It is finished!!!

But I cannot show it to you.

Wild Nectar by Crystal Manning

Simply Gorgeous!!!

My most ambitious project to date is done. It took a month.

I should not try to make a 1000-piece, complicated, queen-size pattern (start to finish) in one month.

1000 pieces

Why?

Because may day job suffered.

Staying organized

The pattern will be released on Moda Bake Shop on October 4, 2017 and only then I will share it here.

Moda Grunge Backing

But can we just get a peek?
I don't know.

Finished & Labelled

How do we know you finished it?
OK, here is a peek.


P.S. - The purpose of this very short blogpost is to make sure that I qualify for the September OMG giveaways. More to follow later in the week.

Bloggers Quilt Festival - My Twitter Feed

My Twitter Feed is my second entry to the Bloggers Quilt Festival.

Who knew that making one bird would start such a tweet storm?

I found the bird pattern at Block Lotto. http://www.blocklotto.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BirdBlockDirectionsV2.pdf

I made the first bird in January 2017. And nothing was ever the same again.  I was obsessed. I blogged about it here.

I modified the pattern slightly so that the birds could be made in pairs (facing each other). I enjoyed picking fabrics - matching fabrics, solids, stripes, contrasting fabrics, small prints, floral prints, and even novelty prints.

I set up an assembly line of bird-making.

I enjoyed making each bird and would do it again, in a heartbeat.  No quilt has given me so much joy as these birds. I enjoyed making them, naming them, and definitely showing them off.

I staggered the layout to avoid the ordeal of seam-matching/nesting.  And added a skinny border in background colors.  This was to make sure that the binding did not cover any portion of beaks/tails.

Made 64 birds. The quilt uses 63 (arranged 9 by 7). I sent the leftover bird to Mary and she made another, combining them into a little mini quilt.

I received many oohs and aahs at the Quilters Unlimited Quilt Show in June 2017.  My Twitter Feed also enjoyed its moment in the sun as the cover of the Quilters Unlimited Facebook page.

My guild members asked for the Birds Block as the Block of the Month.  I happily modified the pattern to make larger birds at 9" by 12". 

 

Entering My Twitter Feed in the Bloggers Quilt Festival is the ultimate joy.

The finished quilt measures 53" by 63".

Quilted with wavy lines, thanks to my Walking Foot and Jacquie Gering's Craftsy class.

 So joyful and bright!!!

Birds with attitude - they tweet a lot :-)

 Some sing, others chirp, but they all make me happy.

And a few more close-ups.

Because I cannot get enough of them.

Showing off my label!

Here is hoping that this will bring you joy, inspiration or just a smile to brighten your day.  Please do check out the quilty feast of color and beauty at the Bloggers Quilt Festival. There is so much to enjoy. Thank you Amy!!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival (Shadow of Light)

The Bloggers Quilt Festival is here and this is my entry - Shadow of Light.
Shadow of Light measures 47" square and is machine pieced and machine quilted.

Shadow of Light!!!

The inspiration, the process and the story of this quilt follow.

Finished!!!

I hate you (like I love you).  This is a song from a favorite movie of mine - Delhi Belly.  In the beginning of the movie, a young, attractive, self-assured, VJ is being interviewed by a couple of journalists.

VJ - I want to do everything - singing, directing, writing.

Greens

Purples and Yellows

Beige to Brown

Then she shares with them the lyrics of a song that she has just written -
"I hate you, like I love you. Like I love you in brackets."

First Block in process

Cut Up

Blended Scraps Block (for the Honey Pot bee)

This is hilarious. There is absolutely no way this could be the lyrics of a song.
However, at the end of the movie, the credits roll to this song - I hate you, like I love you.

And second (for Me)

This block - Blended Scraps evokes the same feelings in me. A love-hate relationship.
(I had made the first block for the Honey Pot Bee. )

Matching Fitbit :-D

I love this block because it is so striking.

Love the gradual changing of colors

I love this block because it gave me an opportunity to play with color choices, subtle changes in values, near-solids.

Reds can be difficult

I hate it because it makes me want to drop everything and make this (DrEAMi) quilt.
I hate it because I spent hours trying to gather five shades of red in the perfect gradation, questioning and re-examining every choice.

But this works!!!

I hate it because due to this block, I dived into my stash to find one set of five blue fabrics - from lightest to the darkest. I found four sets of five fabrics.   That shows that I have way too many fabrics. (No quilter wants to hear that).

My favorite block

This turquoise block has the best gradation of light to dark, in my opinion. All fabrics were already in my stash (rolling my eyes).

Does this work?

Not enough gradation

Although it was easy to find many fabrics in shades of blue, it was much more difficult to find five shades of yellow - that gradually go from light to dark, without becoming beige at one end and orange at the other.

Design Wall

I decided that I need at least nine blocks to make a quilt - one in each colorway. I chose emerald green, orange, purple, yellow, blue, green, red, turquoise and pink.

Almost Finished Flimsy

Added a black border and I completed the flimsy.  Now, since I have so many other looming deadlines, the quilting of this Dreami was not a priority. Yes, it was a UFO. And I hated that.

Just wow!!!

My guild takes a summer recess but we returned on Tuesday, September 12.  What did I have to show for the three months? Playing Footsie, yes.

(Clay's quilt and Matt's quilt were both completed and gifted, all during the summer).

In shade

I had to finish this one.  

And I hate that because I was (and I am) feverishly working on my September OMG and completing this quilt is not a distraction I want.

In sun

I believe I have sufficiently explained the love and hate part.  Here is the finished quilt.  I am calling this - Shadow of Light.

Walking Foot Quilting

And I am very happy with it :-)

A change of perspective

Inspired by Janine and Sandra, I was looking for a picturesque setting for a photoshoot. So I took it to work, where we have a water fountain.  My co-worker/friend Rekha came to my rescue.

Rekha, caught unawares :-)

Do you see the flower from the tree above trying to kiss the quilt?

Blue & Turquoise Blocks

Orange & Yellow Blocks

Ooh Purple and Green!!!

Yes, there is a back too. I know I almost forgot.  

Backing - Half & Half

When Paul saw the back, he said - a quartered layout would look even better.

Oh GOSH YES!!!! AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH...............

Where were you on Friday when I was piecing this back?

Taking a nap - obviously.

Geometric Setting

Paul looked over my shoulder as I was drafting this post.
Paul: What is a Dreami?
Me: It is kinda like that French book store character from the movie Unfaithful.
Paul (incredulous): The guy that seduces Diane Lane???
Me: Yep, he makes you want to ditch your husband and run away with him.
Paul: You are talking about a quilt?
Me: Actually it could be just a block that leads to such dangerously dark thoughts.
Paul: So do you ever return to your husband?
Me: Oh yes...unless...
Paul: Unless
Me: Unless there is another Dreami.
Paul: Does the husband have to kill this dreamy thing.
Me: Nah, I just finished it.

On a beautiful sunny day

Here are some more pictures...because I am in lust with this Dreami quilt. 

Simple Quilting - Perfect Texture

Black Binding

Labelled

Cannot get enough of it!!!

I  have never said this about any of my previous quilts. But this one makes me drool!!!!

Fiery Red - Evoking passions

Yes, she is absolutely going to the Quilt Show in 2018.

Shadow of Light

I will be connecting with all my favorite linky parties.
Now, I must get back to the task at hand - the September OMG. But I'd love to hear your thoughts.