Bias Petal Play

Bias Petal Play by Marion Shimoda, 2014, 36.5"x36.5"

Welcome to my post for The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters - Test Quilter Blog Hop.  This is the story of the test quilt I made for the book.

In January 2014, I heard from my friend Kristin Shields that Sherri Lynn Wood was looking for test quilters for her book, the Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.  I wasn't familiar with Sherri Lynn and not clear on what improv or modern quilting was, but thought it would be fun to be a tester.

I signed up as a test quilter and on January 16th was assigned to test the Bias Strip Petals score.  Submissions for the book were due March 25th.

The timeframe for making the quilt was a bit ambitious for me.  To improve the chances of finishing the quilt in time, I decided to limit the size of my quilt and palette of colors.

The finished quilt minimum size was at least 36" square.  My target was 36" - 40" square.

For bias strips I wanted variation, but few fabrics, to simplify the decisions to be made later when using the bias strips.  Bias strips were made from a single piece of fabric designed by Katie Pasquini Masopust for Marcus Brother Textiles, Inc..

Sherri Lynn's method for making the bias strips was quick and easy.  Bias strips in hand, I sketched various placements of petals.

I chose a configuration of petals with an offset center.

White and green fabric was chosen for the petals and neutrals for the background.  

Each petal was assembled separately.  During the process of constructing the petals, I cut into and appliqued colored wedge inserts into the three white petals.  Sherri Lynn's hints for addressing challenges with using bias strips for curved piecing were very helpful.  The resulting petals looked good to me.

Next, the petal sections were pieced together.  

I had planned to make the petals meet at the center as in my sketches, but as I was piecing them together they wanted to move apart.  I added strips and bits of color between the petals using methods I learned from studying with Gwen Marston (Liberated Quilting) and Jean Wells as I moved the petals apart.  

Ready to quilt

The piece was hand quilted.

Hand quilted

Patches of color were added along edges where the quilt top had shrunk during piecing and quilting.

Patches of color added to the edges

A thin white binding and wool applique were the final touches.

Thin white binding

Little bits of wool applique on the tips of the petal inserts

Bias Petal Play was submitted on March 25th.  It was selected to be included in the book and appears on page 95.  It was also juried in to QuiltCon 2015 and was sold there.

Being a test quilter was a challenging and educational experience.  It was a good chance try something different while applying techniques and methods I use in my work.  I learned some new techniques and that I am an improvisational quilter.

Thank you Sherri Lynn for the opportunity to participate as a test quilter for your book.  I am enjoying seeing the quilts and reading about the experiences of others making quilts based on the scores in the book.  I look forward to exploring the scores and using the techniques presented in the book and encourage others to join me in doing so.

For a list of other stops on the blog hop, click here.

Fiberlandia - 2015 SAQA Conference

Wired Wildflower, 6"x8"

The annual Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) conference was held in Portland, Oregon this year.  For me the conference started with meetings on Thursday, April 30th and finished up Sunday, May 3rd with a panel of Oregon and Southwest Washington artists.

Artists and collectors from around the country and the world participated.  It was wonderful to see and hear from artists I know from their books and work and reputations, and to share the experience with friends.  The weather was gorgeous.  The speakers addressed diverse and interesting subjects.  The food was delicious.

On Saturday there was a "Spotlight Auction" of donated 6"x8" quilts to benefit SAQA.  My piece, "Wired Wildflower", features a flower constructed of wire stitched to a free-pieced block made from scraps purchased at quilt shops in Michigan in 2013 and solid fabrics.  I was thrilled to meet the purchaser of my quilt.  And, I was the lucky winner of Joan Dyer's "Celebration" and Lisa Walton's "Mottainai #2".

Friendly Complements Quilt @ QuiltWorks July 2014

Friendly Complements
61" x 61"
Blocks by Marion Shimoda and Kathy
Constructed and Quilted by Marion Shimoda

Friendly Complements will be in the July 2014 "Let's Laugh" quilt exhibit at QuiltWorks in Bend, Oregon.  This quilt is the result of a collaboration with my friend Kathy.

The blocks for this quilt were made by me and Kathy.  Each month for eight months we started out with two fat quarters of fabric, one selected by me and the other by Kathy, to use in constructing two blocks.  We stretched our imaginations and honed our piecing, applique and embellishing skills on the monthly blocks.  At the end of each month we'd keep one of our own blocks and exchange the other.  Each exchange was a sweet surprise!  

With sixteen blocks, after eight months, we worked on constructing our quilts.  I used Valori Wells Jenaveve Cotton Linen fabric, wool and wirework to complete my quilt.  The finished quilts hung side by side at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in 2011.  It was fun to see the two together, reflecting our different, complementary styles.

Friendly Complements now hangs in my home's living room and continues to delight me and make me smile.

 Closer views of each set of four blocks.

 Some of my favorite blocks

Fish by Kathy

Japanese Girl by Kathy
Hand appliqued and hand embroidered, three dimensional flowers with beaded centers.

Vase of Flowers by Kathy

Dots by Marion

SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) 25th Anniversary Trunk Show Quilt

Silk & Cotton
10" x 7"

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Studio Art Quilt Associates organization.  "Silk & Cotton" was my entry for this year's Trunk Show.  407 Quilts were received and divided into eight trunks.  Each trunk will travel through 2017.  

"Silk & Cotton" is in Trunk "H", scheduled to be in Oregon August 2014.

Hand quilted.

There is wool in addition to cotton and silk fabric.
French knots were made with variegated Valdani and embroidery floss.

Columbia FiberArts Guild "Fiber Inspirations" Exhibit Submission and Strawberries

The Columbia FiberArts Guild is having a juried Art exhibit at the ArtReach Gallery in Portland, Oregon this August.  The exhibit theme is "Fiber Inspirations".  Submissions were due earlier this month.  I decided to make something new using my fabric scrap twine bowl as a starting point.  The vessel developed and grew ... and then it was not done when it was time to submit entries for jurying, so I did not submit it, and instead submitted a quilt.  The fiber inspirations vessel continues to evolve; my notion is to weave in fabric or paper strips that describe things that inspire my fiber art. 

At the core of the vessel is my original fabric scrap twine bowl.

The first layer - just fabric scrap twine.  After this I added craft wire in various gauges and colors to provide structure and whimsy.

"Forest Walk" is the quilt that I submitted for the Fiber Inspirations exhibit.  The concept for this quilt, inspired by walks in the forest along the Metolius River with our dogs, was developed in workshops I took at the Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon with Jean Wells and Rosalie Dace.  I also incorporated curve techniques learned from Hilde Morin and silk organza tubes from Ann Williamson.

35"W x 24"H
Constructed from cotton, linen, silk and hand stamped and painted fabric.  Free pieced by machine and hand quilted.

Oregon Strawberries - Sweet and Delicious! 

Hood and Albion strawberries frozen on a cookie sheet.  Ready to bag and freeze until we make them into jam.

Fresh and Juicy!

2014 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show - Wish Upon a Card Postcard Donations

The "Wish Upon A Card" project is a fundraiser initiated by the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) to benefit Wendy's Wish of St. Charles Foundation.  More than 500 fabric postcards were donated by mid-April this year.  SOQS will accept postcard donations up to July 1st.

This year I donated seven 4" x 6" fabric postcards; three incorporated the Michael Miller Challenge fabric.  Each postcard uses materials and techniques I employ in my quilts and other projects.

The Michael Miller Challenge postcard entries received are wonderful.  I was delighted to learn that my bird fabric postcard won first place! Another postcard featuring a liberated star was selected for custom framing for the silent auction.

Photos of the Michael Miller Challenge postcard entries and of the postcards juried and selected for custom framing for the silent auction can be viewed on facebook.

This sweet bird won First Place in the Michael Miller Challenge.  Its tail feathers and legs are made from the challenge fabric.  Hand appliqued wool and cotton, hand embellished with Sea Grass and variegated Valdani Pearl Cotton, and hand quilted.  Drizzle stitches top its head.  Inspired by and using techniques learned from Sue Spargo and Tonye Belinda Phillips.

Machine pieced and hand quilted.  Free piecing as taught by Gwen Marston, and skinny lines.

Machine pieced and machine quilted.  Handmade Kanzashi flowers and a hand-dyed fabric flower bud.   Hand stitched stems and hand appliqued basket handle.

Machine pieced and machine quilted.  Free pieced, with a skinny purple line.

Machine pieced and hand quilted.  Made from remnants of a 2013 Christmas stocking project.  Free pieced, with a skinny line and hand stitching.

Machine pieced, hand embellished and hand quilted.  Wool tree trunk.  One of a series of tree study quilts experimenting with different materials and techniques.  Bullion stitches learned from Sue Spargo.

This fabric postcard was selected for custom framing by High Desert Frameworks for the Wish Upon a Card silent auction.  Machine pieced and hand quilted.  Features a "liberated star" using techniques I learned from Gwen Marston.

Fabric Scrap Twine and Photos from the Road

Last month my sister-in-law sent me this link to her new craft past time, making fabric scrap twine;  a great way to use fabric scraps.  I was in Central Oregon for a week-long workshop, with Jean Wells at the Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon.  By the time I went to bed that night I had several yards of twine made from stowed away bins of fabric scraps.  By the end of the week there were many balls of colorful twine, much of the twine wrapped around pine cones.  Fun!

Fabric Scrap Twine and Black Butte Quilt-let from Jean Wells' workshop

Fabric Scrap Twine on pinecones and spools

The start of a Fabric Scrap Twine bowl

These photos were taken when traffic was stopped for road construction.  Love the colors and textures and composition.  The up-side of a road construction delay; on a normal traffic day I'd zoom past this field without noticing it.

 

 

 

2014 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show "Stars Over Sisters" Challenge Entry - Red Stars Quilt

Months of gathering fabric, sketching designs and making notes for the challenge came together in "Red Stars".  Originally conceived as a primarily dark blue quilt with a layer of white and red stars and another of trees, the final quilt has a neutral background with red stars, trees and the Three Sisters stitched in blue thread with a yellow appliqued moon.

After the first layer of machine quilting.

Hand quilted and machine quilted trees added.

The final quilt after more hand quilting, applique and hand stitching.

Detail of stars. 

Three Sisters quilted and stitched in blue thread, and an appliqued yellow moon.

Detail of quilted bushes.

Quilt back.

Curves and More Quilt

I made this piece last summer in Hilde Morin's Curves & More Quilters Affair class in Sisters, Oregon.  I'd been wanting to take this class from Hilde for years, and it was great!  

See Hilde's beautiful work in the Curves Gallery at her website.
After class, I couldn't decide what to do next with the curves quilt, and it was placed in the pile to be worked on later.

The curves quilt went up on the design wall in January and it became the foundation of my quilt for a Central Oregon SAQA group project.  I finished the original curves quilt with a facing, then a blue border was added and I hand-stitched them to a separate backing quilt.  

(The photo above was taken before the hand-stitching was done.)

There was a lengthy "audition" process to decide on both the border fabrics and the backing quilt fabric.

I love the look of the hand-stitching through all the layers in long curvy lines.

Placement, size and color of the circles kept changing.

Some appliqued circles were replaced with hand-sewn circles to keep more of the curvy lines visible.

The finished quilt.