Sunday, June 28, 2015

Row by Row Experience Quilt Completed




Row by Row Quilt

Row by Row is a large quilt shop hop where you visit shops and get a free row pattern.  The pictures are on the facebook pages so you can pick rows you like, visit the shops and stitch away!  If you are the first one to show and tell your quilt at a shop, you get a prize of 25 fat quarters.  If you used the shop's row in your quilt, you get a bonus prize!

Last year, I tried but only was able to collect about five rows.  This year, because of the increased visibility from last year, there were a lot more shops participating.  I collected my eight patterns on Monday and Tuesday of this week and have pretty much been non-stop sewing since then.   Plus watering plants because we are having incredibly hot weather right now and about 1/4 of my plants are not established yet.  

I sewed the blocks and then decided because they were fairly narrow and long, I wanted a border of flying geese on each side.  I also wanted to set off the blocks a bit so I used white sashing in between.  As I was stitching the sashing I decided that would be a perfect place to quilt a poem, so there is a poem there and the rest of the quilting is done in an all-over freehand water/wave pattern.  I'm really, really happy with how it turned out.

I turned in my quilt at my local quilt shop, Gathering Fabric in Woodinville, Washington and Susan awarded me the 25 Dimples fat quarters and also a very generous gift card.  She is going to display it for a bit too.  :)


I hope you participate in Row By Row!  It's a lot of fun.  I visited three new shops and enjoyed putting it together.  Rows made: Quilting Mayhem in Snohomish, Keepsake Cottage in Bothell, Circa 15 in Kirkland, Pacific Fabrics in Bellevue, Pacific Fabrics in Seattle SODO, Gathering Fabric in Woodinville, Undercover Quilts in Seattle Pike Place Market, and Pacific Fabrics in Seattle Northgate.

Poem on Sashing:

Winter Sea by Clinton Scollard
Landward the breakers roll and run,
The gray-white ospreys near and flee,
Beneath the long slant winter sun
Beside the winter sea.

With chilly gleam the shingle shines;
The sand with icy umber glows;
Back from the beach the stunted pines
Stand somber in the snows.

The horizon shows a steely glint,--
A line of pickets white patrolled;
The empty zenith holds the hint
Of cruelty and cold.

The north-wind clarions; 'tis a dirge,
A requiem, a threnody,
Keyed to the sad sound of the surge
Beside the winter sea.




Some of the comments from the Washington Row by Row page:

Denise Larson Love it! Summer do you think you could post where all your rows are from?

Cindy Coffey Such a beautiful quilt! Love the colors.

Marlene Edwards I need to get out and get my patterns so I an make them. I love these blocks.

Dolores Smith The Quilter's in Washington have done an outstanding job. I haven't seen one quilt I didn't like, well, there were a couple I did love!

Janissa Brambila Yes! I see some Pacific Fabrics rows in there! Awesome!

Julie Strauss-Ming That is a really lovely quilt. You made the rows come together nicely.

Maria Marty Kemper So pretty

Mary DeEmo Nice job, Summer!

Grace Schievink-Assink Beautiful job!

Wendy Patrick Great job, love the flying geese border...!

Deanna Bushman Wow, its gorgeous! Congrats!!!

Cheryl Taylor This is beautiful!!!

Kyla Overson Fast !! Awesome !!

Sharon Coots Wow that was fast. Nice quilt.

Trudi Kolk like the white background, it pulls it all together.

Kelley Bova Congratulations! That's beautiful!

Deanna Lynn Stills Cole Beautiful colors!

Justin Renshaw Nice work! I love the light background choice, too!

Sherri Delaney Keil Beautiful! You were busy!

Deborah J. Rutledge I love the sides of you quilt also, that was a LOT of work...

Karen Rose Wow that was fast!

Linda Love Very pretty. Great job!

Cathy Lytle Ackerman I love it.The ocean/ beach scenes are my favorite!

Lori Langell Wow beautiful

Jody McClain Jean Rogers, check this out! Beautiful setting!!

Eric Kennard Beautiful job, Summer. I love the cool, fresh look of your quilt. Kudos to you for making all of those flying geese! Wow! Very nice!

Angie Butterworth This is gorgeous! Congratulations to Summer who did a great job in creating a fantastic quilt.

Cindy Baker McKee Beautiful!

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Dragon Purse Finished! by LEE Needlepoint



Dragon
hand-painted canvas by LEE
stitched by Summer Truswell 2014-2015

Stitched in Impressions (a silk / wool blend), Trebizond (silk) and Kreinik metallic (synthetic) thread in basketweave.  The facial hairs? are wrapped backstitch.

I love this purse!  It's a good size - about 14" deep. It is made out of red leather.  Also from LEE.


Some comments from facebook:

Dana D. -  Love this!!!

Anne Marie C. - Gorgeous! Love it with the red purse!

Louise S. - He is gorgeous!!

Dianne M. - Oh wow

Cecilia R. - Dragons are a favorite theme of mine and it looks great on the purse.

Cindy H. - Fantastic!

Sally C. - Fab! and how!

Carolyn S. - I have the same purse and love it. Just don't fill it too full. Unfortunately I did and the lining split.

Sherry E. - Awesome!!

Cynthia B. - Great work

Mary Ellen P. - Fantabulous!!!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

A Bitty Bite of KFC Quilt

A Bitty Bite of KFC
Inspired by Laundry Basket Quilt's


Measures 13.5" square including the itty-bitty prairie points.



I quilted this in Sew Fine from Superior Threads (grey) and Auriful (colors).


This won first place in the Miniatures Category at the 2015 Quilter's Anonymous Show.

Some comments from facebook:

Darlene Piche Perspective is everything! WOW!

Sandra Stehman Beautiful

Victoria Edwards I can see why

Noella Frail The star is beautiful but u love the vine and flowers around the outside

Debbie Holman Love!!

Shirley Dunlop Congratulations. Beautiful.

Anita Krauskopf Very nice! Like the touch of embroidery work around it.


Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Snowball Quilt design by Kaffe Fassett

Snowball Quilt
pattern by Kaffe Fassett from Country Garden Quilts


Harbor Steps in Seattle is a beautiful quick walk through from Seattle Art Museum down to the waterfront. 

Each block is a different floral fabric and I used different greens for the corners.  




Some comments from facebook:

Debbie Carlson Stunning

Lisa Cornay Roberts Simply gorgeous

Donna Fleming Meyers How adorable! I guess I better make one. I have lots of scraps!

Hilda Wessels I love it! So much!

Gina Nania Love the different greens; that's just like a real garden.

Sue Kater Love it! Perfect for summer!

Tia Hegstad I love how you've put most of the large blooms a bit off centre. It really brings it to life.

Nery Sharir Summer summer summer good on the eye

Debbie Nelson Heinle The prettiest I've seen in quite a while!

Janet Zucchero Smith How colorful! you have been busy!

Jeanette Eitzen Glasgow So lovely with the bright colors!

Levana Spencer Very pretty and joyful

Susan Ingham Wow!

Susan Ingham makes me feel like I am having a fabulous dream!

Anne Andersen Gorgeous. heart emoticon

Julie Sims beautiful!

Sharon Dallman Beautiful colors, prints and of course the whole quilt! heart emoticon

Suzy Rhine Beautiful

Phyllis Houck I love PJ"s fabrics because of the flowers so this quilt makes my heart sing it is beautiful.

Valerie Saffel beautiful.

Ann Champion Gorgeous!!!

Rosalie Glickman Beautiful!

Liz Schreiner Charming!

Joan Zieger I want it. I want it. Stunning. Perhaps my favorite of all.

Wendy Baker Oyler Love it

Ann Jones Rogers Love it!

Debbie Selman love your colour choices!

Rachel Smith Wow, this is beautiful!

Vicky Coughlan Gorgeous!

Debbie Holman Love. Love. Love!

Shirley Dunlop Beautiful and special because you used scraps.

Jackie Pryor Stunning colours!

Rosemary Hawk Lovely

Mary Foley Love this, looks amazing.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Hashtag Quilt



Hashtag
48" x 12" (unfinished)
photographed at Victor Steinbrueck Park in Seattle

The Hashtag is a way for people to communicate content in a clear way by creating searches through categories.   People are using instagram and twitter as a way to communicate outside the normal realm of newspapers or television news in a way that isn’t delayed by print deadlines. 

With this increased access to news, I learned about the sheer quantity of black lives that are killed unnecessarily by police or other authority figures.  Many are teens, many might have been criminals.  All are sad stories and some are truly heartbreaking.  I made this quilt as a way to process my sadness at so many senseless deaths.  Awareness is being raised but the conversation needs to continue about how we can make these killings stop.

Originally, I planned on leaving the bottom edges raw so if needed I could add more names to my memorial quilt, but instead I finished the quilt in the hopes I will not have to add any more names.  (I wrote this description in March 2015.  I'm truly heartbroken that I have to add more names.)

You can search for more information using hashtags on twitter, instagram, or facebook.  Or do an internet search with someone’s name and shooting and it will pull up articles.   By no means is this a complete list. 
#BlackLivesMatter
#HandsUpDontShoot
#NoJusticeNoPeace
#ICantBreathe 


Alonzo Ashley
Amadou Diallo
Angelo Clark
Bo Morrison
Christopher Kissane
Dante Parker
Dante Price
Duane Brown
Eric Garner
Ervin Jefferson
Ezell Ford
James Brissette
Jersey Green
John Crawford
Johnnie Kamahi Warren
Justin Sipp
Kendrec McDade
Kimani Gray
Malissa Williams
Manuel Loggins Jr
Marquez Smart
Melvin Lawhorn
Michael Brown
Michael Lembhard
Miriam Carey
Name Withheld  (Child)
Nehemiah Dillard
Orlando Barlow
Oscar Grant
Ousmane Zongo
Patrick Dorismond
Ramarley Graham
Raymond Allen
Rekia Boyd
Robert Dumas Jr.
Ronald Madison
Sean Bell
Sheron Jackson
Stephon Watts
Steven Eugene Washington
Tamir Rice
Tanisha Anderson
Tendai Nhekairo
Timothy Russell
Timothy Stansbury Jr.
Travares McGill
Trayvon Martin
Victor Steen
Wendell Allen


Economy Patch Quilt - Country Gardens Quilt


Economy Patch Quilt
Pattern by Kaffe Fassett from Country Garden Quilts Book



This was a true scrap quilt for me.  (As with any of the pictures, if you want to see them larger, open them in a new window and you can zoom in.)



It is displayed here on the outside steps of the Seattle Art Museum.  I love the museum and they have wonderful visiting exhibits.  Love being a member.




My beautiful cat Lois.  Placing a quilt on the ground is cat bait.


I love the backing fabric.


I quilted it in rounds of feathers.

Some comments from facebook:

Carol Adams This is stunning. I have collected blues to make this but love your reds!

Ann Kelly It glows!

Joan Mailing Rmt Stunning is right!!! LOVE this!!1

Linda Lambert It's Amazing !!!

Gina Nania I made this in the blues that are in the book and love it, but this is striking too. Good job!

Joanne Cleaver Beautiful!,

Mindy Melinda Way-johnson really nice placement of color!

Trudy Rupka Norton This is gorgeous!!

Ann Whitaker-Sauls Beautiful quilt! Love Kaffe's fabrics and designs period. I've spent the better part of a week organizing my fabrics. My shoulders and upper arms are getting a really good work out.

Kris Lattin Gruben Absolutely stunningly beautiful!!

Kitty Sorgen So beautiful, Summer! Doesn't it feel good to use those scraps?

Anne Andersen It is a wonderful quilt, Summer.

Karen Silence So so so so so so nice

Suzanne Meader Great idea for scraps...it's beautiful!

Wendy Rohde Love it

Cindy Schwarz Gorgeous!

Pam Dustan Vedder Love it! Am doing this pattern for my granddaughter in blues.

Maxine Jones Gorgeous

Sheryll Baum Seidel I ran to my book shelf to make sure I had that book and I do!!

Anne Riker Deister love this.

Sharon Dallman Beautiful quilt Summer! heart emoticon

Ruth 'babeyruth' Bass Gorgeous

Lydia Goode I actually have this in a kit...all blue fabric but really like it in the red too!!