Bloggers Quilt Festival Mini - Wren in Spring

Greetings everyone!  I'm excited to be participating again this year in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival!  Many thanks to Amy Ellis for hosting this fun event! 

If you're new to my blog -- welcome!  I hope you enjoy your look around.  
You can read more about my interests, current and future projects by clicking here. 

The Quilt Festival is an outlet for those of us that are not traveling to the International Quilt Market and Festival to show off our stuff and get feedback from our peers.

It's open to anyone who has a blog and would like to make an entry.  Please click the icon directly above to learn more about it.
Why don't you join in the fun too?   

One of the best things about the online festival is that you get to see hundreds of beautiful quilts and pieces of art!  There is tons of talent in every category.
Wait until you see!

I'm excited to enter "Wren in Spring", an original 7" x 7" design into the Mini Quilt category.  Mini Quilts must not be larger than 80" around.  Well -- this little gem is less than 30" around.
It's tiny!

I designed, stitched and quilted Wren in Spring as a challenge for local "Artfully Squared" fundraiser sponsored by the local Council on the Arts . 

The council collects and display hundreds of 7" x 7" pieces of art from local artists.  

The work is on display for the month of April and each piece of artwork is available to purchase for $20 with proceeds going directly to the local art programs.  

It's a great event and I was honored and excited to participate.  

Wren in Spring is wool applique on a cotton background.  I used Aurifil 28Wt Mako Cotton to applique the bird and the stems and fell in love with this applique weight thread!.   

I also used Aurifil 50Wt Mako Cotton for the dense machine quilting.  The 50Wt Aurifil allows backtracking without buildup.  I love that about this thread.   I used two layers of batting, one 100% Cotton (Warm and Natural) and one 100% Wool (Hobbs).  I love the way the two layers of batting allow the wren to look as though he was done with trapunto!.

I used a NO BINDING method to finish the mini - you can read more about it here.

I was very happy to learn that Wren in Spring was purchased even before the opening event.   It was gifted to a local resident who was celebrating her 93rd birthday.  

How is that for sweet? I was very honored.

Once the quilting was done, I added a label and hanging sleeve  and ta-daa!!  --  All ready to be delivered to the Council of the Arts!   You can see my Computer Printed Quilt Label tutorial here.

 Thanks for sharing in the fun -- here is the Entry Summary:

Wren in Spring Mini Quilt

7" square (for a total of 28" around)

Wool Applique on Cotton Background

Aurifil Threads in 50Wt and 28Wt

Hobbs Wool + Warm and Natural Cotton Batting

Dense McTavish style quilting on domestic (by me ;)

No binding border (fast and easy)

If you like Wren in Spring, please consider nominating it for the overall "Viewers Choice" award.  The Viewers Choice Nominees can be entered on this page.

Be sure to come back on November 1st when Voting in each Category begins.

You can vote for quilts in the Mini Category on this page.

Thanks for your support and feedback!

Karen

Spring Basket: A Review and Giveaway

WOW!  I am just blown away by the beautiful "Spring Basket" mini quilt that Carrie from A Passion for Applique  stitched up. 

Check this out -- isn't it just beautiful?  Oh my it warms my heart!

Image courtesy of http://apassionforapplique.blogspot.com

I have admired Carrie's beautiful applique projects for years, always swooning over her lovely work.

When she shared with me that she was a "tester "of quilt patterns, I knew I would love for her to test and review my new "Spring Basket" pattern.   (You can see my blog post of Spring Basket here).

You must jump over to Carrie's blog, see more detailed pictures, read her review - -  AND - - best of all -- get in on the #giveway of two "Spring Basket" patterns.

Thank you Carrie for sharing your lovely version of "Spring Basket"and hosting a giveaway!  

You are one talented lady -- not to mention a real gem!

Happy Days!

Karen

Tutorial: Wool Applique Basics and a Little Wool Blue Bird

Greetings fellow quilters!

Thank you for stopping by and many thanks for the sweet feedback on the"Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging and Tutorial prepared for the Bear Creek Quilting Company.

If you're looking for Week 5 in a "Month of Monday Giveaways" featuring "Bouquet Memories" fabric and Aurifil thread please click here.

Today I would like to share a quick tutorial to create the Little Wool Blue Bird that was featured in the "Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging tutorial.

If you're not familiar with Wool Applique -- please refer to these three "Intro To Wool Applique" tutorials featured on my blog:

Part I:  Intro to Wool Applique 1. Working With and Cutting Wool

Part II: Intro to Wool Applique 2. Thread - Needle - Knot

Part III: Intro to Wool Applique 3. Blanket Stitch

These three tutorials provide the details for preparation and stitching of the Little Wool Blue Bird.

Supplies:

• Download and print the "Little Wool Blue Bird" template from my sidebar or Craftsy Pattern Store (coming soon). 
• The Little Wool Blue Bird was created using "in the Patch designs" wool charms in "Wild Blue Yonder".  I used small sections of two different charms for each the bird body and bird wing.
• Two strands of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8740 were used to Blanket Stitch the bird pieces.  This was one of the first times I've worked with Aurifil Lana Wool and it stitched wonderfully! 
• Two strands of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8605 were used to satin stitch the bird beak.
• One strand of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8605 combined with  one strand of #8 Black Pearl Cotton were used to stitch the bird legs and feet.  
• One small black bead and black cotton thread were used to create the bird eye

Steps:

Below are the steps taken to prepare and attach the bird.  Please reference the tutorials linked above for details.  

• Using the Little Wool Blue Bird template (sidebar), cut bird body and wing shapes from wool using freezer paper as outlined in Part I tutorial above.
• Attach (pin) the bird body in place per placement image above and also referring to Part I tutorial above.
• Prepare needle and thread as outlined in Part II tutorial above. 
• Staring at nape of bird neck, blanket stitch around the perimeter of the bird using two strands of Lana Wool.  
• Stop stitching where the bird wing will be placed

• Position the bird wing per completed image (above) and travel between layers before beginning to attach the bird wing using a blanket stitch.
• Stitch around the perimeter of the bird wing using a blanket stitch.

• When you reach the starting point of the bird wing tie a knot in the thread approximately 1/3" from the background fabric.

• After knotting, bury the needle behind the bird head and through the background fabric (exit near beak) and "tug" the knot between the background fabric and the backing fabric to tie-off
• This tugging a knot through to the background fabric requires some stabilization of the wool piece so you don't distort completed stitches.  You'll get the hang of it - just give it a try.
• The objective is to bury the knot under the background fabric where it will catch on the batting and fabric and never pull back through to the top.

•  After burying the knot - exit on the edge of the bird and trim the thread.

•  To finish off the bird add a satin stitch beak, a small beaded eye and some stitched legs and feet.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email.

The little wool blue bird is a beautiful addition to most any flower applique piece.

Feel free to use this tutorial for personal use only.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Hugs,

Karen

Week 5: Celebrate Bouquet Memories Wall Hanging and a Giveaway!

Greetings dear readers and welcome to Week 5 in a "Month of Monday Giveaways"!

I'm really excited about this week's celebration and giveaway sponsored by Bear Creek Quilting Company.   The celebration includes a free wall hanging tutorial AND a fantastic fabric kit & thread bundle giveaway all courtesy of...

Before we get into the celebration details, let me share a bit about Bear Creek Quilting Company.

A fantastic online quilt shop, Bear Creek Quilting Company is located in Vancouver, Washington.

You will be amazed at the variety of fabric (yardage and pre-cuts), notions, gifts, books, patterns, kits, and embroidery supplies that are available in the online shop.   Jump over and check it out...

Bear Creek Quilting Company has 25% off all books and is currently throwing a great Clearance Blow-Out Sale!

If you combine the clearance blowout sale with the fantastic shipping policy at Bear Creek Quilting Company you can really save some $$.

On top of the fantastic prices, Bear Creek Quilting Company has fantastic customer service.

Speedy shipping, pretty packaging, and service with a smile make working with the team at Bear Creek Quilting Company a JOY!!

See for yourself, check out the Testimonials web page -- reading through them makes me smile!

OK -- enough about the shop -- lets talk celebration!!

Introducing "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging.  This pretty little wall hanging measures 17" x 23", features 3D flowers, straight line quilting, and a sweet little blue bird to boot!

I had the honor of working with Shari and scouring the wonderful fabrics in the online shop before designing this charming wall hanging for ya'll to enjoy!

You can see the tutorial on the Bear Creek Quilting Company blog by clicking here.

"Bouquet Memories" was appropriately named as it uses the Wild Rose colorway of the beautiful "Bouquet Memories" fabric line by Hoffman of California -- swoon!

I fell in love with the diverse grouping of prints in this line and really enjoyed creating with them.

There are however, two additional colorways available in this line -- and Bear Creek Quilting Company has them packaged up and ready to ship from their online store.  Click here to see the fabric bundles in the online shop.

I was able to crash my thread stash and use a variety of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt threads for the Bouquet Memories wall hanging.

As always, the Aurifil worked beautifully for machine piecing, hand sewing, and straight line quilting the sample.  Lovin' those #Aurifil threads!

Oh, and also on this project, I was able to try the Aurifil Lana Wool 12Wt thread -- it stitched like a dream!

Again - you can find the "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging tutorial on the Bear Creek Quilt Company Blog by clicking here.

There is one little portion of the wall hanging that will be presented on my blog later today -- the Little Blue Bird.

Stay tuned for the Little Blue Bird template and some wool applique stitching basics that will help you duplicate the sweet Little Blue Bird on your wall hanging.

Woohoo!  Now on to the really fantastic giveaway sponsored by Shari at the Bear Creek Quilt Company!!

How would YOU like to win a "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging kit ?

The kit comes complete with the beautiful Hoffman of California Bouquet Memories fabrics AND 3 large spools of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50wt threads in colors that are perfect for the piecing, hand sewing and quilting of the wall hanging.  (Sorry -- my little Redbird and Elan scissors are NOT included ;)

This is the most awesome giveaway to date in the "Month of Monday Giveaways" and here's how to gain your chances.

Chances to Win:

This "Winner Takes All" giveaway is open to all participants -- domestic and internationally!!  That is just so exciting!

Gain one chance to win by signing up for the Bear Creek Quilting Company Newsletter -- not only does that make you eligible for the Week 5 giveaway -- it also makes you eligible for the monthly Bear Creek Quilting Company $25 Gift Certificate.  Click here to sign up and then come back and let me know you did!

Gain one chance to win if you "Like" Bear Creek Quilting Company on Facebook.  Click here to see and "Like" their page, leave a comment and be sure to come back and let me know you did.

Gain one chance to win if you hop over to the Bear Creek Quilting Company blog and peruse the "Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging tutorial.  Leave a comment there letting Shari know what you like about the wall hanging and then come on back here and let me know you did.

Gain one chance each for "Liking" Aurifil Threads or Hoffman California on Facebook!!

As always, if you follow Redbird Quilt Co. on Facebook, Pinterest, Craftsy, Twitter or the blog - leave comments letting me know - I love to know that you're following me!

Also -- share, share, share and get the word out about the Tutorial and Giveaway !  Think about the great karma if one of your friends win!!   Leave me a comment if you shared.

Well -- that's a wrap -- Week 5 in "A Month of Monday Giveaways" is open.  A winner will be chosen on Monday May 5th at 9pm eastern time.

As always thanks for your fine comments and support -- we're really having fun now!

Many thanks to Shari at Bear Creek Quilting Company for hosting this awesome tutorial and giveaway.  Shari has been a gem to work with on this project and I can't wait to do it again!

Oh - and don't forget - the Week 4 Giveaway is open until Monday April 28th at 9:00pm eastern time.  If you haven't already -- be sure to click here to get in on that fantastic giveaway!.

Have a joyous and blessed Sunday all!
Hugs,
Karen

Favorite Things Friday #2

It's another beautiful Friday in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, USA.

The lake is calm, the sun is shining, and the day brings hope for a lovely weekend.

I'm thrilled to share a sneak peek of a cute little wall hanging prepared for the Bear Creek Quilting Company.

I had an opportunity to use #Aurifil Lana Wool on this project and I'm really excited about it!  It will quickly become one of my favorite threads for Wool Applique.

Oh the beautiful things that we can create with a bundle of fabric and thread.  See the bundle shared with you two weeks ago by clicking here and stay tuned for the big reveal later this weekend ;)

Also, be sure to check out Week 4 of a "Month of Monday Giveaways" on this post.  It is open until Monday, April 28th at 9pm Eastern time.   A fantastic giveaway sponsored by Sew It Is and Aurifil.

Many thanks to all that are participating in the giveaway -- it's so much fun to read all of the responses and get insight into your thoughts about how the giveaway should be split -- thank you everyone for your feedback and welcome new followers!!  

Have a wonderful day!

TGIF!
Karen

Week 3: Month of Monday Giveaways Celebration - I'm teaching!!

Welcome to Week 3 of a "Month of Monday Giveaways".   This week we're celebrating my first ever, all official, on the books, teaching engagement at a Local Quilt Shop!    Will someone pinch me ?

I'm very honored and excited to share with you that the four lovely ladies who own, operate and pour their hearts into Quilters Corner in Ithaca, New York, are taking a chance on this small town girl and giving me the opportunity to teach my designs in their all-star class lineup.  Woohoo!    

Located in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY, USA -- Quilters Corner was a Featured Shop in Better Homes & Garden Fall 2010 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine!! 

One of the things you notice the minute you walk through the door is COLOR!!

Yes!!  Batiks, cottons, flannels, wools...

...samples and more color!   

Swoon!!    In additional to tons of fabrics, patterns, books and samples, Quilters Corner proudly sells and services Pfaff and Baby Lock machines, and they also have an Online Store.

For all of my bird loving friends... you must check out the awesome paper pieced bird patterns "Feathered Friends" by local artist and quilter, Elsie Dentes.  I had the opportunity to meet Elsie in the shop a week or so ago, and I was thrilled as I have always admired her bird designs.  Click here to view them on the shop page.

As I mentioned earlier, the class lineup at Quilters Corner is extraordinary and includes two of my favorite instructors and mentors, Sharon Stroud and Debbie Wick.   I've learned so much from these two ladies, and I'm honored to have my name listed with theirs on the class schedule.  You can see the full Quilters Corner class schedule by clicking here.

So here I am -- in May/June 2014 teaching Spring Basket

 and Family Tree Pillow

at Quilters Corner in Ithaca, NY.  I'm just so excited!!

To help me celebrate this milestone Quilters Corner is sponsoring today's giveaway!

What better way to celebrate than with beautiful wool charms by "in the Patch designs"!  The hand dyed wool charms work perfectly on the Spring Basket pattern -- check out these stunning colors and designs.

A beautiful variety of wool charms...

Thank you Quilters Corner for the awesome giveaway!

Giveaway Chances:  There are several ways to gain chances to win in Week 3 of a Month of Monday Giveaways!

If you are an existing follower of mine in any social media outlet, leave one comment letting me know all ways you already follow.  (Just one comment that indicates all of the social media outlets that you are currently using - Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Craftsy).

If you are a new follower in any of the social media above -- leave ONE comment letting me know which one(s) you added.

If you "Like" Quilters Corner, Ithaca, New York on Facebook -- give yourself another chance and leave a comment letting me know.

If you signup for Quilters Corner Shop Talk or Web News feeds then give yourself an additional chance and leave me a comment letting me know.

In summary -- one lucky reader will win two Wool Charm packs on Monday, April 21st around 9pm EST.

Good luck everyone and thanks so much for celebrating Week 3 of a Month of Monday Giveaways!

PS.  If you missed the Week 2 Winner post -- you should check it out -- we had a special guest choose the winning Facebook and Craftsy entries -- he was a hoot!

Hugs,
Karen

Winners - Week 2 Month of Monday Giveaways!

Greetings fellow quilters!

I'm excited to announce the winners of the Week 2 Celebration in the Month of Monday Giveaways!

For Week 2 we're celebrating the release of my very first Redbird Quilt Co. pattern "Spring Basket".  

Spring Basket is an 11" x 16" Wool Applique on cotton Mini Quilt that is wool charm friendly, uses simple embroidery stitches and works up really fast!   Personally - I think the hardest part of the entire pattern is getting the half moon template ready.  I'll be anxious to get feedback from these Week 2 winners!!    The pattern can downloaded from my Craftsy Pattern Store here or on my blog sidebar.

The first winner was drawn from the set of 49 Followers on Craftsy.  I printed all the entries and let our crazy Yellow Nape Amazon "Cayman" choose the winner....    He was a little hesitant...

 But finally went for it!!

And the winner of one "Spring Basket" pattern is: Shirley Tener from Arlington Texas !!  Shirley blogs over at SimpleSew.   Shirley, you have a choice of a printed or PDF version of the Spring Basket pattern.  I'll contact you via email !  Congratulations!

The next pattern winner was chosen from the 48 comments left on the April 6th Spring Basket announcement on Redbird Quilt Co's Facebook page.

The comments were printed and tossed on the table runner --  Cayman went after the winner but he was moving so fast the picture came out a blur (bummer)....  None the less we have a winner of another "Spring Basket" pattern.

And the winner is Kathi B. Clower!   Kathi blogs over at Design Originals by KC -- Congratulations Kathi!  You also have a choice of a printed or PDF version of the pattern.  I'll send you an email.

Now Cayman was all tuckered out so it's a good thing that blog comments are numbered and Mr. Random Generator could choose the 3rd and last winner of the "Spring Basket" pattern.   There were 185 comments on the blog and Mr. Random Generator chose #91.

Comment number 91 was Helen!!  Helen blogs at Helen's Patchwork Passion.  Congratulations Helen -- and because you live across the Big Pond I will be happy to send you a PDF version of "Spring Basket".

Last but not least -- the winner of the Thread Pack of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt spools...

But before we get to that winner I want to say "Thank you, Thank You" to Aurifil for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway!  Alex and the whole crew at Aurifil are so very generous and fun!!

t

OK - Drum roll please -- there were a total of 185 comments on the blog post and Mr. Random Generator chose #11. 

Lucky number 11 was Joyce Carter!!  Woohoo!  Joyce you are the winner of this awesome collection of Aurifil thread.   I use Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt thread for piecing, needle turn applique AND quilting -- you're going to L-O-V-E this thread !!   Joyce I will contact you via email to get your mailing address!

Well everyone -- that's a wrap -- thank you all so much for participating in Week 2 of a Month of Monday Giveaways.

Stay tuned this week because I'll soon be announcing the Week 3 Celebration and Giveaway!

One last note -- Cayman was really going after the cashew that was buried in the entrant piles... I'm working on training him to choose winners -- but he's not quite there yet...  Isn't he cute though?

Thanks again for your sweet comments and support - they really make my day!

Hugs,
Karen

Celebrate Wool Applique love "Spring Basket" on Anything Goes Monday

Greetings blogging friends and welcome to the next celebration and giveaway in A Month of Monday Giveaways!!

but first... "Thank You" to everyone that commented on last week's post and offered their kind words and best wishes for Redbird Quilt Co.!

If you are joining us for your first visit be sure to click on this post and comment to enter last week's Aurifil thread giveaway - it's open until appx 9:00pm EST Monday April 7th.  Thanks again to Aurifil for sponsoring thread giveaways all month long! #aurilove

I did my best to respond to each sweet comment in the giveaway post but, I must admit, I was pleasantly overwhelmed with responses and I've fallen behind.  Please know that your giveaway entries are secure.

Sadly :(  MANY of you are showing as "No-Reply" bloggers, and unless your email address is included in the comments I have no way to reach you.  Click here to ensure YOU are not one of the unfortunate "No-Reply" bloggers.

OK - on to the celebration and giveaways!! 

Today I'm honored to guest host "Anything Goes Monday" - a fantastic weekly Linky party created by Marelize Ries at Stitch by Stitch blog.

Marelize is a wonderfully talented designer from Kriel, South Africa who brings her projects to life with the most beautiful free motion quilting sewn on her domestic sewing machine.

If you've never visited Stitch by Stitch I invite you to jump over and check out Marelize's lovely lineup of patterns and tutorials, along with her inspirational free motion quilting.

You absolutely have to see what Marelize makes with her creative self and a little Bernina Artista 180!

Marelize recently designed, created, quilted and published "Summer Solstice" available on her Craftsy Pattern store by clicking here.

Thank you Marelize for inviting me to guest host Anything Goes Monday for you today!  The Linky party is at the end of this post...

New followers -- if you have a blog I would invite you to try the Linky party -- it's a fun way to share your work with others and to enjoy a world of blogger creativity!! 

Today's celebration also includes the announcement of Redbird Quilt Co.'s first ever published pattern "Spring Basket"!  Yippee, happy dance, cartwheels and BIG smiles  !!

"Spring Basket" is an 11" x 16" wool applique mini quilt that is wool charm friendly.  (Wool charms normally contain 5 pieces of 5 inch square wools).  The pattern is available for immediate purchase and PDF download from my new Craftsy Pattern Store!!  Just click the link below !!


The printed version will be available at a few local and online quilt shops - stay tuned for these upcoming announcements!

The PDF pattern includes full size Applique Shapes (ready to print on 8.5" x 11" freezer paper sheets), step by step start to finish instructions with supporting images, and suggestions for finishing the quilt with big stitch quilting.

The printed version of the pattern includes the full size Applique Sheets already printed on freezer paper!!  This saves you the trouble of printing or tracing them.

Because it is my first pattern I look forward to hearing your constructive feedback on either version.  As always - thanks for your support and encouragement, it drives me to continue growing and sharing what I love <3

OK -- onto this week's giveaway in the Month of Monday Giveaways!!

I'll be sharing 3 copies of "Spring Basket" in your choice of PDF or Printed version.  I'm pleased to say the contest is open internationally (international winners will receive a PDF version of the pattern).

Also, for domestic entries, Aurifil is sponsoring another 10 Spool Thread Pack of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt threads!  WOW -- now we really have something to celebrate!  If you want to see why I choose to piece and quilt with Aurifil threads take a look at a few old posts here and here and here.

Check out this beautiful thread pack that includes spring colors that compliment Darlene Zimmerman's Lazy Daisy Basket line for Robert Kaufman.  These threads would work perfectly if you made "Spring Basket" in cotton - you can even machine stitch it!!   Oh such beautiful colors!!  Thank you Aurifil!

To enter the giveaway:

This weeks giveaway includes 3 "Spring Basket" patterns and one Aurifil Thread pack!

Winners will be chosen using these methods:    

Follow my Craftsy Pattern Store here - and one lucky Craftsy Pattern Store follower will be chosen to win a "Spring Basket" pattern.

Comment on the Redbird Quilt Co. Facebook Post celebrating the "Spring Basket" pattern.  All comments will be placed in a hat and one will be drawn to win a "Spring Basket" pattern.

Comment on this blog post and two winners (one "Spring Basket" pattern and one Aurifil Thread Pack) will be chosen!

On this post tell me what you like about the design.

Leave an extra comment if you follow my blog and tell me how you follow.

You can get extra chances to win if you share the "Spring Basket" celebration on any social media outlet (Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Blogging) - leave one comment per share !!

This giveaway will be open until 9:00pm EST Monday, March ooops April 14th (thank you Dya!)  -- Be sure to come back next week for yet another Monday in the Month of Monday giveaways!

Now back to Anything Goes Monday !!    Woohoo -- we're really partying now!!

Using the InLinkz Link-up below - link up any current projects you've been busy with, anything at all!  From quilting, sewing, knitting and crochet, it can be of any fiber art.  If its handmade, share it!

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm looking forward to this new adventure with everyone.
Thanks again for your support and smiles -- they really make my day!

Hugs,
Karen