Madrona Road by Violet Craft Chevron Challenge Quilt

The Modern Quilt Guild is having a quilting challenge with the Madrona Road by Violet Craft for Michael Miller Fabrics.  As a member of the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild we are participating in this.  The Parent guild gave us 8 fat 8th's of this line (well 7 of the line and then a yellow solid) the rules were we could only use material from the line and then add any solid.  The SLMQG added the rule that we had to include triangles.

I will have to give my wife Tanya the credit for the design on this one.  While at the December meeting, one of the guild members gave me their piece of with the words on it which is the top full and bottom full row (She said she hated the words, Me I loved them).  So this quilt was made with exactly 8 fat eights. (OK, binding I bought a half yard to do this) and of course the solids.

Well this is what I came up with (OK. Tanya designed it and I quilted and bound, oh yea Tanya basted it).  I echo quilted all of the lines.  On the rows, when I was quilting it I decided to have some fun. On the non yellow Chevrons I quilted from the beginning to the end of the lines (echo), but on the yellow I echoed around the full yellow chunks.  You will have to look at it close up to see what I am saying, but the 3 rows of chevrons that were non yellow I echo quilted the whole groups.  I thought it turned out wonderful.

I had a yellow solid back, which I though was BORING! I quilted it in all black, both front and back so that you can see all of my quilting lines on the back.  I thought it turned out fantastic.  I am still not sure if Tanya does, she just glared at me, which is typical.  I really wanted to get outside shots as I need to post my photo soon to get into the final contest.

When I opened the door, this is what faced me.  You can't see it in the picture, but it was dumping snow out of the sky as fast as it could.  I should have fun digging out my car in the morning to take Jared to school.

Here are some other views of it.  So what do you think?

Link a Finish Friday #51

It is now time for Link A Finish Friday.  Today I would like to start with a big thank you to Fat Quarter Shop who has offered to Sponsor our Link A Finish Friday with Prizes.  This month's winner (January) will win a $15 gift certificate to spend on Fat Quarter Shop. 

Please remember to thank our sponsor by visiting their store at http://www.fatquartershop.com/ their blog http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/FatQuarterShop

Rainbow Hexagon Quilt - Re Engineered

Adding Up Nicely by Meadow Mist Designs

Tea For Two - Blossom Heart Quilts

These are 3 of the wonderful quilts linked up last week.  Please share with us what you have done this week.

1) Who likes rules. Toss them out.

2) Add a link to your finish blog or where ever you show off your finishes (Not limited to quilts but I like them the most).
3) Visit a few of the finishes and comment or encourage them on.
4) Monthly random winner picked from all of the months linkups to $15 gift card from Fat Quarter Shop.

Not required but fun to do

1) Follow my blog.
2) Follow the blog of all those that link.
3) Link back to my blog.
4) No finish, go quilt and stop reading the web.

Scraps, Strips, and 2 1/2 inch Squares

A few weeks ago I started working on a "strings quilt" and went though a small pile of  strings that my wife put in a small basket.  I had 2 large plastic containers of "Scraps" in my stash and since I want to do a large project with 2 1/2 inch squares more or less a rainbow.  Any way I have been going though the bins and I have made a small dent in the pile.  I now have the gallon size bag of strips for my strip quilt above and I have tons and tons of 2 1/2 inch squares.  The ones on the left below are sorted by colors and the ones on the right still need sorting.  Note this pile does not include the leftovers from my Gray and Orange quilt (or the Orange + quilt).  Though there are a number of new grays on the bottom right of the not sorted stuff to add to that.

The amazing thing is I still have too much to go through, this is what is still left in my "Scraps" basket below.  I think it will take me another month of cutting to go though it all.  Maybe I will have to make some string blocks again this week.  But then again, Tanya plopped a new quilt she basted on my desk and told me its ready for the "Quilting Fairy" to quilt it.

Twisted Around

The other night I told my wife that I was finally going to use my twisted ruler.  I bought the ruler a year ago, with the desire to make a wall hanging or quilt with this pattern as I find it enjoyable.  Being scared of the weird shape, it has set in a box all that time without being used.  Well I am finally turning over a new leaf and doing things that scare me.

On other notes of things that can sound scary, last Thursday was our January meeting for the SLMQG and they elected their new  board of officers for the next year.  You say that does not sound scary.  My thoughts exactly when I walked into the meeting. When I walked out I was thinking other things.

Here is the Board as it was Elected.

President: Colleen Molen
Vice President: Marci Warren-Elmer
Secretary: Sarah Oviatt
Treasurer: Rachel McPhail
Historian: Brooke Johnsen
Web Content: Richard Healey
Charity Coordinator: Barbie Mills

Yes you read it right I am on the board.  I am excited in the sense that I guess that means I have been accepted as a male quilter. I am also nervous because now I need to step up and do a job that makes me nervous.  Not that I don't have the skills.  I am a programmer first and know my way around some web content.  I am nervous that I now have some responsibility and can't let them down.

So I like to have a question in almost all posts I write.  My question for today is have you ever served on a Quilt Guild Board and if so what position and tell me about it so I know what to expect.  If not a quilt board have you ever served on any board for a group or organization and if so same question.

Any way I need some encouragement and advice.  I guess I need to step up the modern game a bit more to fit in better.

Oh and if you don't think I am in enough trouble with just the board stuff check out this video of Julia walking.  Julia has improved her talents.

Rainbow Quilt

 Posted by Tanya.

The simple rainbow crib size quilt out of mostly non floral prints from Ticklish line by Me & My sisters is done.   This was a very simple quilt, basically 2 rows of 10 4.5 inch blocks of each color.  I pieced the top, basted it, and made the binding and my wonderful husband quilted it and bound it.

I really like the  way it turned out. It is one of my favorites.  It has a light pink minky back.

Unlike many quilters, we use a cotton batting plus the minky.  It makes for a heavier quilt, but also seems to make it easier to baste and to keep the minky from stretching/shifting.


 The binding was done using a rainbow stripe leftover from all of our Twirl quilts.  This quilt has been added to our Etsy store, as Julia has way too many quilts, at least until she is a little older.

http://amyscreativeside.com/2013/05/17/bloggers-quilt-festival-baby-quilts/