Blogger's Quilt Festival starts today!

It's here! It's here! It's finally here!

Can you tell that I'm excited?

The Fall Blogger's Quilt Festival is here, and you can enter it, too! Just pop over to Amy's blog and join the linky party!

I'm entering my mini-quilt that you see in the picture below:

I created this in July for a blog hop, and it has lots of three-dimensional interest. You'll have to excuse Padsworth there....our popular mascot for this blog loves to photo-bomb, and get into the pictures! (Grin)

This mini measures twelve inches square, and the background is free motion quilted to show the movement from the firecracker's explosion!
You can visit this link to see a full tutorial on how to make the mini -- here are a couple of highlights for you:

Cutting out some fabric pieces for the firecracker . . .

Stuffing the firecracker with polyfil . . . 

Placing the rickrack and then quilting the project . . .

After binding, placing the firecracker just so . . . 

A few added touches like mini-rick rack for more color, and to add to the explosion!

 See the shadows from the three dimensional pieces? I love it!

Padsworth loves it, too!

That's my entry for the festival. I hope you enjoyed seeing a little of how it was made, and I hope you will check out the linky party at Amy's place.

Quilt Festival Stats:

Finished mini measures 12" x 12"

Special techniques: 3D embellishments

Quilted by: Snoodles (with help from Padsworth)

Category: Mini-quilts
BQF # 69

    
I'm hoping that maybe I'll be nominated for a prize . . . we'll see how it goes! There are always wonderful quilts to see in the festival!
See ya there!

Love,

 

3 Dimensional FUN !!

Remember that Christmas wall-hanging that I was working on? I had to put it on hold for a short while, but I'm back to work on it now, and I want to show you something cool. Alright, so I have dated myself there, by saying "cool." At least I didn't say "far out" or "groovy" or something else embarassing. Ahem.

The wall-hanging that I'm speaking of (or is that the wall-hanging of which I speak?) is the one I created from the lovely Jacquelynne Steves Christmas fabrics and panel.

I wanted to make the ornaments around the edge of the panel really pop, so I thought I would try some three dimensional embellishments. I think I mentioned before that I found a quick and easy way to make leaves over at Linda Matthews' blog.
All you do is take a piece of your chosen fabric, and fold it over a piece of fusible web, like steam-a-seam or wonder under. Iron it so that it's all fused nicely, then trace your leaf template onto the fabric. When you cut the leaves out, there will be fabric on both sides, and no need for finishing the edges. Unless you are a sucker for more work and just have to do it. Me? I was quite content with my "lazy leaves."

I found some satin ribbon in my stash, but any ribbon will do if you wish to use this technique. I tied a bow and ran a couple of stitches through it, then tacked the bow and holly leaves to the "hanger" of each ornament ball.

Want to see? Aww, you're so nice. OK, I just happen to have some pictures to show you. (Grin)

See how the leaves and ribbon are sitting up, off the fabric panel? I love it! Look at the shadows behind them . . . to me, that adds a lot of interest to the ornament.

That's a picture of a corner of the wall-hanging, so you can see two ornaments.

Here is a close up of Mr. Mousie, in his cameo role on one of the balls. Please excuse the unclipped threads there. 

And here are two more:

Well, I can hear some of you humming "Jingle Bells" already, so I must have put some of you in the mood to create some Christmas magic! Be sure to check out Jacquelynne's fabrics and enjoy them -- they are so lovely!

Love,

Embellishment Party Week 1 + a giveaway!

Linking up this week with the Shady Porch's Rock and Share Linky Party! Click to jump over there and join in the fun!

Pssssst! Hey, Lilypad quilters!!  It's time to party . . . and look who's here for our first project! It's Jackie, all the way from Ontario, and Jackie's Art Quilts!

Hi Everyone!

I am so thrilled to be here.  I was over the moon when Jacque invited me to guest post on her blog.  She really rocks, and I have been a follower of hers forever.  

A little about me.  I am a quilter of all sorts, but love doing art quilts, and every single art quilt I do has 3D embellishing on it.   I don’t mean like a bit of fabric sticks out of the surface, either.  I do 3D in a big way.   Check out my gallery on my blog to see my 3D art quilts.

I thought it would be fun to make one of my favorite flowers, the Scrap ‘n’ Slash.  You can use this flower anywhere.   On a quilt, corner of a mug rug, or even on a purse.   Since I love to recycle, I picked up a cute leather handbag for a dollar at a local rummage sale.   You can find recycled purses at your local second hand store, church rummage sales and bazaars.  

Supplies

3 assorted colors of fat quarters

Hot glue gun

Rotary cutter and mat

1 recycled purse

Instructions

Cut 2- 2 ½” strips off the long side of each fat quarter.  You will end up with 6 strips

Take a strip and glue along the long edge.   I usually do sections at a time as the glue dries quickly.
 

Make little slits in the folded side of the fabric about ½” apart from one end to the other, be careful not to cut all the way through.

Decide which strip you want to be the centre and roll up, putting dabs of glue near the bottom as you go.  Continue putting a bit of glue down to secure.  When you finish with one strip, pick up another one and continue until the flower is the size you desire.

Trace the base of the flower onto a piece of matching fabric. 

Put 2 pieces of fabric right sides together and stitch along that tracing line.  Cut circle out and make a slit in one side. 

Turn right side out, pushing all the seams out.  Press.

Glue the flower to the base with the slit side glued to the base.

Glue the base to the purse.

Here's another view of the purse with its new embellishment -- a little closer!

And here is another example of the flowers you can make with this technique:

You can make a whole bouquet!

Editor's note: And they won't wilt or fade, and ya don't hafta water them! Yay! I love these 3D embellishments, and I would love for all of you special peeps to take a peek at one of the ways that Jackie has used these in her art quilts:

Aren't they awesome?  OK, I'll shut up now and let you listen to Jackie again! 

Now here comes the fun part.   If you decide to check out my blog and like it enough to follow.  Leave a comment on my blog telling me you  are now a follower, and I will put all those names in a draw for a bundle of my hand dyed fat quarters. 

                                                    *******************************

Pssstt! It's me again! Snoodles, that is! You don't want to miss Jackie's hand-dyed fabrics . . . they are absolutely beautiful! So hop on over there, and check it out! And while you are there, be sure to click and look around at her quilt gallery --- and don't you dare leave until you gaze at her "Bye Gram, I Love You" quilt. It brought tears to my eyes when I read the story behind the quilt. You can read it right here.  

Well, Lilypadquilters, the fun is only just beginning! This is Part I of our Embellishment Party! Be sure to stop back by, when Sunni shows us her 3D embellishment project next week!

Love,