This is a scrap quilt, using Dale Fleming's technique for making circles.

I used the "Crazy quilt" technique for the large circles at the top ( a mix of all the colors) and some of the small circles (to blend the complementary colors). I added a gradient of solid colors to compliment the design, and "Give the eye a place to rest".

I hand quilted a wave pattern and spiraling ribbons on the solid circles, quilting "In the ditch on the Crazy Quilt circles.

I binded it with a wavy and scalloped edge, my first, after watching Alex Anderson demonstrate how it is done.

I finished it, by hand sewing small multicolored seed beads on the gray fabric with the quilted wave pattern. Lyric Montgomery Kinard's " Bead It Like You Mean It", gave me the inspiration and techniques for adding the beads.

To top it off, I used Ricky Tims' method of adding a hanging sleeve, which allows extra fabric to accommodate the distortion on the front from the hanging dowel. The quilt hangs flat and straight, without distorting the scalloped edges.

An application, of just a few of the many things I have seen and learned being a member of TQS.

The quilt's "bubbles and waves" make me think of rising bubbles in a champagne glass. Happy New Year!

This quilt is a Laundry Basket Quilts pattern in Edyta Sitar's Scrappy Fireworks Quilts book.  It was inspired by both Edyta Sitar and Bonnie K Hunter.  I love their beautiful and inspirational use of scraps.  True to her word, as Bonnie K Hunter would say, "if the fabric is still ugly when you cut it, you just haven't cut it small enough!"  Each finished block measures 4-1/2" square.  With 1/2" finished strips in the blocks, one can imagine how many ugly (and pretty) scraps I was able to use.  This was such a fun quilt to work on!  I've named it "A Dickens of a Quilt," not because of the small piecing but because I was listening to Dickens' Great Expectations audiobook while working on it.  

Making a Christmas quilted item is something I have enjoyed doing for many years.  I started the tradition back in 1998.  As soon as one Christmas was over I start looking for the next Christmas quilt project.  One day back in March of 2013, my Mom and I were shopping together at a quilt shop and I spotted this pattern called "Christmas Windows".  I was instantly drawn to the beautiful designs of the applique flowers.  We both agreed this would make a beautiful Christmas quilt.  Oh, the memories of the fun day we had at the quilt shop.   I started this quilt back in 2013, but never finished it until this year.  As we all know things get in the way and we have to put aside our projects for a while.   Well, this year was the year to finish this quilt.  It is my special 2015 Christmas quilt.  It is a tribute to the fond memories of my Mom, who passed away suddenly from a heart attach in February of this year.  She loved to garden and loved roses.  I have given it the name "Roses For You".   It made its debut at the Iowa State Fair this year.  It received a 3rd place ribbon in the Wall Quilt - Mixed Technique category.   What I did not realize was that the editor of the AQS Quilt Arts Engagement Calendar was attending the fair and saw this quilt.  Shortly after the fair was over with, I received a letter in the mail.  They wanted to have this quilt in the AQS 2018 Engagement Calendar.  Tears streamed down my face when I read the letter.  My Mom would have been so very happy.  It is truly one of the hardest quilts I have had to finish.  

Here's "Abi Girl" - Finished just in time for Christmas! A commission, of sorts (an animal portrait of one's choice I submitted as a silent auction fundraiser item for the Victoria Humane Society). Fused applique, thread-painted and quilted. Photo 1 of portrait art quilt, Photo 2 of photograph of Abi submitted by Heather N.

made following a challenge on the British Quilters List. I quilted it on a Janome 6500 and a Janome 8200 using a straight ruler and a curved ruler and some FMQ and a special ruler foot. I used cotton threads for the quilting. 

These heirloom Christmas stockings were made for our daughter and her family.  Most of the applique designs were found in a book entitled Quilt a Gift for Christmas by Barri Sue Gaudete.  I used various applique patterns in the book to design my own stockings.  The stockings are made of wool and are lined with flannel.  The applique pieces are also wool.  I enjoyed experimenting with various fonts for the names.  All of the applique, including the lettering, is hand stitched with a blanket stitch using Valdani thread.   

This table mat was made from a Primitive Gatherings pattern entitled Christmas Time Table Mat by Lisa Bongean.  The TQS Sue Spargo show was the catalyst for my interest in wool applique and it has become one of my favorite hand stitching methods.  Wool really is delightful to work with and is very portable.  Thanks to TQS for providing quilters with so many wonderful opportunities to expand our knowledge and interests.  

Wool applique.  Primitive Gatherings pattern by Lisa Bongean.  

Fancy Dancer is the first in my Dancing Feathers series. This piece is raw edge applique and some fusing. The pattern and templates are available on my web site www.barbaraolsonquiltart.com

Fancy Dancer is the first piece in my Dancing Feather series. The feathers are raw edge applique and the rest is fused.  The pattern is available on my web site www.barbaraolsonquiltart.com. Feather templates are also available. 

This is my entry in The National Quilt Museum's contest "The Gala if the Unexpected".  It is a tradional log cabin with "applique" constructed entirely from duct tape.  It involved lots of head scratching but I had more fun making this than almost anything else I've done.  It has a piped binding and was hand-quilted by punching over 12,000 holes with a leather punch so that I could stitch through all layers.

This was the 2015 Block of the Month four-part pattern named Blooms for Julie.  I was able to use fabrics from my stash, especially border prints collected at a previous quilt run.  Lots of fun techniques were used such as making templates and using them to cut patches, several ways to applique, bias strips, partial seams, working with stripes, and creating 3-D yo-yo and folded-hexagon flowers.  This was my first attempt at raw edge applique.

A wild tree set against a fiery sunset. 

The image is a wild tree sent against a fiery sunset.

This wild tree is set against a fiery sunset.

This is my first Dresden plate quilt; the blocks are 20" square.  The plates are machine appliqued using a blanket stitch.  I also made the pillow shams.  I am usually drawn to earth tones so working with these colors was a bit out of my element but I really enjoyed the challenge.  

This is a quilt made for the son of a friend from t-shirts he gathered will on holidays.  The quilt his machines pieced and quilted.

'Red Delicious' was my first BOM! Celebrating all the red things in life which I love. 

This quilt generated so much interest that it inspired me to start my own Yahoo BOM Group! That Group has since moved over to become a Facebook Group, and it all started with this simple and lovely red design. 

http://estheraliu.blogspot.com.au/p/red-delicious_19.html