Fall Trip Gives Quilt Inspiration

This past weekend my husband and I drove to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) for the wedding of his cousin's daughter. We hoped that the autumn colors had not passed their peak, as the weathermen had indicated they were. We were not disappointed as we drove North through the Lower Peninsula.

Living in this state all my life, I must admit I have never seen the fall colors in the U.P.  I was excited and I wanted to get photos. My hope was for quilting inspiration. I was WOWED as the sun rose on that early morning drive! (We had a 7-hour drive.) I won't post them all, just some that I especially like.

 I was eager to see the colors after we crossed the Might Mac (Mackinac Bridge). 

We stopped at the Cut River Bridge. There were many people taking a "color tour." 

What a wonderful and awesome place to see the colors. We didn't have time to walk down the many steps to Lake Michigan. I will link this drone video from October 6, 2016, which has a spectacular, although less colorful, tour of the Cut River Bridge area. View it HERE.

The first three photos below are facing northward.

The photos below are facing south with Lake Michigan pictured. 

We were told by locals at the wedding that we had missed the reds and oranges of the maple trees. It was still so wonderful to see such magnificence in nature. 

The wedding was wonderful and we are so happy for the young couple. 

Now, off to design some colorways for an autumn leaves quilt! 

Quilts for Exhibit

Have you heard of the Connections Quilt Festival coming to Nashua, New Hampshire on November 10, 11 & 12, 2016? This is the first year of this festival. Read about it on their website HERE. If you are interested in entering a quilt into the show, the deadline for entries is October 26, 2016, or when full. Here is the link. There is NO entrance fee, by the way!

I heard about it through Island Batik Ambassador Linda Pearl. There is going to be an exhibit for the Island Batik Ambassadors' projects. I said I would send some quilts. This sounded like such a great exhibit. If you attend, these are the three quilts I mailed out today and hope you get to see them.

This table topper construction was described HERE.

My pattern: 1, 2, 3 Sew Easy is available HERE.

Cabin Leaves table runner is for sale at local quilt shops

through Checker Distributors' Cut Loose Patterns.

It would be wonderful to go to the Connections Quilt Festival, but prior commitments thwart those ideas.

If you go, let me know what it was like. If you can't go, I hope a great, fun activity is on your agenda.

Hand Applique with Apple Blossom Quilts

The speaker at the Tall Pine Quilters Guild this past Thursday was Connie Sue Haidle of Apple Blossom Quilts.

What a delightful lady and a wonderful speaker and teacher. She has been appliqueing for 50 years. We were able to see so many of her hand appliqued quilts. I was helping to hold her quilts, so didn't get photos. But you can go to her patterns page to see them and order patterns. You can read about her HERE.

She and her husband travel with their 5th wheel and she lectures and conducts workshops along the way. Her husband is her assistant. He takes photos, too, that she includes in her newsletters. Daisy travels with them and is such a good girl. She listens to some of the presentation from her blanket.

I think she has heard some of it before and decided to take a nap. 

If your guild or group is interested in having her, we can only say she is WONDERFUL. We learned so much in practical skills as well as hand applique. She has her own technique called "Quick Prep Applique" that really makes applique quick. Contact her to see when she might be coming through your area. She might even have some openings in 2017.

Definitely sign up for her newsletter. I have been following her for years and have downloaded the BOM (Block of the Month) patterns as they were released. I have not made any yet. I thought I could use raw edge stitching to make them. BUT...we had a workshop with her on Friday and her technique makes appliqueing by hand much less tedious and quicker than freezer paper, plastic templates, starch, and all those things that I might make us a block or two. Most of us were beginners, but we got the hang of it quite quickly and were very pleased to have had the workshop.

Oh, if like applique or you have the slightest inkling to try it, she showed us the beginnings of her 2017 BOM. It is a Christmas quilt and the little bit she had appliqued on one block made us all ooooh and aaaah. It sparkles and shimmers and has some bling with common supplies from any fabric store. She said her newsletter this month will let us know a bit more about it. And the block for each month is FREE! But you have to download it before you get the next month's newsletter, because after that you have to buy the pattern. 
Sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Look at the Quilting Tips on her website, they are great tips and free to view. She has a few videos too.

Quilting Can Benefit Petfinder Foundation

The Island Batik Ambassadors learned about the Petfinder Foundation and how some of the quilting industry is helping this 20-year-old foundation. 

There is a blog hop that is going on right now with some great giveaways offered through these companies. 

I am very excited to tell you that Island Batik is introducing two new animal fabric collections at International Quilt Market – Fifi and Fido and Happy Hounds!

Here is a little preview pic that I borrowed from Island Batik.

To find out about the Petfinder Foundation and how your quilting can help (and the giveaways) visit HERE. 

One of the sites I have visited, where so many ideas for what we people can do to help these furry friends, is The Quilt Pattern Magazine. They have a number of ideas for kennel quilts plus more. 

The Road Home Show and Tell Plus Autumn Projects

I was distracted for a few days as I sewed up some of the items I began at the quilt retreat at the end of September. And...
I forgot to post the list of designers showing the quilted projects they made from The Road Home Row Along patterns. Here is the list. If you haven't seen the projects, please check them out. You can also visit the Flickr page to see and post photos of projects others and you (if you have) made with the patterns.

Just Let Me Quilt 
MooseStash Quilting
Seams To Be Sew
Quilt In Piece
Westend Quilting

Autumn.
I think it has arrived. The nights have been cool and the leaves are finally splashing colors along the roads and in our yard.
I wanted to join Val's Tuesday Archives, so I have put links to a few of my autumn (or fall) project blogs. I have been asked about a pattern for this first one, Autumn Paths; it is almost completed.

Autumn Paths Table Topper
Two Fall Projects
Island Batik Table Topper

Do you have fabric scraps scattered about like leaves on the ground?

Thanks for stopping.

Pumpkin Fest Quilting

We Island Batik Ambassadors were tasked with creating a project with a pumpkin or fall-theme for October. I made a table topper. I got these lovely fall-colored fabrics in my August Island Batik fabric box. I thought of leaves changing colors and falling to the ground.

I have a leaf embroidery that I wanted to try. I got it from Embroidery It.

If you do any embroidery, sign up for the her newsletters because each week Nancy offers a free embroidery. This one was what she calls a JAM file (which stands for Just a Mix). 

I wanted to show a bit of what I found helpful in making this table topper. 

I began by embroidering the corner blocks.

I watched a video a few weeks ago and learned that ironing fusible on the back of the applique fabric helps keep the edges from forming whiskers when embroidering. 

I used the Scan N Cut to cut the applique shapes (after putting fusible on fabric). 

To make an accurate pattern to scan, I stitched out the shape on stabilizer and scanned it on the machine. 

I stabilized the golden fabric in the hoop and began the stitching. 

When I placed the fused applique on the background, I used my tiny iron to fuse it in place. 

The stitches were so nice. 

The file stitched out so easily and the back looks as nice as the front. 

I also like that the Island Batik fabrics look so good on the back as well as the front.

I never have to worry about turning a strip when sewing.

I used The Strip Stick to press the seams. The stick is half round and raises the one seam to press without effecting the other seams. This is the job it is made for!

I layered the top, batting and backing and began quilting in the ditch in the center strip and moved out to one side and then the other. I always use a walking foot when quilting layers with straight stitches.

I then quilted the short strips on the sides. And ended by free motion stitching around the leaves. 

I enjoyed this project. 

Down The Road

If you have been traveling along with The Road Home Row Along, you know today is the reveal of the final designers' rows. All the rows have been spectacular. We've toured quite a few places around the world. Have you gained a new perspective of life outside your own community like I have? 

There has been a little of something for everyone: paper piecing, simple piecing, applique, and more. 



Here are the final rows.Sign up for the giveaways today, too. 

Cheryl LaPlant Featured At Quilt In Piece
Miss Loreen’s SchoolhouseBumbleberry StitchesNeedle in a Hayes StackCloth and Paper Studio 


Next week on October 11 there will be a show and tell. Some of the designers used rows of their choice to make a quilt or quilted project from the rows. 

Show ‘n Tell Day
Will Feature The Following Blogs

Seams To Be Sew
Quilt in Piece
Just Let Me Quilt
Cloth and Paper Studio
Moosestash Quilting
WestEnd Quilter

If you're planning to create one of the rows from any of the designers, there is just 1 week to finish in order to enter the Flickr giveaway. You have until Tuesday at midnight to post to our Flickr page. 

For all the details, visit Marian at Seams To Be Sew.

I hope you have had as much fun as I have on this hop. I take away a new knowledge of each of these fantastic designer who participated. 

I also appreciate all who left comments about my row. I have responded to those who left email contacts. And to you others, thank you for stopping by. I have gained more confidence in designing and plan to do more to share with you in the near future. 

As a final note, I thank all the sponsors who helped make this Row Along exciting for the visitors.

Washington Street Studio
ThermoWeb
The Fat Quarter Shop
Sulky
Robert Kaufman
Red Rooster Fabrics
Quilters Dream
P & B Textiles
Ott Lite
Northcott
Nancy's Notions
Martelli Notions
Kathy McNeil
Electric Quilt
Connect The Blocks
Calibre
Busy Hands Quilts
Batts In The Attic
BDieges Designs
Aurifil
Anita Goodesign

Row Along Winner and Final Row Patterns

I want to announce that the winner of the Calibre Art Mat 

(from the Rafflecopter entry on my blog page) was 

Monica!

Congratulations, Monica!

You have won a very nice art mat from a company that began in 1951. 

If anyone wants to know more about these mats, 

read all the information on the Calibre website HERE.

It isn't a wordy read, but it is very informative. 

To summarize: 

the mats are self-healing in seconds, 

odorless (interesting to learn why they don't smell), 

double sided (inches/centimeters), 

ASTM certified safe, 

and stay flat.

I plan to purchase one of these mats as a Christmas present to myself.

And I will let you know how their statements stand up. 

THE ROAD HOME ROW ALONG......ALMOST DONE........

This week the last of the designers will be posting

their Road Home Row Along patterns. 

Be sure to grab your free pattern before the Row Along closes. 

October 04

Patchouli Moon Studio
Linda Robertus
Elm Street Quilts
Sarah Quinn Featured At Seams To Be Sew

October 06

Cheryl LaPlant Featured At Quilt In Piece
Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
Bumbleberry Stitches
Needle in a Hayes Stack
Cloth and Paper Studio 

On October 11, visit Seams To Be Sew to see the Show and Tell of projects

the designers have made by combining many of the rows.