Recommended Quilting Book

Our dear friend and quilting mentor, Karen Sievert, has just had her first book published by Martingale and Co. We are SO excited for her! How wonderful it is to see her labor of love in print and on the bookshelves! Congratulations, Karen!

Better Together: Two-Block Designs for Dynamic Quilts is a wonderful book and would make a welcome addition to any quilter's library. Below is the review I posted on amazon.com, but you can purchase the book directly from Karen on her website.

"As one would expect from Martingale, Better Together is a wonderfully produced and well-written book that will inspire both beginning and advanced quilters. In the first few pages, the award-winning author provides insight on fabric selection and preparation and quiltmaking basics, including many of her useful "insider" tips for piecing and quilting that will also be useful to advanced quilters. The cover photo is an appropriate representation of the book's contents - the quilts are striking and beautifully photographed in full-page format.

Through the 10 main chapters of the book, the author shows how to make dynamic, visually-intricate quilts by combining only two separate block designs in each quilt. The author's choice of colors and value take advantage of the alternate patterns that emerge as the different blocks are joined. Included are examples of how different color choices can dramatically alter the look of a quilt, as well as patterns that would be suitable for large-patterned themed fabrics.

The blocks are all rotary cut and constructed with squares, rectangles, and half or quarter square triangles. Instructions for each quilt, including fabric requirements, cutting measurements and construction steps, are complete and clearly and concisely written. Full-color illustrations matching the photographed quilt accompany each step.

The author's personable writing style makes you feel as though you had a good friend sitting with you as you are sewing. This is a lovely book from beginning to end. The author's knowledge, passion for quilting and warm writing style are an inspiration - Quilters and this book are truly "Better Together." We hope to see another book from this author soon!"

Kitsap Quilters' Show

Mom and I recently had the opportunity to attend the Kitsap Quilters' show at our local fairgrounds. It was a wonderful afternoon, filled with inspiration. Here are some portions of a few of the quilts that caught my eye. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of any of these artists - I was having so much fun gawking and taking pictures that I forgot to write down any of the artists' information! As you can see, they are a talented group of quilters:

A lovely, bright combination of patchwork and applied flowers:




Very sweet oragami-style flowers:

Bright swirls and stars:

Oh my - just look at all of these tiny points! Wonderfully accented by the
black and white inner border:

And, you've just gotta' love the gal who loves Elvis enough
to have crafted this tribute:

Gorgeous Hawaiian-style applique' in shades of the sea:

Stunning Blue Jays in Native Alaskan-style applique

Very classy blended hexagons:

Traditional patchwork designs in contemporary batiks:

Amazing thread-painted quilt
(yes, those feathers are made of thousands of yards of thread!):

Very imaginative use of fibers in this lovely seascape mini-quilt:

And my personal favorite:
Handpainted seashells in natural shades in the style of Velda Newman.
Just look at the exquisite quilting on this piece!
Fancy threads, handpainting and just a hint of sparkle to complete the under-sea fantasy.

A close-up of the starfish that made my heart go "pitty-pat..."

Bird Collages - Part II

These collages were a joy to work on - nothing like sweet bird images to brighten the day! The main layers and embellishments have been completed - now just the backings, bottom trims and bindings left to do.

Bird Collages - Part 1

I found some wonderful vintage bird images on Etsy last week. Armed with these pretty birds, I began gathering items for a few fabric collages. My first rummage through the cabinets yielded these beginning palettes.

Morning Sunshine

Caleb is one of the sweetest, happiest dogs I’ve ever known! So, for Caleb’s fabric portrait, I chose to make him look like a little ray of sunshine! The portrait, like Caleb, now resides happily in Dolores’ home.

Construction Info: The original photo was cropped and the hue/saturation manipulated in Adobe Photoshop Elements to give Caleb a sunny yellow glow. The altered image was then printed on Printed Treasures inkjet fabric, backed with Misty Fuse and mounted onto a collage of batiks and Kaffe Fassett fabric. The words (French for “Morning Sunshine”) were also printed on fabric, then dyed with mixed yellow shades of DynaFlow. Many thanks to Mom for her addition of free-motion machine stitching with rayon thread. The piece is backed and bound with batik, and rings were added for hanging.

In the "Spirit of a Mermaid"

My mother is a talented lady! Here is one of her creations from several years ago – an undersea fabric collage vest and matching necklace.

The fish were each comprised of many different fabrics, then collaged onto assorted batiks and quilted with various decorative threads. And what would an undersea vest be without a proper mermaid artifact necklace? We found a fabulous lampwork bead at a local show, I gathered an assortment of fibers, and she promptly wove a necklace to match!

Thus, I’m convinced… every gal should have the opportunity to dress in “the spirit of a mermaid” at least once in her lifetime…

Virginia's Purple Quilt

I love this purple lap quilt. My mother made it for her mother quite some time ago. It warms my heart to know it will soon find new life in the arms of my lifelong friend Julie….who has since childhood shared my grandmother’s unwavering ardor for purple. May she have many blissful naps and cozy evenings under these feathered, purple stars.

"Jardin Gothique"

It was a joy to work on this, but I am even more thrilled to have finally finished! Many thanks to my creative husband for helping me work through some in-progress design issues, and to Mom and Susan; this was an enjoyable Art Day project! Apologies for the wonky photography – we really do need to make a “design/display board” soon!

Included in this raw-edge machine-stitched piece are hand-dyed, painted, stamped and stenciled fabrics, needle felting, vintage buttons and glass beads, “collected” fabrics and trims, and hand quilting. After I say a lingering farewell, “Jardin Gothique” will be added to our future Etsy shop inventory.

Mixed Media Fabric Collage

Susan, Mom and I recently spent another wonderful two days together, this time playing with fiber and fabric. Gaining inspiration from the current issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, we experimented with needle felting and raw-edge appliqué / collage. I learned a lot through this process, including what I will do differently next time! I still have more stitching to do before my collage is finished, but here are some in-progress pictures:

Congratulations, Mom!

I was so thrilled to see my mother’s hard work recognized by her peers today at the West Sound Quilters’ show, and am happy to be able to share pictures of her and her prize-winning quilts! I adore everything she does and am her biggest fan.

The batik New York Beauty is my favorite quilt of all, and usually resides on my living room chair, warming me each evening with its beautiful, subtle colors. Each block is an amazing engineering feat in piecing – there are hundreds of points in this quilt, some of which have two pieces in each point. I love the way the blocks are juxtaposed against one another for a lively, dancing rhythm.

She created the whale mariner’s compass quilt for my father to commemorate their fifty years together. All around the border, there are various species of whales, outline quilted and done in trapunto. It is truly a labor of love. Congratulations, Mom!

Pretty Birds

I have a very creative and talented Mom! Here is Jo's latest creation, a cheerful Parrot jacket. Check out the cool lining! She is sure to bring smiles wherever she goes when wearing this!

I couldn't resist an in-progress picture too, with a few of her parrot figurines peeking over her shoulder. She whipped this up in a few days, just in time for our local quilt show. It's pretty, bright colors will certainly bring a spark to some of our upcoming rainy, Pacific Northwest fall days. Way to go, Mom!

Butterfly Quilt

Earlier this week, I was able to snap a picture of one of my mother’s latest creations. Isn’t it beautiful? She used all silks in this piece and constructed the butterfly separately so it dramatically stands away from the background. I can hardly wait until it flies back home after the upcoming quilt show!