Stitch, on a block of the month program. Throughout the year we will “travel” in and around Columbus, Ohio, creating blocks that are designed to represent the neighborhoods that make up the larger community.

We are starting the year with the block, Building Bridges, which is inspired by the Lane Avenue Bridge that crosses the Olentangy River on the Ohio State University Campus.

Bridges are more than physical structures- they create vibrant communities in areas that a natural divide could easily separate people into different social, economic, and cultural districts. The location of this bridge on a university campus is particularly notable since academic institutions bring people from around the world to live and study together.

As a cable stayed suspension bridge, the structure has a strong, dynamic lines that make it a notable architectural feature of the area. The medallions on the bridge are super eye catching. (I travel by this bridge each time I go to Dabble and Stitch, and I secretly hope to have to stop at the light leading up to it so I can stare for a minute!)

When designing this series of blocks, I want to make them representative, but in an abstract manner- sort of like how a log cabin quilt block abstractly represents the building of an actual log cabin. My hope is that people both in and outside of Columbus find these designs both attractive and inspiring.

Each section of the Building Bridges Block represents an aspect of the Lane Avenue bridge. The Stripes on one half of the block represent the sidewalks and street, the Olentangy River, and the bright red center of the decorative medallions. There are three pairs of cable lines to represent the three bridges that have stood at this location.

This block is even more exciting when it is created in multiples. Every other block is constructed as a mirror image of the original, and a couple fabric placements alter position to create a sense of depth. When a set of four blocks come together, they form a full square which symbolizes different communities coming together as one.

The table topper version is comprised of four blocks.

16 blocks make up the baby or wall quilt.

You will need 48 blocks to construct the Twin sized version.

This pattern is available through Dabble and Stitch and includes instructions for a single block as well as the table topper, baby/wall quilt, and the twin sized version. I am also very excited to be doing a class on this block next Sunday, January 15, so I hope to see some of you there!

I’m linking this post up with Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She.

The Collection Quilt (Round 2!)

Posted on January 3, 2017 by thenotsodramaticlifeadmin / Posted in Classes, Finished Quilts, Quilting, Quilting Community / Leave a comment

Last year, I was thrilled to teach Carolyn Friedlander‘s Collection Quilt through a local quilt shop, Sew to Speak. The first version I made as a class sample is similar to the overall aesthetic that was used in the original design, so when I constructed a second version to use for demonstration purposes, I thought it would be fun to do something entirely different. This is my pink-loving-little-girl version!

My color palette this time around was mostly pinks and oranges with some red and violet and shots of green.

Some fussy cutting added a bit of whimsy to the overall aesthetic.

The backing is the same fun unicorn fabric that appears in the front in a different color way.

This quilt is the perfect way to learn needle turn appliqué, and I am excited to be teaching it again this year! Each month we will do a block that build on the skills covered in previous meetings. If you are interested in joining the class, please contact Sew to Speak in Worthington, Ohio. This technique opens up a whole new range of quilting designs!

Quilt Stats

Title: The Collection Quilt (Pattern by Carolyn Friedlander)

Size: 40.5″ x 51.5″

Techniques: Needle turn appliqué, machine piecing

Quilting: Computerized linear edge to edge pattern (my original design) done on an A-1 Elite Longarm

Fabric: Assorted quilt shop quality, 100% cotton fabrics

Batting: Hobbs 80/20

Thread: Applique and piecing done with neutral and coordinating Gutermann Mara 100, Quilted with 50wt cotton Aurifil

Binding: Striped bias binding, machine stitched to the front, hand finished on the back.

2017 Planning Post

Posted on December 31, 2016 by thenotsodramaticlifeadmin / Posted in Quilting Community / 1 Comment

2016 flew by and now that we are just hours away from starting 2017, I thought I would share some of my Quilt-y goals for the coming year as well as some 2016 highlights.

Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl is once again hosting a link up for a 2017 Planning Party, and this post is linked there.

Most of my goals are for 2017 are building on the goals I set for 2016, so I thought I would share a few highlights from the past year as well as some future plans.

1. Write and Publish Quilt Patterns:

In 2016 I added several free original patterns to my Craftsy Pattern Shop, including Sand Dollar Star, a Filmstrip Block, and Berry Patch Plaid. Also added this year were instructions for traditional Hourglass and Ohio Star blocks. Also this year I designed the Row by Row design for Dabble and Stitch, one of my local quilt shops. This pattern is now available for sale both individually and as a kit. It will soon be added to my Craftsy shop as well.

: Ohio Star

: Hourglass

: Berry Patch Plaid

: Sand Dollar Star

: Two Sample Filmstrip Bee Blocks

: Columbus Skyline Row by Row

I am thrilled to be working on an original set of patterns that will be a Block of the Month for Dabble and Stitch! These blocks are based on areas of Columbus, Ohio, but will (hopefully) be appealing for everyone. I am nearly ready to release full paid patterns for an arrow baby quilt (which I designed for my new great-nephew) and a star quilt.

2. Submit Work to Magazines:

This goes right along with goal #1. This year I had a quilt in the project section of Generation Q magazine, a pair of Christmas Stockings were in Modern Patchwork Gift, and a block appeared in 100 Blocks. I also had a quilt included in an article appearing in Simply Moderne as well as a few quilts that appeared as contest winners in several issues of American Quilter.

2017 is already looking promising on this front. One quilt is scheduled to appear in a magazine coming out next month, and I long arm quilted a beautiful quilt design that will be in another magazine around the same time.

3. Enter and Attend Quilt Shows:

2016 was a fantastic year for this! I was lucky enough to have quilts in QuiltCon, MQX, and six American Quilter’s Society Shows. I even managed to receive two first places, one third, an honorable mention, and a faculty award! I was also able to attend QuiltCon and the AQS shows in Paducah and Syracuse. I also had some success in entering challenges this year. My Modern Quilt Guild/Riley Blake Challenge entry received second place, and my entry in the Hoffman Challenge received the “Best use of Aurifil” award. My Riley Blake quilt was also included at the Modern Quilt Guild Showcase at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

: Hills and Valleys

: Crystalized Citrus

: Baubles

: The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

: Can You See (m)E Now?

: Star Crossed Triangles

The shows for 2017 could end up being a lot of fun. I have three quilts going to QuiltCon and two have been accepted to the first AQS show of the year. Last year’s QuiltCon was fantastic, and I am excited to be going again this year. I am also planning to attend both the Spring and Fall AQS Paducah shows. The Fall show is going to have a different format for its categories and judging, so it will be exciting to be a part of it!

4. Teach Quilting Classes and Do Trunk Shows:

I have had so much fun teaching this year at Sew to Speak! I taught a Block of the Month of the Collection Quilt by Carolyn Friedlander, a clamshell quilt class, a Christmas Stocking class, and a walking foot quilting class. I also taught my Row by Row pattern at Dabble and Stitch.

The Collection Quilt

My teaching schedule at both shops is increasing in the coming year. At Sew to Speak I will be teaching The Collection Quilt again this year, as well as a couple sessions of straight line quilting, a bias binding workshop, and a clamshell technique class. Each month at Dabble and Stitch, I will teach the Block of the Month.

In 2016 I did a couple of trunk shows at local shops, and thoroughly enjoyed doing a presentation to a local guild. It is so much fun to meet other quilters and talk about my work and process! I have two guild presentations scheduled so far for 2017, and would love to do more!

5. Grow my Longarm Business:

I love to quilt for customers! My edge to edge quilting business has grown this year, and I have had some custom work (which is my favorite!). I hope to have even more work in the coming year! As part of this, I will be developing this section of my website.

6. Blog Consistently:

This was one of my goals that was definitely not met in 2016. Instagram has totally lured me in with it’s quick and easy posts. I do want to post to the blog more often because I love talking about my design process, and a single photo with a caption doesn’t always cover it.

7. Work with my Guilds and Groups

I participate in two local guilds and one smaller group, and love them! In 2017 I am the Charity Officer for the Central Ohio MQG. We are only a year old, so we have lots of potential to grow. Last year we did quite a bit of charity sewing, and I am hoping to add a teaching component to our charity work in the coming year.

Last year I also had planned to develop my Etsy site, and while I would still like to work on it, at this time I don’t think it is a major priority. I would like to have it as another venue for the purchase of patterns and the occasional handcrafted item, but I’m not sure if it will ever be a significant source of income. What do you think? Do you tend to but (or sell) patterns on Etsy? Do you prefer it to Craftsy?

I hope everyone has a wonderful and inspiring 2017!

Ohio Star Quilt Block

Posted on December 22, 2016 by thenotsodramaticlifeadmin / Posted in Quilting Community, Tutorial / Leave a comment

I am so excited to share the instructions for a second traditional block which is in the 2017 Quilter’s Planner. The Ohio Star block is one of my favorites since I grew up, learned to quilt, and currently live in Ohio. This block is particularly common in this area, but it never gets boring! Have fun with scale (this pattern includes measurements for five different block sizes) and mix up your fabric selections to make this classic block your own.

You can download this free Ohio Star pattern on Craftsy.