Cot quilt - modern quilting style

Our guild had Robyn from Auckland Modern Quilt Guild run a class on modern quilting for us yesterday.  It was a lovely day, many beautiful quilts being produced and we are all better informed about the modern quilt movement now. Thanks Robyn for a great day!

I managed to produce this.

It's meant to be a rectangular cot quilt but it's missing a row. I mis-cut one cross block and another block got buried under scraps so I didn't notice until someone pointed out that it was square and not rectangular! 

The fact that I got this far was no mean feat. My organisational skills let me down somewhat. I knew that they were changing the locks on the doors and thought I had that all organised but somewhere some wires were crossed. I couldn't even remember who was going to open the door. All I knew was that I had had a conversation with someone and it was all ok. Wrong! So I arrived to a locked door, Robyn and a couple of people waiting. I'd forgotten my phone. Another person had no credit on her phone. The next person had a phone and credit - then we realised that none of us had Jo's number! So I drove home, phoned Jo, got hold of the other keyholder and went back to class. We are now running very late. Robyn took it all in her stride and we got started. 

I cut out my fabric, went to set up my sewing machine and realised that I had left my foot pedal at home. Drove back home, picked up the foot pedal and some lunch (which I had also forgotten) and my iron. Got back to class and worked like crazy to catch up. So you see, I did well! I think I'm going to add another 4 rows and make it a small single bed quilt.

Here's a close-up of my yummy fabric

Collage background

I haven\'t been doing a lot recently but here is a recent project, the background for a collage.

Modern quilting

This project ticks lots of boxes.

• We did some stenciling and rubbing with crayons and paint sticks in my art quilt group. Homework is to do something with them.
• I wanted to join in Leah Day's quilt along. (I may be too late but the intention was there!)
• I wanted to explore some ideas on modern quilts for a class at the guild.
• I bought a glass table for my new house and needed an everyday table cover. Putting things straight on to glass makes me nervous!

This was just an experiment with Shiva sticks, masking tape and rubbing plates but I liked it so much that I decided to make it the middle of my tablecloth.

Embracing the modern quilt movement - lots of white

I save net from flowers. It's fantastic for adding texture to your surface design.

I also used some net to make stencils. I cut out maple leaf shapes on some fusible web, left the paper backing on it and ironed it to the net. Stenciling through the net gave a lovely watery effect to the stencil.

A watery maple leaf 

All the left over bits were cut into wedge shapes and made into a great border.

So now I need to think about how to quilt it. Am I going to go for Leah's sampler style quilt or maybe feathers? An all over design or highlight the squares? White thread or contrast? So many decisions!!

Black and White challenge

The main guild in Auckland had a challenge, 12" by 12", Black and White and One (other colour). My colour was purple.

I took the design from 'Circles of the East' by Kumiko Sudo. This one is Gentian, which I thought was very appropriate for a purple accent.

I didn't win anything. Some of the entries were fantastic and really deserved to win. I've got a new respect for the Twelve by Twelve group. It's not easy designing something so small and they get so much detail into a small quilt. One of the orange quilts is my favourite. What's yours?

I vary the stitch width to get sharp points and add interest to the line. 

I've moved again! This is my third move this year and hopefully my last for a while. I've got a sewing room now and this lovely view across my little garden and next door's garden too. Maybe I'll get time to do some sewing now. Calico Christmas/Festival of Quilts hand in date is coming up fast and I've only just started on my entry! 

A piece of nonsense

'A piece of nonsense'. That's what Jean from our Art Quilt group called the lovely things she creates. We loved them so she taught us how to do it. Would you believe that this mixed media postcard is actually a brown paper bag that held mushrooms and a used tea bag?

The brown paper bag was painted with black acrylic paint and then distressed and rubbed with metallic wax. Then I've layered the tea bag with Lutradur. I burnt the bit in the middle to get this random shape. A fun bit of nonsense!

Lattice bag

We made bags at Guild this weekend. This is my bag. Isn't it gorgeous!

Mel's entry for the 'Best of British' competition

Melanie has done a drawing for the Derwent 'Best of British' competition. Not only has she created a stunning drawing but she has made a video of her doing it. Click here to have a look. 

I love all the things that she put into Scotland, things that are special memories for her. We really missed Tunnocks Tea Cakes and Irn Bru when we left. Funnily enough, now that you can get them here, I'm not so bothered! 

Please share the video on your social network. She wants to get it out to as many people as possible and then get lots of votes. Ta :-) (also I'm very proud of her and want everyone to see it!)