0
Working on Month 4 of Afternoon Delight? Barbara Black has tips for how to appliqué a circle in one solid piece.
10
A beautiful quilt begins with an accurate seam. Watch Alex show you how to achieve that perfect 1/4" seam.
13
In this lesson, we continue our exploration of line as it relates to design. When creating a composition, lines can capture the viewer's attention by being expressive, creating a mood or a feeling. Understanding the way different types of lines give visual cues can help you as the artist communicate a message that can impact the viewer in a subtle, or not so subtle, manner without a great deal of dialogue.
Below are words that we can associate with different types of lines and quilts that illustrate these meanings.
Canopy by Barbara Confer. 1880 Blue/White Bar Quilt from Rocky Mountain Quilts. NYSE by Katharina Lichtman.
Bug: Trixilated Transportation by Martha Peterson & Dionne Matthies-Buban. Secrets by Marti Plage.
Elements #35 by Robin Ferrier.1870 Quaker Silk Herringbone Doll quilt. Photo from Stella Rubin Antiques.
Life by Yoshiko Katagiri. Pinwheel Galaxy by MaxieMakes.
Crop Circles by Colleen Granger. 20th cent. African American Multiple Targets Quilt. Photo from ARTFIXdaily.
Along with meaning, lines can also be expressive. Some examples of words associated with different lines we found at Sophia include:
Daybreak by Lubbesmeyer Art Studio.
Broken Plaid by Alissa Haight Carlton.
Shiraki Forest by Keiko Kimura. Photo from Queenie's Needlework Blog.
Shattered by Jacquie Gering.
Deportation by Jackie Benedetti. Quilted by Rachael Dorr. Photo by Mary Kay Davis for TheQuiltShow.
In this exercise you will be making (5) framed line drawings using white sheets of paper.
Step 1. Making the frames 
Cut your colored paper to 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".
Using a pencil, draw a line 2" from one side of the paper. Repeat for all four sides of the paper.
You should now have a 'frame' drawn in the center of your paper (fig. 2) that measures 4 1/2" square.
Carefully cut out the center square, leaving the opening 'frame' in your piece of paper (fig. 3).
Repeat with the remaining (4) sheets of colored paper.
Step 2. Preparing your line drawing foundations 
Cut your paper to 8 1/2" x 8 1/2".
Using a pencil, very lightly draw a line 1 3/4" from one side of the paper. Repeat for all four sides of the paper.
You should now have a 'frame' drawn in the center of your paper that measures 5" square (fig. 1). This center square will be your design area.
Repeat with the remaining (4) sheets of paper.
Step 3. Drawing your designs
Using only a black colored pencil, marker, torn or cut paper, create (1) line design (using lthe principles from the lesson) while staying within your lightly drawn square. Repeat with a different line design on each of the remaining (4) foundation pages.
Step 4. Evaluating your designs
Once you have completed your designs, cover each drawing with a frame (fig. 2). Compare how each drawing suggests a different feeling or mood.
Optional Exercise
Create frames using black construction paper. Compare how a design changes when the overlaying frame is black vs. white.
Click here for more topics related to The Art of Quilt Design program.
3
We continue our selection of quilts exhibited in 2019 at the Houston International Quilt Festival as part of their 45th Anniversary, the Sapphire Anniversary. The Sapphire Celebration exhibit is described as:
"Quilters have long used the color blue to symbolize trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Sapphire is also the chosen gem to celebrate 45th anniversaries—which International Quilt Festival is doing this year (2019)! These new and antique blue and white quilts will be suspended from the ceiling in a spectacular and unforgettable display."
To be a part of the exhibit, quilts had to fit the following criteria:
Please enjoy the seventh quilt from the exhibition by Cindy Seitz-Krug.
Title of Quilt: Bluer Than Blue
Quilter's Name: Cindy Seitz-Krug
3
With how our world has changed, we can find comfort in memories. How blessed we are to be stitchers and creators of all things fiber because not only is it a distraction to our daily "shelter in place", but there is real joy in the sharing. I decided to jump into a tee shirt quilt for my cousin. He had given me a whole pile of tee shirts that he had hoped someday I would make into a quilt. As I examined each one and started prepping them for construction I realized what a wonderful project tee shirt quilts are! They are filled with history, achievement, and dreams!
13
The impact of the colorful embroidery and 69 different appliquéd birds is enough to distinguish Teruko Uchiya's quilt. Then you look closer and see the quilt is taken to another level by the delicate hand quilting every 5mm.
Hamorebi Sunlight Through the Leaves by Teruko Uchiya of Yurihonjo, Akita, Japan won Honorable Mention, Balanced Piecing and Appliqué, sponsored by Quilters Select, at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2019.
3
Alex catches up with Katie Pasquini Masopust to find out what Katie has been doing during "QuiltersQuarantine". They discuss her postponed Alegre Retreat, her current projects, and her new teaching dates.
Katie is another TQS favorite and a Quilt Show Legend. Watch her in:
Show 906: From Music to Masterpiece: A New Perspective on Design
5
Wed April 1 has Alex at her sewing machine demonstrating her approach to Machine Applique.
3
The sun came out after the rains and it was 66 degrees and beautiful. Here are some of the sights on the walk. You can actual feel some stress draining away as you look at these pictures. Enjoy.
8
Ricky went LIVE and we recorded it. In Part I he shows a wonderful variety of quilts. Sit back and enjoy the show.
Gift Memberships
Give a Full Year of Quilting
.jpg "2019 Sponsor - BERNINA Q 24")
Learn about
Apliquick appliqué tools!
Watch Show 1912
with Rosa Rojas (free!)
Apliquick - 3 Holes Microserrated Scissors
