May 19, 2009
May Flowers
As you look at my “May Flowers:” Twilt I am teaching a workshop in La Habra, California and set this to post automatically. Here’s hoping it worked. I did a bit of embroidery on this piece with floss, pearl cotton, silk ribbon and some wire edge ribbon flowers and leaves. I added buttons, leaves and a charm. The base for the larger square is crinkled batik with a few couched threads.
I will probably go back and add some beads and silk ribbon leaves since I had to focus on my Lecture and Workshop. Please send me links and pictures when you finally get around to making your own Twilt.
For more info on Twilts: Twitter Quilts…….Twilts. You can also see all my Twilts on my Flickr Twilts Page.
May 14, 2009
A Twilt from Jules Quilts
Please visit Jules Quilts and check out her fabulous contribution to the Twitter Quilt….Twilt project. I love it! Thanks Jules! “Curves Conquered“
May 12, 2009
Starlit Night for Twilt Tuesday
I went back to the early days of my process to create “Starlit Night”. The larger star in this piece is a Floating Star block from my second book, “Machine Stitched Cathedral Stars“. I shrunk the block and used a grid of 1” background squares. The smaller stars are miniature versions of Star Puzzle. I love the strong constrast created with gold prints and dark star prints. Machine quilted stars and a few Hot Stick crystals on the background add to the celestial feel.
The border print is an older Batik from the early 90’s, I think. I enjoy digging through my fabric collection and finding the older pieces. Twilts are the perfect place to finally use these fabrics. I am considering offering patterns for some of the Twilts so if there’s one you really like let me know.
For more information on Twilts: Twitter Quilts…….Twilts
May 5, 2009
A Blue Bouquet on Twilt Tuesday
A while back I made a quilt called “A Blue Bouquet for Barbara Jean”. It was a quilt I made in memory of my mother who passed away when I was very young. This little Twilt, “Blue Bouquet”, uses the same 3D flower block but has only six petals where the blocks in the larger quilt each had eight petals. I added hot stick Crystals in the light flower print inset and in the center of the 3D flower as well as a bead and embroidery.
The fabrics are several different blue batiks except for the inset fabric. I love blue and white quilts and I think I am not alone. 
The inspiration for the Twilt, “A Blue Bouquet for Barbara Jean”.
For more information on Twitter Quilts…..Twilts.
May 4, 2009
Back From My Travels
The last two weekends have been busy for me April 25 and 26 I was at the Seven Sisters Quilt Show in San Luis Obispo, California. I have family up there so I was able to see family as well as enjoy seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
Patricia Corley had a quilt in the show, “Butterflies”, that she made in a Machine Stitched Cathedral Stars class that I taught a few years ago and you know how I love to see student work. 
This last weekend May 1 and 2 I was at the Inland Empire Quilt Show in Norco, California. There were a lot of wonderful quilts in the show and another student’s work, Jeanie Stellrecht’s “Cathedral Star”. Jeanie was in a Cathedral Window Stars Table Runner class I taught at The Fabric Patch.
Vending at quilt shows is quite a bit of work but I always enjoy visiting with quilters, vendors and friends!
April 28, 2009
It’s Sweet and Simple this Twilt Tuesday
I just got back from the Seven Sister’s Quilt Show in San Luis Obispo, California and was worn out and didn’t have a lot of time for this weeks piece. But, that just goes to show how quick, easy and satisfying these little Twilts can be.
I started with a embroidered paper pieced basket block from my unfinished project stash. This was a left over piece from a couple of little wall hangings I made at least 15 years ago. It was too pretty to waste. 
I sewed the lot cabin strips on through the batting and back as I worked my way out to the outer edges. There are several Liberty of London type cotton lawn. These are very soft, light weight fabrics with wonderful prints. The added flowers are plastic molded flowers from Australia that have just been waiting for an opportunity to shine. I was quite satisfied with this project.
I would love to see your Twilts. Drop me a line and I will be happy to link to your Blog or send me a picture and I will feature it here. For more about Twilts see Twitter Quilts….Twilts.
April 21, 2009
Twilt Tuesday Brings Just a Hint of Summer
The Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2009 is still going on so please visit Amy’s site and the over 400 entries and my entry, Memories & Merlot, as well.
It was over 90 degrees here yesterday and is supposed to be again today. Then it should cool down to normal spring temperatures again. That was enough to remind me that Summer is just around the corner.
“Just a Hint of Summer” features an embroidered Sunflower of hand dyed silk ribbon, pearl cotton and beads on crinkled batik fabric with lots french knots in the Sunflower center.
The sunflower batik has beads added and the purple insets are pieced of multiple purple batiks.
I hope that you have been working on a Twilt or two. These little pieces have really sparked my creativity in so many unrelated ways.
Read more: Twitter Quilts…Twilts.
April 17, 2009
Memories and Merlot for Blogger’s Quilt Festival 2009
Amy at Park City Girl came up with this fabulous idea to do a Blogger’s Quilt Festival. I read about it and wholeheartedly decided, I’m in!
“Memories & Merlot”, 56″ x 64″, is a variation of my Cathedral Window Technique. The center features single 3D squares I filled in the edges of the center and the border with 3D triangles and felt that really gave the quilt it’s Cathedral Window feel. 
The quilt was stitched in a grid and the bias folds of the 3D squares and triangles were rolled and stitched at the quilting stage. It took me a while to finish, being one of those projects that I would set aside when other more pressing projects came along. Life got in the way as well, three moves in two years. Lots of memories of those times. The fabrics are all yummy batiks, different prints in the same color ranges and it does gradiate lighter in the center to darker at the outer edges. It took me ages to come up with a name. The Redish colors always made me think of wine and I do like my wine…..oops, did I say that out loud? Shiraz is my favorite but a good Merlot is very acceptable.
Click on the pictures and it will take you to high resolution ones on Flickr. Maximize the browser and you will get a larger picture.
April 16, 2009
Zip Bags
I have been making these little bags for years and have been promising a pattern for about that long. I have a presentation/demo tomorrow on how to make them so I figured I might as well finish the pattern and it will be available soon.
The smallest bags are no bigger than a coin purse and are just so darn cute. They are sewn completely by machine. I could use a better name. Any suggestions?
As of 4/18: I have finished up the pattern. It includes 3 sizes and costs $8.00 plus $1.00 postage or as an e-pattern for $6.00. Please email me if you would like one. I do accept PayPal.
April 14, 2009
Lost in an Asian Garden
I did something a little different with this week’s Twilt. I kept eyeing this older Asian print that probably was produced in Japan when they first started printing fabrics for the quilters. The funky colors and old fashioned designs were calling to me. What can I say, I just let go and took a larger square of the fabric, sandwiched it and started quilting. I used regular stitching in black on the strippy areas and free motion on the flowers. I am not a particularly good free motion quilter so this was practice as well. I tried out a new product that I picked up a while back by Sew Slip. It’s a fairly large smooth sheet that temporarily sticks to the table and has a hole where the needle goes. I really will use it again. I feel like it helped.
Once I finished the quilting, I bound the piece and then started embroidering and beading. I haven’t done that in a long time and I forgot how much I miss the hand embroidery. I used french knots in the centers of the big flowers, feather stitch on the leaves, chain stitch around those round things and straight stitch, lazy daisies and beads on the smaller flowers.
I got ‘Lost in an Asian Garden’. Have you made a Twilt yet? They’re a great opportunity to practice a technique, use a small sample from that class you took and never finished, revisit a technique you have missed or you add to the list. For more about Twilts: Twitter Quilts….Twilts.
Snips and Bits from Shelley's Studio 