Fall Inspired Living Room

My new quilt inspired me to make an entire new set of pillows and pillow cases for the living room. The rectangle pillows I made from a Red Rooster panel I picked up at the quilt show this summer. The large pillow behind is actually a pillow case which is also from Red Rooster. I made an envelope pillow case cover using a video from youtube. Youtube has become a wonderful craft resource that I would recommend to everyone.

Even Samantha approves of the new decor!!!!

Happy Sewing,

- The Mad Quilter

Fall Inspired Slice & Dice

The fall is my favorite time of year. I just love the cold crisp air, the apples, pumpkins, the changing of the leaves, the smell, everything...and it all reminds me of Daddy.

This year I took great comfort in my fall projects because they somehow made me feel closer to my Daddy. This was his favorite time of year also. When I think about this time of year I think about him all dressed up in his camos for hunting and helping my mom smoke our Thanksgiving turkey. He would be walking around all excited about that turkey for weeks...I really miss that.

It felt good to use so many of the colors of the fall that I just love and bring them into my living room. This quilt came from a class I took in Spring with Alice at PQ. To complete this project I needed matching fat quarters. I ordered a Red Rooster fat quarter bundle online. When it arrived I was a bit disappointed in the fabrics. They just appeared so dull to me. When I was in the class I was admiring all the women with bright and beautiful colors, especially women working with holiday novelty prints, my favorite. So I told myself that I can always make the quilt again in a different color story in the future. When the summer came I put this project away to work on other things.

After school started back up I was in the mood to transform my living room into fall. I took my slice and dice quilt out of the closet and starting working with it again...within an hour or so I absolutely fell in love with it!!!!

The colors remind me of a harvest market and I just love how the brown piping frames the colors so beautifully. When it was all together I could not believe how easy it was to complete.

The next challenge was how to go about quilting it. It took me a few days to figure out exactly how I wanted the finished quilt to look. I decided to do stippling throughout the entire quilt. I just love after a quilt is washed and it has that almost wrinkled look. I wanted to recreate that with this quilt.

Free motion quilting is something that I am very new at and I am still practicing. Its most difficult to make the stipples all the same size. Nevertheless this quilt has quickly become my absolute favorite. It became the inspiration for my entire living room!!!!!

Happy Fall...even in Heaven,

- The Mad Quilter

Love Bunnies

One of my best friends came to me and asked if I would make a quilt for her boyfriend. She loved the "Love Bunnies" wall hanging I completed in the spring and wanted me to try to turn it into a quilt. So I went down to the quilt shop to get some help with the fabric choices. Alice from PQ was super helpful and designed the entire layout. It came out so beautiful.

There were several challenges associated with this quilt. The first challenge was how to make these cute little bunnies fit for a man. I did not want him to be embarrassed by making the quilt too feminine. The next challenge was the bunnies themselves as it was not a technique I was well versed in. It was also challenging because I wanted it to be just perfect for my friend. She is a wonderful friend to me and I wanted her to have something special.

I wanted the quilt to tell their story. First they were single bunnies and now they are love bunnies. She was so exited to receive her quilt and her boyfriend sent me a lovely thank you. There should be more love like that in the world.

Happy Sewing

-The Mad Quilter

Quilt fit for the City

My youngest sister Diana has been working in NYC on Madison Avenue in fashion for over a year now. A few months ago her and my other sister moved into a three bedroom apt in Astoria, Queens, with my cousin AD. Their apt is very nice but I felt like it needed some homemade warmth and love.

I decided to make Diana this quilt from a Batik pop pack I picked up at PQ about a year before. The pack contained 40 2 1/2 inch precutt strips which I used to create a rail fence. Since I was sick for her actual birthday she did not get the quilt until about a month later but she didn't mind.

I really enjoyed making this quilt because the colors were so different than what I usually work with. This was my first experience using Batik's on such a large scale. It really came out so unique and beautiful. As I worked on the quilt I thought about how exciting it is for Diana to be on her own living and working in NYC. I thought about all the great culture and entertainment there for her to enjoy. I also imaged the seasons in Central Park and the beauty of nature against the city landscape. Thus, Big City Dreamer was born. It came so naturally and I think it is a perfect way to describe my sister. She had a dream, worked hard, and made it happen. I wanted to commentate her accomplishments and dreams through this quilt. My dream is that each time she sees this quilt it will remind her to never stop inspiring others to dream big.

Happy 24th Dirty Diana,

Much Love,

The Mad Quilter

Wake me up when September ends

What's crazy about the summer is that I always think I will be quilting my days away and I end up being so busy that very little gets done. I spend my time catching up with friends and running all over the place. This summer I was so busy working on professional development and school work that I spent only a few days infront of my machine.

The fall is when my creative spark lights and I get tons of projects done. I have been working like crazy on a project for a friend (which will be added in the next few weeks) and completing projects for my living room. It looks great. I am also organizing my projects for Christmas. I would like everyone to have a little something homemade.

This picture is of my mother's dog Akema. She came to us a few months before we lost Daddy. She has been such a big part of helping us deal with Daddy's death. She is always there giving lots of love and support. We just love her. Here she is modeling for a quilt I made Mommy when I first started qulting. Mama loves everytyhing I make her. I think Akema came to us for a reason.

Winter Table Runner

PQ started doing this great table runner class. When you sign up you get a choice of two color ways for the mystery table runner. Colleen then walks you through the runner step by step until it is complete. This is the first class I took like this and I am very happy with the results. I am also super excited about this runner because it matches a beautiful winter wonderland quilt that I have half complete. That is another, of the many, projects I hope to complete this summer.

Can you think outside of the lines???

As quilters we are very attached to the basic tools of the trade...rotary cutter, rulers, cutting mats, more rulers, etc. Well this class, called "Appligue Outside the Lines" challenged us quilters to throw caution to the wind and piece without our tools of the trade. It took some getting used to.

When I saw this sample hanging in the classroom I thought that it was so modern and cool. I knew I wanted to give it a try. It was every bit as fun as it looked. Although difficult for me to get in the beginning the quilt quickly began taking shape. I started by looking at the fabric I had in my stash. I look out a bundle of batik fat quarters I purchased over 1 year ago. After I decided to use this fabric I began thinking of my inspiration. The pattern was called "The Earth From Above", well for someone who hates to fly being above the ground was something I couldn't relate to enough to convey it in a quilt. I began thinking of one of the best 5 days I have on record. Last July my husband surprised me a Cruise to the Bahamas. We had the most amazing time and it was just weeks before my father got sick and my world turned upside down. It was on this trip that I did something very out of character for someone who is afraid of heights, Parasailing. Now for anyone who has not experienced Parasailing I would highly recommend it. I was 450 feet in the air attached to a boat. It was so quiet and peaceful in the sky and as I looked down at the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean I saw a huge sea turtle and two bottle noised dolphins. I often use this image as my "zen place" when stress seams to be overwhelming me.

As I looked over my fabric and the pattern it all came together. Drawing my inspiration from my sail 450 feet above the Caribbean this quilt, titled "Paradise from Above" is my own interpretation of that day. It is one of the best days in my memory. When I think about all of the pain and heartache since that trip I often think that maybe it was my own little glimpse of heaven, a window into my soul, a place to keep our loved ones safe until we meet again. I am thankful for this trip and this experience.