Design While Recovering

As I recover from hip replacement surgery, I had to find something creative to do. I received an email that mentioned Design Seeds, a blog I haven't visited in months! I thought this might be just the activity for me because I am suppose to lay pretty much flat or low with a pillow propping me slightly. Once each hour I am to use the walker to get 10 minutes of exercise on the main floor of the house.

It doesn't surprise me that I can't find the email I read last evening. I did a Google search but could not find the photo that inspired me. I did save a copy of the photo from Design Seeds.

Along with the photo, color cards (showing colors found in the photo) are provided. This is the quilt I designed.

Using EQStitch, I drew the 12" x 12" block for paper piecing. Some of the blocks were flipped. I will put this in my file to work on once I am able to get up and sit and sew. 

Check out Design Seeds and create a quilt for yourself. You can find photos on the blog listed by color or seasons in the atlas tab.

Island Batik Blog Hop and More

Island Batiks has a great blog hop going on until March 4 with great giveaways. 

CLICK HERE to find out all about it.

The projects that the Island Batik Ambassadors have been posting are great!

If you are looking for my post about using EQStitch to design coloring pages

CLICK HERE.

Coloring Page with EQStitch

The EQ Behind the Mouse Blog "Sunday Stitch Tutorial #30" showed how to create a coloring page. You can find the tutorial page HERE.

Lately, I have seen many posts about adult coloring pages from various publishers. I have purchased a few books at the craft stores. Even my adult daughters have purchased some of the books. Coloring is very relaxing for many people.

I designed one page in EQStitch an was quite pleased with the result. Now to print and color it. 

With EQStitch, you can design your own pages which can be printed in the size desired. I thought they could also be printed on fabric and colored with Derwent Inktense pencils and used in quilting or fabric art projects. The YouTube tutorial found HERE was posted by Smith-Owen Sewing & Quilting, my sewing machine service store and a whole lot more. 

I thought I could try printing the images on shrink plastic, coloring them and seeing how they shrink. 

How can you see using these with the various printers and media available these days?

If you would like a copy of my page, you can download it free HERE. 

Color for a wonderful day!

Back in the Loop

Yes, I have been out of the loop for days now. I am back and trying to focus on quilting.

Last week I spent 4 days at AQS Quilt Week in Grand Rapids. This was my 4th year to go. I am glad I live only 40 minutes away. I am able to stay with relatives, so it makes the drive less (and not as early getting up). 

I had a lovely time visiting the quilt exhibits and vendors on the first day. Here are a few of my favorite quilts. These were part of the AQS Ultimate Guild Challenge by Happy Heart Quilters of Louisville, KY. The guild challenged its members to design a flower seed packet of the quilter's choice. They titled it Flower Seed Packets. 

The other days I took classes. 

In Reeze Hanson's class called Curved One-Patch Machine Piecing without Pins I finally learned a method to machine sew curves - and I really did not have to use pins! I discovered that using the AccuCut for all those apple core and clamshell pieces is the way to go. I tried with the acrylic templates and rotary cutter and it was a chore and not accurate. Now to save some money for the system.

These are the apple core pieces I cut out with the acrylic templates and decided to hand sew them because they are not all exactly true to size. The fabric slipped as I cut each side. I know with hand stitching I can tweak them to make them work. I have 35 pairs sewn and 17 more pairs to go--unless I decide to cut more! 

I have been getting Reeze's email newletter for years now. She designs the most wonderful BOM each year. I have not yet made any of them, but have collected the patterns and will be starting one this winter. I wanted to meet Reeze and introduce myself because she is one of the designers involved in the EQ Seasons Row-Along with me and 18 other designers. She is a very nice and lively person.  

She had a lecture titled Inspiration is in the Air.  And what can I say but, "It was inspiring." It got me excited to devote more time to my EQ7 program (I added the EQ Stitch component 2 years ago). I will be looking everywhere for inspiration now!

I took one of her other classes, EQ7 Drawing: Appliqué Blocks and Motifs. I learned techniques and many little tricks to getting the best applique and motif blocks drawn. I actually worked on one the other night where I created the motif in EQ Stitch and was very happy with the result. Now to try it on my embroidery machine. Here is the pic of it:

I have to post a photo of the 5" x 7" mini landscape I made in Lenore Crawford's class on the last day. She calls her technique Mini Blended Fabric Collages. It is a mosic technique. The fabric is cut and repositioned just over the piece next to it. Everyone in the class had a blast...and we all went away with a project we were proud of. Now to mount it.

Do check out the information about the EQ7 Seasons Row Along by clicking the button below.

Find out about all the wonderful rows that are being created for you to download...Free! 

And the giveaways, too. 

There is a Facebook group you can join HERE. Put in a request to join.