I’m at Woodland Ridge in northern Wisconsin. The reason for my visit is a four day study, taught by Pam Beal called Minimalist Design Maximum Impact.I signed up for the class nearly a year ago and have been looking forward to it ever since.
Our trip north would not be complete without an ever-so-slight detour to a fabric store located in Menomonie. The darling little shop is called Thread Lab.While there I just happened to stumble upon these wonderful, absolutely unavoidable fabrics. Who knows how I will use them this week. No matter what they are added to I’m certain the outcome will be wonderful!
I arrived late this afternoon with my traveling companion Barb. After exchanging hugs with familiar faces we unpacked our many belongings and quilting paraphernalia. After settling-in we enjoyed a carry out meal from the local coffee shop and filled the rest of our time relaxing and catching up on our reading.
Our class tomorrow begins at 9:00 a.m. and I can’t wait! If time permits I hope to share photos and updates along the way.
Roseanne over at Home Sewn By Us has been hosting a QAL that began on January 1, 2018. The pattern called Regatta was designed by Daniela at Block M Quilts. Instructions for the quilt are provided at the above link. This is how the author’s quilt looked when she was finished.
I decided to join the QAL when Roseanne first started talking about it late in 2017. Being the rebel that I am I chose to modify the instructions by changing the dimensions as well as the colors of the fabrics.
Updates on my progress were shared via these two posts:
Now that my quilt is finished I can share photos. My version of the Regatta quilt measures 28 1/2” x 73”. Inside the quilt sandwich is a layer of Warm & Natural batting. The backing is a leftover piece of batik from another quilt. Attached to the back is a sleeve for hanging and a label. I bound the raw edges with a black cotton binding. When deciding how to quilt my item, I looked to the black squares for my inspiration. Seeing them zigzag across the quilt gave me the idea to repeat the squares horizontally by quilting a square swirl across the rows.
Regatta QuiltCloseup of Regatta QuiltingA Slice of Regatta
My next photo provides a closeup of the backing as well as the quilting.
A View Of The Regatta From The Back
The final photo of my Regatta quilt is one of my favorites because it shows the texture of the quilting. The shadows created by the stitches make the quilting appear three-dimensional.
Regatta Quilt Texture
My Regatta quilt is now officially DONE! This quilt was a fun and easy project to make. I’m so glad that I decided to participate. The finished quilt will make an awesome addition to my quilt stash.
After three months of cutting, pressing and stitching, my last Mystery QAL art piece has finally been completed. The art piece I am about to reveal has been titled Neighbors, AP # 37. I chose this name because the overall appearance reminds me of the diversified neighborhoods often seen within the confines of a city. Contained with a metropolitan community you might find
single family dwellings,
multi-family units,
ranch style homes,
bungalows,
multi-story and
high-rise buildings.
I believe the collage created by the unique blocks sandwiched together in my piece are similar to that of a city. With no two blocks the same, each one has the opportunity to add its own flair to the neighborhood.
It All Started…
This art piece began on January 1, 2018. I shared its history via a series of posts; thirteen to be exact. You may find those posts listed under the category Mystery QAL. Neighbors measures 72” x 34”. This quilt, as with most others, was sandwiched with a layer of Warm & Natural batting along with a backing of a very pretty floral fabric. I purchased the floral print sometime ago from the discount table at a local fabric store. As soon as I saw it I just new it would make a wonderful quilt back someday. I’m so happy I decided to add it to my shopping bag.
The Quilting
To secure the sandwich together I used a variegated King Tut thread. The colors in the thread nicely complimented the fabrics used in my project. My piece is filled with straight and angular lines. Using those lines for inspiration I stitched a geometric quilting motif over the entire surface, with each block receiving individualized attention.
A Surprise
In the bottom right corner I personalized the quilting by adding one of my signature stitching designs. Early on in my longarm quilting career I had fun experimenting with the endless possibilities for quilting stitches. The stitch I grew to like the most was my very own version of a flower. Typically I don’t stitch it on quilts that are quilted with straight or angular lines. In this case I thought it would be fun because after all this art piece was titled Neighborhood and who wouldn’t want to have flowers planted in their neighborhood! To add even more bling I stitched a handmade bead I purchased from jimenastreasures on Etsy. Parmila lives in Spain and creates the most unusual items. Shown below is a photo of one of my favorites.
A Bead From Jimenastreasures
To cap off the really cool bead I added a small teal one to the very top. Take a look below.
Neighbors, AP # 37 Flower Embellishment
The Finishing Touches
Most quilts are finished with a binding surrounding all four edges. I could have done the same with this art piece but I really didn’t want to add another fabric. I also didn’t want the binding to take away from my design; I wanted to leave the edges unobstructed. To secure them I made facings from the same material I used for the backing. I also added a hanging sleeve and of course a label.
Let’s Take A Look
I think that pretty much covers everything I have to say about this piece; other than the fact that I am absolutely in love with the final outcome. With nothing more to say let me share photos of the art piece I call Neighbors, AP # 37.
Neighbors, AP # 37
The next six photos are of my favorite blocks.
Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 1Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 2 This one is my all-time favorite!Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 3Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 4Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 5Neighbors, AP # 37 Block 6Neighbors, AP # 37 Backing and Label
That’s All Folks!
This brings to a close my adventures in the Mystery QAL. I hope that you have enjoyed flowing along and witnessing the process I took to create my many pieces. Don’t forget to check out my Mystery QAL Category for a complete listing of the posts pertaining to this adventure. If you missed seeing the other three pieces here they are.
Munga Tusen Tak!
That’s Norwegian for Many Thanks! My husband is 50% Norwegian. Aspects of his heritage often filter into our daily lives so I thought it would be fun to honor him by sharing a Norwegian phrase. 🙂
Thank you so much for faithfully following this series. Your comments and likes have made it even more enjoyable.
