Category Archives: traditional quilts

muse monday: road 2 ca

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While I enjoy the big picture looking at paintings and quilts, what I am most intrigued by are the close-up details: the brush strokes and stitches, the weave of the fabric and the facets of the embellishments. So direct from Ontario, California, I bring you a close-up look at the details of a few of my favorite quilts. I hope you are as fascinated and inspired as I am by these intricate works of art from Road to California 2010.

2010GardenPartyQVases by Suzanne Marshall, MO

2010GardenPartyDWhat I love most about Suzanne’s prize-winning quilt is the way she outlined each applique piece with hand embroidery.

2010SkysLimitQThe Sky’s the Limit by Linda MacDougall, CA

2010SkysLimitD1Linda MacDougall pays such attention to each exquisite detail in all her quilts. (Her Garden Party quilt won 2nd place in the Innovative Traditional category. You should be able to see it and the other winners soon on the Road to California website.) Notice the beads and crystals she used for the tiniest ice cream scoops.

2010SkysLimitD2I also like the way the iridescent sheer changes the colors of the fabric underneath it.

2010FlowersGaloreQFlowers Galore by Cindy Shoop, CA

2010FlowersGaloreDThese pieced center circles look like stacked cover buttons or dimensional applique. It really makes a difference compared to plain circles.

2010InnerBeautyQInner Beauty by Cathleen Miller, NM

2010InnerBeautyDLook at how the trapunto flowers and leaves tie the appliqued borders into the rest of this magnificent quilt.

When you take a closer look, you’ll see that it’s details like these that take a great quilt and make it a fantastic quilt! Visit the Road to California website to see photos of the rest of this year’s winning quilts.

it’s a beauty!

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Last week I attended a workshop from Peggy Martin, Quick-Strip Paper Pieced New York Beauty. Click here to see some of the many variations you can get by laying out the blocks in different patterns. Definitely half the fun comes when you finish the blocks and get to play with them, trying out different arrangements.

Here is one of the blocks I worked on in the class. The pink fabric in the corner is actually not sewn down yet, I just laid it on top for the photo, and unfortunately did not lay it down very accurately. When you do sew the pieces together you really get nice sharp points, as you can see with the yellow points above, which are sewn down.

What’s great about Peggy’s Quick-Strip paper piecing technique is that it really is quick and easy! And you get 3 different methods to choose from to sew the curved lines (something for everybody!). I’ve started 8 blocks but haven’t decided how many there will be in the end.

This is my focus fabric for my New York Beauty quilt, “margarita” from Alexander Henry Fabrics, 2004. I’ve been saving it for just the right quilt. I have enough of it to use in a border and to sprinkle throughout some of the blocks.

Peggy’s trunk show was amazing as well! I love how she uses such a wide variety of colors and fabrics from quilt to quilt. I was fascinated to see how just a single small change to a quilt block (line, color, value, orientation, etc.) makes all the difference in the world in the final quilt’s look and feel. Check out the different looks you can get with the traditional Palm Leaf block. The cover quilt of Quick-Strip Paper Piecing: For Blocks, Borders & Quilts (Peggy’s book with the New York Beauty pattern in it) is one of those quilts you really have to see in person.

Stay tuned for more of my New York Beauty blocks! (and I promise to sew all the pieces together for you next time) =(^_^)=