Quarter Turn - Pattern Launch!

Hi Friends!! I'm excited to share my new pattern with you. It's called Quarter Turn. Can you guess why? No matter how many times you turn this quilt, it always looks the same. Handy! Also the vertical and horizontal bars in adjacent blocks are a quarter turned from each other. The quilt finishes up at 54" square, but if you prefer a rectangular quilt it would be super easy to simply add more rows to two opposite sides, just extending the gear-like arm thingy by one or two blocks in each direction. How's that for techy?

The cover version made with 4 colours, all luscious Oakshott shott cottons.

The idea for this quilt came to me immediately after I designed the Milltown block for the Sew Sisters Canadian Sampler, which you can read about here and here. I resized the block and it became the center of this quilt design. I wanted to have some fun negative space and get a sense of rotation in this design. I also like the bubble/curvy pattern that emerges in the semi-snowball blocks.

This 2-colour version is made with Moda solids.

Something I really like about it is that the design looks great made with just two colours, or with three colours or four colours like the cover version. I give fabric requirements and cutting instructions for all options in the pattern. This soft 2-colour version makes a great baby or toddler quilt, but different colour choices make it perfect for dudes, gearheads or geeks, too!

There's another thing about this layout if you want to quilt it yourself: the diagonal edges of the diamond shapes all line up (isn't geometry great?). This means that you can easily mark a diagonal grid by lining up your long ruler with the outside seams of all the little diamonds and marking with a fabric safe pencil, chalk or wax pen. I  quilted both of these quilts using my Juki walking foot and 40 wt. Aurifil thread. 

The pattern is available for instant .pdf download in my Craftsy shop right now. Print copies will be available to your LQS hopefully by April...and as always I'll have copies with me when I visit your guild to lecture or teach!

Level Two Tote Promotion

Hi all - 2018 is full on. I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Japan. I skied. I visited the Tokyo International Quilt Festival. I took photos.  Unfortunately, there will be a delay before I can post about that awesome stuff because now I'm headed to Pasadena, CA for QuiltCon 2018.  I feel very lucky to have two quilts hanging in the show: Pop Stars and What Apple? but truly I'm most excited to see everyone else's work at the show and meeting up with all of my pals. I'm volunteering one day, have a lecture pass for another and plan to walk the show completely this time. In 2015 I overdid it with workshops and lectures and realized later that I didn't even see all of the quilts.

You likely know by now that before I travel I typically make myself a new bag. Well, I'm already so well set up that this time I'm making a new tunic instead. However, I thought I'd offer everyone a deal on my Level Two Tote pattern just in case YOU want to make a bag if:

• you're heading to QuiltCon, or 
• you've got another fun trip planned, or
• you are hanging out at home waiting for photos of QuiltCon, or 
• you just need a fun new spring tote, or 
• your friend needs a fun new spring tote and you're going to make her one, or
• just because!!

Until Monday, February 19th purchase the pattern as a .pdf download at my Craftsy shop right here for only $6 US, or $7.50 Cdn (that's 30% off). 

No code required.

Level Two Tote - A Pattern Release!

Hi all! Exciting news today. I've finished up an new pattern and it is now live in my Craftsy shop right here.  I've always been a bag lady and have made umpteen bags from many fabulous patterns available out there, but I put my favourite simple requirements together and came up with my own design.

You've seen a few of these totes I've made over the last 18 months. Initially, I designed one for myself as a simple last-minute bag to take with me on a trip. Since then, I've made a few others as gifts for friends, each time refining the design.  Finally, an Instagram follower commented "Please tell me you are making a pattern for this! I want to make one!"

Well, my friends. Ask and you shall receive. That IG follower even offered to pattern test for me and she made a beautiful tote! Here's my latest version that appears on the pattern cover. I made it with the gorgeous Rifle Paper for Cotton and Steel Alice in Wonderland linen blend and the most perfect shade of fuschia cork fabric that I was able to purchase at my LQS. In the pattern, I list various sources for materials you'll need to make this tote.

Finished size: 16" wide across the top x 13" high x 5.5" deep at base

There are fully illustrated and thoughtfully explained instructions for creating a zipper window like you see here. You'll also learn how to install a magnetic snap if you haven't tried that yet! This LEVEL TWO TOTE is so named because there are a few potentially new skills to learn, but also for that bottom level fabric that is chosen for durability and wash-ability. I've suggested waxed canvas, cork, vinyl or lightweight hide. My next one will be made with leather!

I've been using my original tote as my everyday purse and it is perfect for me. I wanted an uncomplicated bag that didn't have too much structure or fancy hardware detailing. This tote has plenty of room to accommodate a few extra things picked up during the day (like, for instance a yard of fabric, 5 FQ's or a couple of skeins of yarn.....ahem).

There is no central bottom seam and the leather handles are securely riveted on; both details that really increase the strength and durability of this bag. I regularly carry a full water bottle, heavy wallet, sunglasses, chequebook, iphone, car keys and a few pens around in mine. There's an internal slip pocket with two pen slots and the external zip pocket is large enough for your cell phone.

I hope you'll try one for yourself (and then make lots more as gifts!). It's an afternoon or evening project that only requires 6 rectangles of fabric! For real! 

Special thanks to Jackie and Eileen for testing this pattern so thoroughly for me!

Notes From the NJS Judges - Part 1

My two quilts that hung at the Canadian National Juried Show in Toronto last weekend made it home today. For the first time in 3 shows, I found that the judge's critiques are very constructive, thoughtful and well-explained. I'm actually going to keep the pages with their thoughts this time. Usually I read judge's comments and then they head straight into paper recycling either due to a misunderstanding of the intention my quilt, or comments on elements of the work that aren't that relevant to me (but are very important for traditional judges).

I thought I'd share the comments with you here as a point of interest. This is what the three CQA-certified judges wrote about Round Peg, Square Hole, which was juried into the Modern category:

Judge 1
Unique optical illusion created in overall design (mission accomplished, thank you!). Value gradation in every other block is effective. Straight-line quilting is even but stitch length seems long. The white thread colour that contrasts with the solid coloured fabrics and then blends with the background white fabric is effective.

Judge 2
Fascinating visual play is achieved in this compelling design. Excellent understanding of balance using colour is shown (yay me!! Maybe I know more about colour than I give myself credit for). Some well-blended gradation of fabrics is noted. While the quilting stitch throughout is even, it would improve the construction and visual effect if the stitch length was shorter.

Judge 3
Accurate piecing (woohoo!) suports the creative circular design concept. The gradation in colour in some of the pieced units adds design interest. The quilting stitch is even and straight but extremely long - quilt stitch length could be shorter.

There is much for me to celebrate here. This quilt is my very own design and I chose the colours carefully (thanks to RJR Fabrics for supplying all of the fabric for the front of this quilt during their What Shade RU blog hop). The design compliments really make me proud!

I've always liked a long quilting stitch length and typically when walking foot quilting I increase the stitch to 4.0. I'm hearing loud and clear that quilting judges (at least at CQA) prefer a shorter stitch length...even on a wallhanging. I will keep this in mind when making a quilt that I'd consider entering in a show.

Would you like to try creating your own version of this fun log-cabin variation? The .pdf downloadable pattern is available in my Craftsy shop (link up there at the top of my right sidebar).

Tomorrow I'll let you know what they had to say about the last Speed Date with Improv sample I made and entered in the Abstract Design category.

Another Quarter Round Variation

A dude friend recently dropped a hint that his new grey couch needed some colour and perhaps that colour was green. I did up this variation on the Quarter Round block and I think this will become his new pillow!  I'm teaching this block (or the whole Round Peg, Square Hole quilt) at a few workshops in the coming months, but my quilt is currently en route to QuiltCon, so I need some more samples anyway. Win-win!

I'm replacing the starting square with a half square triangle to form the centre pinwheel.

You can design your own variation using the colouring sheet in my pattern - visit my Craftsy pattern store (link in upper right side bar) for your instant .pdf download!

Beautiful Backgrounds

I know the internet has been nothing but sales and marketing the past week. I'm tired of the bombardment, too. But I just have to share this rare offer from Oakshott with you, then I'll be done with advertising for a while.  I'm busy with Christmas present making here (so I can't really share because surprises are nice) and prepping for my last day retreat of 2016 happening this Saturday.  Oh, and I got my QuiltCon entries in yesterday a full 28 hours before the deadline, yay me! Did you enter any of your quilts?

If you've got any interest in adding a je ne sais quoi depth & texture to a special quilt by combining a gorgeous background shot cotton with other coloured shots or vibrant prints (think Liberty!), then now is the time to stock up. Oakshott is offering 20% off on 3m purchases (with code BRUNSWICK) of the following background shot cottons: White Sand, Vintage Silver (a personal fav), White Marble, Carmargue, Charcoal and Black. I love that they used my cute Variegated Threads quilt in the flyer image - that quilt uses Vintage Silver and Charcoal as alternating backgrounds. Fabric kits to make your own Variegated Threads quilt, complete with pre-cut charm squares, are available on the Oakshott site here.

Heartland Horoscope Pillow

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Heartland fabric blog tour organized by Amy on behalf of designer Pat Bravo and Art Gallery fabrics.  My post marks the end of the tour, but if you're just finding out about it for the first time here, then check out the other beautiful projects made with Heartland at these great blogs:

November 7 Debbie

November 8 Jess and Charise

November 9 Jade

November 10 Amanda

November 11 Kari

November 14 Stephanie

November 15 Christopher

November 16 Kerry

November 17 Nichole

November 18 Krista (you are here ; ))

HOROSCOPE PILLOW 24" x 24"

I decided to re-make my 24" Horoscope pillow pattern in a two-colour version using the Sapphire Sparkle Metallic for background and Honeycomb for the star points. I loved fussy cutting Trekant Rows for the binding (I think this is a fantastic print for binding and you effectively get three different colour options in one print: yellow, pink and dusky blue/grey) and the pillow is backed in Hus Hoot Gul in canvas.

  
  

You can fussy cut 2 1/4" binding strips from the Trekant print! I chose to use the coordinating yellow prismatic row on my pillow (below).

The prisms of Saphire Sparkle Metallic are printed with metallic silver ink that I had no trouble ironing from the right side. So good! I love the hand of Art Gallery fabrics - it's true that they really don't feel like other quilting cottons. The hand is more like a voile and it is gorgeous. I prefer to piece this fabric with a microtex needle as it is very finely woven.

I stuffed my pillow case with a squooshy down-filled pillow form and gifted it to a special friend celebrating a milestone birthday recently.

My pattern includes instructions on how to conceal your zip with an integrated flap. I much prefer this to an envelope closure that gapes open. The canvas owl print is excellent. The substrate is heavy and seems very durable compared to other fabrics called "canvas" from quilting fabric producers.  The canvas would be perfect for designer pillows, duffels, totes, zip pouches, box pouches, back packs...etc.  

Here's some great news! I have enough of the Hus Hoot Gul canvas leftover for someone to make their very own project, or back their own Horoscope Pillow! I'd love to share this with one of you (open internationally), along with a paper copy of my pattern. Just leave a comment below to be entered and I'll choose a random winner on the evening of Sunday, November 20. 

GIVEAWAY NOTE: I must be able to contact you. More and more comments are left on the blog by folks who do not have their email linked to their blogger ID (and I cannot respond to wordpress users at all). If I can't contact you with one click, I'll pick a new winner. Please check that you are not a "no-reply blogger" and remedy that, or leave your email addy in the comment written out like this: poppyprintcreates(at)gmail(dot)com.  Google "no-reply blogger" for info on how to check and steps you can take to change that status so that you can receive emails replies from blogs you comment on.


ETA: the giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Sue, comment #11! I've emailed you.

Quarter Round Ombre

While creating this quilt for the RJR Fabrics What Shade RU blog tour, I did a little test on the ombre idea and made this Quarter Round version.

Like this one, I consulted my colour wheel for binding suggestions and since blue-green loves red-orange, I went for it! It's pretty zingy. I like it.

It is quilted with Aurifil 40 wt white and 50 wt teal thread. I'm still trying to decide if the rumours are true and a walking foot isn't necessary when quilting straight lines on the Juki. I tried this one without walking foot and there was some drag, even with the presser foot pressure on the lightest setting. This was spray basted and I stitched the ditch of the horizontal and vertical centre seams to stabilize before I started the closely spaced lines (which I did every third or fourth line, then went back and filled in the spaces between). I think I'm going to stick with using the walking foot in future.

Instructions for both Quarter Round and the larger 16-block Round Peg, Square Hole quilt are included in my pattern available on Craftsy (link up there in the upper right side bar). You'll also find a colouring page in the pattern that you can use to try out  your own colour blocking for secondary patterning.  If you're looking for some patterns to kick off your fall sewing, Craftsy has a promo on at the moment to save $5 on a $25 purchase using code FRESHLOOK25.

If you're celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, have a wonderful time with family and friends! Pumpkin pie....mmmmmmm.

Colourplay with Round Peg, Square Hole

The response to my pattern shop launch on Craftsy has been wonderful! For those of you that have picked up a copy of Round Peg, Square Hole  (THANK YOU!!) I will share different layout options here periodically. I hope that these ideas inspire you to try your own colour play for secondary patterning. Use the colouring sheet included in the pattern to audition your ideas!

I love the central star variation with this colour placement:

There is just no way that I could make all of the options I've discovered with this pattern. I'll leave that up to you and I hope that you share the results using #quarterroundquilt or #roundpegsquareholequilt on IG!

By way of clarification, the pattern includes full colour instructions for the block, which is a log cabin variation. There are fabric requirements to make the Quarter Round mini quilt version (20" square) which requires four blocks. You'll also find instructions for making the ombre blocks for Round Peg, Square Hole (40" square); that quilt requires 16 blocks.

HAVE FUN!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2016

Here's the first of my two entries to the latest Blogger's Quilt Festival. This one I'm proudly entering in the Original Design category. You can read more about this quilt, Round Peg, Square Hole in this previously published, detailed blogpost.

Made with 100% RJR Supreme Cotton Solids: 38" square

Round Peg, Square Hole hung recently in the VMQG Showcase and is now on it's way to RJR headquarters for display in their booth at Fall Quilt Market. I really wish I could accompany my quilts on their exciting trips!

I've had three generous friends pour over this pattern and test it out by making their own fantastic versions of Quarter Round (a 4-block mini quilt).  After incorporating their great suggestions, I have taken the plunge and opened a pattern shop on Craftsy! YES! You can now purchase a .pdf pattern that includes instructions for Quarter Round AND Round Peg, Square Hole.  I'm so excited because there are a gazillion possibilities for secondary patterning and fun colour play with this block and I'll never in my lifetime be able to make them all myself. I need all of you to try out it and show me what you can do with this pattern!

Find this (and four of my other patterns) for instant purchase and download here.

Quilted in spiral squares set on point with 40 wt. Aurifil thread

I love this effect: contrast cranked up and converted to grey scale!

Thanks for clicking through if you've come from the Festival linky. If you haven't, then check out the festival by clicking on the button below! It never fails to disappoint and it's a really fun way to discover new friends and enjoy quilts made in different styles and different countries all around the world. Perhaps you've got a quilt that you would like to share? Everyone is welcome to participate and win prizes, as long as you've got a blog. All of the information is on Amy's site. 

Cutting Garden Weekend Workshop

There's been a lot of prep work going on this week from the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver to Whistler. Scrap bin diving, pressing, cutting. And more cutting, cutting, cutting.  This is Cutting Garden Weekend for myself and 19 friends! We're all coming together to spend two days working on this gorgeous, scrappy quilt and learn a few new piecing techniques.  I'm looking forward to sharing some of my most special scraps and swapping 2" squares with everyone. This quilt really is a joy to lie under and seek out those precious fussy cuts and coveted prints.

I've got some exciting news for all of you, too! I finally opened a pattern shop on Craftsy! Now you can purchase .pdf downloadable patterns for 5 of my designs including Cutting Garden. The best part of this pattern is that I'll be donating a portion of profits to the BC Cancer Agency twice yearly in memory of my friend Deanna and Tracey's friend Chelsa. 

Once we arrive at our great venue Saturday morning and grab a cup of coffee or tea the fun will start. We'll all be able to take a rest from the rotary/ruler routine and cut in bulk with two super cute Sizzix Fabi cutting systems. I've got all of the necessary dies required for our 2" squares, 2" strips, half triangle squares and circles.  Many thanks to the Sizzix company for generously providing us with the equipment we need! One lucky quilter is going to win their own Sizzix Fabi to take home this weekend! 

I'm grateful to the following sponsors for providing some fantastic loot for our goodie bags that are all packed and ready to go.  Everyone will leave with some great new patterns, notions and kits, all provided by my generous industry friends.

        

  

   

Plus Bernina Canada!

I'll share some workshop photos next week. I hope you  have some fun sewing plans this weekend, too!

Round Peg, Square Hole - a New Quilt!

You've seen this design from me before - I made a 4-patch version and called it Quarter Round last year for the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild's Modern Mini Showcase exhibit. It also proudly hung in the Small Quilts category at QuiltCon 2016. I did a digital mock up of the design in Touchdraw and I got so excited about all of the design possibilities available just by colour-blocking certain strips and making more blocks to repeat the pattern.

When I sent a picture of the 4-patch to my creative genius friend Berene looking for name suggestions (Quarter Round was her idea), she also thought I should try making it with an ombre effect. I held that thought.

Recently, RJR Fabrics asked if I'd like to participate in their What Shade Are You? feature on their Quilt With Love blog. The blog hop showcases their Supreme Cotton Solids. This was my chance to choose as many colours as I wanted to make any project my little heart desired. "Yes please" was my reply!  Of course, actually choosing the fabrics took me f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

The last couple of years I've been enjoying working with the contrast of warm and cool colours in my improv work, so I thought I'd do the same with this quilt. Here are the colours I finally chose from the Supreme Cotton Solids colour card.  They are listed in ombre order from lightest to darkest in their colour groups.

Shell Pink 175T

Candyland 86T

Hot Pink 217

Rhododendron 181T

Ruby Slippers 286

Glow in the Dark 204

Peridot 342

Wimbledon 205

Clover 128T

Kelly Green 127T

Goldenrod 92T

Carrot 131T

Tangerine Dream 276

Mandarine 159T

Chili Pepper 49T

Seafoam 301

Nile Green 90T

Toy Boat 366 C&S

Horizon 354

Twilight 353

and finally, Kerchief 364 C&S as a warm white background.

And here it is! All 38" square. Because I can't stop myself, there's a lot of straight line quilting 1/2" apart in concentric squares and it's all on the bias grain of the fabric. There was definitely some distortion of this little quilt (even with ditch-stitching the edges of the blocks to stabilize them first).  A full wash and blocking was in order, so I did that prior to finishing the edge (see below). I can honestly report that these fabrics are 100% colourfast in cold water. No running, no fading. I used a mild, unscented powder detergent in a front loading machine and the colour catcher came out completely white. 

The quilting is all done with Aurifil thread #2026 in 40 wt (with white Aurifil 50 wt in the bobbin). 

I love this positive/negative star that happens when the 4-patch blocks meet in the middle! Every one of the sixteen 10" blocks in this quilt are built with the same pieces. The resulting illusion of round edges within the square block are all about the colour placement and which strips are designated "background", or in this case white.

I just couldn't bear to border the blocks in with a binding, so I chose to face the quilt. I've done this before using different techniques and always been very pleased with the results. This time, I followed a tutorial by fellow VMQG member Terry Aske. You get such nice, sharp corners! (I used the method of cutting out a 1/2" triangle of batting in each corner of the quilt).

Here you can see both a front corner and what it looks like on the back where the facings overlap.

I'd like to thank RJR for the opportunity to work with their lovely solids. I'm excited about issuing a pattern for the Quarter Round block with some layout suggestions and colouring pages so that you can try it, too! I've got a couple of pattern testers raring to go, so hopefully I can finalize the pattern early in the fall.

Variegated Threads - A Modern Spool Quilt

About 18 months ago, I was asked by the MQG if I'd agree to publish my Chess on the Steps pattern in Simply Moderne magazine (produced in France by Quiltmania).  I happily agreed! Quiltmania editors were impressed by the free pattern of the month quilts on display at QuiltCon 2015 and enquired about running a monthly feature on MQG quilts and modern quilting techniques written by MQG Communications Manager Riane Menardi.  Soon the terms changed and the folks at Simply Moderne requested new, fresh patterns in lieu of the previously published free patterns of the month. I was so pleased for the opportunity to be a pattern contributor for a piece on Improv Quilting (although, as you know, actually writing a pattern for improv is a daunting prospect and sort of counter-intuitive to the process).

Hmmm, what to do? I knew I wanted to incorporate my Improv Under the Influence technique because I think it is such a fun gateway for quilters venturing into improv from a traditional quilting background.My inspiration came in the form of Oakshott's new Colourshott range. This gorgeous, luminous fabric had served me so well with Chess on the Steps, but I wanted to use more colours...in fact all of them! Looking at a unit of improv strips sitting on my design wall from another project, it came to me that it would make a perfect thread spool. There are so many ways to make spool blocks and I've long admired vintage spool quilts. I've even made several fun spool quilts using selvages in the past.  This time, I decided to take advantage of the colour range and create variegated spools, each with four different but related colours; just like you'd see on real thread display racks.

Ultimately, the pattern is part 'planned' improv (the thread units of each spool are built using my Improv Under the Influence technique) and part traditional piecing. Once trimmed, the thread units are pieced into the spool block, then joined together to form the wall hanging. One fun element of the pattern is that two rectangular spools sewn side by side form a square block, so the quilt could be laid out with alternating two horizontal/two vertical spools. That way, the light and dark grey backgrounds would zigzag, forming a secondary pattern.  I've also created a table runner sewing 7 spools side by side. I can't wait to use it on my dining table for Stitch Group days!

I had a lot of fun quilting this piece using my collection of rainbow Aurifil 40 wt threads that I'd initially purchased to finish this quilt a couple of years ago. That custom box of Aurifil thread (purchased from my friend Carola) seemed an extraordinary extravagance at the time, but I have used all of the colours time and again, so I don't regret it for one second!  In the background areas, I used a medium grey and quilted a swirling loop to resemble pooling threads. In each variegated spool, I tried domestic ruler work for the first time (sewing the straight lines with a darning foot beside a thick ruler) so that I could go back and forth in both directions without having to turn the quilt to avoid the dreaded 'fabric drag' between the quilting lines. Each spool features a coordinating or matching thread colour. It was a great success on my Juki!

I just love this little quilt.  It is a great introduction to improv work, which of course can evolve into a much freer, creative process where the maker begins with a toolbox of techniques and an inspired idea instead of a pattern. 

Want to make your very own? The Oakshott company has prepared full kits for the front and binding of the quilt, conveniently made with charm packs of their luscious new Colourshott range of shot cottons. If you are luck enough to attend the Birmingham Festival of Quilts next month in the UK, you can see my quilt in person at the Oakshott stand as well as purchase a kit - otherwise they are available online right here.  You'll also need a copy of Simply Moderne issue #5 for the pattern, available here.