Back to the Kuna Quilt Show

You're ready for chapter two, aren't you? Well, I am, so here we go. My own sewing has been dominated by a commission quilt and while I just finished it this afternoon I don't want to share it until I have given it to the commissioner. So more show pics will have to do for now.

I'm not sure what style you would call this first one. It's pieced and appliqued. I love the use of plaids. And I like the star block for the sun and I love the flowers coming up through the holes in the hearts. I could attach alot of symbolism to that notion, but I won't go there... I like the colours in this one. I really like the braided strips between the flower sections. I have never made a braid because I usually see it done as a border and am not real fond of it but I like this use. I also like the way the side flowers are straight on views whereas the center flowers are more side views. Such nice symmetry, don't you think? And rich colours. Come to think of it they are much like those in the commission quilt!

You know, I just noticed that the pots don't seem quite right. Don't you think the rounded one on the side should be the middle one with the more pointy ones being on the sides? Not that I am criticizing. The pots are not identical after all. But that is the kind of thing that I would notice on one of my quilts after it was all quilted and bound and then it would bug me that I had done it that way even though I had not noticed it before.

This one is a memory/family history quilt with photos printed onto fabric. Normally I don't go for these kinds of quilts. I don't really like the way the photos come out and of course the quilts are in general just meaningful to the family. But I love how they added in all the blocks that show something about the people on this one. Great detail, too.

This is a Whimsicals pattern done with Whimsicals fabric. Their colour palette is just a bit different don't you think? I have this pattern -- it was free on the web. Haven't made it yet, but I liked the squared off sunflower look of it. This is a nice rendition. Love the zig zag border.

Now I have taken pictures of apron quilts before but I don't think I have seen one this large. I guess I will have to go pattern hunting as I really do like them. I have a couple of close ups of some of my favourite aprons below.

I love the colours on this one. So crayon colour-y true. And with embroidered cherries. And great use of baby rick rack on this one. On lots of the aprons actually.

This one looks alot like an apron my mom would have had. I love the pocket treatment. I also love the skinnny yellow sashing on this quilt. If I were doing that sashing it would not look anywhere near that straight and even.

Another super use of baby rick rack. And another great pocket treatment. These '30's fabrics are also great. I have only used '30's prints once -- making bumper pads, a quilt, and a wall hanging for my granddaughter's nursery long ago. I pulled out my left overs thinking about this quilt but I would definitely have to go shopping to have enough variety to do something like this.

No, this is not an example of my bad picture taking skills! This quilt is made to look like this -- I have never seen anything like it -- fractured. I don't think I would want it hanging on my wall let alone work on it. It might make me seasick but it is quite striking.

Another super complicated applique quilt. This time it is Father Christmas. The work is wonderful.

Here are a couple of blocks close up.

And a few more.

Here's a Dear Jane for those of you who love them. What a tremendous amount of work!

I just received my Keepsake Quilting catalog and this quilt is in it. Doesn't it just make you think Fall?

Every year this show uses the stage to display quilts that represent the following year's theme. I am soooo lucky -- next year's theme is Americana. I am sure it will be a great show. Just look at some of these. I love the pieced stars in this flag.

I love the setting on this one. And the plaids. Why oh why can I never find plaids like this? Cool binding, too.

The red, white, and blue colour choices in this one are a little unusual. That blue sashing kind of gives it a '30's feel to me.

Another flag. You know there have to be just hundreds of ways to do the flag. I love the pieced stripes on this one. Some of them have pretty big patterns and it looks great. Hmm, pieced stars, pieced stripes, I think I know what my next flag quilt will be like.

Patriotic sampler. I love the diagonal flag block. Oh, and the heart flag one. And the use of some panel pieces.

Well, believe it or not there are still more Kuna pics for next time. Hope you are enjoying this show. I think it is always a fun one. And so handy of it to come along just when I don't have much of my own work to share.

59 pictures!

That's how many I took at the Kuna quilt show. For me, the bad photographer, that's alot! And no, they are not all in this one post.

There have been some computer changes since my last post. I have an older, slower computer, but we have upgraded our cable modem speed so the uploading of pictures is much faster. But the saving and resizing is much slower. But at least everything is now working!

We have been having quite a few power outages as well and when the power goes off it really makes you realize how utterly dependent you are on having it. There was a fire nearby that affected it, then a traffic accident, and then assorted other outages. One of them killed our DVR so all our recordings went poof! That was what generated the trip to the cable company that resulted in not only a new DVR but the higher speed cable. Kind of a mixed bag over the last few weeks over all.

Enough of other stuff, let's get started on the show. I love this quilt. I love the colours. I cannot imagine ever making one like this because I do NOT do curved seams. Well, I guess I could do a quilt like this with fusible web and blanket stitch applique. That probably would look just fine. This one is kind of interesting. It looks like someone put together lots of leftover blocks and came out with something that worked. Since I have been working with so many left over blocks to make stashlets this large quilt was nice to see.

I almost didn't take a picture of this quilt but then I realized it was a super cool use of machine embroidery so then I did. I have a friend who collects flamingos. Well, she doesn't really, but people seem to think she does and gift her with all kinds of them. She might actually like this.

I like this one because of the black background. Really makes the colours pop!

Oh, oops, got the pictures in the wrong order again. Here is a larger version of the flamingo quilt. I tried to follow Paulette's suggestion about cutting and pasting but the cut doesn't seem to work so you will have to suffer along with me I guess. Anyway, this quilt is also very multi media. Look at all that beading!

You can't tell from the picture but the curvy blue pinwheel pieces are 3 dimensional folded pieces. I like the way all the background pieces are repeated in the same order, too.

I like the colours on this one. Kind of those bright pastels again. I am not a real butterfly fan but I do like the mix of applique and piecing.

Here is a fuller view. Funny I didn't notice that big crease in the middle when I was looking at the quilt in real life. You know you always read that you should refold quilts periodically to prevent this. Guess that is a fact. I just rewash them. Since I like the way they crinkle up after washing I figure another go round in the machines won't hurt them. In fact, they just get better and better to me.

This was actually the very first quilt I saw when I walked into the show. Remember, I always like to go to the left when I enter a show. This one was very striking I think. Again the dark background but this time in a primitive style. I kind of like the thin border around the center medallion, too.

Here is a close up of the center medallion. Nice colours, don't you think? And it even has light blue in it!

Now, I love, love, love this one. The story that went with it said the maker had worked on it over a period of several years. I can certainly see why. There was not pattern or anything listed so I am thinking she must have designed it herself, too. Wait until you see some of the blocks.

Love this one. Of course, it is a fall one so why wouldn't I? Love that the pumpkin stem is really a star. What a cute idea.

And look at this one. Snowman and pumpkins! Cool concept, too, early snow. I like the snowman's hat, too. What's up with that?

Love, love, love this sunflower. I like the way the front petals are curled up. And it looks great on that background fabric.

I like the fabric used for the rabbit. Looks a lot like curly hair.

Cute sailboat. Love the sail fabrics. And have I said how much I love all the plaids and tickings?

And look at the birdhouse!

That's all for today. I can't think of any creative ways to describe how much I love this quilt. Sorry about the week of radio silence. I promise to be back with more Kuna pics soon.

So what is it about the "first weekend of August"

This should be the 4th picture down. I accidentally deleted it and I don't know how to put it in the right place. So skip it now and come back when it fits into the story!

that I don't understand? Well, apparently the part that says BOTH days of the first weekend of August must be in August! So the Kuna show is not until NEXT weekend. And the Bend and Sisters pics aren't ready yet (they all got taken by MR THQ's camera and are still living there) so I guess I will just have to show you what I have been up to.

Remember this little stashlet? I told you I had a special border planned. Well, here it is with the border. Isn't this a weird colour? Kind of a yellowish greenish goldish something or other. It came in a little fat quarter bundle of yellows and it never seemed to go with anything. But this! Speaking of stashlets, and I was, look at this pile of them! I now have more than enough for my purpose but they are really addictive. Now you wouldn't know that I had accomplished anything this year if you looked at my sidebar. That's because I haven't come up with names for any of these. Names are the hardest part. Kind of like titles to blog posts. My (clever) solution to that problem is to use the first part of my first sentence. It is clever, isn't it? Say yes. Anyway, it does keep me from having to stare at the screen for 30 minutes trying to think up a cute and catchy title.

This was made with the same method as the stashlets -- putting together leftover blocks and bits. Only it is bigger and for me. I love the snowman toile like fabric. It looks reallyl good with this lime green dot don't you think?

I am having trouble though with the backing. Because of the binding. I think the bright mottled lime binding looks terrific with the quilt. And I wanted to use that Christmas fabric that I have had for a while but not used because the colours are a bit strange. But the binding looks TERRIBLE with it. So I though of using the dotted fabric. But I don't like that one as well. I think it is the Christmas fabric and then I will have to come up with a new binding idea. The green will have to bind something else. What do you think?

(Here is where you go up to the top to see the fabrics and binding I discussed in the paragraph above.)

So, what else have I been up to? I have a commission quilt for a co-worker's wedding. It is the same pattern as the lower one in this picture. From one of the Laps from Fats books. The LQS helped her pick out the fabric and they did a terrific job. Beautiful fall colours. I even had to go to the LQS and buy most of them! Anyway, here are most of the pieces laid out. This quilt has LOTS of pieces. And I decided since it is for someone else I better label what went where. Don't you think the yellow stickes add just that certain something?

This quilt from that same hanging space is one of the few I have made with '30's or '30's-ish fabrics. I like it alot and there were quite a few little half square triangles left over.

So here is the stashlet they became. I like it so much I am afraid it will have to not be part of the special project and will need to stay home with me.

Here is another stashlet that has to stay home with me. I was going to show you the mother quilt for this one and the next one but then realized that it too had been a commission quilt for a new grandbaby so I don't have it to show you.

It had a sailboat theme. Lots of border fabric left over. I always love these kinds of novelty prints but they can be hard to use sometimes. I had actually bought that stripe for another border for that sailboat quilt but it just wasn't right. It is right here I think.

I haven't shared any spring or summer decorating with you because, frankly, after all my rearranging of the sewing room a month or two ago my decorating mojo was just un-mojoed. But now I have done a bit of rearranging in my dining room. Because of the two cabinets MR THQ had made for me last winter.

I moved the drafting table out of the corner and now it is holding one of my favourite quilts.=

Here is what is in the corner now. I was able to leave the ladder and the snowgirl in place. I know I should move her out for the season but I like her so much she gets to stay. I think this cabinet looks really good in the corner.

I put the other cabinet under the quilt that is on my header. Here is one side of it. I made those pillows long long ago.

Here is the other side. I wanted the bottom shelf to be open to hold quilts. I see that in lots of magazines. But when I went to fold them up to fill the space it didn't work out like it does in the magazines. So I have been playing around with what else should go in there. Still a work in progress.

Then this basket of quilts fits in between them. There is my favourite bullseye in the front.

And just one more pic but it is not a good one. I have had this basket for a very long time and even though I really like it could not find a good spot for it. I was just getting it out of the way and plopped it on this chair with the pillow thrown in it and decided I really liked it. So it has stayed.

You can kind of get the idea. Anyway, enough for now. Sorry about the picture mix up. If anyone knows how to move pics around in blogger I would love it if you would share. Anyway, next weekend is the Kuna show for sure and my camera will be going with me.