Quilt Retreat with the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild

For the spring retreat with the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild I did something I NEVER do:

I was organized!  I knew what I was going to make at the retreat!  I actually PREPARED!  In Advance!  People, this is a rare moment for me.....

I read the winter issue of Quiltfolk magazine.  (Have you subscribed yet?  If not, you should!  It is such an unusual and amazing publication!).  I've linked it here so you can click on over.  

In this issue (Issue #4) Anna Maria Horner collaborated with another quilt artist and they each developed a quilt pattern: one is a traditional iteration, and Anna Maria's is a modern take using her fabric collection.  I was enamored with Anna Maria's version and I purchased some of her fabric, added some from my Urban Garden Collection from RJR, and made the quilt!

This is the unheard of part:  I actually CUT EVERYTHING in advance of the retreat and had all my pieces organized into a 3-ring binder.  Gasp!

Here is a photo I took from the magazine article showing Anna and the other quilt artist 

(apologies:  I cannot recall her name!) showing Anna's quilt

Here I am at home, prior to the retreat, selecting and cutting my fabrics

I'm at the retreat and sewing all my blocks...

Blocks going up on the design wall....

closeup of a section.  I think Anna's collection and mine go well together!

the back....

here is the completed quilt.  It is, as I write, at Joanna Marsh's to be longarmed!

A Date With Urban Garden and Florabunda!

The moment I saw the strike-offs of Melly Testa's new line of fabric, "Florabunda", from RJR I realized her line was a "kissing cousin" to my own line, "Urban Garden".  Both were launched at  fall Quilt Market in 2017.  I couldn't wait to work on a project using selections from both lines.

Am I right? 

These prints work together! 

For this project I opted to make a giant hexagon quilt using templates from Victoria Findlay Wolfe.  I appreciate the ease with cutting my fabric pieces and the simplicity of piecing the quilt together.  I recommend these templates.  They are well made and include a few piecing suggestions.  I found it very helpful.

Another thing I found helpful while I was cutting my pieces out was this rotating cutting mat.

I honestly can't remember the brand name.  For something that requires a lot of angled cutting

these things are great.

I wanted to use the bolder prints as the hexagon elements and reserve the lighter, low-volume

prints for the triangles and this is what I did, for the most part.

Since this is to be a baby-size quilt top I didn't have very many to cut.  I did run short of 

a few of the Floribunda prints and I made up for it by piecing some of them to create an

area large enough to cut out a piece with the template.

You can see on the 4th row, right edge, I used a print that was a bit close in value to the 

hexagon, but I thought it was a bit fun to do that in one area of the quilt.

These are situated the way I want to piece them.

The triangular piece makes assembling this quilt top so easy!

I added the triangles to opposite sides of the hexi, then pieced these to one another.

Once the rows were pieced I joined them together and trimmed the sides.

I could have left the angles on the edges but it is a bit more difficult to bind.  If you 

opt to do that you need to sure to use bias for your binding as it is more forgiving around those corners.

It is now off to the longarm quilter!  I enjoyed working on this project and I hope you will pick up some of Florabunda to play with.  While you are at it, get some Urban Garden, too.

Cheers!

Please be sure to drop by each of the blog hop participants and see what they are making with Florabunda:

Tiffany Hayes http://needleinahayesstack.blogspot.com                         June 7

Deborah Boschert http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com                          June 8

Sara Mika mockpiestudio.blogspot.com                           June 9

Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.com/lyric-kinard-blog/                                    June 10

*Kathy York *http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com                               June 11

Teri Lucas https://terificreations.com                                                      June 11

*Leslie Tucker Jenison *http://leslietuckerjenison.com                               June 12

Heidi Kelly http://www.hkellydesigns.com                                              June 12

*Jamie Fingal *http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/                           June 13

Debby Brown https://www.debbybrownquilts.com                                 June 14
Look for David Gilleland here:  https://www.facebook.com/VectorQuilts/    June 14

*Susan Brusker Knapp *http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com                       June 14

RJR Fabrics is hosting its own social media event on June 15, so we will NOT be hopping on this day.
Please visit RJR on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rjrfabrics/

*Melanie Testa *http://www.melanietesta.com                                        June 16

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Quilt Market 2017: Introducing "Urban Garden"

I am very excited about my second line of fabrics with RJR called

"Urban Garden"

This is a very personal line for me.  I am highly influenced

by my garden(s), both current and those in my past.

My friend and sister guild-member Eileen created 3-dimensional "succulent plants"

using Urban Garden.  These were used in a vertical garden in my booth.

In addition, I made these slightly larger succulent plants as door prizes in my Schoolhouse presentation during Quilt Market.  Aren't they fun?

My friend Joanna made this gorgeous "Coalition" duffle bag,

pattern by Sew Sweetness.

The inside of this bag is lovely and the false bottom can be removed for a different shape.

I am standing in front of Garden Streamers Quilt made by

my friend Debra.  About to begin my "Schoolhouse" presentation.

Amy Barickman of Indygo Junction made these pretty pajamas from two prints of Urban Garden,

as well as a fun skirt and top.

Demi from RJR photographs some of the objects we brought to Schoolhouse.

I'm holding up one of these Crimson & Clover cases 

made by Joanna.  They are so fun inside and out!

On to the show floor and setting up my portion of the RJR booth.

I had fun mounting these half-sphere "bumps" stretched with each print of Urban Garden

and hanging a small "Girls" quilt made by my friend Jamie and all the cute little Beetles made by my friend Deborah!

Here is how the vertical garden looked after it was mounted to the wall and covered with moss.

The corner of my display was bursting with beautiful quilts on the rack and one on the wall.

A small storage vanity gave me a perch for bags, garments, and my business cards.

Urban Garden will be hitting shops in spring 2018.  Be looking for it, and please ask about it at your favorite local quilt shop!  Let's all support our local shops so we will always have them around!

Tutorial: Three-Dimensional Leaves Using Urban Garden Fabric Prints!

I'm so excited to share my second line of cotton fabrics, called "Urban Garden", a 24-print array from RJR Fabrics.  This line is extremely personal to me as I have always been a gardener.  I have so many memories attached to activities in the garden of my childhood and I consider my current garden a sanctuary and place of inspiration.
First, let me show you the various prints:

For my short "Schoolhouse" presentation at the 2017 Fall Quilt Market I opted to create a project that uses the charm pack (a stack of 5" squares with all the prints) for a project other than a quilt.  I love to create dimensional leaves and I hope you will enjoy trying this!  Once you become familiar with the basic technique, you can vary the shapes any way you want.  

For each leave you will need two 5" squares, plus one 5" piece of batting.  This is a great project for using up all those extra scraps of batting left over from a quilt project!

First, place the two prints, right sides facing together, and the batting on top.

If you wish, you can use a chalk pencil or other marker to denote the stitch line.  You can see I drew

a dotted line next to my stitch line so it is easier to see in the photo above.  I opted to go with a simple leaf shape that utilizes the majority of the area in the square.  I left a 2-inch opening at one end in order to turn the piece right-sides out.  When stitching it is very important to back stitch the opening on both sides as well as the point of the leaf.

Trim the excess fabric and batting to 1/8 inch from seam.  Also:  cross cut the leaf point to minimize bulk.

To turn, slide a finger in between the two pieces of fabric.  Gently begin turning the construction right sides out.  I use the tips of my scissors to gently push the tip of the leave out as much as possible.

Here is my stack of fabric with batting (low loft is best).

It is easier to visualize the seam line from the "batting side".

Here, I am using the scissor edge to gently form the seam edges of the leaf.

To add the leaf veins, I use monopoly thread in my bobbin, but this is optional.

I opted to change the thread colors for the veining.  You can use the same color top thread and bobbin, if desired.  Pull the bobbin thread up to the top during this process.  Lower the feed dogs if 

you plan to free-motion stitch the leaf veins.  Or, 

as an alternative, you may straight stitch.  If you have dual-feed it is helpful but not necessary.

If you aren't comfortable handing the leaf in this manner, the straight stitch will work just fine!

No worries!

Here is one option for the leaf veining.

After sewing the edges of the felt base I attached a loop onto the back.

Working from the lowest part of the base I stitched each leaf into place on the sewing machine.

At the top I created a "bow" using a tube of sewn print.  I think any number of things

could be pinned to the top of the felt to make it "seasonal" (fall berries, a ribbon, a stuffed toy,

a hedgehog, a bunny.....you get the idea).  

Have fun with this idea and please let me know when you make something using Urban Garden!

I love to hear from readers so drop me a line, but mostly, thanks for stopping by.

xo leslie