Blogger's Quilt Festival 2016 (Original Design): Points East

Points East is my second Blogger's Quilt Festival entry for 2016. I'm entering it in the Original Design category.

I made this to enter into one of the MQG's fabric challenges. MQG members could sign up to receive a half-yard cut of Riley Blake's Sashing Stash print, which contains different motifs that you can fussy cut or strip cut or whatever you'd like.

I began by mulling for quite a while, and finally settled on a design that incorporates a wedge. Here are the beginnings of my experimentation:

When I decided I liked it, I went ahead and pieced the top, keeping in mind that my niece was expecting her second baby later in the summer and that I wanted this quilt to be for her so I kept it at baby size.

Notice at the bottom of this picture that the selvages are still visible. When I piece a quilt using fabric cut WOF (width of fabric, selvage to selvage), I don't tend to trim the selvages off first unless necessary. For instance if the pattern required precise piecing, I'd definitely trim. But in this case, I was putting the top together on the fly and I knew I'd be FMQing it. So, I left the selvages alone and trimmed after quilting.

Speaking of quilting, I quilted it with free-motion designs using my Juki 2010Q, which I love.

Binding was made with the leftover challenge fabric and voilà! A 40" x 50" baby quilt I called Points East because the wedges kind of look like direction arrows.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Feel free to cruise around and take a look at what I've been up to and definitely make sure you visit the Blogger's Quilt Festival to feast your eyes on the beauty of hundreds of quilts!

Selfie: My Black To White Challenge Quilt

I really wasn't intending to enter the Black to White Challenge for the Quilt! Knit! Stitch! Show.

Then Stacey (@hushrules on Instagram) did a wonderful presentation on Youpatch at the May VMQG meeting and I became intrigued. I came home and fiddled around with a few stock images, seeing if I could develop a pixelated quilt that appealed to me, but I wasn't successful.

A night or so later, I happened to take a selfie:

I assure you that the outcome - which I really like, not going to lie - was purely accidental. The angle of the afternoon sun coming onto my face and hitting my glasses frames is what created the shadow on my eyelid that looks like makeup. I happened to be looking down at just the right angle.

Anyway, an idea began to germinate. I applied a black and white filter in instagram and uploaded the filtered photo to Youpatch. A little playing with colours and I had my pattern. Less than a week later, thanks to a full day Quilt By The Bay retreat, the top was done and the quilt was basted and I had (EDITED) less than a two weeks until the Black to White challenge deadline.

I had this done even before they announced the deadline extension - conduct definitely not befitting the president of the Last Minute Club, but what can I say? I quilted like a woman possessed.

All of the quilting is free motion, and I used Aurifil 50 wt in black, grey and white. I tested some ideas on my trusty mylar overlay but ended up winging it when it came to actually quilting. 

The quilt is about 35" square and the smallest piece finishes at 3/4" square. I am thrilled to report that my piecing accuracy is spot on - all of the blocks fit together really nicely. Yay me!

Colours in the quilt are Robert Kaufman Kona solids in Black, Coal, Medium Grey and Snow.

This one really shows the different thread colours:

I expect to hear soon whether it's been accepted to the challenge but nevertheless, I absolutely adore this finish. 

Linking up to TGIFF with Quilter in the Closet!

Just Three, Fresh Sewing Day and my February Challenge

Wow, January went FAST, eh?

Here's a little visual summary of my makes last month:

My Just Three for January were:

1. Complete the second appliance cover for my friend Cathy.

2. Make baby quilt for my niece who's due in February.

3. Donation quilt for a friend's fundraiser.

...and I scored a 100% woo hooo!

What do I want to do for February? Hmmm. I'll be going to QuiltCon and I'm very busy at work-work so I'm going to set the bar rather low:

1. Finish my Madrona Road Challenge project (blocks are all done!).

2. Make myself a Noodlehead 241 tote to bring to QuiltCon.

3. Make at least two more Scrappy Churn Dash blocks.

Last but not least, my friend Nikki The Girl Who Quilts is starting up a monthly challenge where you choose *one* thing with which to challenge yourself (doesn't even have to be sewing related) and share it, then check in the following month to report on your challenge.

My February Challenge is to try at least two new FMQ motifs in my Madrona Road Challenge project. 

And you, how about you? How's your year going so far? Whatcha got planned for February?