Buffalo!

Here's an original piece of work - and a labor of love through the chilly months of February, March and April. Inspired by astounding quilt artist Georgan Ellerbruch, I decided to give it a go and make my own "Attic Window" buffalo wall quilt. Georgan made one using buffalo print fabric with a light background - mine uses stormy gray background (like the approaching of a thunderstorm). She appliqued buffalo and varigated backgrounds to make it unique - then hand quilted it all. Result: breath-taking! So, under her tutelage, she give me a crash course in how to create the look of "attic windows."

First, start with a fabric that you want to feature - then cut it all to pieces. Here are my bufflos pre-cutting (5/8 of a yard). I spent hours looking at this fabric thinking, "Where should I cut? Oh, I just don't know..." until one night, at midnight, I hacked it all up willy nilly. Late-night quilting sessions can be productive!

Then you need a light and dark contrast color to "frame" the window (above: dark brown and gold-ish). In this case, the buffalo print fabric is my window. The light and dark work together to give the image depth. I was trying to make it look like the buffalo were stampeding in through the window. Taking a tip from Georgan, I cut out three separate buffalo scences and sewed them on top of the "window" to get that feel.

Here's a tip - don't eye-ball mitering corners. Use a ruler (with a 60 degree or 30 degree or 45 degree angle). I wish I had a little more "experience" in mitering before I made these, but hey - I learned from it. My hubby helped me chose the best "widths" to get the right feel for the depth.

Once I got all the windows together (I wanted a balance of 6), I took the advisement to add more fabric like a frame. And I love Basic Grey fabric to begin with (and yes, they do scrapbooking papers as well), which is what I chose to border this projet. To me it looks like men's neckties, or a shirt one of our grad students (Kyle) wears occasionally.

Then you quilt! And quilt some more! Don't forget to pick out a fantastic backing for it - this here is what the gals and I call "Buffalo Hide." For quilting I used a combination of free-motion quilting (swirls, rope, edging around buffaloes).

But what really set this quilt apart was going the "extra step" and hand quilting (called utility stitching) brands into various sections.  Above the swirls (on the blue) is the brand "Cross Quarter Circle" - or if you're not from the West (or used to reading brands) you can call it like it do: Cross on the hill!

There are a total of eight brands stitched into the quilt - some which have significant personal meaning. Such as the MK brand - that's for good friends Marian and Melvin Kallas - they fixed me my very first "buffalo steak" for supper one night. :)

So, here it is. The beautiful buffalo quilt - which I call "Tatonka." I gave it to my husband, and he proudly displays it in his office. He's sort of a traveling man - hence the globe, safari hat, all setting on a hide he collected in South Africa. And I just can't help but admire the beautiful filing cabinet he made.

Countdown to Quilt Show!

It's crunch time for quilters around this neck of the woods. Everyone is gearing up for the 2010 Brookings Quilt Show. Now, being a Quilt Show virgin, I have no idea what to expect. I've volunteered to help make decorations back in October, and in the last week or so there are a constant stream of activities. All I know is this: you won't want to miss this show.

Here's what I know:

• The Brookings Area Quilters Guild (BAQG) holds a show every other year. That means the last one was held in 2008. Now that it's 2010, a bevy of new quilts will be on display. Between my girlfriend, Becky, we're bringing 10. Again, I have no idea what I'm getting in to, but what can it hurt?
• There are quilt vendors at the show. These vendors come from quite a ways away to display their best. I'm looking forward to meeting new quilt shop owners and seeing new projects.
• There are TWO challenges that will be represented in quilts: A "South Dakota" challenge, of which quilts will depict something from South Dakota (and be accompanied by an explanation). I've seen pheasants, windmills, buffalos... and more unique ones are sure to follow. Then there's the "Challenge Fabric" which can be used in any quilt. This year's fabric is hand-dyed and green. I can't wait to see what creative twists the guild works that fabric in to.
• We have a guest speaker - and I only know him as Joe the Quilter. He will be speaking at the luncheon (with great door prizes!) and then giving a class. I'm looking forward to meeting him, as the only other male quilters I've met have kind of scared the bejeezus out of me. :)
• We have a display of "Montana Man Quilts" - which is like the name says. Men from across Montana who have made quilts. I can't wait to see what their perspective is on quilting (and fabric).
• We feature a quilter each year - this year it's Sharon. I don't know Sharon really well, but I'm sure she will "wow" us.
• There is a boutique, where you can purchase quilting supplies and magazines. All donations go to charity (I think).
• There's a silent auction, which will feature some high-end quilting stuff. I'm making a purse. Again, proceeds go towards a local charity.
• We'll be selling raffle tickets for the 2010 quilt show. It has hand applique, machine piecing and machine quilting and is queen sized. At $1/ticket, it's quite a deal to become the lucky owner of this beautiful quilt.

So, if you're not busy this weekend, stop on out. You won't want to miss it. Look for me, I'll be wearing a blue apron (which is the uniform of the guild during the quilt show). It only has one quilt block on it, signifying that this is my first quilt show (you'll be able to tell the seasoned quilters from the newbies).

Dick & Jane Purse

Just in time for Easter, I completed this super cute Dick & Jane purse. It incorporates fabric from the Dick & Jane collection (Michael Miller Fabrics, LLC). The patterns is "Amy Lou's" by "Totes by Sandy." I've featured this purse pattern before on this blog, you can see it here.

I made this purse with a specific someone in mind, and was able to give it to her this weekend. My mother-in-law, Susie, and I were browsing in a quilt shop one day. When she found this fabric, her face lit up. I learned that she has a special Dick & Jane book collection. Since I made all of her daughters a purse this winter, I thought she'd enjoy her very own. Using the Dick & Jane fabric just seemed natural, since she's already spotted it and has a special place in her heart for it. The Easter Bunny was good to Susie this weekend, and I'm looking forward to hearing her user-reviews!

I don't know why, but this large, red button just made it all come together.

On the opposite side I used three buttons to make "A, B, C." Want something even more entertaining? How about some new words? The top portion of the purse is gathered, which on word-printed fabric means some of the letters disappear. How do you like "Uk and ne." or "Se Dicknd Jar" Seems like a foreign language, huh? At least it keeps me entertained!

The inside of the purse is made with really white Dick & Jane fabric. I liked how it was taken from the books, but on the outside of the purse, it would have been too easy to get soiled. So, inside it went. The pockets are scrappy orange/blue that just make me think: whimsical.

Love, love, love!

Here is a beautiful, spring-y looking table runner that I'm honored to have displayed in my house. While I can't t take credit for this quilted beauty (featuring fusible applique technique), I can (and WILL) give props to my mom. She whipped it up for me as a birthday present, and while I was opening the gift, asked me, "Do you know what this is?"

And I answered immediately, "Of course, it's a woven heart table runner."

Only a mother would remember her daughter's off-handed comment, while quilt-store binge shopping, that she liked this pattern. I'm amazed that she mentally recorded that comment, left the store, and returned at a later date to scoop up the pattern, supplies, and make this project in secret.

What can I say? I love it! It's even a bit Celtic-ish. And yes, I do have "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" books displayed prominently in my living room. Just because I look like a grown-up, doesn't mean I have to decorate like one. Stay tuned for a future blog posting when I make my "Brown Bear" quilt (fabric and pattern given to me as a birthday present).

Spring Fling (Swing) Jacket!

Spring fever has officially set in this week, now that the enormous snow bank outside our front walkway has melted. On a recent spring break trip to Tecumseh, NE to visit college friends, I found a stylish trenchcoat that I would be fun to make. Now, it's not quite quilting, but it involves most of the basic tools. So, under the guidance of Master Seamstress Linda Louder, we whipped up this jacket in two days.

The pattern is called "The Sophia Trenchcoat" SDG-99 from Serendipity Studio (available to make at fingertip lengh, or knee-length). I found it at a quilt shop called "Common Threads" in Syracuse, NE. The lady at the quilt store was nice enough to let me try on the in-store sample, and Eric and I both agreed - it was cute. So I bought the pattern on a whim (being a very NOVICE seamstress) and began the hunt for fabric.

We used interior decorator fabric for the outside of the coat, and found it at a steal (like $6.99/yd!). The contrast fabric is a batik that looks like it was made to compliment this coat.

There are big, fun cuffs in contrasting fabric that I can shape if I want to "pop" my collar, or just lay low.

And we opted for contrasting cuffs - it just looks classy and fun at the same time, don't you think?

Yours truly, modeling. I'm smiling at my hubby - who REALLY likes the coat (and says I'm a "cutie bear"). The best part of making a garment like this is it is custom made for your body. One of a kind!

Even how the back gathers is cute! What's best, I feel like a million darn dollars in this garment - and you can't put a dollar figure on that. Happy spring!

Pressing Problems...

I just finished volunteering my time with the Prayer Quilt ministry at my church. I had mixed feelings about going, but I went, and am glad I went. There's something magical about being surrounded by women working on a project. There's a steady hum of the sewing machines. The varied chatter of ladies pinning. And there I was, pressing.

Now let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed the iron I was working with. It was super heavy and gave off lots of steam. I like pressing. I think of my time ironing a time where my mind can wander. Many prayers are said while I press. So, I thought I had the perfect job before me.

That was until I saw the many different ways there were to create seams on these prayer quilt tops! Oh, my goodness! There were seams that were sewn "open," other sewn to one side, and then there were seams that were sewn in one direction and opposite on the other end! Goodness, what do you do with a quilt top like that? I did my best. I can't believe there were quilts being assembled without pressing (perhaps I came from a pressing-nazi camp...the more I think about that, the more I think that's true). So I did my best. And realized that I'm lucky to have been taught the importance of pressing while quilting. It's a small step that makes a huge difference as quilts come together.

Happy pressing!!

Needing a little Sunshine

I'm not sure what the weather is like outside your window, but here in South Dakota it's a drizzly, gloomy mess. And it looks like it will continue throughout the week. So, I'm giving you a post that brightens up my day! It's called "Good Morning, Sunshine!" by Pincherry Road Designs (Linda Van Arkel). Linda is one of my local shop owners (ABCs of Quilting, Grand Rapids, MN).

I just call this "Hungry Catepillar" and it has brought loads of sunshine into our lives already. Can you see how he eats his way through all the food in the border?

While my husband was on Safari, I was able to finish the binding while visiting his family in Nebraska. Words cannot express how special it was to finish the quilt at my sister-in-law Stacy's house and wrap her son, Wyatt, in it. Baby Morgan happily joined her brother playing on brightly colored squares. Wyatt has been reading the book "The Very Hungry Catepillar" illustrated by Eric Carle and told me the entire story when he saw this quilt. What a beautiful way to break-in a new quilt!

When my husband came home from South Africa, he was so happy to see all the bright colors (he picked out the back, isn't that cute?!). We hung it on our quilt rack as soon as we could (replacing my Winter Joy wallhanging). It's been up since mid-February (I LOVE TO READ month).

It was a real family-effort. I purchased the kit just before Christmas and my best-friend Becky help me to "randomize" the interior blocks. She's got a good handle on random - don't you think? I hope this quilt brightens your day, like it does mine!!