Bella Tiles

Some quilts just kind of come together.  I had an idea for this quilt for a while but just hadn't got around to putting it together.  Then, my 3 daughters and I were on the Annual Wasatch Front Shop Hop.  This is a thing that my girls and I have done together for probably 8 years.  They love, and so do I, going the the 15 shops (all in one day).  I know. It is crazy.   

Well, we were at one of the last shops of the day and one of my daughters saw some fabric that she absolutely fell in love with.  She really didn't know what she wanted to do with it, so we bought 1/4 yard pieces of the whole line with intent to make some kind of quilt.  As we thought about it, I thought that this pattern that I had had in my head for a while would be perfect with the fabric.

So it started.  Planning. Cutting. Pinning.  Piecing.  Pressing. Sashing.  The result- an amazingly beautiful modern quilt for my teenage daughter.  

That is only part of the story.  She entered it into the county fair and the State Fair where she won sweepstakes awards in both.  Then one day I was at quilt guild and they announced that the state guild was having their annual conference and quilt show.  This year they were going to have a youth category.  Well, we decided to enter this quilt.  To our excitement she won to honors with big blue ribbon and a brand new sewing machine.

Baby Bella Tiles...

Happy Quilting!!!

Tricia

Make Modern Magazine

I am so excited about my newest quilt pattern.  I was contacted a few months ago by Make Modern Magazine asking me to submit a quilt pattern to put in their magazine.  Well... I did and now that pattern is published in their most current issue.  I couldn't be more thrilled. This is an awesome opportunity for me.  

Make Modern is a new online quilting magazine based in Australia.  It is a digital magazine that is publish 6 times annually (every two months).  It is jam packed with quilt patterns and other quilty projects and informationation for any level of quilter.  

  I think the magazine is wonderful.  To see what they are all about go to their website.

There you can suscribe to Make Modern Magazine and sign up for their free newsletter.

In issue 4 you will be able to get the "Ellie's Elephants" baby quilt pattern that I created.  So, hop on over and see what it is all about.  

Happy Quilting!!!!

Tricia

Doily Love!!!

I am really loving these two quilts.  There are a couple of reasons that I love them so much.  I love to look at them and I love that the doilies on them are made by my Great-grandmother.  I love that I could take my love of quilting and add my Great-grandmothers love of crocheting doilies and put it together.  Several years ago my mom gave me a stack of these precious doilies and then I saw a quilt using doilies in a quilt magazine and right then I knew that I had to make it.  The first one  I made for my mom and she absolutely loved it.  She then asked me if I would make another for her sister (my aunt).  I hope that this heirloom will be cherished for a long time.  I do have a lot more doilies, so I think I see some more of these quilts in the future.

Happy Quilting!!!

Tricia

What an Honor!!!

I live in a really great place.  In the beginning I didn't think so, but I have come to love the place that I have called home for almost 22 years.  The place where I had 6 children.  The place where they were born, went to school, played many sports, participated in 4-H and grew (2 so far into adults). The place where I have learned and grown myself.  The place where I found my passion in quilting.  I have met and associated with many great people here.  Many opportunities have come to me here that I may have not found anywhere else.  This place that I call home has a piece of my heart.

Towards the end of July I received a phone call from a member of the Heber City 125th anniversary planning committee.  She told me about a big celebration they were planning to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of this fine town.  She explained that they wanted a quilt for the occasion.  One that would show some of the history and character of the city.  They wanted to commission someone to do that.  They asked me.  What an honor. 

 

I thought about this quilt a lot.  I was trying to decide how I wanted this quilt to be.  I wanted it to be amazing.   One of the kickers of this arrangement was that time was limited.   The Celebration was set for September 13 and it was already a week into August when I got final word on what specifically wanted for the quilt.  Once I got all of the information I could really start planning and working.  Time was my main issue.  It was at the end of the summer.  I was trying to get my kids ready for school (one of which was starting her Freshman year of college at the University 2 hours away.)  So the day that school started I really started in earnest to make this quilt.  I had three weeks to pull this off.  I was working two other part time jobs, taking care of my family and trying to fit in the quilt making.

Well, it was three crazy weeks.  I ate, drank and slept quilting.  I pulled many late nights and even an all nighter  to get it done it time.  I did it and I am pleased with the results.  

It was first hung in the Tabernacle and then they decided that for the day the visitors would see it better outside.  It was a great celebration.  I love this little town of mine!

Tricia

Small Town Quilt Show - In a Big Town Way

Yep...  It's true.  I will be teaching at Small Town Quilt Show in a Big Town Way. 

I am very excited about this and I have a really fun quilt that I have designed to teach at the event.  There will also be lots of other teachers there as well.  The show will be held in the beautiful Heber Valley at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah.

This is the quilt that I designed..  I think this would look great in any home and in many color ways.  If you want to attend this class or just check out what is going on at the show. 

Click here  A Small Town Quilt Show in a Big Town Way.

So... what are you waiting for?  Go register. :)

Happy Quilting!!!

 I hope to see you there.

Design Challenge

I recently participated in a design challenge through my local guild - The Heber Valley Quilters.

As I was working on this years challenged, I reflected on years past when I have participated in this fun yearly event. 

I have been a member of my local guild since 2003.  Since that time I have participated in the design challenge 5 times.  It has been fun to look back and also remember the quilts that I designed for this event

as well as all of the wonderful quilts designed and made by the talented ladies in my guild.

This year the challenge was to design a quilt using half square triangles that we traded with other members of the guild.  So I ended up with 18 pairs of half square triangles that were all different.  The rules were that we had to use all of those mismatched triangle pieces and then add at least one other size of half square triangles to the design.  The finished size was to be at least 20" x 20".

So... this is what I designed.  I like how it turned out!

I am trying hard to remember what years that I did the rest of the quilts.  I really can't.  I guess that is why quilt labels are so important.

The first challenge that I participated in must have been in 2004.  Because it was before my 5th child was born and he was born in 2005.  The challenge of this quilt was very simple.  They passed around a bag of all different candy bars and we were to grab one out without looking.  We were to then design a quilt using some aspect of that candy bar. (This really pushed our creative limits.)

Here is the quilt that I designed.

Can you guess what candy bar I picked out?

...BUTERFINGER!!!


My idea for this quilt came from my children and their little fingerprints that they leave everywhere.  Each one of their hands are represented on a block that I traced each one of their hands and then appliqued the shape onto the block.  I had each of them write their name and then embroidered that image.  Instead of binding it like a normal quilt, I thought it would be fun to frame it.  It is a fun keepsake.

I am trying so hard to remember what year this challenge quilt was made.  I really don't remember, but I think it was the second that I did for the design challenge.  Everyone who wanted to participate in the challenge swapped charm squares.   This was before you could buy the commercial charm packs.  So for a few months our assignment was to bring precut squares to trade.  The challenge was to design a quilt that was a "charm quilt", meaning that each piece of fabric in the quilt was different.  A true charm quilt.  

Mine was very basic.  As I remember I needed to make something that was quick so I made a small quilt that had 144 different fabrics, each one a 1 1/2" square.

This took a lot longer than I thought it would.  Cutting out all of those small squares out of different fabrics and then piecing them together one by one.

The next quilt is one of my favorites.  The theme for this challenge was "Everything I need to learn I learned in Quilt Guild."  The rules were simple.  We could use anything that we had learned in quilt guild to make this quilt.  We also had a group that did Round Robins every year.  I had not yet jumped onto that bandwagon, but I liked the idea, so that was the premise for my design.  I wanted the Round Robin look.  The center of the quilt was a crooked pieced Buggy Barn style heart.  (Both methods that I learned at quilt guild.)  A checkerboard border, which was one of my favorite designs at the time.  Then, the final border I did hand applique, which I also learned how to do at quilt guild.

Another quilt that I designed for the design challenge was a brown monotone log cabin quilt.  I don't remember the exact details of this challenge.  Each person participating got assigned an earth, wind, water or fire theme for the quilt.  Our quilts would reflect each of these themes.  Each month for several months we would get the next assignment for designing the quilt.  The only one that I remember is that one of the months we had to add beads to the design.  I didn't get this one totally finished.  I don't remember why. It is still sitting in a stack of quilts that need to be quilted.  One of these days....

Do you belong to a guild that hosts a design challenge?  If not, suggest it.  It is a lot of fun!


Happy Quilting!!!!!

Tricia

Quilting Class

So I have been teaching a quilting class to some ladies at my church.  I designed a quilt with twelve 9 patch blocks.   They have been doing a great job. Here are some pictures of what they have started.  I think they are going to turn out great.

I had to show this crazy friendship star.  This is what happens when you sew the last row on backwards.  I did this.  I don't think I have ever done this before.