TGIFF + MQG Modern Classic

I'm excited to be hosting, for the very first time, TGIFF - Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday, a link party to show off your quilty finish for the week!  

The finish I'm celebrating is my version of Smubble, the MQG's Quilt of the Month for February 2015 by Rebecca Burnett.  

In celebration of the Modern Quilt Guild's 10th anniversary, they are re-releasing some of the Quilt of the Month patterns in a new updated color palette. They are calling the quilts MQG Modern Classics.  You can read more details I wrote in this post 

I remember seeing the Smubble quilt when it was published back in 2015 and thought this would be a great opportunity to give it a try and maybe it would be chosen by the MQG to be juried into the QuiltCon.  Below is what Rebecca's original quilt looked like.

According to the MQG Modern Classic rules, you must make the quilt using Moda Bella Solids from the chosen color palette AND make the quilt the same size as the original which is 36" x 36".  As you can see, instead of one fabric for the back ground, I added a second creating blocks of color but still maintaining the original design.

I cut the second background color, Dusk, and machine basted the pieces in place.  I knew the raw edges would eventually be covered by bias tape.  Then, behind I trimmed away the original Mustard background. 

As this sat on my design wall, I was thinking about my quilting options.  At first, I really wanted to echo the curves but then the quilting would become awkward as I got to the center of the quilt.  So I abandoned the echoing idea and opted for a grid on a 1 1/2" scale and couldn't be more pleased how it turned out.  I used all one thread, Aurifil 50wt in Mustard (5022) across the entire quilt.  

I quilted the entire quilt before applying the bias tape which eliminated the need to quilt around it or bury any quilting threads.  

I used my favorite tube method of making bias and stitched it in place by machine using matching thread.  The bias tape is made from Natural and Nautical Blue.  The binding is also Nautical blue

Finding a suitable backing was a dilemma.  I auditioned many fabrics but wasn't happy with any of my options.  And then, my friend Valorie suggested this Tula Pink large-scale print, Disco Kitty in Blue from Tula's Tabby Road fabric collection.  I think it looks great with the Moda solids.

I was careful not to waste any of the fabric and still leave the kitties intact as much as possible.

In the pattern, Rebecca suggested using a dinner plate as your template for forming the curves.  I found that I could also use the rotary cutter and cut right against the plate to cut the curves and to trim the rounded corners of the quilt before applying the binding.  

I'm pleased with how Smubble turned out hope it makes Rebecca and the MQG proud.  How Rebecca named Smubble is a funny story and you will have to read that for yourself.  Just go to the member Resources tab at the Modern Quilt Guild and look through the Quilts of the Month for Smubble.  

Now it’s your turn to share a quilty finish!  I'm excited to see what you’ve been working on this week. Feel free to link to a blog post or Instagram photo. Don't forget to visit a few blogs -- it's a great way to discover new quilters and to get some quilty inspiration. Please include the TGIFF button (or a link to the TGIFF blog) in your own blog post.And if you want to learn more about TGIFF and host a link party yourself, find all the details here.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Since finishing this MQG Modern Classic was my September goal, I'm linking to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal link up.  

Here are some other linky parties where you can share your finish:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

MQG Modern Classics

In celebration of the Modern Quilt Guild's 10th anniversary, they are re-releasing some of the Quilt of the Month patterns in a new updated color palette.  They are calling the quilts MQG Modern Classics.

Members of the MQG are invited to join in the fun by making any Quilt of the Month pattern previously released from 2014 through 2019.  That means there are 72 patterns from which to choose. And, if you enter your quilt, you have the chance to have your quilt juried into QuiltCon Together 2021.

I am using four of the seven Moda Bella Solids in the palette for the pattern I have picked out to make.

• Mustard (9900-213)
• Nautical Blue (9900-236)
• Natural (9900-12)
• Dusk (9900-116)

And, fortunately, I already had the matching Aurifil for each Moda Bella solid.

• Aurifil 2310 Light Beige pairs with Natural
• Aurifil 2370 Delft Blue pairs with Dusk
• Aurifil 2783 Medium Delft Blue pairs with Nautical Blue
• Aurifil 5022 Mustard pairs with, you guessed it, Mustard

Here are the Moda Bella Solid swatches included in the 2020 color palette.  The four I am using are below.  

Three additional Moda Bella Solids are also included in the 2020 color palette:  Violet, Capri and Petunia.

I have had two quilts chosen by the Modern Quilt Guild as Quilts of the Month, Positively Transparent and Atypical Angles.  My philosophy is...if you find a good wall on which to photograph quilts, use it multiple times.  

Positively Transparent + August 2017

Atypical Angles + July 2018

To access the Quilt of the Month patterns, once you are logged in to the MQG website, go to the tab "For MQG Members" and from the drop-down choose "Patterns, Webinars and Articles".   From there, once you are on the Resources page, on the the right side bar, you can "Filter by Type"  and simply choose "Quilts of the Month".

The deadline for entering a MQG classic quilt is the same for other quilts entered into QuiltCon Together, November 30, 2020 at midnight.  You can check out the rules at Submit a Quilt.  I'm hoping to get the quilt I am making completed by the end of September.  

Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century

The best modern quilts from around the world, over 200 of them, have been selected by the Modern Quilt Guild to be included in Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century.

I am thrilled to have two quilts chosen to be in the book which will include large, color photographs of each quilt.

For those of you new to Quilted Blooms, WELCOME!  You can read a little more about me here and see some of my finished quilts here.  But, back in August 2013, I joined the MQG as an individual member.  And then, in December 2014, I was instrumental in the formation of the Greenville MQG where I serve as treasurer.

The Greenville MQG issued a challenge to its members in 2016 to create a modern quilt using only black and white fabrics (some gray was permissible) and one pop of color.  Cursive is the result of the challenge and received 1st place.  Cursive also won 2nd place at QuiltCon 2017 in the small quilts category in Savannah, GA and went on to travel the world in the Best of QuiltCon Traveling Exhibit.

Cursive is made from all text or text related fabrics except for two solids.  The words were made from bias tape and hand appliqued. It was even quilted in cursive letters with D'Nealian Handwriting using Aurifil thread.  You can read more about the making of Cursive here.

Positively Transparent displayed at QuiltCon West (2016) in Pasadena, CA, also in the small quilts category (36" or smaller on each side).  Positively Transparent was started in a class with Lizzy House focusing on the elements and principle of design.  It is a transparency design and includes the ever-popular plus sign of which I am quite fond.

Though Positively Transparent is small, measuring just 16" x 18", it involved many hours of walking foot quilting until I decided it or I had had enough.  You can read all about the making of Positively Transparent here.

I enlarged Positively Transparent to a lap size and it became the MQG's Quilt of the Month for August 2017.  Receiving a free modern quilt pattern each month is just one of the many benefits of joining the Modern Quilt Guild.  You can search for a local MQG in your area here.

The 208 page book was curated by Riane Menardi, Alissa Haight Carlton and Heater Grant, all leaders of the Modern Quilt Guild and published by Stash Books/C&T Publishing. 100% of royalties earned from this book go the Modern Quilt Guild, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century is expected to ship any day now and can be purchased on Amazon here or directly from the MQG here.

Be sure to visit all the bloggers on the tour to see more beautiful quilts included in Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century.

12/13/17	Amber Corcoran	Fancy Tiger Crafts
12/14/17	Heidi Parkes	Heidi Parkes Art
12/15/17	Melissa Cory	Happy Quilting
12/16/17	Penny Gold	Studio Notes
12/18/17	Shruti Dandekar	13 Wood House Road
12/19/17	Amy Friend	During Quiet Time
12/20/17	Paige Alexander	Quilted Blooms   ⬅ You are here!
12/21/17	Angela Bowman	Angela Bowman Design
12/22/17	Lysa Flower	Lysa Flower
12/27/17	Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill	Whole Circle Studio
12/28/17	Jacquie Gering	Tall Grass Prairie Studio
12/29/17	Christa Watson	Christa Quilts
12/30/17	Heather Black	Quilt-achusetts
1/2/18	Kristin Shields	Kristin Shield Art
1/3/18	Krista Hennebury	Poppy Print Creates
1/4/18	Cinzia Allocca	Deux Petites Souris
1/5/18	Suzanne Paquette	Atelier Six Design
1/6/18	Yvonne Fuchs	Quilting Jetgirl
1/9/18	Ben Darby	Hunts Patch Quilts
1/10/18	Nicole Daksiewicz	Modern Handcraft
1/11/18	Kristi Schroeder	Initial K Studio
1/12/18	Kathy York	Art Quilts by Kathy York
1/13/18	Marla Varner	Penny Lane Quilts
1/15/18	Brigette Heitland	Zen Chic
1/16/18	Stacey Sharman	Hello Stitch Studio
1/17/18	Stacey O'Malley	SLO Studio
1/18/18	Kim Soper	Leland Ave Studios
1/19/18	Steph Skardal	Steph Skardal Quilts
1/20/18	Cheryl Brickey	Meadow Mist Designs
1/22/18	Shea Henderson	Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio
1/23/18	Katie Larson	Katie Larson Studio
1/24/18	Katie Pedersen	Sew Katie Did

I hope to see you at QuiltCon in Feburary 2018 in Pasadena, CA!  I'm pretty excited as I will have 4 quilts hanging at QuiltCon and will be promoting my my new book, Modern Plus Sign Quilts, co-authored with Cheryl Brickey, also published by Stash Books.

Some links included in this post are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link. Thank you!

Positively Transparent++MQG August 2017 Quilt of the Month

I am excited to share my quilt, Positively Transparent, which was chosen by the Modern Quilt Guild for the August 2017 Quilt of the Month. 

If this design looks familiar, you are right!  The original Positively Transparent, measuring just 16" x 18", was exhibited at QuiltCon 2016 in the small quilts category.  It has also appeared Simply Moderne twice, first in issue #5 and then again in issue #9 in an article, Creating Transparency in Quilting, by Riane Menardi of the MQG.

The mini Positively Transparent was started in a class taught by Lizzy House which focused on exploring the elements and principles of design.  You can read all about the making the mini version in this blog post.

The background fabric is Essex Yarn Dyed in flax and the plus sign fabrics are Kona Cotton solids, all generously provided by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

I love the backing fabric also, Vincent Van Gogh 2 Journal Notes in Grey, again by Robert Kaufman. Here you can see I decided to apply a facing rather than a binding, just like my original Positively Transparent.

I really like how the edge looks with the facing.  The quilting threads just disappear around the edge.

I quilted Positively Transparent in an uneven grid using various weights of Aurifil which was a first for me.  Until now I had pieced and quilted with only 50 wt. Aurifil.

I used Aurifil 5011 40 wt. (green spool) in background but still used 50 wt. in the bobbin.  In the plus signs, matching the fabrics, I quilted with 28 wt. (gray spool) and used a 90/14 topstitch needle just a Aurifil suggests here. As an Auriful Artisan, all of the thread was provided by Aurifil.

You can see I carried the thread color used in each plus sign all the way through the quilt.  I didn't keep track of the hours of quilting time, but it took awhile and, to me, worth every stitch.

And just for giggles, I thought I would show you an outtake from my photoshoot.  I found this awesome two-colored painted wall of a warehouse just a couple miles from my house.  Yes, there were some funny looks!  And while my quilt was barely in the shade of the building, I was standing in the blazing sun.

Seriously, I would like to thank my pattern reviewers Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs and Patty at Elm Street Quilts for providing valuable help and feedback.  And thanks to E.A. Cox for pattern testing for me.  I would also like to thank The Warm Company for providing my favorite batting, Warm & White.

Positively Transparent has been enlarged to a lap quilt measuring 60" x 68". You can find the pattern under Resourses of the Community tab at the Modern Quilt Guild.  If you are not already a member of the MQG, you can join right here to gain access to this pattern "plus" so much more.

If you love plus sign quilts, check out this secret project, Modern Plus Sign Quilts (affiliate link), which has been in the works and is now listed for pre-order on Amazon! More about this soon!

Excited to share my very first quilt pattern, I'm crashing every party this week!

Let's Bee Social #191 with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers with Susan at QuiltFabrication

Needle and Thread Thursday with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday this week with Anja at Anja Quilts

Can I get a Whoop Whoop with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

and Show Off Saturday with Caroline at Sew She Can

Finish It Up Friday when Amanda of Crazy Mom Quilts returns in September

Follow the Rules!

I signed up to receive the Modern Quilt Guild's Spring 2016 challenge fabric in December 2015 and the fabric was distributed at a Greenville MQG meeting earlier this year. We each received 3/4 yard of Riley Blake's Sashing Stash in black and white by Eleanor Dugan.

Running short on time and not really inspired as to what to make, I decided a Becca Bag zippered pouch would be perfect for this fabric if I fussy cut the design elements.  I made another Becca Bag from Cotton and Steel fabrics which you can see here.

Becca Bag made from Riley Blake Sashing Stash and Circle Dot

When I factor in the planning of best how to showcase which element of fabric and then fussy cutting them, this Becca Bag took longer than most, but I think it was worth it.

In the fabric were half square triangles, and, what I would call, Seminole patchwork.

Riley Blake's Sashing Stash  fabric

Also included were flying geese, a checker board and large chevrons.

Riley Blake Sashing Stash fabric

I decided to piece the panel for the pouch from the flying geese and chevron.  For the flying geese, I left 1/8" of the black border showing one either side of the flying geese.

Flying geese from Sashing Stash after sewing in the zipper for the Becca Bag

After inserting the zipper, I quilted along the edge and through the center of flying geese.    I was surprised to line up the flying geese perfectly when reassembling the zipper.

Flying Geese aligned on the Becca Bag after sewing in the zipper

And for the chevron, I left 1/8" of the white showing above the chevron and made the bottom edge of the chevron the base of the pouch.  I outlined and quilted along the top and bottom of the chevrons.

I made a smaller gusset than called for so the bottom edge of the chevron would fall at the base of the bag. And since I had quilted along this edge it actually gave the bag bottom more definition.

Base of Becca Bag

Here's where things went terribly wrong...excited about my finish (before the May 31st revised deadline) and wanting to share on Instgram, I referred to the challenge rules and guidelines for the proper hashtag to use when posting.  And there it was, not necessarily in black and white, 

You may use corresponding Riley Blake C100 and C120 solids.

How could I have done that..we even talked about using solids at Greenville MQG meeting.  But that slipped my mine and I purchased Riley Blake Circle Dot and used it as my accent color.  And while the color red, in my opinion, always looks good with black and white, in this case, I disqualified my entry! It was too late to search out and order a coordinating solid.

MQG Riley Blake Spring 2016 Fabric Challenge rules

And since I broke the rules and wasn't able to enter my bag, I'm still happy with the outcome. Here you can see the quilting detail on the chevron and the pull tab I made from the 'wrong' coordinating fabric.

Becca Bag quilting and pull tab detail

 I used a black zipper slide/pull tab and braided bakers twine for the zipper pull tab.

Becca Bag with red and black zipper by Paige Alexander

I used a Riley Blake dot for the lining and like the how the quilting secures the lining and I finished the raw edges by overlocking the seams.

So my advice when making a challenge piece is...Follow the Rules!

The Riley Blake Sashing Stash Fabric Challenge winners can be seen here. Congrats to all!

I have definitely learned my lesson and am linking to Lessons Learned with Afton at Quilting Mod.

And, though it is small, it's a finish and linking to Finish Up Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Sarah at Sarah Goer Quilts hosting Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday, Fabric Frenzy Friday and Show Off Saturday.

2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

Be sure to stop back Monday, the 13th, when the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop kicks off.  I'm part of The Sewcial Network hive hosted by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl.  Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs is hosting Miss Bee Hivin' and Stephanie at Late Night Quilter is hosting the Hive Sewciety.