More quilting in the Rockies

Two Saturdays ago I pieced these three of these four little quilts 

from my hand dyed scraps.

The green one is made from Kona solids.

All measure the size of a piece of paper

8.5 by 11 inches.

The following week I spend time quilting them

with a view like this.

This is in the MacLab Bistro at The Banff Centre.

The top two quilts are done except for trimming and binding.

I was hoping to spend lots of time quilting during my six days in the Rockies

but I underestimated the amount of time I would enjoy just looking at the view

and walking around.

I'm linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday.

Unfinished stitches

15,457 - Unfinished Stitches

Regular price: $45.00

Sale price: $33.75

Brenda Suderman
Winnipeg, MB Canada

Width: 12" Length: 9"

Materials/Techniques: Machine pieced and quilted, using vintage linens and needlework.

Artist Statement: I received an unfinished stitchery rescued from an estate, and it reminded me of how illness can leave the threads of life dangling.

Dedication: To Helen Kehler.

This quilt has Fast Finish Triangles.

I've supported Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for the last several years and made 19 little quilts for them. All but one have sold, and now the last one is on sale. AAQI ceases operations at the end of 2013, and I would like it if my little quilt had a new home. Click here to buy this quilt, or head over to the main site to see what else is for sale. AAQI has already raised $1 million for Alzheimer's research.

Facing the AAQI deadline

Thursday, Aug. 1 is the last day to register AAQI quilts.

I made these all in January, and finally registered them

on this second-last day of July.

 

I'm hoping these will make the cut for Houston in November.

 

If you're tardy like me,

don't despair, just get over to the website and register them now.

One degree of quilting separation

I'm packing up for a quilt retreat this weekend,

called Women of the Cloth.

Last year we each got a tote bag and I embellished mine,

using a strip of handwoven fabric from my friend Kathy,

who will be my roommate.

Yesterday I got an email from Margaret Cooter in London, UK

asking permission to use this photo on her blog

as an example of how to use up those little scraps

in a bookwrap.

Her guild is making bookwraps from fabric and paper as part of a fundraiser
for the upcoming Birmingham Festival of Quilts.

I'm happy to share my humble little quilt as inspiration to her creative friends.

But what's even more fun is how my retreat story
connects with Margaret.

I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,
a long way from London,
but Margaret knows Kathy from when Kathy lived in London
and Margaret herself is Canadian.

That's a lot of connections for one little quilt,
and it will make some more
when I donate it to Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Have a good weekend!
I know I will.

A little winter flower

 

8 by 11 inches

machine pieced, hand quilted and beaded

 

My most recent priorty quilt for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Founder and director Ami Simms announced earlier this week

that this non-profit which raises money for Alzheimer's research

is shutting down at the end of  2013.

 

By then, AAQI hopes to have raised $1 million for research.

 

They're still taking quilts until July, and this is one of four waiting to be mailed.

 

If you've always wanted to make a quilt for them, this is your chance.

 

 

 





First finish for 2013

machine pieced and quilted, hand dyed fabric

8.5 by 11 inches

 

I started off 2013 with some piecing and quilting, finishing this little quilt

for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. To start off the year right, I also tidied my sewing room,

fondled my new fabrics from Santa, and made a bunch of string blocks.

Happy new year of quiltmaking to all of you!



Unfinished stitches finished

Unfinished Stitches

9 by 12 inches

hand embroidered, machine pieced and quilted

Linen

Off the Charts

9 by 12 inches

machine pieced and quilted

cotton fabrics

I bound these two little quilts yesterday and now they're ready to register

and donate to Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Design wall mystery

I got this 5 by 7 inch paper pieced beauty from my friend Heather,

who made it years ago, but never finished it.

She's suggesting I make an AAQI quilt with it, and I'm happy to do so.

But I don't have the name of the designer of this stars and stripes and geese piece,

and I need that before I submit it to AAQI.

Has anyone ever seen it in their books or magazines? It's at least six years old.

I went on a fabric acquistion road trip the other day,

and this is what I came home with.

From left: a measuring tape novelty, five DS Quilts prints in the sale bin at Jo-Ann's,

two Holly Holderman text prints in a light value,

some Kona solids, and that great 60s vintage print, also from Heather, who is decluttering.

I'm linking up to Judy's Design Wall Mondays. check it out!

Please bid on Crossed Circuits

My little quilt made from leftover solid strips

is on the auction block beginning July 1

at Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

It's machine pieced and machine quilted

and hand beaded

Please consider supporting this worthy cause which funds research into Alzheimer's

by bidding on this little quilt, or telling your friends and family about it.

I've donated about 16 quilts to this cause,

and this one is the only second one to be auctioned off.

Click here to see them all and to buy some of them online.

So close!

Crossed Circuits

9 by 12 inches

 Alzheimer Art's Quilt Initiative was looking for its 10,000th quilt donation

so last week I registered some of my stockpiled quilts,

hoping one of them might be the lucky number.

close-up of the beading

I was SOOOOOOO close!

This one is number 9.998

Bright Featherweight Trees

9 by 12 inches

and this one is.....

9,999!

Congratulations to Kristen Shields

for donating the five figure quilt.

Transformation

I pieced this from solid strips leftover from other projects

but I was finding it a bit dull

I think a little texture helps.

It just needs a binding, and then it is off to

Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative.

I'm linking this up to the work in progress linky party

at The Needle and Thread Network.

Monday finishes and design wall

At my retreat last weekend, I worked on a little quilt

from the solid scraps leftover from my star quilt.

I pieced and quilted it on my Featherweight

and it is destined for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

once I figure out a name for it.

Framed squares in 9-patch

28 by 28 inches

This little crib or preemie quilt is part of the Year of Baby Quilts challenge

for my guild, where we're making donation baby quilts

out of stash and leftovers.

I found four of these green and off-white blocks in my parts drawer,

made five more, and backed it with a leftover bit of Minky

These two little banners (14 by 20 inches) are on my design wall right now.

I've quilted them without a backing

and I will bind them back to back

once I figure out exactly how tall to make them.

They are going to hang from the lecturn

at the nursing home where my friend is a chaplain.

At the retreat, we all received a canvas bag.

"women of the cloth" is a fun play on words,

since I don't think any of us are ministers or clerics.

"Quilting at the Edge" refers to the name of the retreat centre,

Wilderness Edge.

My friend Kathy gave me a strip of this woven fabric

and I used it to decorage the bag and

make a little zippy bag, attached by a clasp,

for the inside of the bag.

I'm  linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

Look who bought my AAQI quilt!

Earlier this week, Ami Simms of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative awarded $30,000 to

Dr. Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova and her team at the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan.

The researchers are developing a multi-functional drug for Alzheimer's disease.

Slightly Off-Kilter 8546

machine pieced and machine quilted

It looks like the researchers bought some of the Priority quilts as well,

including mine, Slightly Off Kilter, which sold for $70.

Ami writes that it is unusual for AAQI volunteers to meet the researchers they fund.

I'm thinking it is unusual for people like me who make and donate Priority quilts

to know who buys our quilts.

But check out the pictures over there.

It looks like  Dr. Garneau-Tsodikova bought mine.

Cool!

Some little finishes

Three finishes this week for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

Slightly Off Kilter, 9 by 12 inches

machine pieced and quilted

Modern Amish Bars 2

9 by 12 inches

Machine pieced and quilted

Modern Amish Bars

9 by 11 inches

Machine pieced and quilted

and here they are all hanging out together.

Now I just have to register and mail them.

Slightly off kilter

This quilt has been in process for months, but now it's finally quilted

It just needs a binding

and then it can go to AAQI.

I'm naming it slightly off kilter, for the asymetrical look.

here's another quilt that's slightly off kilter.

I made it from a bunch of dark and light blocks, but it just isn't right.

So I'm re-jigging it by taking off the borders, and a bit more

for the baby quilt challenge my guild is having this year.

stay tuned on how it turns out.

Gifts, gifts, and little Amish quilts

A week or so ago I saw Susan's little miniature Amish bars quilt and pattern and I decided to make one. Well, maybe a few more than one. Here's nine that I've finished. Most measure around 9 by 11 inches, some less, depending on how accurate I was with the seam allowances and pressing.

I invited my guild members to make some, since we were asked to provide some small quilty gifts for international visitors to our city. The bottom row has two made by fellow guild members and one made by me -- Amish modern bars.

These little quiltlets are a good for practicing skills like quilting and binding. I had some fun with the machine quilting.

Lots of vines and leaves here, inspired by the bright spring colours in this green and orange quilt.

Feathered wreathes and borders. I'm getting the hang of free-hand feathers.

Some bubbles and feathers here.

Straight line stitching with the walking foot for this modern version.

My birthday gift books came last week, with some more ideas on machine quilting Amish design.

And a few shopping bags made from upholstery fabric for a friend's birthday

I'm a city quilter

My traveling companion pointed out something interesting that I take for granted: quilters find each other.

Beginnings of AAQI quilt with tiny triangles

While we were walking in Manhattan last weekend, we spied several women with bags from City Quilter, so of course, I talked to them.

AAQI quilt with bigger borders, now measuring 9 by 10 inches

The next day, while I was at City Quilter, lots of people talked to me, including Victoria from Bumble Beans, who I only knew through blogging.

"made" fabric from a bag of scraps sent by Victoria

Later that day, in the Tick Tock Diner near Macy's, I was admiring my purchases from City Quilter when a couple of other women stopped by just to talk about fabric and quiltmaking.

another block, both made for the 15 minutes play Bee

My friend was surprised that quiltmaking and fabric stores had brought total strangers together. I guess I'm used to it, so I hadn't noticed until she pointed it out.

If you live in or near Winnipeg, check out the quilt show and sale at Mennonite Central Committee, 134 Plaza drive, from 1 - 8 p.m. today and 10 to 3 p.m. Saturday. I'm at the silent auction table this afternoon, so say hello. I'm always happy to make strangers who quilt into friends who quilt!