Triangle Roll Trees

I used 36 degree Triangles on a Roll to piece a forest for my wintry quilt. 36 Triangles make ideal Christmas trees. Use the same Triangle Roll foundation paper to piece trunks for your trees. Here is what I mean: 

Use 36 degree Triangle on a Roll Ruler to cut green (tree) and blue (sky) 6" triangle. You need one more blue than green pieces. Follow Triangle on a Roll paper instructions or Tutorial to Sew & Fold tree tops.

Cut 2.5" strips of blue (sky) and enough 1.5" x 2.5" brown (trunks) to match the number of trees you have pieced.

Using the same Triangle on a Roll paper, working right to left, center one trunk at the point of a "sky" (upside down) triangle. I like glue stick to hold first piece in place.

1. Right sides together, stitch blue/sky strip to left side of  brown/trunk piece. Fold blue piece open.
2. Align next trunk piece over blue strip, right sides together, 1/4" from center of next down triangle point. Pin in place. Stitch on left side.
3. Cut blue strip 1/4" from stitching line. Fold trunk piece open (right side up).  Return to step one.

When all trunks have been pieced, match tree paper roll to trunk paper roll. Right sides together, tops of rolls facing.

Mark center of first tree and first trunk to align rolls.

Follow stitching line on roll, stitching 1" from edge of paper for perfectly matched forest.

How the Bear Travels

Remember that bear that tried to steal the food out of your picnic? Oh, wait, that's not the bear I was thinking of. It's the one that gets to travel to Russia! Yes, the bear that travels to Russia is the one I'm thinking of. If you don't remember, here is the story of how Mom made a bear.

 

Tracy is our friend from Community Choir. She is traveling to Kiev with her husband to pick up their new adopted kid. I bet children there will be so jealous of the bear their kid will get, and everyone will just want to hug that cute thing!

Mom likes making bears now. Here is a new blue bear she has made. This one too is waiting for just the right eye buttons to come along.

Very best wishes to Tracy, family, and bear. Safe travels!

Those Surprises

You know kids have that little fascination for bikes. They love it and treat their bike like family. They care for it, fix it, ride it, make the little bike happy. I am one of those kids. I love my Quilt Market Meet-Up bike with it's sky blue color, shimmering in the sun. It even has a basket to carry everything that I need in it. You wouldn't believe the look on my face when Mom had created the cutest creation for my bike. --Alex

up-cycle bike basket liner

 

I made Alex's basket liner from an old work shirt and bunting flags leftover from other (apron) projects. A double recycle project!

 

Shirt placket is the casing, with shirt front still attached for liner sides. Liner bottom was cut from one of the shirt sleeves. Sides (shirt front) were gathered around oval (sleeve) bottom. The big design challenges were:

 

 

1. Deciding to put the exposed seams on the outside. They really are well hidden by the basket and the bunting.
2. Giant snaps instead of drawstring casing.[ It is so hot here that sticky Velcro melts off in the garage, so although an obvious choice, that wasn't a real option.]
   

   
3. Shirt pocket section was pieced in center front of basket liner. Gathering made the pocket gap, so skip that step on the front edge if you use a pocket.

 

Well, all that is left of Uncle Dennis' denim work shirt is the collar, cuffs, and one sleeve. Can you think of another upcycle project that would finish it off?

  Time to go outside for a summertime bike ride :)

 





Mom & Daughter Quilters

If you have met Cristy Fincher and her mother Sharon Schamber, then you know I can't really find words to describe what special ladies they are.

nice people:  Cristy & Sharon

This summer, I've been privilege to learn from Cristy and Sharon. Here are some quilt details and comments form Sharon's trunk show at July's MQG. I know you have already seen all these major award winning museum quality quilts in magazines, so I'm just posting details for Quilt It! Challenge inspiration Pinterest board, and (as I was too excited to hold still long enough to get great pics - sorry) some fuzzy looking quilts that I still can't believe I saw  in real life!
One of the many reasons for this Thankful Thursday post.

Tiniest yo-yo daisies ever.

Spiral maze echo quilting, I see a spider web.

Don't know what you call this (except for Amazing!), but it makes me want to go to the beach.

Sharon says Quilting is sculpture, not just holding 3 layers together.

I want to try this next Quilt It! Challenge block.

An applique block with embroidery.

Sharon may spend 50 hrs. on an applique block.

Whole cloth design; borders/frames are quilted

Can you see the feather shells border?

This is my favorite: very tiny pumpkin seeds with even tinier stippling.

This one is for @SewExcitedQuilt. Something new!

Sharon says embroidery needles won't bend in freemotion quilting like quilting needles do.

A quilting sampler.

Are you warn out yet? I am. Time for a break.

Alex is making raspberry tea:)

LUV this traditional design. Surprise, it's not English Paper-Piecing. 

Have you tried Sharon's Piec-lique technique?

This epaulet edging has hand stuffed cording.

Sharon develop this technique when she was a wedding dress designer.

What did you do in a former life that contributes to your quilting?

Seriously, tell me! I love those stories:)

Sharon says UFOs are like Ex-husbands. Why would you go back?

Here is an exception. Once Upon a Time is all hand made, needle-turn applique, this quilt waited 14 years for finishing.

And then won NQA best of show.

Sitting Bull's portrait in quilting.

I think Sharon would say the secret to her infinite design styles is having enough technique to go wherever you imagine.  At least, that's what I learned from her quilts.

Beyond unique: Crimson Promises blocks and borders are joined by lattice cording. 400 yards.

No worries, there's a DVD  if you want to try this.

This is a good pic! You can see the variegated dies in appliques and in the cording too.

No to mention, THE QUILTING!

Did you know, the original Emerald Reflections was destroyed in a truck fire?

 This one is a remake. Imagine!

A Perfect Moment also has a sculptured edge,

like her green sister, Memories of Emerald Reflections.

That looks like a great place to end.

packing quilts