Useful resources

Thought you might like to see some of the resources that helped me with my quilt challenge. I'll be able to show my quilt entry to you next Friday.
Don't forget to check your library for wonderful inspiration. Our library has a great selection of design source books with copyright-free motifs. These are a couple of my recent favourites ::

Sneak peek inside via Amazon here

Especially like the CD's included for easy printing of designs
I have owned this for some time

Sneak peek inside via Amazon here

You might remember this quilt which I created from a pattern of hers

I've used fusible applique for my challenge quilt and it was helpful to review Robbi's techniques again.
However, because I didn't want to spend extra time reversing my pattern to trace on the fusible, I simply traced the pattern pieces onto freezer paper and ironed that on the right side of my fabric.

I ironed the blank fusible to the wrong side of my fabric. When you cut the pattern from the top, you get the correct image orientation that you've traced.
You can also use this method to get the mirror image of something without re-drawing your pattern - just pull the freezer paper off the top, and re-iron it to the fusible on the wrong side to get the reverse effect of the above.
Coming up with machine quilting designs can sometimes be a challenge - when I get stuck, I always look to Leah Day's wonderful site of inspirational quilting designs. You can search by difficulty level, design shape, or themes.
You might love hand applique - if so make sure you've checked out the great free video lessons in Hand Applique from Piece O' Cake designs.
Hope you're getting some creative time. See you next Friday with photos of my challenge quilt.

Back in the land of Letter Love

Haven't been doing many lessons lately from my Letter Love class, but am looking forward to returning to them again in the next week or so. Thought I would share a little of what I was last doing there.

This was a fabulous exercise to have the effect of different pens on black paper as a reference point. Definitely want to play more with these....Don't you love those Tim Holtz butterfly & script Tissue Tapes {sigh} - more ideas on using his tapes here.
One of the other lessons was exploring old fashioned scripts for lettering ideas. Lots of inspiration in this book.

Joanne has used some lessons in the course to expose us to different types of tools. One of the videos was of a parallel pen which she demonstrated how to use for calligraphy. Since I have some zig calligraphy pens, I decided I could just have a play with those. That reminded me of Lisa Engelbrecht's book which I own and love :

Click here for a sneak peek inside via Amazon

I highly recommend it - it's not just calligraphy.
Still a few more lessons to explore before I actually reach the end of the course so will still have more to share in the future.
And if you want some Quilty inspiration for your weekend - check out Linda's photos of the Festival of Quilts ... can't wait to get my hands on that new Frances Pickering book :-)
Hope you have a lovely artsy weekend.

Quilt banner finished

Finally finished something I can show you this month :: here is my quilt banner of 6 inch blocks showcasing 8 different techniques.

It will hang with others at our club quilt show in September. Check out my over-achiever friend Liz who has made 6 banners by herself! She has a good photo there which shows you how the different coloured banners look hung together.
I showed you the blocks before they were put together here. Here are some closer shots so you can see the quilting details (and click on them for an even closer view).

Making good progress on my challenges...they are due in on Monday 27th for this show :

What I'm working on

As I explained here I'm busy working on challenges for our Quilt Show in early September. Although I can't show you much, I thought I could explain what I'm up to.
The Challenge Quilt is to celebrate our club's 30th anniversary. We need to create a quilt that "means 30th anniversary" to us. These elements may be included : the gemstone is Pearl, the flower is Lily, the colour is Green. It must measure 50 cm across the top and hang down 1 metre, and you must be a club member. I think the standard format of sizes will make a lovely display. Don't think there is any harm in showing you the fabric that I have in my stash that I think will be perfection on the back!

I don't often enter club challenges - this is only the 3rd one I've ever entered in my quilting life. 
My first (in 2006) was to make a quilt inspired by a page from a magazine (we were given the page) - I should never have handed it in cos I wasn't happy with it. However - I used it 3 years later as the base for a journal quilt and just fabric collaged over it :

My second challenge quilt was made for a "Go Green" challenge in 2009. A very good friend of mine had just started a dressmaking & design business so I made a quilt for her that fit the challenge - she loves green.
I got a merit award for this one and it hangs in her office.

Didn't realise until I researched those dates that I seem to manage a quilt challenge every 3 years!!
The other club Challenge for this year is to make a house or building : it must be made using fabric on the outside but you can use some other material to give the house stability. It should be a 3D mini version of a house or building that fits within a 12" space. Voting will be by gold coin donation from visitors to the exhibition and the person who gets the most money will win the challenge.
Check out the house challenge that Kathy York co-ordinated which originated with Judy Coates Perez' lovely dream/bird houses.

Artist Village co-ordinated by Kathy York

Plenty of inspiration there. More recently the artists village was exhibited at the International Quilt Festival Long Beach. I wonder what our village will look like at the show.....
UPDATE ON SUNDAY:: seem's everyone is making houses. Jane LaFazio has just posted about houses (fabric and paper) at the Sketchbook challenge.
And how am I going to get both of these challenges completed in 1 short month? Once again I'm utilising micro-movements, and it's also amazing how much planning you can get done at 4.30am in the morning when you wake with 'creative brain' ;-)
Hope you are getting some creative time this weekend.

Inspirations

Hey - I'm here sooner than you might have expected if you read my last posting...I did get some computer time on the weekend and thought I'd share these links now because there are a couple of new challenges open for August that you might like to get onto.

Dina Wakley is doing a month of "Out of the Journal" for August. Obviously I won't be joining in, but a cool idea to try and create one canvas a week to exercise your creative muscle. Here's Dina's week 1 and others.
ALL of Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard's mixed media online workshops are on sale NOW until Sept 8th. I can personally recommend Mixed Media Melange

Mixed Media Melange with Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen

Check out some of what I did in that workshop here.
Mind Wide Open is a challenge blog with an image provided by Gail of Shabby Cottage Studio on the 1st of each month with a week for creating and then a week for voting. This is the image for August - you need to get on cos week 1 closes 7th August.

Check out the Mind Wide Open challenge here.

The ever-creative and generous Jennibellie has recently shared another Youtube video titled Crafty Solutions for using waste paint, inks and sprays. Some great ideas there.
And to finish today, check out Cynthia Schaffer's very cool free motion stitched sampler book.
Hope you get some creative time this week.

Focus for August

Our Palmerston North quilt club (Rose City Quilters) is having our biennial quilt show early in September - click on the poster to read the fine print :-)

There are a couple of challenges available for club members to enter - a fabric house challenge, and a quilt challenge to celebrate our club 30th anniversary. I'm attempting to do both of these (a little last minute!) so won't be able to share much of what I'm working on with you until the show happens.

So - this is to let you know that I will be blogging less frequently in August while I try to stay off the computer and do lots of stitching.

I will still be able to show you my progress with the quilt banner - I showed you the original 5 blocks here. And I've finished the other 3. Here they are photographed in the pairs of techniques (click on any photo to see more detail)

Fabric Manipulation

Piecing

Applique

Machine and Hand stitching/quilting

The one on the left above doesn't quite live up to its name yet! It is a design stamped with acrylic paint which will showcase machine stitching. I made some hand-stitched feathers for Jude Hill's project last year and thought it would be nice to have one of my own.
Next step is to join them all together vertically and quilt the banner. Will share more when I can.
Happy August. Only 1 more month until Spring officially arrives in NZ :-)

In my Garden this morning

Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who left a comment for my giveaway

To find the winner, I printed out your comments and cut them up

They went in a bowl and I got an unbiased assistant to help me with drawing the winning name

And the winner is Marja - congratulations :-)

I'm sending Marja an email so you can send me your postal details & I'll send it off.

Marja always leaves lovely comments and has 2 inspiring blogs of her own - I especially love her Creativity blog with lots of Art Journalling inspiration. Hopefully she'll share what she does with this tape journal.