A Lovely Year of Finishes – Page 7 – Sew Bittersweet Designs

Zentangle Free Motion Quilting

9 Comments / A Lovely Year of Finishes, free motion quilting, quilting, Quilting Competition, Sew BitterSweet Designs Patterns, Zentangle / By Melissa Dunworth

Last month before I quilted Hypnotic Eye I spent two nights lost in Zentangle. I printed out four copies of the block I designed, which makes up the entire quilt, taped them together and started filling them in with my pencil.

I wanted to focus on designs that could be accomplished with my free motion foot or my walking foot. I was really quite delighted because once I started quilting I was able to use my free motion foot for the entire quilt. This was only possible because my foot has some very nice markings that I was able to use for reference and guidance on the sections that I wanted to look straight.

While this process may seem a bit excessive, I have to say it gave me lots of confidence knowing the overall visual impact the quilting would have before I started. I doubt I will do this with every quilt, but at least I will have this technique in my back pocket for the future.

Do you ever pre-draw your quilting designs before you start quilting?

If you don’t try, you will never fail

20 Comments / 2015 Finishes, A Lovely Year of Finishes, Finished Quilts, Sew BitterSweet Designs Patterns / By Melissa Dunworth

Terrible motto right? Well I have tried a couple of juried shows in the past and not gotten in. I suppose I could live by the motto above and stop trying, or I could just try harder and try different things. So this is me, putting myself back out there again.

Yesterday I submitted my newest quilt design to the Quilt! Knit! Stitch! show in Portland, OR. The design challenge is to make a modern quilt using Black to White fabrics (which includes grays). We were also allowed to add one pop color in one place if we wanted. Below is my entry. I have decided to call it Hypnotic Eye.

I have to say that I really love how the quilt turned out. There are a couple of other quilt shows coming up that I think I may also submit to, we shall see what the future holds. In the meantime. I have two quilt patterns to write before this one, but it will be coming hopefully by the end of the summer. I need to figure out how to juggle my quilting and pattern writing with a five year old who no longer wants to nap. It should prove interesting.

Here is a close up on the quilting. I will share with you either tomorrow or Monday how I came up with the different quilting designs that I decided to use.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday.

Also, please know that the reason I haven’t been replying to comments lately is that we have had some very personal family health challenges going on. I am going to make it a goal to spend more time focusing on the blog, but I think we can all agree, that family has to come first. Please know that I read each and every comment and that I draw much strength from the comments and love that you send when you take the time out of your day to comment. At some point I may share what has been going on, but for right now things are too fresh and still a bit painful to talk about.

Much love to all of you.

A Lovely Year of Finishes – June Goal Party

6 Comments / 2015 Finishes, A Lovely Year of Finishes, Fiber of All Sorts / By Melissa Dunworth

I finished my May goal on Friday – it was to finish quilting a challenge quilt for the Pacific Northwest Modern Quilt Guilds. The challenge was to use black and white fabrics with a pop color (optional) and make a quilt measuring larger than 25″ on all sides. My goal for June is to get it bound, put a sleeve on it and submit it to the Quilt! Knit! Stitch! show.

Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and I are so excited to see so many of you here for another installment A Lovely Year of Finishes.

Remember this is just a little incentive nothing to get too competitive over. And life does happen…that’s why you only need to have 6 successful completions to enter in the grand finale at the end of this year.

This is all about fun…oh and some amazing sponsors!

~~~

Do share, what’s your June goal?

What one item will you choose?

You have two requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

Please choose ONE project

and

2. Link-up in the last 7-days of the month

Only with a completed, successful project. And yes the same one that you choose earlier in the month.

Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

And if you are on twitter or Instagram tag #ALYoF

**Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna, so there is no need to enter twice **

Here’s our amazing prizes this month…thank you sponsors!

1.A Prize from Carrie of Gotcha Covered Quilting

2. One pdf Pattern from Clover and Violet

3. One PDF pattern from Michele of Aiming for Accuracy

4. One PDF Pattern from Meadow Mist Designs

5. One PDF pattern from Sew Sweetness

6. One PDF pattern from Honey, Bunny, and Doll Designs

7. Thimblepie’s Quilt Supplies – Custom fabric package, 3 yards plus free shipping anywhere

8. Green Fairy Quilts – 3 pdf patterns

9. $15 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop

10. PDF Pattern from Katy – The Littlest Thistle

11. Sew BitterSweet Designs one pdf pattern

12. PDF Pattern from Persimon Dreams

13. One Charm pack or $10.00 gift certificate to
Stitches n’ Giggles (winners choice)

~~~

Just keep Stitching

A Lovely Year of Finishes – May Finishes Party

5 Comments / A Lovely Year of Finishes, Fiber of All Sorts / By Melissa Dunworth

Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts and I are so excited to see so many of you meeting small and large goals with A Lovely Year of Finishes.

I haven’t finished my goal yet..but I’m working super hard to get it finished in time! It is now a race against the clock!

Let’s see how everyone else is doing out there!

You have requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {this previous post} the first 7-days of this month

and

2. Link-up below during the last 7-days of this month

~ with a successful finish.

Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun! {See stage left for the grab the button stuffs}

And if you remember to make it easy for us we’ll click through the winners faster..aka put number of goal link up. The easier for us to choose you the happier we are.

**Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna , so there is no need to enter twice **

~~~~

Here is a list of the lovely sponsors and prizes for May

1. Thimblepie’s Quilt Supplies – Custom fabric package, 3 yards plus free shipping anywhere

2. One PDF pattern from Honey, Bunny, and Doll Designs

3. One PDF Pattern from Meadow Mist Designs

4. PDF Pattern from Persimon Dreams

5. One Charm pack or $10.00 gift certificate to
Stitches n’ Giggles (winners choice)

6. Sew BitterSweet Designs one pdf pattern

7. One pdf Pattern from Clover and Violet

8. $15 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop

9. PDF Pattern from Katy – The Littlest Thistle