Today we travel to Oregon for the US Tour! I’m loving all the different blocks the designers have designed for us to make for our US Tour. Thanks to Debra Davis of Tuning My Heart Quilts for her Oregon block. You can find it HERE!
in quilting,
Debbie
Wow! How did I miss Tuesday? Don’t answer that. I was so wrapped up in what all I had to do yesterday, Two Tips slipped by me.
I spent the morning talking with my website customer service… and finger and toes crossed, I will have a new look for my website by next week. The website has been the original design for almost 13 years. It is past time to refresh the look. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. I’m adding a Gallery page to replace my Quilting Services (since I don’t longarm for customers anymore). If you have made any of my patterns, please email me a photo of your quilt. I’ll be adding some of my variations, but it would be wonderful to add your creations as well!
Speaking of what is on my website…Did you know I have some free patterns? Go to the Products tab and in the drop down list is Free Patterns! Next week is the start of my AQS Christmas Countdown free pattern and instructions. If you are an AQS member, go join their Christmas Countdown FB page! All announcements will be there with a FB live with ME on the 11th and 18th. I’ll be showing some quick Christmas ideas using only two strips of fabric (2 1/2″ x WOF). I hope you’ll join me. The instructions will be on the AQSblog.com! Here is a peak at what I am doing. Plus I have these and more beautiful Christmas fabrics for sale on my website under kits/extras!
When making the pattern for the Christmas Countdown I had an AH HA moment. I can cut diamonds from a 2 1/2″ strip with Jr.!!! (Hex-a-ma-jig Jr.) I do not need a 5″ strip folded in half. Yes, you can still cut them this way but the new way saves fabric. Are you ready???…see the photos below on how to place Jr. on the strip. The same can be done with Hex-a-ma-jig but with a 3 1/2″ strip.
I’m excited with this discovery and it opens up more possibilities for using less fabric to cut diamonds!
#1 – Place Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. on a 2 1/2″ strip as shown above to cut Diamonds. Note that the bottom edge of the strip is 1/4″ away from the dashed line on the left triangle on the tool.
#2 – The corners are nipped off for ease of alignment in sewing diamond pieces to other pieces (other diamonds, triangles, etc.)
I look forward to sharing the designs I have made for the Christmas Countdown next week!
in quilting,
Debbie
Nebraska is where we are headed this week. A neighboring state to my “home” state of Missouri. I have many college friends from Nebraska! Visit Prairie Point Junction for their Nebraska block HERE.
in quilting,
Debbie
Did you miss me last week? I was traveling home from “home”. I went to see my parents and some family and didn’t have enough umph to get Two Tips done. I’m back! Working on getting things wrapped up for the AQS Christmas Countdown Facebook page. You can ask to join! I’ll be doing a free pattern featured on their blog. I’ll be adding the videos I do to my Facebook page. In my Christmas Countdown project, I’ll focus on what you can do with 2 “jelly roll” strips, that is strips cut 2 1/2″ wide by the width of fabric. It will start on Nov. 11th for three weeks. I’ll give you a peek here as soon as AQS announces it. Join me!
I remembered a quilt I did a number of years ago that had orange! Actually, it was 2010. We had an artist paired with a quilter. My artist was a photographer and the photo was of fall leaves and a fall scene. Below is my rendition of his beautiful photo arrangement. I’m sorry I don’t have his photo to show you.
When I look back on this quilt I see all the colors of the tree I showed you a couple weeks ago. I love the bright orange with the bright green! The black binding mimicked his black frame. In looking at the leaves on the left, I was happy I played with the color in the fabrics to give the leaves more curves just by fabric placement. (Especially the brown leaf in the middle.)
#1 – When making a watercolor quilt or when “blurring” the lines of a pieced block, look at the colors in the fabrics and how you can rotate them to get the effect you want.
My tree and leaves on the ground have some hard lines…hindsight! But, I love that I made some pyramid shapes not realizing it until the pieces were sewn together.
#2 – Once blocks are pieced together they get melded into designs. Squint when you are laying out your pieces to “see” how they might look once sewn.
May your Fall days continue to have color. I know many of you have gotten snow already…Winter is around the corner (but hopefully not before Halloween!)
in quilting,
Debbie
Lucky week 13. That is how I’m looking at it. My home state of Missouri. (Yes, I say Missou-rah, if you have ever heard me say it!) The block was done by Slice of Pi Quilts and Louanna Mary Quilt Designs. Two designers! They each did half of the block. You will need to visit both of their sights to make the block. Slice of Pi is HERE with Laura’s “Missouri by night” and Louanna Mary quilt Designs can be found THERE for Denniele’s “Missouri by day” on her Facebook page. Even though they did the “other side of the state” (I’m from Kansas City, MO), it is a great idea and fun block. Zip across I-70 and Enjoy!
in quilting,
Debbie
Are you ready for more great Fall colors? We travel to Pennsylvania by Faith and Fabric! You can find her block HERE.
in quilting,
Debbie
I hope you got a chance to watch my Facebook live last week. Fifteen minutes sure does fly by. I talked about choosing colors for fall quilts. After I finished, I realized my quilts didn’t have any orange (one of my favorite colors!). So, I went in search of quilts I have made with orange. Most of my quilts with orange have brights to go with it. I know I have made fall table runners as gifts, so that counts! Looks like I need to make a fall quilt sometime.
I am inspired by the change of color here in New England. It is leaf peeping season, taking a drive to look at the leaves. I picked up some leaves out of my yard for the Fall into Options FB live. I’ll put the picture below. Then, another inspiration! This tree was in a local park. Glorious!!
My tips on fall quilts was to add variations of the same colors (use pink along with red, bright green along with dark green). This gives the quilt more interest. I also suggested to add other colors to make those fall colors pop. I think the green leaves with the brilliant red/orange tree is a great example. Plus look at the sun shining through!
To keep with the theme and adding more tips…
#1 – Take some photos for inspiration. Look at the sky colors, add those in your fall quilts.
How about that dark road with all the leaves overhanging the road or leaves on the ground?
#2 – Add that dark color for contrast. Of course you can always add cream for light contrast.
What is your fall quilt project? Or have you jumped right to Christmas/Winter?
in quilting,
Debbie
Head on down to Georgia for this week’s state block. Tammy of Tamarinis. You can find her blog post HERE. You will need to follow her link to her website to sign up for her newsletter to get her state block. Remember every designer will present their block in their own way. It is sure a pretty block, Tammy!
in quilting,
Debbie
I got this together early today as I wanted to be sure you have the next Tips and Techniques (now back to calling it the original name of Designer’s Virtual Quilt show) two day event. We are going to Focus on Fall this round. The dates are today, Oct. 6th and the 8th. The designers will be different every 15 minutes. No breaks in between as we’ve had in the past. So, I can’t talk long, HA! I’ll post the schedule below. I hope you will join me at 7:30pm Eastern for my Fall Tips on my Facebook page Wendt Quilting. Click HERE for the link to my page. If you can’t see me live be sure to look in my videos so you can watch the replay. To get to the other designers, click on their links below to see them live on their own Facebook page.
Tuesday, Oct 6
6:00 pm Marlene Oddie of KISSed Quilts http://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts
6:15 pm Annie Smith http://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs
6:30 pm Cherry Guidry https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio
6:45 pm Tammy Silvers https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis
7:00 pm Nancy Scott http://www.facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
7:15 pm Patti Carey https://www.facebook.com/Pattis-Patchwork-464368707643825
7:30 pm Debbie Wendt https://www.facebook.com/Wendt-Quilting-280123925340667/
7:45 pm Rebecca Lidstrom http://facebook.com/studiorquilts
8:00 pm Michele Crawford https://www.facebook.com/flowerboxquilts
Thursday, Oct 8
1:00 pm Kate Colleran https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/
1:15 pm Pretty Piney Quilts https://facebook.com/prettypiney
1:30 pm Blue Bear Quilts https://www.facebook.com/BlueBearQuilts
1:45 pm Sue Griffiths https://www.facebook.com/duckcreekmountainquilting/
I’ll give my tips on the Facebook live. Think, Fall colors in the quilts vs. same quilt with bright colors. Also, what makes Fall colors work? They are typically all the same value. I look forward to seeing you this evening. Be sure to “like”, “love”, and say hi!
in quilting,
Debbie
Next up, week 10. Take a look at Orange Blossom Design Studio for the state of Virginia. You can find the block HERE. Laura’s blog post is dated July 15 but you can still get to her block from that post.
in quilting,
Debbie
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