Antique Postcard Quilt Challenge - Quilters Connection

Thanks to my friend Vicki the "Wish You Were Here...A vintage postcard quilt" was born. Vicki, who always knows everything that is going on the quilt community told me about Quilters Connection Challenge.

Quilters Connection of Dallas issued a challenge to make a quilt that was a minimum on 36" X 36", using any technique, with at least half of the top made from a black toile fabric from the fabric line Traditions by Sentimental Studios for Moda Fabrics. We could pick up the fabric and entry forms the first week in August first and it has to be turned in by August 30th. The quilt show will be in their shop from Sept 1-6 and viewers choice will determine the winners.

How could I not enter a quilt...moda has awesome fabrics, the fabric is a black toile POSTCARD and have another opportunity to use up some more of the goodies that came from the Houston Quilt Show. The Houston Quilt Show basket is getting smaller by the week.

This quilt was really fun to work on. From far away it looks like an appliqe Christmas quilt but when you are closer you can see stamped and tea stained "vintage" postcards with actual 1cent stamps. Little Debbie Mum postage stamps were sewn into the corners of the postcards, and Tsukineko inks were used to color in all the berries. Vintage photos behind plastic with little buttons, beads and trims. Vintage lace, rick rack and buttons also adorn the quilt. My favorite photo is on the bottom right. It is of a baby in a little carrage under the plastic are some tiny, tiny buttons and tiny, tiny pins that were given to me by mom that were in Nana's sewing box.

Cloth, Paper, Scissors Tea Party Challenge

This was my submission to Cloth, Paper, Scissors Mixed-Media Tea Party Challenge. The magazine issued a challenge to make a mixed-media piece in keeping with a tea party theme. They suggested that we use motifs or colors that evoke harvest, gratitude and celebrations. The posted the winners on the quilting arts magazine blog today. Mine was not one of them :0(

I enjoyed making this piece. It is a tea box made from a box that I took apart and made a pattern. Sewed strips of batik fabrics onto fast to fuse and then assembled a tea box. Inside is a liner bag like you receive in a real tea box. The tea bags have wooden tags that have words on each that were printed out in different fonts. A really fun challenge- can't wait to try the next one.

Texas Quiltworks Challenge Quilt

Well here it is.  My "big girl quilt" that I made for the Texas Quiltworks challenge.  The shop posted a challenge in January where we had to purchase 2 yards of their "mystery" fabric and from that we were suppose to make a quilt (with other fabrics added of course).  The mystery fabric was supposed to be a main fabric in the quilt top.  The quilt also had to be quilted and bound.  

I called this my "big girl" quilt because it is the first good sized quilt ( I prefer to make art quilts and smaller wall hangings) that I pieced, quilted and bound myself.  It is not perfect but it was fun to make and I learned a lot about what to do and not to do next time.  I am really proud of the binding and piecing but not so proud of the actual quilting.  I used the fusible batting, pins and started from the center and worked my way out, but I still had some puckering. But with practice everything gets better.  

Found some really great fabric at hancock fabrics on clearance that will be perfect for practice.  I am going to make some quilt sandwiches and practice with those.  I think also when I practice I will use my quilt pounce with an easier stencil until I master that then move to a more detailed one.  Live and learn...but at least I tried.

Mini Quilt Exchange

Sewing Diva Mini Quilt - Made to exchange with Postcard Pizzazz Group.  My sewing diva center block is a Lorelie print and has a simple border with 2" square corners.  Around the Sewing Diva center block is glittery red rick rack.  The center block has hot fix crystals placed in the green top, in the gold shirt and blue crystals in her eyes.

We decided to add a new challenge to our postcard group.  We are exchanging mini-quilts.  They were supposed to be between 8" and 10" we did not want to make them too big so that they would fit into a manilla envelope.

Cat's Fabric Postcard Exchange

Three mixed-media postcards I make for the PostcardPizzazz "Cat's Postcard Exchange".  The top of each postcard is made with some beautiful almost batik looking cats on black fabric.  I stitched decorative threads to make it look like the cats are playing with yarn.  Then stitched on these adorable cat button, and some plastic cat sayings.  The backs are a light purple with more plastic cat sayings stitched on.  The sides are finished with overstitched yarn.  Much cuter in person ;0).

Go Green - Quilting Arts Magazine Challenge

I love Quilting Arts Magazine and read each issue over and over and over again! Each year I issue a new challenge to myself. This year it is to focus on “RePurposing” found items and make eco-friendly art. So when I read about the “Go Green!” challenge, I just had to enter.

The base and backing of my square is made from an antique hand embroidered pillowcase. The batting is recycled dryer lint and the stabilizer to support the beading and embellishments is a recycled fabric softener sheet. I typed words that are important to me, printed them out, and stamped them with different shades of green and bronze ink. The embellishments are all goodies from my studio, vintage/antique lace, buttons from my button jar, beads, roving, & ribbon. The large green lace in the upper corner was cut off one of my twin daughters old dresses that I made a few years ago. The other corner is made from a recycled, painted then melted used Tyvek envelope, free motion stitched for texture then a shell button was hand sewn to the top.

My two favorite parts of this piece are the covered buttons that were from my nana’s sewing basket and the green vintage hat netting. I positioned the pieces askew before quilting so that the layers would be visible. I liked the color and texture of the dryer lint, I think it “frames” the quilted square.

9 Patch Pizzazz Challenge Quiltmakers of Dallas

I won 3rd place for my "Therapy in Session" quilt. The challenge was that we were to make a quilt from fabrics purchased from Quiltmakers of Dallas using the 9 Patch Pizzazz Pattern. I used my prize money to buy more fabric. Can we ever have too much fabric?

I used a panel from block party studios called therapy in session. It was a black and white panel that I colored with Fabrico, Tsukineko pens. I mixed that with Loralie Designs women sewing panels (not the official name, cant remember it)

Garland Quilt Guild Tea Party Hat Challenge

I won first place for my tea party hat. My hat came from goodwill and was decorated with flowers that came from salvation army. Also added to the hat was a butterfly clip and some feathers from Michael's craft store.

This was my first tea party to attend. Oh how fun! We played quilt bingo, ate tiny sandwiches and cakes, drank tea and chit chat-ed.

Art Card Ideas 2007 Fabric Postcard Challenge

Art Card Ideas 2007 Challenge. I submitted Thread Painting, Hot Texas Sun and Dream postcards to the 2007 postcard challenge.

Quilting Arts Magazine - Houston Quilt Show Inchie Exhibit

About a month after actively participating in Fiber Art Traders I received a group email posted by the list owner Norma Jean that Quilting Arts Magazine wanted to host an "Inchie" exchange at the 2007 Houston Quilt Show. In addition to hosting the inchie trade Quilting Arts Magazine issued a challenge to our group to see what items we could create using "Inchies" for possible inclusion in their exhibit at the Houston Quilt Show.

I was SO excited and proud to see four pieces of my "Inchie Art" on exhibit at the Houston Quilt Show:

• A journal cover embellished with an inchie tassel
• A mixed media necklace with inchie
• A mixed media pin with inchies, charms and metal work
• A silly inchie name tag

I even snuck a photo...big no, no, but I have not posted it anywhere...it was just for me to look.