Blogger's Quilt Festival : Growth Review Art Quilt

Oh....and what is this you ask?

Detail of hand stitching "Growth Review"

 My entry piece for the Blogger's Quilt Fest. and newest finished piece!

I'm tentatively naming it "Growth Review" which I will explain in a moment.

I'm rather excited by this new piece, it kinda came out of no where and a doodle.

Pretty keen on this one I am. 

Okay, I'll keep it short and sweet. I was doodling before bed. Made a drawing similar to this art quilt. I was surprised by the face I drew. Like I didn't know where it came from. Anyhow, I went to sleep and the next day was determined to make something new. I have some deadlines coming up and needed a new piece to hang in an art show. 

I dove into a bag of green scraps and was intending on some mix of floral and geometric designs. A few hours later (right before bed) I finished piecing this. The face changed a bit from the drawing, and I changed it around two more times before I quilted it. Actually I changed my mind all over the place with this piece. It felt really good to have no guidelines or finished image to work toward. Anything could work.

I'm calling it "Growth Review" because I pondered on the artistic path I've followed over the last 10 years. (This year marks 10 years since my grandma's passing and the beginning of my journey into textile arts.)

Kinda heavy. I'm happy with my progress however. I've come a long way, from sewing for months before learning that my machine could Free Motion quilt instead of 'faking' it, to teaching, pattern writing, fabric dying and doll making. I feel like I've reached a whole new playing field. 

With serious determination, you can do anything!

"Growth Review"

12.5 in. x 26 in.

Textile

Machine and Hand stitching

Raw edge applique

Reverse applique

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope you'll vote for my art quilt  here.

Now go vote and visit all the amaz-balls amounts of talents out there all lining up for the show over at AmysCreativeSide.com

2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge Entry (TGIFF!) : Orchid Moon

Here it is folks.
My grand reveal, "Orchid Moon"

This beauty was completely hand appliqued from an original drawing, then machine quilted with in-the-ditch stitching and matchstick quilting in the background. The applique itself took nearly 30 hours to complete. And there are 209 stitches holding down circle alone.

Measures 24.5 in. x 19.5 in.

I'm just so glad it's finished! Leave it to me to be inspired about a week and a half til the deadline and further challenge myself with traditional style applique!
I'll share more step-by-step photos this weekend. For now, I seriously need to rest my poor fingers.

I'm entering in the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge : Mini Category!
Wish me luck!

Tidy (Tote?), Goal Lists, and Pattern Drool

Twelve years ago, my grandmothers quilt guild got together to make Tidy Tote's (seen here). Unfortunately for whatever reason, my grandma never made her's. The project got tucked into a zip lock and forever shuffled among her sewing things until I happened to unpack it the other day.

I was excited to make one, ready through the instructions, they seemed clear. Except there was one important component missing, pictures and diagrams of any kind. No image of what it was supposed to look like. I searched for some Google images and found very little(see above link), just the image from the pattern front. But I decided to go for it, with the rough idea in mind and my grandma's handy cutting list (without which, this may not have been possible).

The kit had the base, batting, pin cushion, magnet strip and tubing included. All I needed to add were two fabrics, some hot glue, and my stitching, both machine and by hand to finish it up.
Here's the result! I'm so in love with it. I finally used a half yard cut of "Lucky Girl" by Robert Kaufman that my grandmother purchased for me probably around the same time (12 years??!?!) the Tidy Tote project came into light.

Anyhow, it's always been one of those favorite fabrics that I've saved, knowing that the right use would come along some day. Well I'm so glad it has! And in the midst of making Christmas presents, it felt so relaxing to make something special for myself finally.

It's almost time for winter vacation and the end of the year is near. Goal list making is in full swing here and I have to say that I have never felt so confident before. This up coming year feels filled with promise that my dreams of quilting recognition and acknowledgement are fast approaching. I'm not going to bog down this post with my current lists, that'll be a whole post by itself. 

But I do want to share one major goal, and that's this darn blog. I love it, but it definitely doesn't show. I have been so neglectful of this vessel of global exposure. So, first goal for this blog, to finish the year with at least 12 posts, that's one for every month! (How sad :-/ )

I can do this! I fully intend on sharing the brilliant inspirations and ideas I've come up with, but for now, I'll leave you with a sneak peak. The other day, my eyes widened over this awesome quilt that can be seen on my screen below (found here), made by a talented Australian woman named Adelaide. I spent an hour redrawing and coloring the design. All half square triangles mind you. (Obviously the HST bug has not left my system).

And it led to some serious inspiration for my own HST pattern, of which I'm going to attempt to make into my very first quilt along to be host on this blog. Fingers crossed that I can pull it together by the new year! So here's a peek.

Cheers to progress!!

First Finish of the Year, a Month Behind

I made a trip to the post office today. And a whole day early! I mailed off my entry to the 2012 Sketchbook Project.

I'll share a few pages here, the rest can be viewed here until the super nice digital scanned versions hows up.

Though I would like to rest and celebrate my first successful finish of the New Year, I must get back to more finishing. Art Walk is this Thursday night and I've been away such a long time. There is such great news in store as well. The wheels have been hard at work turning in the right direction. I'll share when this event is more finalized. 

For now, back to work I go.

-Mammalita

Clearings

I've been spending my time trying to tackle all the half finished projects i have piled around the studio. It's a lofty attempt, but I've been making good headway. And the rewarding feeling of finishing something is excellent fuel to the creative fire. So this weekend, I finished the last four blocks of the Summer Sampler QAL i started in...duh, summer, and with such good intentions.
But with a huge sigh of relief and a beer of course, i am celebrating finishing all twelve blocks! Whoo hoo! This quilt i started with the idea of making something for myself finally, and i still love it. This is the first all solid quilt and how addicting! I have since added to my solid stash heavily i tell you.
I still have to edge most of the blocks in black to square them off at  12 1/2 in., then i think i will still add more black in boarders around each block.....
I haven't even begun to think about the back or the quilting details.

The best part about this quilt.....all the paper piecing. I'd never tried that before, and the results were amazing. I'm kinda obsessed with the option of precision and paper piecing can fill that craving.
Though many of my blocks are not perfect, they're so close it hurts! And especially on my first go of it. Sooooo in love with paper piecing!

Very easy and with amazing results!

Happy Sunday and Cheers!

xOxx Mammalia

Rabbits Run First

This little vacation proved to be quite enlightening. I happily made and finished! a new table runner while simultaneously making  a pumpkin cheesecake before Thanksgiving "dinner". A quiet holiday. But after the weekend I've had, i'm more than ready to go run round the mini's again, back to work tomorrow!

I could ramble on about other random adventures during the last week, but speaking of work, I also managed to list some new plush in the shop...check it out! I'm finding a good rhythm now that the weather has changed. I need to not loose it. 

Enjoy!
xX Mammalia Chu-p-zie

Photo Shoot :: No Dump Zone

I got up at noon and got my slug butt working quick. Hauled brush for an hour and then went hiking for a photo shoot....preview photos of the new items going in the shop tomorrow.....

-Shop Update-

Yes. I just said that. A shop update. There's actually something new in the shop today! This is the beginning of a bright and wonderful Holiday season. Enjoy!! More coming VERY soon.

DoorNail Kinda Dead

So i have been in a sweep of busy. Too busy to work on my two QAL that have now ended. My goal there is to at least finish them both before i go back to work in two weeks.
Being busy means i have a constant flow of current and future projects in the works. It isn't bad to be busy, I just would like it to feel a bit more orderly.

These are the last two blocks i made, about five days ago, feels more like a month.

At some point my anxious mind will rest and pick back up where it left off.

I did really enjoy a quick little project, this Fox, for a friends son on his 2nd birthday. Such fun doing itty bitty patchwork! More to come.

A Cockroaches Birthday Party!

I spent a good long run on this project. It was a fun test for myself. Accomplished.

And this evening, i'll get to finally relax after a really anxious edge walking week.

Late into the night

Through this day

And into the Sun.

Keeping Upon My Path

I enjoyed spending my morning finishing up the first row of the 'Rockin Robin Quilt Along'. The patchwork and quilting challenges i've given myself are proving to stir up my fabric obsession. Yumm!

This fabric is an extremely old loosely woven pillowcase. Its not very sturdy and i caused myself more trouble than worth, but i was in love with the ashy grey green color. Done. Challenge met.

I tried out a blue boarder, but felt the raciness took away from the more mellow tone of the block.

Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the first block of the 'Summer Sampler Series' shown here at Swim, Bike Quilt!. Here are my fabrics i've picked, finally. It did take me three days to decide and then another two to get a good picture. Ha!

L-R : Sunshine, Seafoam, Sky,
Turquoise, Peach, Cherry, Mulberry,
 Goldenrod, Raw Sienna , Black
(my own names)

I also had a bit of fun yesterday doing a little repair project for a dear friend. A custom closure flap made with Deer hide on a backpack.

Nightnight.